Favorite Places: Top 5 Arizona Date Night Ideas

We are happy to have a guest writer today to kick off a series of posts all about date night. Check back next Tuesday for lots more ideas for enjoying a night out in Arizona.

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Camille here, from Friday We’re in Love- a blog all about date night and keeping love alive in marriage. My husband Jacob and I happen to be located in Phoenix, and we love so many dates that are unique to Arizona! We’ve been doing this for over three and a half years, so we’ve seen some great things and experienced some of the best! We rarely repeat, but have a list of places we always seem to go back and love each time. Today I’m happy to share five of these places with you!

Rock Springs Cafe, Arizona

Words and Images by Kathryn

For years I've driven past the signs located in what seems the middle of nowhere, "World Famous Pies!"  For years my mouth waters, but yet we keep on going, intent to get home or intent to get to our destination.  However, Monday I was determined to finally check out this place for myself. 

Kid-Friendly (and Pet-Friendly) Hikes in the Phoenix Area

We are looking forward to cooler weather, aren't you? This is the time of year when the Desert-Dwellers start itching for fall. On those perfect fall-weather days, there is nothing better than getting outside and enjoying all of the hiking and outdoors the Valley has to offer.

Today, we're focusing on hiking with kids or pets. We also have an exciting announcement at the bottom of the post--so keep reading!

Most of these hikes we have personally done with real-life, actual human children. Although neither of us have a dog, hiking with dogs and kids generally means you are looking for an easier trail so it's a similar search.

In general, dogs are allowed at all county, city, and federal parks but must remain on a leash. And of course, don't forget to clean up after your pet (and/or child)!

Here are several places to try for an easy hike with your favorite short-legged friend:

Children's Museum of Phoenix

This. This is the place to take kids in Phoenix. Last week we got the opportunity to take our little people to the Children's Museum of Phoenix. Can you think of a place more fun than this? 

Images by Kathryn

Hopefully, if you have kids you have been to this award-winning museum. First of all, an air-conditioned, three-story, steampunk treehouse climber complete with a flying bathtub? Yeah. It's got that.  

Arizona Rodeos: A List of Events, Carnivals, and Parades

Written by Marily 

September is the month of the rodeo, folks--just look at this list. If you live in Arizona and you have never been to a rodeo, then it is high time you tap into the Western heritage of this place and get to one of these events. 

There are a ton of rodeos that happen in our state.  Many of them include so many other activities in conjunction with the rodeo that you really don't even need to see the main event in order to have a good time. Think parades, carnivals, Native American pow-wows, live music, and tons of fun for the whole family. 

Here is the list, separated by the month in which it is generally hosted annually:

January
Tohono O'odham Nation Rodeo and Fair (Located 3 miles west of Sells, AZ)
Held at the end of January/beginning of Febrauary yearly. This is an all-Indian rodeo that includes a parade, traditional Native-American games, pow-wow, free carnival rides, live music, and much more.

10 Things to Do for the Ultimate Phoenix Experience

Written by Marily

How do you get the Ultimate Phoenix experience? A nice mix of city, desert, and good local food. Plus a sunburn. Yeah, you'll need one of those too.

Read through this list to see how ULTIMATE of a Phoenician you are. And if you are coming to Phoenix for a visit, then this list is a great place to start. We are giving prizes to those who have done 8 or more items on this list.*

Although these supreme dust storms can be a bit destructive, they are pretty cool to experience and could make an epic selfie backdrop if you can catch a pic with a giant cloud of dust. "Tut, tut, it looks like dust." I'm pretty sure that's what Winnie the Pooh said when he visited Phoenix.  And don't question the fact that the word haboob was virtually unused in Phoenix until about 4 years ago. If you can't catch a haboob, experiencing a monsoon rain storm is also very Phoenix. 

And by the way, my husband hates that I am using the word haboob that he says a local weatherman made up. He nearly refused to read my article unless I took it out. 

50 Things to Do With Kids for the Last Stretch of Summer Break

If you have kids in school, then summer is likely on the home stretch. Some kids in Arizona are heading back this week! And some of you have a few more weeks to squeeze in some summer fun before classes start again. Here are our summer posts all gathered together in one easy spot for one long list of over 50 things to do to keep you and your family entertained til you get back to your school-day routines.

Air-Conditioned Fun: A list of indoor activities like museums, malls, etc around AZ

Water Fun and Splash Pads: Read this list for some new ideas for splash pads. Take a little drive and try out a new one. Or, try splash pad hopping by visiting more than one spot in a day.

Classes and Activities: There are still several things on this list that are going on at local businesses for kids. It's likely the activities are less busy now since it is towards the end of the season.

The Big List of Free Things to Do With Kids in Arizona

No matter what your budget is, every parent needs a list of free things to do with kids in their back pocket. We've got you covered. If you know of something around Arizona that is not on the list, share it with us on Facebook or in the comments below. 

Here we go!