Tucson with Kids {Reid Park Zoo}

In July of 2015 we spent a week in Tucson, Arizona visiting friends. Tucson is very different from our home in Jacksonville, Florida and the kids had a great time exploring new museums and restaurants. I'll be taking a few posts to review all the fun and exciting things we did in Tucson. You can click here to read through all of them.

Destination: Reid Park Zoo

Date of Visit: July 2015

Kids: Cole (age 8) & Kiley (age 5)

Length of Visit: 1/2 Day

We headed out one morning for a visit to the Reid Park Zoo. Reid Park had a baby elephant born last year and the kids had voted in the naming of baby Nandi so we thought it was only fitting to pay a visit while we were in town. My son is obsessed with elephants and I mean, look at how cute that baby is. Reid Park is a really nice little zoo. It was smaller than the Jacksonville Zoo, but a great way to spend part of the day.

Admission: Admission prices vary by age. Adults are $9 and kids (2-14) are $5. We actually used a b1g1 coupon my friend had, so that helped with the cost.

Food: There is a cafe right on property, so you can spend the entire day there and not have to leave for lunch. We packed in snacks and drinks and just ate them when we wanted to sit and rest. 

Tips: Tucson is hot in the summer. If you go to visit over the summer I recommend going to the zoo early to avoid the heat and crowds. Bring lots of water!

If you're interested in other things our family did in Tucson, click here. You can also read about all the National Parks we visited while traveling out west by clicking here. 

Tucson with Kids {Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum}

In July of 2015 we spent a week in Tucson, Arizona visiting friends. Tucson is very different from our home in Jacksonville, Florida and the kids had a great time exploring new museums and restaurants. I'll be taking a few posts to review all the fun and exciting things we did in Tucson. You can click here to read through all of them.

Destination: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Date of Visit: July 2015

Kids: Cole (age 8) & Kiley (age 5)

Length of Visit: Full Day

During our visit to Tucson, we got up early and headed out to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Although it's called a museum, it's more like a zoo and it was fabulous. They had tons of exhibits and animals, there was even an entire aviary filled with hummingbirds! Since it was mostly outside, by the end of the day we were hot. 

We loved the animal show. Not only was it fun and informative, but it was inside and air-conditioned. 

Touch tanks in Tucson, who knew?

I absolutely loved the humming bird aviary. We went in here 3 or 4 times throughout the day. The birds came right up close to you and I was able to take tons of pictures. Cole (8) even found a little nest with teeny, tiny eggs inside.

Admission: Admission prices vary by age. Adults are $20.50 and kids (3-12) are $8.00. We actually used a b1g1 coupon my friend had, so that helped with the cost.

Food: There are a few food choices right on property, so you can spend the entire day there and not have to leave for lunch. We packed in snacks and drinks and ate at the food court for lunch. The food was above average and not extremely expensive, so I was excited about that.

Tips: Tucson is hot in the summer. If you go to visit over the summer I recommend doing the outside part of the museum first and then go inside to look around in the air conditioning. I highly recommend this museum to families with kids of all ages. There is lots to do and see and you could easily spend the entire day there. Bring lots of water!

If you're interested in other things our family did in Tucson, click here. You can also read about all the National Parks we visited while traveling out west by clicking here. 

Tucson with Kids {Houston's Horseback Riding}

In July of 2015 we spent a week in Tucson, Arizona visiting friends. Tucson is very different from our home in Jacksonville, Florida and the kids had a great time exploring new museums and restaurants. I'll be taking a few posts to review all the fun and exciting things we did in Tucson. You can click here to read through all of them.

Destination: Houston's Horseback Riding

Date of Visit: July 2015

Kids: Cole (age 8) & Kiley (age 5)

Length of Visit: 2 Hours

Pretty much the only thing my daughter wanted to do on our trip out west was to ride horses. Since she's only 5, she was too young to ride down into the Grand Canyon, or even a trail in Bryce Canyon. So when we reached Tucson we started looking up places to take her horseback riding. We decided on an evening ride with Houston's Horseback Riding, that would take us through Saguaro National Park.

Since neither one of my kids had ever ridden horses before, I was a little concerned. But Houston's made sure they were safe and secure the entire time. Kiley (5) used a lead, which mean she was tethered to a professional rider so that her horse would follow along next to the pro. Cole (8) started out with a lead, and then was able to navigate the path on his own. The kids had so much fun. 

We wove our way through Saguaro National Park at sunset and a sprinkle of rain cooled us off, making it the perfect trip.

Cost: The trail rides aren't cheap. It's $60 cash per person for a 2 hour ride, and they charge an additional fee if you want to use a credit card.

Tips: Book your trail ride early, because we found that they fill up fast. Bring cash to avoid the credit card transaction fee. Pack lots of water, even riding in the cooler evening we all needed a drink after a while.

If you're interested in other things our family did in Tucson, click here. You can also read about all the National Parks we visited while traveling out west by clicking here. 

Tucson with Kids {Ben's Bells}

In July of 2015 we spent a week in Tucson, Arizona visiting friends. Tucson is very different from our home in Jacksonville, Florida and the kids had a great time exploring new museums and restaurants. I'll be taking a few posts to review all the fun and exciting things we did in Tucson. You can click here to read through all of them.

Destination: Ben's Bells Studio

Date of Visit: July 2015

Kids: Cole (age 8) & Kiley (age 5)

Length of Stay: 1/2 Day

When I found out we'd be spending a week in Tucson, I knew I wanted to include a trip to the Ben's Bells studio on our list of things to do. The mission of Ben's Bells is to spread kindness and I have always wanted to volunteer to paint, so we took everyone and spent an hour or two at the studio. This was the one thing I really wanted to do when we were in Tucson and it didn't disappoint. Everyone had a great time, and we picked up a few souvenirs.

Ben's Bells offers open studio time during which you can go and help out. The day we went they needed us to paint kindness coins. My kids, ages 5 & 8, loved this activity. We visited the Ben's Bells Main Gate studio and the employees were very welcoming and excited to have us. You don't need to call ahead, but I had emailed to make sure they would have something for us. There are lots of other shops and restaurants near the Main Gate studio and you can easily make this a fun day out with the kids.

Admission: It's technically free to volunteer at the Ben's Bells studio, but they do ask you to "bring a buck" as a donation. You can learn more about their open studio hours here.

Tips: I really think this is a great activity for kids of all ages. While we were painting we talked about what it meant to be kind and even bought a few kindness coins to bring back to Florida. Ben's Bells asks that you limit your party size to 6 people or less if you are coming to work during open studio hours. If you'd like to bring a bigger group, just contact them and they'll fit you in. Know that you will get messy!

If you're interested in other things our family did in Tucson, click here. You can also read about all the National Parks we visited while traveling out west by clicking here. 

Tucson with Kids {Pima Air & Space Museum}

In July of 2015 we spent a week in Tucson, Arizona visiting friends. Tucson is very different from our home in Jacksonville, Florida and the kids had a great time exploring new museums and restaurants. I'll be taking a few posts to review all the fun and exciting things we did in Tucson. You can click here to read through all of them.

Destination: Pima Air & Space Museum

Date of Visit: July 2015

Kids: Cole (age 8) & Kiley (age 5)

Length of Visit: 1/2 Day

We visited the Pima Air & Space Museum with our friends who live in Tucson. To say it has something for everyone is an understatement. The massive museum has planes as far as the eye can see. The kids loved climbing into all the different aircraft. 

The kids especially loved the Space Gallery with all the different simulators and exhibits.

There are acres and acres of outdoor exhibits.

Admission: Admission prices vary by age. Adults are $15.50 and kids (5-12) are $9.00. We actually used a b1g1 coupon my friend had, so that helped with the cost.

Food: There is a Flight Grill right on property, so you can spend the entire day there and not have to leave for lunch. We packed in snacks and drinks and just ate them when we wanted to sit and rest. Outside food is allowed in, but you can't eat while you're walking around looking at the exhibits.

Tips: Tucson is hot in the summer. If you go to visit over the summer I recommend doing the outside part of the museum first and then go inside to look around in the air conditioning. I highly recommend this museum to families with kids of all ages. There is lots to do and see and you could easily spend the entire day there. 

If you're interested in other things our family did in Tucson, click here. You can also read about all the National Parks we visited while traveling out west by clicking here.