The first and only time that I’ve been to Phoenix, AZ was 10 years ago. I was a fairly new mom, galavanting with my 15-month old son. My husband was there for a 3- month training program and since I’d never traveled there, I figured I’d strap the baby to my back and go out to explore.

What I remember most was that Phoenix was hot and dry. I also remember driving through breathtaking desert scenery as we passed through mountains and long open roads to other Arizona towns like Tucson.

One of the first spas I’d ever been to is located in CareFree, Arizona, not far from Phoenix. A decade and a dozen or more spas later, my sights are set on returning to Phoenix to re-visit many of the attractions with both of my children in tow.

There are a few places I have in mind that I’d like to re-visit but there are some new attractions that I’d also like to see.

The FlipKey Virtual Tour tool is helping me to do a little pre-trip planning and research. Ideally, I’d do a 5-day visit to get it all in, making stops along the way.

A rough-draft of my itinerary looks like this:

Day 1:

Camelback Mountain

The Phoenix Zoo

Day 2:

The Desert Botanical Garden

Day 3:

Scottsdale

Day 4:

Tucson

Day 5:

Carefree

The Phoenix area is one of the best places that I’ve taken a scenic drive. It will be even more enjoyable with older kids, able to appreciate the scenery around them. I’m glad that I have FlipKey to not only look into an apartment stay but also help me to plan my trip along the way.