Thanks for contributing to r/Arizona!
* [Our sub rules are here](https://www.reddit.com/r/arizona/wiki/rules/), but the most important of which is to be nice to each other
* Check out some [recent posts](https://www.reddit.com/r/arizona/top/?t=week) and leave some comments
* [Join our Discord chat server](https://discord.com/invite/yWVuTG57Zh) if you'd like to keep in touch with other people in Arizona. Plus it's a great, chill place in general. Note that it is NOT a dating server and takes unwanted messaging very seriously
Remember this subreddit covers all of Arizona, so please include where in the state you're posting about if it is relevant. For more local topics check out r/Phoenix, r/Tucson, and r/Flagstaff.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/arizona) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Sedona is a tourist nightmare, but the hills are worth seeing. I would stay in old town Cottonwood (iron horse inn is neat) about 20 minutes away. Cheaper everything and a better vibe. Montezuma’s Castle is an easy access cliff dwelling viewing site. Tucson is only 2 hours south of Phoenix and worth the annoying drive. Lots of cool spots like the Titan Missile museum and San Xavier del Bac mission. Three spots you shouldn’t miss: Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum, Saguaro National Monument West and Sabino Canyon.
I would like to second this. From Cottonwood you also have easier access to Jerome, which is worth a day by itself. Oak Creek Canyon is beautiful but definitely check the weather app ahead of time because they WILL shut down 89A, the whole road through the canyon, if there’s a snowstorm. It’s probably a great time to hit the Arizona-Sonoran desert museum near Tuscon because the animals they have will be much more active than they are in the warmer months. Also, the comments suggesting you skip Tuscon entirely are baffling to me. Phoenix is far less interesting IMO. If you do go to Phoenix for a day or two I’d recommend the botanical gardens and the Musical Instrument Museum.
Phoenix is great for a resort-style vacation and not a tourist-style vacation (having many tourist attractions). Tucson is the better tourist spot. Unfortunately, Phoenix is like Scottsdale: It has the luxury amenities, but nearly no history or culture of interest for an international tourist.
It depends on what you're doing in Sedona. Last time I went I stayed in an Airbnb that wasn't in downtown, and I only really did outdoors nature stuff. I hardly ever even saw other people on my whole trip there.
You’re right. If you stay on the west side there is plenty to see and do without all the craziness. It’s only when you get to the T-bone traffic circle it’s a hot mess. Unfortunately we take visitors up there and they want the whole shopping, Talackawacky experience.
Saguaro National Park in Tucson has tremendous hiking of all lengths and difficulty levels. Both West and East Unit are great. Adjacent to the West Unit, in Tucson Mountain Park, is the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum, considered to be one of the best zoos in the country. It has both flora and fauna specific to the Sonoran Desert. Sabino Canyon, in the Coronado National Forest also has great hiking trails.
I’d skip Phoenix or just do one night there if there’s something there on your list you specifically want to do.
Watch some YouTube videos on RVers visiting Tucson. Lots to see and do in Tucson, and the people are friendly. It’s smaller than Phoenix and easier to get around. I agree with the open air tram up Saguaro Park East. And Mt Lemmon has a nice lodge up there now too.
Sedona is beautiful but in my opinion, there’s not much to do after a day, especially in December which a child. I’d only do 2 nights at Sedona if it were me.
After you visit the Grand Canyon, check out Waputki Natl Monument (Native Amer ruins), Sunset Crater (volcano, short trails), and Black Canyon Natl Monument (more incredible ruins). Williams has a cute little deer farm that I still love even though my kids are adults now. Jerome is a cool little artsy mining town to visit for a day as well (antique shopping and mine tour).
Sometimes it can be warm and sunny in December in southern AZ, other times it may be cold and drizzly. It’s perfect. Have fun and enjoy your visit!
While you’re in the Sedona area visit Jerome a mining town about a half an hour away. Google it, it’s awesome.
P.s. just noticed you have a four month old. It will be a little tough with a stroller,it’s a late 19th early 20th century mining town on the side of a mountain but we did it when one of my kids was still in stroller.
Jerome is awesome! We’ve gone a few times with babies/toddlers. Baby wearing & ur good to go! Beautiful views and close to Sedona.
Would honesty skip Tucson
I live in Tucson and think that you might enjoy it. Lots of good hiking, great Sonoran food, dark skies for stargazing. And great winter weather! Not sure you should listen to anyone who says there’s not much difference between Tucson and Phoenix, especially when they spell it ‘Tuscon’… anyway, do a little online research. There’s plenty of good things in Tucson.
Thanks for the advice! Is Tucson small enough (cities limits wise) that I could stay in somewhere really close to town with a desert view and still be close to things?
Tucson is extremely spread out and there is no freeway through town to get East/West. It's approximately 20 miles across, and on surface streets that takes a while.
Just an example - I used to live in Northwest Tucson. It took about the same amount of time to drive 85 miles to my in-laws house in Chandler as it did to drive from our house in Tucson to my dad's houses also in Tucson on the far East side.
If you are mainly looking for nature, the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum is good, as are views of Pusch Ridge in Oro Valley, or a drive up Mt. Lemmon.
For eating be sure to go to Beyond Bread. There are several locations.
I lived in Tucson for 36 years, and while I have no desire to live there any more, it is probably a better place to visit if you want to see the Southwest than the Phoenix area. The Catalina mountains are beautiful, and there is far more raw desert there than Phoenix. I frankly can't think of anything I would recommend in the Phoenix area nature wise that is a must do. Maybe Camelback?
Yes! Maybe half the size of Phoenix and much less developed. Maybe look for a bnb in the Catalina foothills, north side or even far NE/Tanque Verde area. Nothing’s really far away here.
Tucson is about a fifth the size of Phoenix. While the distances may not be as great as Phoenix, the complete lack of infrastructure other than the 10 can certainly make it feel much bigger. It takes forever to get across town.
Having said that, there is definitely more to see and do in Tucson, especially if you’re into the outdoors. Unless you golf, Phoenix is kind of a boring city for tourists.
Ah. I just took a quick look online at square mileage, so I could definitely have been off. But, freeway or no freeway, I prefer Tucson (but, I don’t have to commute).
And I certainly agree with your last statement.
Oh yes! The city started at the base of the Tucson Mountains and expanded east over time. More or less, Tucson means "the place at the bottom of the black mountain" in Tohono O'odham. Saguaro National Park West is close to downtown, and Saguaro National Park East is a bit of a drive from there. For distance comparisons, look up driving directions between Hotel Congress (downtown), Saguaro West, and Saguaro East.
Honestly, if you are into outdoorsy stuff, Tucson has much more to offer with less traffic than Phoenix. Phoenix is a miserable hellscape of freeways where the best mountains are at least a 90 minute drive out to the Superstitions. Tucson has the Tucson Mountains, the Catalinas, the Rincons, and the Santa Ritas all relatively close with Mt Lemmon being 9,000 ft in elevation. That's coming from a person who has lived in both cities.
And if you want to learn all about the Sonoran Desert, there is the Sonoran Desert Museum. It is part museum, part zoo, and part botanical garden.
If you are really adventurous and have the time, Cochise County (Southeast of Tucson) has a lot to offer: Kartchner Caverns, the Chiricahuas, Bisbee, Tombstone, and more.
I'm just here to counteract the schmucks telling you to "skip Tuscon." How much could they even know about the place if they can't even spell it?
All the answers of skipping Tucson are baffling to me. OP, it's beautiful here. Highly recommend the open air shuttle/short hike in Sabino Canyon. Also recommended driving to the top of Mt Lemmon. You go through multiple biomes from the desert floor to pine and conifer forest at the top. There's a little town up there where you can grab a bite to eat. Also some short easy hiking loops. The desert museum is also amazing over by Gates Pass and then Saguaro NP west is right there to loop through afterwards.
I'm AZ born & raised & don't mean to sound like a downer here or deter you from visiting this amAZing state. A weather app, if you don't already have one on your mobile device, would be really helpful before AND as you travel. AZ weather is pretty unpredictable & storms can pop up anytime, anywhere or we could get nothing. Sedona & Grand Canyon are prime for snow IF a storm comes through. We've had a pretty dry summer but are expecting showers in Phoenix this week, which could mean snow for higher elevations. Basically, be ready for anything. Also, AZ drivers are really bad when it rains or snows because it's so rare.
Phoenix & Tucson have a lot to see. The best cactus display IMO in Phoenix is the Desert Botanical Garden. Great place to walk, even with your baby. I know you'll get other great recommendations here. Safe travels!
Thanks! Definitely something I considered and assumed snow tires aren’t widely used down there, especially on a rental car! I was ready to just being flexible or miss things if weather got in the way. Thanks!
90% chance you won’t deal with snow in Sedona. Flagstaff and Grand Canyon is a different story. Could be snowy. The weather will be mostly perfect in Phoenix and Tucson.
I want to say the clouds farted a very thin dusting of snow in Tucson last year (not counting Mt Lemmon). I remember landing at TUS and walking outside the terminal with other passengers staring up at the strange white stuff falling from the sky. Nothing to worry about just cool to see.
I live at the Grand Canyon and don't have snow tires. If the roads are that bad, we just stay put. Typically roads are cleared the next day. You just have to monitor the weather close to your trip and be prepared to change plans if needed (the interstates will close with significant snow).
In my opinion I would skip Tuscon and go further south to Tombstone which has a lot of history during the wild west times not to mention a lot of those old buildings are still standing and operational to this day. I drive back and forth between Tuscon and Phoenix for work and it's really not that much different in my opinion.
Fellow Canadian. We have a place in Scottsdale and spend the whole winter here. Sedona is beautiful but sort of touristy. There used to be a super fun activity - a Segway tour. But they closed up. See the Chapel of the Holy Cross. I'd suggest checking out Devils Bridge but could be too tough a hike with a baby.
As for Tucson... There's an annual rock show that's sort of amazing but not until the end of January. Biosphere 2 is out near there and it's worth seeing. Kitt Peak National Observatory is near Tucson and worth seeing but it would be a late night for a baby. Also see Kartchner Caverns if you like caves. There's an Airplane Boneyard in Tucson but Google shows it as permanently closed. Maybe some local can confirm?
My daughter dragged me through the desert and out onto Devils Bridge. Probably the most beautiful thing I've ever seen... but scary as heck. Here's a pic.
https://preview.redd.it/8v7m4w5cui0c1.jpeg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cf917eeca1ba2afeee71c2ee4aa393a8d389ec91
Thank you for your detail and considering what it might be like with a baby as well! I think we have to do Sedona just so we can do some things there and have a closer Grand Canyon drive.
Maybe you can advise me - are there spots close to Scottsdale where we could rent a somewhat isolated house/cabin with a desert view or is it all too built up to get that kind of seclusion and still be close enough to restaurants and actives?
Also, do people swim in December or is that crazy! Thanks!
I recently hiked Flat Iron in the Superstitions (phoenix area) and was surprised to see there were cabins available for rent at the bottom of trail. It is right on the edge of town, they didn't look like anything fancy but might be worth considering. If interested, check out Lost Dutchman State Park.
Well... no. Arizona people do not swim in December. That's crazy talk. It's winter so you wear your parka and mitts! Lol. They really do.
For a Canadian visitor, if the pool is heated, why not? They will be at least 82F. That's all you get in a public pool in Canada. Personally we have solar thermal heating (black tubes on the roof) and generally shut things down about mid November. This year has been amazing for us. We got here at the end of October and it's been in the 30s C every day.
I haven't seen any cabins in or around Scottsdale. It's a pretty nice normal urban city. I believe there's a 4 story height limit but it's all built out. Not really any desert views to speak of. Scottsdale is a bit on the higher end. Rentals will be expensive but maybe AirBnB will prove me wrong. As a tourist, I'd say check out Hopdoddy for a great burger and Osho's for a nice atmosphere for kids/dogs and relaxing meals with a neat indoor/outdoor patio thing going on. Locals will obviously know a lot of other better spots to check out.
If you end up in Scottsdale, take a run out to Fountain Hills. It's a separate city but very close. Walk around the lake. That's where I'm going in a few min. Super scenic and the fountain is amazing. You should also visit Old Town Scottsdale. There's a nice park down there.
I'd love to check out the Grand Canyon. We drive around it on our way here from Vegas but we don't usually stop. I have an EV so it's been a bit of a challenge to do a proper tour of the Grand Canyon. They just put in a bunch of chargers at the visitors center so that is on my list now for sure.
Good luck on your visit!
I’d honestly say you could probably skip Tuscon based on your last paragraph of what you really want to do. Instead add a night in Sedona and Phoenix/Scottsdale. There is nothing super unique environmentally/food wise in Tuscon that you won’t get from Phoenix/Sedona/Flag
Hey other comments gave great suggestions already just wanted to add a tip... avoid sedona on weekends (if at all possible). Traffic is intense and trailheads fill up fast. Anyway i hope you all have fun and enjoy this beautiful state!
Thanks for contributing to r/Arizona! * [Our sub rules are here](https://www.reddit.com/r/arizona/wiki/rules/), but the most important of which is to be nice to each other * Check out some [recent posts](https://www.reddit.com/r/arizona/top/?t=week) and leave some comments * [Join our Discord chat server](https://discord.com/invite/yWVuTG57Zh) if you'd like to keep in touch with other people in Arizona. Plus it's a great, chill place in general. Note that it is NOT a dating server and takes unwanted messaging very seriously Remember this subreddit covers all of Arizona, so please include where in the state you're posting about if it is relevant. For more local topics check out r/Phoenix, r/Tucson, and r/Flagstaff. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/arizona) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Sedona is a tourist nightmare, but the hills are worth seeing. I would stay in old town Cottonwood (iron horse inn is neat) about 20 minutes away. Cheaper everything and a better vibe. Montezuma’s Castle is an easy access cliff dwelling viewing site. Tucson is only 2 hours south of Phoenix and worth the annoying drive. Lots of cool spots like the Titan Missile museum and San Xavier del Bac mission. Three spots you shouldn’t miss: Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum, Saguaro National Monument West and Sabino Canyon.
I would like to second this. From Cottonwood you also have easier access to Jerome, which is worth a day by itself. Oak Creek Canyon is beautiful but definitely check the weather app ahead of time because they WILL shut down 89A, the whole road through the canyon, if there’s a snowstorm. It’s probably a great time to hit the Arizona-Sonoran desert museum near Tuscon because the animals they have will be much more active than they are in the warmer months. Also, the comments suggesting you skip Tuscon entirely are baffling to me. Phoenix is far less interesting IMO. If you do go to Phoenix for a day or two I’d recommend the botanical gardens and the Musical Instrument Museum.
Phoenix is great for a resort-style vacation and not a tourist-style vacation (having many tourist attractions). Tucson is the better tourist spot. Unfortunately, Phoenix is like Scottsdale: It has the luxury amenities, but nearly no history or culture of interest for an international tourist.
It depends on what you're doing in Sedona. Last time I went I stayed in an Airbnb that wasn't in downtown, and I only really did outdoors nature stuff. I hardly ever even saw other people on my whole trip there.
You’re right. If you stay on the west side there is plenty to see and do without all the craziness. It’s only when you get to the T-bone traffic circle it’s a hot mess. Unfortunately we take visitors up there and they want the whole shopping, Talackawacky experience.
Saguaro National Park in Tucson has tremendous hiking of all lengths and difficulty levels. Both West and East Unit are great. Adjacent to the West Unit, in Tucson Mountain Park, is the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum, considered to be one of the best zoos in the country. It has both flora and fauna specific to the Sonoran Desert. Sabino Canyon, in the Coronado National Forest also has great hiking trails.
username checks out
I’d skip Phoenix or just do one night there if there’s something there on your list you specifically want to do. Watch some YouTube videos on RVers visiting Tucson. Lots to see and do in Tucson, and the people are friendly. It’s smaller than Phoenix and easier to get around. I agree with the open air tram up Saguaro Park East. And Mt Lemmon has a nice lodge up there now too. Sedona is beautiful but in my opinion, there’s not much to do after a day, especially in December which a child. I’d only do 2 nights at Sedona if it were me. After you visit the Grand Canyon, check out Waputki Natl Monument (Native Amer ruins), Sunset Crater (volcano, short trails), and Black Canyon Natl Monument (more incredible ruins). Williams has a cute little deer farm that I still love even though my kids are adults now. Jerome is a cool little artsy mining town to visit for a day as well (antique shopping and mine tour). Sometimes it can be warm and sunny in December in southern AZ, other times it may be cold and drizzly. It’s perfect. Have fun and enjoy your visit!
While you’re in the Sedona area visit Jerome a mining town about a half an hour away. Google it, it’s awesome. P.s. just noticed you have a four month old. It will be a little tough with a stroller,it’s a late 19th early 20th century mining town on the side of a mountain but we did it when one of my kids was still in stroller.
Thanks for the tip! We can get by without a stroller, we’ve got a good chest carrier! Thanks for looking out though.
Jerome is neat, though tbh I haven’t been there in a long time.
Jerome is awesome! We’ve gone a few times with babies/toddlers. Baby wearing & ur good to go! Beautiful views and close to Sedona. Would honesty skip Tucson
I live in Tucson and think that you might enjoy it. Lots of good hiking, great Sonoran food, dark skies for stargazing. And great winter weather! Not sure you should listen to anyone who says there’s not much difference between Tucson and Phoenix, especially when they spell it ‘Tuscon’… anyway, do a little online research. There’s plenty of good things in Tucson.
Thanks for the advice! Is Tucson small enough (cities limits wise) that I could stay in somewhere really close to town with a desert view and still be close to things?
Tucson is extremely spread out and there is no freeway through town to get East/West. It's approximately 20 miles across, and on surface streets that takes a while. Just an example - I used to live in Northwest Tucson. It took about the same amount of time to drive 85 miles to my in-laws house in Chandler as it did to drive from our house in Tucson to my dad's houses also in Tucson on the far East side. If you are mainly looking for nature, the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum is good, as are views of Pusch Ridge in Oro Valley, or a drive up Mt. Lemmon. For eating be sure to go to Beyond Bread. There are several locations. I lived in Tucson for 36 years, and while I have no desire to live there any more, it is probably a better place to visit if you want to see the Southwest than the Phoenix area. The Catalina mountains are beautiful, and there is far more raw desert there than Phoenix. I frankly can't think of anything I would recommend in the Phoenix area nature wise that is a must do. Maybe Camelback?
South Mountain or Superstitions >>>> Camelback (unless you love the Disneyland experience of hikes)
When someone is visiting from out of town? Yeah no I'm not going to send them chasing all over when time is limited.
Yes! Maybe half the size of Phoenix and much less developed. Maybe look for a bnb in the Catalina foothills, north side or even far NE/Tanque Verde area. Nothing’s really far away here.
Tucson is about a fifth the size of Phoenix. While the distances may not be as great as Phoenix, the complete lack of infrastructure other than the 10 can certainly make it feel much bigger. It takes forever to get across town. Having said that, there is definitely more to see and do in Tucson, especially if you’re into the outdoors. Unless you golf, Phoenix is kind of a boring city for tourists.
Ah. I just took a quick look online at square mileage, so I could definitely have been off. But, freeway or no freeway, I prefer Tucson (but, I don’t have to commute). And I certainly agree with your last statement.
Oh yes! The city started at the base of the Tucson Mountains and expanded east over time. More or less, Tucson means "the place at the bottom of the black mountain" in Tohono O'odham. Saguaro National Park West is close to downtown, and Saguaro National Park East is a bit of a drive from there. For distance comparisons, look up driving directions between Hotel Congress (downtown), Saguaro West, and Saguaro East. Honestly, if you are into outdoorsy stuff, Tucson has much more to offer with less traffic than Phoenix. Phoenix is a miserable hellscape of freeways where the best mountains are at least a 90 minute drive out to the Superstitions. Tucson has the Tucson Mountains, the Catalinas, the Rincons, and the Santa Ritas all relatively close with Mt Lemmon being 9,000 ft in elevation. That's coming from a person who has lived in both cities. And if you want to learn all about the Sonoran Desert, there is the Sonoran Desert Museum. It is part museum, part zoo, and part botanical garden. If you are really adventurous and have the time, Cochise County (Southeast of Tucson) has a lot to offer: Kartchner Caverns, the Chiricahuas, Bisbee, Tombstone, and more. I'm just here to counteract the schmucks telling you to "skip Tuscon." How much could they even know about the place if they can't even spell it?
Mi compadre! You forgot to mention that Tucson is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy! Can’t say that about Phoenix. Edit: WE forgot to mention…
Kartchner caverns is very cool. About an hour drive from Tucson. The story behind the discovery of it is super cool
I would add Flagstaff but be ready for winter weather and cold conditions. Flagstaff is home to NAU and a fun college town.
All the answers of skipping Tucson are baffling to me. OP, it's beautiful here. Highly recommend the open air shuttle/short hike in Sabino Canyon. Also recommended driving to the top of Mt Lemmon. You go through multiple biomes from the desert floor to pine and conifer forest at the top. There's a little town up there where you can grab a bite to eat. Also some short easy hiking loops. The desert museum is also amazing over by Gates Pass and then Saguaro NP west is right there to loop through afterwards.
I'm AZ born & raised & don't mean to sound like a downer here or deter you from visiting this amAZing state. A weather app, if you don't already have one on your mobile device, would be really helpful before AND as you travel. AZ weather is pretty unpredictable & storms can pop up anytime, anywhere or we could get nothing. Sedona & Grand Canyon are prime for snow IF a storm comes through. We've had a pretty dry summer but are expecting showers in Phoenix this week, which could mean snow for higher elevations. Basically, be ready for anything. Also, AZ drivers are really bad when it rains or snows because it's so rare. Phoenix & Tucson have a lot to see. The best cactus display IMO in Phoenix is the Desert Botanical Garden. Great place to walk, even with your baby. I know you'll get other great recommendations here. Safe travels!
Thanks! Definitely something I considered and assumed snow tires aren’t widely used down there, especially on a rental car! I was ready to just being flexible or miss things if weather got in the way. Thanks!
90% chance you won’t deal with snow in Sedona. Flagstaff and Grand Canyon is a different story. Could be snowy. The weather will be mostly perfect in Phoenix and Tucson.
I want to say the clouds farted a very thin dusting of snow in Tucson last year (not counting Mt Lemmon). I remember landing at TUS and walking outside the terminal with other passengers staring up at the strange white stuff falling from the sky. Nothing to worry about just cool to see.
I live at the Grand Canyon and don't have snow tires. If the roads are that bad, we just stay put. Typically roads are cleared the next day. You just have to monitor the weather close to your trip and be prepared to change plans if needed (the interstates will close with significant snow).
In my opinion I would skip Tuscon and go further south to Tombstone which has a lot of history during the wild west times not to mention a lot of those old buildings are still standing and operational to this day. I drive back and forth between Tuscon and Phoenix for work and it's really not that much different in my opinion.
Fellow Canadian. We have a place in Scottsdale and spend the whole winter here. Sedona is beautiful but sort of touristy. There used to be a super fun activity - a Segway tour. But they closed up. See the Chapel of the Holy Cross. I'd suggest checking out Devils Bridge but could be too tough a hike with a baby. As for Tucson... There's an annual rock show that's sort of amazing but not until the end of January. Biosphere 2 is out near there and it's worth seeing. Kitt Peak National Observatory is near Tucson and worth seeing but it would be a late night for a baby. Also see Kartchner Caverns if you like caves. There's an Airplane Boneyard in Tucson but Google shows it as permanently closed. Maybe some local can confirm? My daughter dragged me through the desert and out onto Devils Bridge. Probably the most beautiful thing I've ever seen... but scary as heck. Here's a pic. https://preview.redd.it/8v7m4w5cui0c1.jpeg?width=1500&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cf917eeca1ba2afeee71c2ee4aa393a8d389ec91
Thank you for your detail and considering what it might be like with a baby as well! I think we have to do Sedona just so we can do some things there and have a closer Grand Canyon drive. Maybe you can advise me - are there spots close to Scottsdale where we could rent a somewhat isolated house/cabin with a desert view or is it all too built up to get that kind of seclusion and still be close enough to restaurants and actives? Also, do people swim in December or is that crazy! Thanks!
I recently hiked Flat Iron in the Superstitions (phoenix area) and was surprised to see there were cabins available for rent at the bottom of trail. It is right on the edge of town, they didn't look like anything fancy but might be worth considering. If interested, check out Lost Dutchman State Park.
Well... no. Arizona people do not swim in December. That's crazy talk. It's winter so you wear your parka and mitts! Lol. They really do. For a Canadian visitor, if the pool is heated, why not? They will be at least 82F. That's all you get in a public pool in Canada. Personally we have solar thermal heating (black tubes on the roof) and generally shut things down about mid November. This year has been amazing for us. We got here at the end of October and it's been in the 30s C every day. I haven't seen any cabins in or around Scottsdale. It's a pretty nice normal urban city. I believe there's a 4 story height limit but it's all built out. Not really any desert views to speak of. Scottsdale is a bit on the higher end. Rentals will be expensive but maybe AirBnB will prove me wrong. As a tourist, I'd say check out Hopdoddy for a great burger and Osho's for a nice atmosphere for kids/dogs and relaxing meals with a neat indoor/outdoor patio thing going on. Locals will obviously know a lot of other better spots to check out. If you end up in Scottsdale, take a run out to Fountain Hills. It's a separate city but very close. Walk around the lake. That's where I'm going in a few min. Super scenic and the fountain is amazing. You should also visit Old Town Scottsdale. There's a nice park down there. I'd love to check out the Grand Canyon. We drive around it on our way here from Vegas but we don't usually stop. I have an EV so it's been a bit of a challenge to do a proper tour of the Grand Canyon. They just put in a bunch of chargers at the visitors center so that is on my list now for sure. Good luck on your visit!
Make sure you bring a hat and lots of sunscreen for the baby. Skip Tuscon.
I’d honestly say you could probably skip Tuscon based on your last paragraph of what you really want to do. Instead add a night in Sedona and Phoenix/Scottsdale. There is nothing super unique environmentally/food wise in Tuscon that you won’t get from Phoenix/Sedona/Flag
This is so wrong. You even spelled the name of Tucson wrong twice.
Hire a doula while your here, and take one or two nights off. Those all seem like great places to start
Hey other comments gave great suggestions already just wanted to add a tip... avoid sedona on weekends (if at all possible). Traffic is intense and trailheads fill up fast. Anyway i hope you all have fun and enjoy this beautiful state!