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Planning a visit to Flagstaff, AZ with your family? In partnership with Discover Flagstaff, we are excited to share loads of fun things to do with kids in Flagstaff (and educational too!). In even just a long weekend, there is so much to see and do in the hub of Northern, AZ!
Growing up in the Phoenix area, as a child we often traveled up north to escape the heat, visit my grandparent’s little log cabin, and enjoy the fresh air. Little did I know that we barely scratched the surface of all there is to do in Flagstaff.
- Would you have guessed that every astronaut that walked on the moon actually trained in Flagstaff? Flagstaff has a rich Lunar Legacy!
- Did you know that the Grand Canyon is only a short 90-minute drive away?
- Can you imagine over exploring 55 miles of hiking trails?
- Did you know that Flagstaff has eight award-winning craft breweries?
- Did you realize that Flagstaff is home to the highest peak in Arizona (Humphreys Peak)?
FRIDAY
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
We kicked our visit off right heading straight to the USGS Branch of Astrogeology which houses scientists working on planetary and space studies in real time. You can literally walk down the halls of their offices and see giant photos of the moon, planets, current research postings, and other interesting information about all things space. Our kiddos were very quiet and respectful despite being 9, 7, 5 and 2. They seemed to understand the magnitude of the research happening under our eyes.
They loved the panorama of Mars with 3-D glasses. You put them on, and it felt like you were standing on Mars.
“Look, Mom, I am touching that rock!” as they reached their hands out into thin air. They definitely enjoyed that!
The absolute favorite part of USGS was Grover, a lunar rover on display right at the front, that was actually used during astronaut training. I can’t tell you how much they wanted to get on Grover, but that is a no-no!
We learned that the real rovers that flew to the moon were made of much lighter material, but the Earth weight of the astronauts would have crushed them. Can you imagine going to the moon with a rover never actually driven by a human? Brave!
Other highlights were a to scale display of the planets in our solar system—Pluto was WAY down the hall—molds of astronaut handprints, and models of the rockets used in several space explorations.
Downtown Flagstaff
After getting our feet wet in the Lunar Legacy of Flagstaff, we drove downtown to the Flagstaff Visitor Center. Here we took a photo on the Route 66 mural and “became astronauts” in the astronaut selfie booth. Don’t we look legit?
Our guided tour of downtown shared with us local shops, delicious eateries, haunted hotels over 100 years old, and views of the murals of Flagstaff. We definitely could have spent a lot more time shopping, walking, and snacking!
A highlight of our tour was a chocolatey treat at The Sweet Shoppe! Ice Cream, chocolate treats, and fudge oh my! The kiddos recommend the marshmallows dipped in Oreo cookie and wrapped with a gummy worm as well as the caramels!
Our Hotel: Sonesta ES Suites
Before heading out for our evening, we checked in to our hotel. When you are a family of six like us, hotels can be a challenge. Since the kids are still so young, a second room is not the best option unless it is connected.
The Sonesta ES Suites was the perfect option for us with a two-bedroom king suite. It gave us two rooms, three beds, and two bathrooms plus a full kitchen. It is always nice to have a full-size fridge and freezer for snacks, waters, leftovers and ICE CREAM, even if you plan to eat out quite a bit.
Diablo Burger
When we told friends we were headed to Flagstaff, they all asked if we were going to Diablo Burger. We made sure to make this our dinner choice on the first night, and it was a hands down favorite! Even the kids scarfed their burgers and grilled cheese.
Jeremy and I had The Blake and The Big Daddy Kane, both of which were amazing! Diablo Burger uses grass fed beef, cooks their burgers to perfection and serves them on a toasted English Muffin. The Blake came with homemade hatch chile mayo, roasted green chiles and sharp cheddar cheese. The chiles were flavorful but not spicy. The Big Daddy Kane was covered in bacon, sharp cheddar, sliced pickles and special sauce. It was phenomenal!
Lowell Observatory
We closed out our evening with a self-guided tour of Lowell Observatory. Here astronauts learned about the moon and detailed maps were created using the same Clarke Telescope that we looked into that night. We were able to see a star that was 134 light years away. It is almost impossible to even fathom!
We were lucky to visit on a night with a full moon and got to see all the detailed craters through the McAllister Telescope. Every kiddo thought it was a highlight to watch the moon rise over the city and see all its detail up so close. Thank goodness for a clear night!
SATURDAY
Breakfast: Toasted Owl
Recommended to us for breakfast, this breakfast and lunch restaurant was filled with kitschy owls (all of which could be purchased if desired!).
The kids loved the smiley face pancake. Jeremy got the Spanish omelet, and was impressed by the spicy kick to it. I loved my basic egg breakfast with fabulous coffee!
Grand Canyon National Park
After filling up on breakfast, we climbed in the car for the 90-minute drive to the Grand Canyon!
Growing up in the Phoenix area, my parents had taken our family to the Grand Canyon. I had also hiked it a couple of times in my college years. However, neither Jeremy or any of the kids had been there. This was definitely one of their favorite parts of the trip!
It is hard to really comprehend, to FEEL, the true grandeur of the Grand Canyon without standing on the edge. It is IMMENSE. A mile deep, 277 miles long, giant.
One thing we have grown to appreciate and love on our adventures is the Junior Park Ranger program. This program allows the kids to fill out a packet to learn specific concepts about each park and become official Junior Park Rangers along the way (they say an oath and everything—it is precious).
This was Kinley and Kaden’s 4th badge and we look forward to many more!
Dinner: Bigfoot BBQ
After the 90-minute drive back from the canyon, everyone was famished and ready for dinner!
Located in the basement of the Old Town Shops and at the back end of a boutique, Bigfoot BBQ is definitely unexpected!
I chose the pulled chicken sandwich when we were told that they were famous for their pulled pork and chicken. Their sweet potato fries were covered in cinnamon and sugar making them a tasty sweet treat.
Jeremy decided to go for the special, a tri-tip grilled cheese, and dipped it in the spicy BBQ. Yum! We topped it off with some good local beer on tap served in a mason jar, and we were happy.
The kids chose, well, kid food. A bonus surprise was that their meal was served on top of a frisbee they could take home. Cool!
SUNDAY
Buffalo Park
We woke up, had an easy breakfast at the Sonesta ES Suites (complementary!), and headed out for our last day.
Just past USGS is a piece of land purchased by the City of Flagstaff from the National Forest Service as a public park for folks to head out and enjoy nature. Buffalo Park is an easy two mile loop with views of the San Francisco Peaks, animal sightings, and an activity challenge course for those that want to kick their exercise level up a notch. We wore Kellen in our hiking backpack and Kinley, Kaden and Kamryn were able to finish easily.
Buffalo Park is just one of many, many hikes that are part of the Flagstaff Urban Trail System or FUTS.
Sunset Crater Volcano
After our hike, we headed to Sunset Crater Volcano and hiked the lava flow trail. We walked along the edge of where the volcano erupted nearly 1000 years ago seeing lava rock, cinders, and spatter cones.
Not only was the Lava Flow trail filled with things to learn along the path, the views were stunning, from the lichen on the rocks to the San Francisco Peaks behind us. I love when even the kiddos realize how breathtaking it all is!
Wupatki National Monument
Our next stop was an 18-mile drive through the Sunset Crater to Wupatki Pueblo. Perhaps one of my favorite parts of the trip was this ancient city. These 800-year-old walls of rock were incredibly well preserved. We learned how the people who built this city lived, traded for goods, gathered and worshipped.
When you check in, definitely grab the guided tour book at the front desk. It takes you on a numbered trip through the ruins and is such an interesting experience. It even gives you a tip for a room you can enter in the pueblo! Talk about cool.
A highlight for the kids was the blowhole. Open over unexplored caves under the earth, cool air blows up from the ground like nature’s air conditioning. We had never seen anything like it!
Lunch: Beaver Street Brewery
For lunch on our last day, we chose Beaver Street Brewery which is one of the top eight rated breweries in Flagstaff on the Flagstaff Brewery Trail. We got the Railhead Red and Contractor IPA both of which hit the spot.
Since we arrived for a late lunch and everyone was starving, we decided to start with a warm soft pretzel. Everyone loved it!
The kids ordered kids meals and we tried out a few more burgers, the Beaver Street Burger and the Lunberjack Burger, both of which were great!
Museum of Northern Arizona
We finished out our trip at the Museum of Northern Arizona. Jeremy loves dinosaurs (yes, my husband!) so this was a treat for him and the kids alike. Two large dinosaur exhibits were on display as well as a number of prehistoric bones. Some highlights of the museum were:
- When we arrived, the kids receive a packet with challenges to find different colors, shapes, and animals within the exhibits. The favorite was the animal challenge in the Babbitt Gallery. It took a while, but they found every animal hidden in jewelry, pottery, and other treasures.
- Kaden loved the polished petrified rock and couldn’t believe it was originally wood.
- All the kids had a great time in the ant exhibit, especially watching a real colony in action.
- An interactive computer presentation provided options to select many land formations in Northern Arizona, like Grand Canyon and Meteor Crater. They were excited to pick the places we had just visited and see them in the museum.
We had such a wonderful trip to Flagstaff, Arizona! We would love to hear your Flagstaff faves!
This looks like such a fun trip! We love going to Flagstaff! Looks like we have a few more things we need to cross off our list for next time!
Your Flagstaff trip looked AMAZING!!!! Treasured time spent together. Enjoy your next adventure.
Yes, agree, this was totally fun!!
This is wonderful! Thank you for the great ideas! I have 3 children and they would all love this weekend getaway. It shows that you all had an amazing time!
So many fun ideas of things to do! I, like you, grew up in AZ and had no idea of everything you could do in Flagstaff!
So many fun ideas! I, like you, grew up in AZ and had no idea of everything you could do in Flagstaff!
We love staying at Sonesta too! You packed in so much fun stuff while you were there! Love your photos!
Love the Flagstaff information! Diablo Burger is in the list for our next visit!! You all look like you had a blast, and who doesn’t like beautiful weather and a hometown feel.
I love taking the family to Flagstaff! We certainly have some more places to check out on our next trip. Looks like a blast!
How rad! Seems like such an awesome adventure! Making memories with your children is what they will remember! ❤️