Though summer travel may be over, you can still look forward to a fall retreat! For an award-winning take on rest and relaxation, visit Tucson, Arizona.

With a projected temperature in October and November in the 80s and 70s, respectively, it’s no wonder why travelers from the world over flock to this desert oasis, basking in the hot deals and sizzling fun!

More than just the heat, Tucson offers a large range of family-friendly activities that will have your kids begging to stay longer.

Before embarking on any of the city’s adventures, however, be sure to pick up the indispensable Tucson Attractions Passport – The Book of Fun, which will provide you and your family with amazing deals and discounts on the city’s wide array of kid-friendly attractions!

You can get the free app for both Android and iOS, and then download the deals you want, pick up the book in person at the Visitor Center or purchase it online.

The following list of family-friendly favorites will keep you occupied with hours and hours of educational fun!

Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium

The Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium is located on the University of Arizona campus, and with its hands-on exhibits and programs, is a treat for visitors of all ages.

“Puzzles, Proofs and Patterns” is a current exhibit focusing on the different shapes of mathematics. It delves into the layered world of numbers, measures and dimensions to look at where mankind has been, where we are and the possibilities that lie in our future.

“Meet the Trilobites – Arizona’s First Inhabitants” is a special exhibit that’s produced in collaboration with the UA Mineral Museum, also on-site. The breathtaking exhibit showcases a variety of trilobite specimens from various collectors, and provides information on trilobites in relation to the geological time scale, as well as what trilobites have taught us about the history of life on earth.

A visitor favorite, the Flandrau FullDome is an immersive ultra-high-resolution projection system that allows viewers to explore planets, moons and asteroids. The UA Mineral Museum also houses one of the top five mineral collections in the country. Be sure to check out the 16” telescope at the Planetarium.

• Be sure to visit the website for more information: http://flandrau.org/

D&D Pinball

Sure to delight kids of all ages, as well as adults who are kids at heart, D&D Pinball aims to bring back a bit of nostalgia by introducing this invigorating arcade game to new generations of fans.

The outfit offers an impressive collection of vintage and newer pinball machines, and if you’re lucky, you might even catch one of them for sale.

• D&D Pinball: https://www.facebook.com/danddpinball/

Funtasticks Family Fun Park

This place definitely has it all, and will delight everyone in the group! The park also happens to feature Tucson’s largest indoor laser tag arena, as well as mini golf, go-karts, bumper boasts, an arcade, and batting cages!

The arcade uses an arcade fun card as well, so e-tickets can be automatically loaded as opposed to carrying around clunky tokens or tickets. The laser tag arena covers three separate levels and comprises 5,200 square feet of indoor fun! The experience is perfect for players of all ages and skill levels.

Funtasticks Family Fun Park also features the one-of-a-kind 5 Ride Kiddie Land, which is a space for younger guests. Kiddie Land offers Rookie Go Karts, the Kiddie Land Dragon Ride, a roller coaster, an air bounce jump castle and the Crazy Taxi ride.

• For more information, visit the website: http://www.funtasticks.com/

Amazing Scavenger Hunt Adventure – Tucson

Urban Adventure Quest provides interactive smart phone tours in a variety of major cities across the U.S. Think of the show Amazing Race mixed with an interactive city tour! The scavenger hunt allows you to play when you want and at your own pace anytime during daylight hours.

With the Tucson scavenger hunt, participants can take part in an engaging walking tour of Tucson and Tombstone while solving clues, completing challenges and learning about local history while working with family members or other scavenger hunt adventurers to unravel city secrets!

Adventurers can explore Hotel Congress, the Presidio, the Transportation Museum, and other hot spots of Tucson tourism! The Tombstone mini-quest will allow adventurers to explore the Epitaph, the Birdcage Theater, the OK Corral, and other famous sites.

• For more information, visit: http://urbanadventurequest.com/

Sonoran Glass School

For a truly unique experience, why not visit the Sonoran Glass School. The school teaches students, as well as the general public, how to both create and appreciate glass as a visual arts medium. Through its education courses, one-on-one experiences, visiting art seminars, and community events, families can better understand this unique medium and spend quality family time together in making commemorative glass art souvenirs. Even if you don’t want to partake in the action yourself, this non-profit organization features a glass art gallery for one-of-a-kind gifts. Visitors can also stop by and watch live glassblowing in the Hot Shop studio. Visitors are encouraged to call ahead (520-884-7814).

• For details and upcoming events, visit: https://sonoranglass.org/

Children’s Museum Tucson

Kids will get a kick out of a museum designed especially for them! At the Children’s museum Tucson, kids and family members get to explore and connect to each other and the surrounding environment in a myriad of ways, including touring museum exhibits, and partaking in educational and entertaining events.

Don’t miss the Gravity Room, which features impressive objects that defy gravity! Kids can spin the Recycle Bicycle Wheel or play with Marble Madness. Families can create their own gravity maze as well, with the Ball Wall or Caterpillar Thriller!

Build It! Allows kids the chance to partake in experiential building with oversized construction materials, such as Kiva Planks and Imagination Blocks. The exhibit encourages constructive problem solving.

There’s also Wee World, for children under 4, which features a rock-climbing wall and a playhouse; Imaginarium, where child-artists can create their own masterpieces; the Investigation Station, which showcases hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) activities; Techtopia, a fun and digital trip involving bugs, shadow mosaics and reading; Bodyology, a health and wellness exhibit with a farmer’s market, garden, orchard, and juice bar; and much more!

• For more information, visit the museum’s website: http://www.childrensmuseumtucson.org/
• Museum exhibits: http://www.childrensmuseumtucson.org/events-exhibits

Kartchner Caverns State Park

Experience the amazing limestone cave first discovered in 1974. The park is noted for many world-class minerals and formations, including calcite formations and stalactites. Guests can take advantage of fun and educational guided tours into the underground landscape of the park.

Younger explorers will enjoy the Discovery Center, especially the scavenger hunt it offers. There’s a “caving wall,” which will allow kids to experience crawling through several narrow cave passages. Animal displays will help to introduce kids to the local wildlife. Kids can even have their picture taken with the Giant Sloth! The Discovery Center Scavenger Hunt can be downloaded and printed out beforehand as well!

There’s also a curriculum guide for teachers and interested parents, and the park allows kids age 6-12 to pledge to help preserve nature with its Junior Ranger program.

• For more information on the park and its features, or to download the Junior Ranger program information or scavenger hunt sheet, visit the following website: http://azstateparks.com/Parks/KACA/kids.html

The post Rest and Relaxation in Tucson, Arizona appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Though summer travel may be over, you can still look forward to a fall retreat! For an award-winning take on rest and relaxation, visit Tucson, Arizona.

With a projected temperature in October and November of 84 and 73 degrees, respectively, it’s no wonder why travelers from the world over flock to this desert oasis, basking in the hot deals and sizzling fun!

Looking for a bit of downtime to accompany family time? What about a site in the sun where total mind, body and spirit rejuvenation can be obtained? Well then be sure to book a stay at the Miraval Resort and Spa.

Whether a road stop on your family retreat, a weekend getaway for the girls or a mother and daughter bonding experience, the Miraval Resort and Spa will pamper, and cater to, all the senses!

The Miraval Resort and Spa blends its desert architecture and arid living quarters in seamless integration, its spirited ambience matching the spirit of each and every guest.

And with a bevy of packages and special offers to choose from, guests can make sure to plan a personalized stay that’s entirely unique!

Packages include, but are not limited to, the Girls Getaway Package, which is a favorite and happens to be on sale for a limited time only this fall (for details and to book this package, call a Miraval Advisor at 800.232.3969), the 5th Night Free Package, the Inclusive Package and the Day Spa Package.

For a complete list of packages and details, be sure to visit the resort’s website at http://www.miravalresorts.com/packages/.

In addition to the variety found in the Miraval Resort and Spa’s accommodations and packages, guests will find a wealth of activities geared towards the ultimate experience in health and wellness.

It’s no wonder, then, why USA Today named the Miraval Resort and Spa the “world’s best wellness resort.” And why, just recently, it was named a Top Destination Spa by Travel + Leisure!

Activities at the resort include Pilates, yoga, meditation, tennis, and golf, to name but a few. Many of the activities can be included in packages through resort credit, so be sure to check with a Miraval Advisor for specific details.

Aside from the stand-alone activities, guests can take part in various events through a mixture of classes, workshops, and private sessions.

There are also culinary workshops, art and photography activities, as well as lessons in wellness, the science of exercise and fitness.

Be sure to check out the Miraval Equine Experience at the Purple Sage Ranch. This activity allows guests to interact with horses in an effort to better understand the self! Use non-toxic paints to create artwork on horses—yes, on horses!—just as Native American used to do.

To plan your activities from the Miraval Resort and Spa’s comprehensive list, please visit http://www.miravalresorts.com/plan_your_stay/activities/.

And when planning your stay, be sure to make use of the wonderful tools offered by the Miraval Resort and Spa right on its website. There are monthly event calendars, a section that highlights upcoming events and even a planner that allows guests to create an itinerary for their stay!

After a worthwhile day of rigorous activities, take your wellness needs to a whole new level! Visit the award-winning Life in Balance Spa and truly pamper yourself—you’ve earned it!

Spa services include hair and skin care, manicures and pedicures, as well as Ayurveda, body renewal rituals, specialty bodywork and spa suite exclusives.

With climate controlled tents, The Outdoor Treatment room exclusives are also worth checking out! Choose from a variety of treatments, each geared towards a complete and total healing and renewal of the body. From mud wraps and hot stone treatments to couple, deep-tissue and pre-natal massages, there is definitely an exciting experience for each and every guest.

For a complete listing of services offered at the Miraval Life in Body Spa, be sure to visit http://www.miravalresorts.com/plan_your_stay/spa_services/.

With the wealth of restorative tools offered by the Miraval Resort and Spa only a few clicks or a phone call away, what more could you possibly want?

And don’t forget the fact that the Miraval Resort and Spa harnesses the beauty of the Sonoran desert not only in its activities and accommodations, but in its culinary extravagance as well. With ever-changing menus that seek to highlight both the sources and seasonal transience of items offered, guests can be sure that discerning palettes will be delighted!

Locally sourced ingredients ensure not only sustainability but a variety of flavors and textures.

Guests can choose dining experiences both indoors and outdoors, and can even take home cookbooks as souvenirs. The Miraval Resort and Spa even lists recipes and other culinary joys on its very own blog.

In addition to the recipes and cookbooks that guests can find online, Miraval Resort and Spa also offers an online shopping experience like none other! Both new guests and frequent customers alike can choose from an array of items that speak to the resort’s concern for quality and attention to detail.

Whether plush bedding and Miraval apparel, the aforementioned cookbooks and other noteworthy books by Miraval staff, and items from Miraval’s Spa Retail, guests can rest easy knowing that a bit of the Miraval Resort and Spa can be had through the resort’s online shopping services.

To visit Miraval’s online shop, be sure to visit http://www.miravalresorts.com/shop/.

Like everything else at Miraval Resort and Spa, the lodgings are designed to not only provide guests with a place to rest their heads, but to provide a sleep experience that guests are sure to remember. With daily housekeeping and Miraval’s signature sleep experience as part of every accommodation, guests can make choices regarding lodgings knowing that both their needs and creature comforts will be met in style.

The rooms are outfitted in natural colors and tones to blend in with the surrounding environment. Standard amenities include complementary Wi-Fi, LCD television with Cable TV and DVD player, Miraval’s bath Collection and Miraval water bottles. Guests can choose from Standard, Deluxe, Premium, and Catalina rooms, all of which have their own unique set of additional amenities, depending on type and style.

The suites at Miraval Resort and Spa are designed to provide guests with more space. Guests can choose from the Miraval, Executive, Catalina, and Sonoran Suites, each one blending design elements with the surrounding desert as well, creating a veritable home away from home experience.

With the Miraval Villas, guests are not only able to enjoy the luxury of private accommodations, but if desired, can actually enjoy the comfort of the Miraval Resort and Spa all year long by opting to purchase a villa.

For a full listing of amenities, square footage and room perks, be sure to visit the resort’s accommodations page at http://www.miravalresorts.com/accommodations/.

From the calm and silence of well-appointed accommodations that include rooms, suites and villas, to the peaceful bliss of mind and body toning activities, the Miraval Resort and Spa will be sure to show you and your family (or friends) an entirely new way to rest and relax.

For Miraval Resort and Spa’s policies, including age policy, please visit: http://www.miravalresorts.com/overview/policies/

For kid-friendly and family fun activities in Tucson, Arizona, be sure to visit: http://www.visittucson.org/things-to-do/family-fun/

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