Understand your motivation

After COVID, my wife and I took our daughters to Disney World. As we drove home after ten days, exhausted and shell shocked, we decided that we needed to change our motivation for travel. We all agreed we wanted to be wowed, but not by prices of admission but by natural beauty. From then on, we decided to focus our energies on going to locations that offered some type of “wow factor” that we could not get at amusement parks. Understanding why you’re traveling will make planning and enjoying your vacation much more enriching.

In today’s newsletter:

• Travel News this Week

• City Spotlight: Flagstaff, Arizona

  • Who should go?

  • When should we go?

  • What should we see?

  • Where should we eat?

  • Why here?

• Travel Hacks

Travel News this Week

Some helpful travel news for families that have occurred this week.

• Can’t Miss Deals: With May being Travel Advisor Appreciation month, these deals will help you appreciate your advisor even more.

• Best Halls to Chow Down: Food Halls around the United States that people should make sure they visit when traveling to those locales.

• Top Vacation Destinations: These theme parks lead the list of top vacation destinations in 2025.

City Spotlight: Flagstaff, Arizona

When people think of the state of Arizona, many will think automatically of Phoenix. Although Phoenix is a great location to visit and has a lot to offer, the lesser known Flagstaff in Northern Arizona offers a lot of other options that don’t require 3-4 hour drives from the valley that Phoenix is located in.

Who should go to Flagstaff?

Families who love nature and enjoy to a number of outdoor activities will find Flagstaff a memorable destination. Flagstaff is steeped in history and has a lot of museums for families to learn about the history of Northern Arizona. Most importantly, the biggest attraction is only an hour and a half away, that being the Grand Canyon National Park.

When should we go?

Flagstaff does not have the oppressive heat that Phoenix might experience during the summer which is why Flagstaff is a popular location for hikers, campers, and mountain bikers from spring through fall.

What should we do?

Flagstaff is gateway to the Grand Canyon and many other activities. These are some of the family friendly attractions that are available around Flagstaff.

• Sedona, Arizona: Just a 48 minute drive south from Flagstaff, Sedona is a magical location that has so many intriguing attractions. Make sure to visit the Chapel of the Holy Cross that sits on the cliff of a bluff. It offers a divine view. The downtown area also offers great shopping and dining options.

• Lowell Observatory: Visit the location that discovered Pluto (planet or not). This National Historical Landmark is also the world’s first recognized dark sky destination. Tip, best to visit at night if possible.

• Flagstaff Extreme: A tree top adventure high ropes course that offers swings, slides, ziplines, and even an aerial surf board. Experience the woods like never before.

Where should we eat?

Flagstaff has an eclectic food scene with a collection of microbreweries, Mexican, and pizza locations to name just a few. Families will not go hungry when visiting Flagstaff.

• Mother Road Brewing Company: Located in the historic Milum Building, Mother Road focuses their business on the unique value of “Radical Hospitality”. This brew house also features Satchmo’s BBQ that offers scratch made dishes guaranteed to delight.

• Agave Mexican Restaurant: Visiting Arizona offers many wonderful options for Mexican food. This is one of these options where you can enjoy home made Mexican dishes from a Trip Advisor 2024 award winner.

• Fat Olives: No decent location can not have a quality pizza restaurant for families. Voted best of Flagstaff, Fat Olives has a special kids menu and specializes in its Neapolitan-style pizzas.

Why Flagstaff?

Flagstaff is not the first option in Arizona, but for families it should be. There are a lot of great adventure opportunities for families in Flagstaff. And of course, you’re only an hour away from the Grand Canyon. A week in Flagstaff can fly by like that and keep you wanting to come back to experience more natural wonders.

Travel Hacks

• When traveling to famous locations it’s always a good idea to include yourself or a travel mate in your photos. That proves that YOU were there and not just using stock photos.

• When traveling with your family, pack everyone’s sleepwear, toothbrushes and change of underwear in a carryon bag just in case your flight is delayed or if you get in late, you don’t have to open up every suitcase to get your pajamas.