School has only been in session for two months but it's time to start planning spring break. If you frequently travel with kids for spring break like me, then I'm sure the requests have begun to pour in for spring break destinations.  In the back of my mind I've been pondering a staycation for spring break this year, but my constituents beat me to the punch with suggestions. This week, my son announced that he wants to go to Phoenix for spring break. Phoenix?

Why Phoenix?  He wants to catch an NBA game: Phoenix Suns vs. LA Lakers.  This is my child, the future Ban Naismith Award winner and rookie of the year-without a doubt.  He's been to Jamaica three times, Nassau,  Atlantis on Paradise Island, Punta Cana, Cozumel, Key West, and Miami.  He's spent a week in Orlando at Disney World frolicking in the Magic Kingdom and running around the Animal Kingdom. If you ask him to consider the most memorable days of his extensive 6-year old  life, he'll undoubtedly tell you about the 30 minute drive to the meadowlands to watch the NJ Nets or taking the train into Madison Square Garden to watch the Knicks or the Liberty. So why not consider Phoenix for spring break? It provides for affordable and kid-friendly travel.

Okay, so two nights we'll go to the Suns game..  During the day we'll lounge around the Squaw Peak Resort hotel and maybe I'll sneak in a round of golf or spa appointment.  But that still leaves five more days of activity. Surprisingly Phoenix has quite a bit to offer. Though there are no beaches in the middle the  Sonoran desert there is plenty for us to do as a family.

The Phoenix Zoo was voted one of the top 5 zoos for kids so it's sure to be on our list of activities for the week.  Though we've been to other zoos this one offers something special with a Blue Cross Blue Shield "Wild Walk" that mixes your walk around the zoo with fun exercise stations.  The Arizona Museum of Natural History is a great choice for a spring break activity.  We can learn about North America’s first inhabitants, Paleoindian hunter and gatherers, and Arizona’s first settlers, the Hohokam. We can also view some of the biggest dinosaurs that ever lived. Castles and Coasters amusement park and the Enchanted Island are in the heart of Phoenix and offer a fun day for the whole family. With rides, shows, and attractions we can spend a whole day in these parks.  When evening falls we can hit the miniature links for a round of golf.

I may also consider the Arizona Science Center which boasts plenty of hands on activities for kids and families.  The reviews of this place are marginal so we'll have to see for ourselves if this is something we want to do.  We can also go horseback riding, hot air balloon rides, and rock climbing. If all else fails we can hang at the kids club at Squaw Peak.  It's such a kid friendly hotel that we could easily spend five days there without leaving the property.

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