OCPlayParks's Passport
 | Been to 175 Attractions |
 | 77 Reviews |
 | 51 First to Review |
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Send a ComplimentAbout Me & My Family
We like exploring nature and playgrounds wherever we go. We tend to avoid crowds and visit places that might be less well-known. We promote play on our FunOrangeCountyParks.com Play Blog (part community service, part travel agent).
Our Family's Travel Personality
curious, simple, independent, spontaneous, easy_going
We Just Got Back From
Arizona
Our Favorite Vacation Spot
Yosemite National Park
A Place We'd Love To Visit
Yellowstone or Glacier National Parks. British Columbia, Canada.
Websites I Like:
Best of Tucson for Families
We created a "Best of Tucson for Families" list from our road trip to Arizona from Southern California. Lots of good food and a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. We didn't make it to all the activities, but now they are on the list for next time!
7000 N Resort Dr
Tucson, Arizona
reviewed on: May 24 2011
"Beautiful family hotel with waterfall in the foothills of Tucson"
I’d never stayed at a Loew’s hotel before our visit to the Loew’s Ventana Canyon Resort in Tuscon. After experiencing their incredible service from long-time staff members, I will definitely look for this brand when we travel.The room
The room had the biggest bathtub I’ve EVER seen in a hotel. There was no chance of getting the floor wet. The room had a very large patio overlooking the Ventana Window Walk. If we were on the opposite side of the hotel we could have had a view of the waterfall. They also offered views of the city which was pretty spectacular. I felt very much at home in our roomy room. We weren’t there much, though, with all the activities.
The pools
Pools are a big deal when you visit the desert. The main pool welcomes kids and is right in the middle of all the action. It’s shaped like a T with 3 sets of wide stairs and 3 1/2 feet entries. The deep end is 8 feet where the T crosses. It’s nice because you can hang out by the stairs and not worry about impeding anybodys progress, because they can always choose another set of stairs. A staffed cabana served all of our pool needs: water, magazines, sunscreen, and towels. Bill’s Grill, the poolside restaurant and bar, is open from lunch to sunset. Servers circulated throughout the pool area. There is an adults only lap pool at the Lakeside Salon & Spa for those who don’t want to interact with families. I never felt like we were “bugging” the adults at the main pool, since they had the option to go to the adults only pool area.
Ventana Window Walk
I spent one magical morning exploring the half mile Ventana Window Walk alone. It begins behind the lobby and walks a loop up to to the canyon waterfall and around. It was completely quiet and peaceful that morning. I was fascinated by the interpretive signs explaining the geology of the Tucson Valley and some of the geographic landmarks. So much so, in fact, that another guest was out for a stroll and scared me half to death by commenting on the waterfall! The Window Walk is representative of hotelier, Jonathan Tisch’s, desire to “build a luxury resort in a pristine, desert landscape without disturbing the environment.” It’s pretty amazing to think that “not a single one of the 3,500 saguaro cacti was destroyed and all of the riparian habitats were kept in tact” on a project that spanned 100 acres.
The concierge and Coyote Kids Club
The concierge answered every question we threw at her. Definitely stop at her desk in the lobby early in your trip. They can even set your kids up for some time in the Coyote Kids Club which is really reasonable ($40 for a half day) for the adventures and entertainment it provides. Jacqueline runs the club and she’s spectacular. She’s been working at the resort a long time and mailed the cutest little homemade scrapbooks to our kids as keepsakes of their special time in the desert!
Side Trips
El Charro Cafe is right down the hill from the resort and has great Mexican food. We checked out Sabino Canyon, but wished we’d left more time for swimming, hiking, and exploring the Visitor Center. If we go back to Tuscon, I’d love to check out the Pima Air and Space Museum which is west of Tucson off I-10 with 80 acres and 300 aircraft! That could be a whole day trip, though. I’ve been to the Sonora Desert Museum and I’d recommend that, too. I’ve also heard Kartchner Caverns State Park is pretty amazing.
Disclosure: The author received a complimentary stay and meals at the resort in order to complete an unbiased review and this subsequent article. The resort did not request that any specific opinions be expressed.
5900 N. Sabino Canyon Road
Tucson, Arizona
reviewed on: May 24 2011
"Leave plenty of time to take it all in"
On our trip to Tucson, we took the 45 minute tram tour up Sabino Canyon. It’s a very scenic ride up the canyon with the guide pointing out scenic points and sharing history of the canyon on the way up. The guide is quiet on the way back and let’s you enjoy the view without interruption. People rode with little babies, preschoolers and school age kids. Those with teenagers were more adventurous about getting of the tram and hiking. You can choose to stay on the tram or get off for an easy walk on the tram road. I saw many families with strollers.Being tourists who hadn’t done our research, we weren’t really aware that we could jump on and off the tram. We just thought it was a tour. We were on the 2nd to the last tram of the day which didn’t leave us with many options for exploring. There are 9 stops on the Sabino Canyon Trail. It seemed like some of the best swimming and hiking areas were stops #6-#8. I’d suggest staying on the tram the whole way up the canyon and decide where to jump off on your way back down (i.e., jump off on stop #8 and hike down to #6). Hang on to your ticket stub and you can ride up/down the road all day on the tram. Once you leave the canyon on tram and go past stop #1 towards the entrance, then you can’t use your ticket to go back up.
Tours are $8 per person and they only take cash. The Visitor Center was also closed when we arrived back at the end of the tour, but I would have liked to see it.
7000 North Resort Drive
Tucson, Arizona
reviewed on: May 24 2011
"Dinner and sunset outdoors"
We stayed at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort and our first night consisted of a trip to the Flying V Bar & Grill. We sat in the outdoor seating area overlooking the pond right around the time for a beautiful sunset. It felt pretty upscale, but there were other families there with kids younger than our 5 and 9 year old.The kids menu included dinner and a drink. All the child entrees balanced out to about $7.50, but the portions were huge and worth it. My 5 and 9 year old could have split their entrees and been happy, especially after we ordered the Tableside Guacamole appetizer. The mobile cart rolled over to our spot and made fresh, sweet guacamole to our liking. The chips were light and airy, as tortillas should be for dipping into the homemade avocado dip. Instead of a typical bread basket, our meal was prefaced with a homemade cornbread that tasted outstanding and came served in an authentic-looking cast iron pan.
The kids ordered from the kids menu which offered up 9 options, plus pureed fruit or veggies for babies. There were 5 dessert items for an extra charge. The kids picked an out-of-this-world brownie. My husband had a buffalo burger and the best sweet potato fries he's ever had. I was really happy with my carnitas street tacos. My husband and I shared the creme brulee topped with berries.
We were celebrating our vacation and that first night was all about the food!
Disclosure: The author received a complimentary stay and meals at the resort in order to complete an unbiased review and this subsequent article. The resort did not request that any specific opinions be expressed.
7000 North Resort Drive
Tucson, Arizona
reviewed on: May 24 2011
"Big portions of fresh food"
We wanted a casual meal outdoors and picked Bill’s Grill near the pool at Loew’s Ventana Canyon Resort. We seated ourselves with a view of the mountainside which houses the Window Walk. We had a full bar of beverage choices, including their special homemade Sangria. There was a basic kids menu with the Chicken Tenders and Cheeseburger pricing out at $7. A bit on the expensive side, but ideal for sharing! One entree could easily feed 2-3 kids depending on appetites. I went with the burger, too, which was equally sizeable. The burger buns were brioche which were super soft and shiny with egg white. My husband went with the Chicken Mole Sandwich and a side salad. Their balsamic dressing was outstanding. Everybody would be able to take food home. Luckily there are refrigerators in the hotel rooms! Look for Arizona red cardinals hopping around the pool area in search of scraps.
6910 East Sunrise
Tucson, Arizona
reviewed on: May 24 2011
"For classic Mexican food in Tucson"
When I asked the concierge at our hotel for a good Mexican restaurant in town, she immediately recommended El Charro Cafe with 5 locations in Tucson. We went to the Ventana location. My husband and I sat outside in the shade in the bar area, but they had lots of seating in the air-conditioned inside, too. For adults, their specialty is the Carne Seca Plate which is a dried meat dish. It tasted salty to begin with and I couldn’t imagine why it was such a big deal, until we added the squeeze of lime. It was an unusual flavor and unlike anything I’ve ever had in Southern California. Their menu is extensive with pretty much any Mexican entree you can dream up: burritos, tacos, enchiladas, flautas, and tamales.We ate at the restaurant without the kids, but consulted the kids menu to see what they offered. The kids meals were priced at $3.95 and included a soft drink or juice. They were served with rice, beans, or fruit. They can modify the Kids Beef Taco, the Ground Beef Nachos, and the Cheese Quesadilla to be gluten free.
