Our family of seven, with kids ranging from 2 to 16, fit comfortably into a 2 Queen Suite. The hotel seems new, and it was really roomy, well-decorated, and convenient. We could walk across the highway to the grocery store, as well as a couple blocks to restaurants for dinner. The town doesn't look like much as you pass through, but we really enjoyed its charm once we were there for the evening. The breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express was standard continental fare, and there were no problems with service or quality. The price was very reasonable, the cheapest on our trip for all 7 of us, especially for such a large suite.

After visiting Zion Canyon, North Rim Grand Canyon, and Bryce Canyon, we thought we'd seen the best Mother Nature has to offer. We were pleasantly surprised when we stopped at Cedar Breaks on our way home. You can't walk down into the Canyon, as you can at Bryce, but there is an easy canyon rim trail that even the youngest kids should be able to maneuver. Cedar Breaks is at 10,000 ft, so it's cool even when it's 100+ degrees at Zion. The views were sensational, and it was an easy, uncrowded park. We were really glad we stopped. It's a short drive to Cedar City, which is a reasonably large town with lots of food options--perfect for hungry adventurers coming out of the mountains.

If you are traveling to Utah/Arizona, you might want to stay in the town of Springdale, gateway to Zion National Park. We stayed for one night on our way from Las Vegas to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, but Zion is definitely a destination itself. A number of the hotels in Springdale have direct access to the Virgin River. When we've been there in May/June, the river is reasonably tame. Just grab an inflatable raft or inner tube, walk upstream a ways, and launch. Kids over the age of about 10 who can swim should be able to handle it easily, with supervision, of course. It's free and great way to beat the summer heat.

Having grown up as a kid near the Pt Defiance Zoo, I had a perception of it as a small, aging zoo. I have been pleasantly surprised over the years as it has improved. The flow of the zoo is interesting, with different "destinations" like the polar bear and walrus area vs the reptiles, elephants, etc. It makes the zoo seem larger. Also, they've added several play areas that are great for the little ones, probably best-suited to 2 years and older. There's been a good investment in making the zoo more educational, and there is a good variety of animals, ranging from musk oxen to meerkats to native fish in the aquarium. The aquarium truly is ancient--it hasn't changed much in 30 years, but it's clean and the exhibits are clear and updated. The Zoo is a great destination in conjunction with a day trip to Pt Defiance Park.

Our kids have been on numerous field trips to Lawrence Hall of Science. They have an excellent educational program, with different featured science topics (e.g., static electricity) offered in a number of classes. On field trips, the kids have typically rotated among 2 or 3 classes. The site has a beautiful, expansive view of the Bay and plenty of space for the kids to burn off energy after eating their brown bag lunches. There's also a cafeteria in the facility, as well as a small science museum with featured exhibits that change regularly.