Dear Arizona Travel.
So I’m writing because I’m looking for a family reunion location and Arizona would be a nice central location. We were going to go to a lake in Idaho, but it is too hard to get to. We need a place that is similar to [name redacted] in that it is economical and plenty to do without leaving the resort, especially for kids. The clincher, however, is that it needs to be within an hour of a main airport. We have family coming from several states and we hate to have to spend a good chunk of the weekend commuting to the destination. Any ideas in Arizona?
–Angela, Utah

Great question, Angela! Right off the bat, I can think of two incredible spots that sound just perfect for your family reunion.

Mormon Lake Lodge is near Flagstaff.  It boasts cabins and other lodging, a steakhouse and saloon, game room, petting zoo, playground, volleyball, basketball court, horseshoes and more; great for families and kids.

Mormon Lake Lodge

Plus, there is commercial air service to Flagstaff via Horizon Air (from Los Angeles LAX only) and US Airways (from Phoenix PHX only).If you can only come into Phoenix Sky Harbor, then a 1 hour limit is a toughie because you’d still basically be in the city. Stretch that driving time to 1.5 or 2 hours and that’ll get you to Prescott or Flagstaff and not take anything away from your family togetherness time.

Prescott is also serviced daily by Horizon Air from LAX and is located about 1.5 hours from Phoenix. For your reunion, try Juniper Well Ranch. Four cabins sleep a total of 22 adults. There is a winery, horseback riding and general “exploration of the woods” for the kids.

Juniper Well Ranch

Other woodsy places in Arizona include Payson and the White Mountains area towns like Pinetop, Showlow and Strawberry. A quick Google search for “family reunion” and these city names should point you in the right direction.

Hope that helps!
–ChristinaToo