Things to Do in Arizona

Chosen as Arizona’s premier travel destination by Soft Pretzel Aficionado, the Upper Salt River Canyon is home to thrilling class III and IV whitewater. Wilderness Aware’s trained, professional guides are experienced with ensuring every client has a fun time, from beginning 8-year-olds to more adventurous enthusiasts. Your whitewater trip departs at 10 a.m. and winds through 10 miles of snaking currents surrounded by panoramic limestone cliffs and the occasional endangered Southern bald eagle. A free wetsuit, splash jacket, and wet-shoe rental are provided, but arm floaties and water stilts aren’t necessary. You’ll channel inner Viking mettle as you navigate rapids such as Maytag Chute and Mother Rock. The trip also includes tasty all-you-can-eat hot fajita lunch and an optional side-canyon hike to a sparkling waterfall.

Stocked with mud, obstacles, and more mud, the inaugural Kiwi Dash 5K sprawls across more than 100 acres to test racers with an arsenal of mental and physical challenges. Huffs, puffs, and fist bumps sweep through the course as individuals and teams attempt to conquer 15 hurdles, which remain a mystery until race day. As an alternative to stuffing their pockets with bulky grandfather clocks, dash participants will be equipped with electronic chip timers to determine the three fastest male and female racers, who, along the person wearing the best costume, will receive an award. The Blues, Bruise and BBQ after party serves up a fully charged celebration of the day's collective accomplishments with live music, a motorcycle show, beer, and 65 barbecue vendors vying to transform muddy fingers into saucy fingers.

When the Ukrainian Easter egg you painted in the second grade finally explodes, fill the creative void with longer-lasting art. Today's Groupon pats your inner painter on its outer back with $25 worth of self-painted pottery at Mind Over Splatter in Chandler for $10. Continue the evolution in your artistic odyssey and create a masterpiece that will leave you more excited than a Pygmalion standing before his pristine statue. Gather your friends and throw a creativity jamboree or give your kids the freedom to express their love of fallen teen idols with paint.

Scott Barclay, a former gymnastics champion and current coach of ASU men's gymnastics team, dreamed of opening a facility to help young kids discover gymnastics. In turn, Aspire Kids Sports Center began with recreational gymnastics for kids as young as 15 months. Through time, the organization—headed by Scott and his wife, Donna—grew to include classes for martial arts, swimming, dance, and cheer.

At Aspire's present 32,000-square-foot facility, instructors help fledgling gymnasts traverse an 80-foot tumble track on multiple trampolines. For tykes, there's a wealth of preschool gymnastics equipment, while more advanced gymnastics teams can compete on spring competition floors. Or take advantage of the indoor heated swimming pool with movable platforms, where you can immerse yourself in year-round swimming lessons and stage performances of The Little Mermaid.

Double takes are common on the shores of Lake Havasu. After all, it’s not every day that you see someone hovering 29 feet above the water. The subjects aren’t paranormal apparitions, and the scene isn’t a fleeting haunting—it’s just another day for the certified flight instructors at Water Jetpack Adventure: strap customers into the five-point quick-release harness of their Jetlev R200 recreational jetpacks for gravity-defying flying sessions that include flight demos. Assembled from top-of-the-line parts and materials—such as pressure seals made with O-ring systems found on deep-sea submarines—the jetpack features a built-in stability mechanism and a multitasking hose that powers flights with pressurized water and keeps pilots attached to the boat and away from Icarus' house parties. Pilots stay protected during midair jaunts with safety equipment including a personal flotation device, a helmet and head support, and a safety saddle. For a video of what the Jetlev looks like in action, click here.