I had a lot of fun here. I brought my sister along and we both enjoyed exploring the grounds. We…read morearrived at 2:30pm so we missed all the fun but still go to see all the animals. The animals were up and about walking around their areas. We walked around pretty quick and made it back to the front right on time for the last safari ride of the day. The safari ride was the best. We got to feed the giraffes which I thought was super cool. Def worth the stop!

Wanting a safari-like experience, we came out to Out of Africa to see the animals on their 104 acre…read morewildlife preserve. Pro-tip: If you come on your birthday month, it's only $12 for admission which is substantial savings! I booked the expedition tour which included the general admission, Super Mog tour, and a chance to feed a tiger. The Super Mog tour is an hour long ride in an all terrain open-aired truck. You have to be at least 5yo and able to climb up the steps to get into the vehicle. They offer 2 times, 11AM or 2PM. Because it was June, I opted for the 11AM tour bc of the heat. Even though there was no AC, it was fully shaded and we didn't feel too hot. Our tour guide Robby was incredible and gave each of us a small stalk of willow-like leaves to feed the giraffes. We had the option to feed them from our hands or if we're brave, our mouths! We started off on the super mog tour visiting some apex predators like their mountain lion, hyena, grizzly bear and Robby would tell their stories and also do a live feeding. We also drove past their rhino, lions, zebras and much more. Then we got to feed the giraffes as they walked up to our vehicle. It definitely had more of a natural feel vs a zoo. Then we got some snacks, walked around for a little bit to see their smaller mammals (sloth, lemurs, marmoset) and reptiles. Lastly, we attended the tiger splash show. It was as adorable show watching the tigers play with their trainers using various toys, balloons, and meat. After the show, we got to feed a tiger through a special feeding tube and you can also request a picture with the lion. Out of Africa is also know for their popular predator zip lines where you have views of the animals and the Verde Valley. We didn't do this bc my kiddo is still quite young. We got the chance to run into the owner Prayeri who described how many of the animals were raised at a young age or rescued. There is a strong emphasis on the human-animal bond and trust at this park. Love that mission and much love to all the animals!

What an amazing experience! Kurt and Xavier were fantastic guides and shared so much knowledge and…read morepassion throughout the tour. It was absolutely worth the $150 per person. The sanctuary sits on sacred land that includes the original stagecoach building associated with Morgan Earp, and you also learn about Native traditions and the history of the Medicine Wheel. There was something incredibly moving about standing on this historic, sacred land while spending time with the wolves. I surprised my wife with this experience, and she absolutely loved it. She formed a special connection with a couple of the wolves, especially Luna and Larka. Being able to gently touch the wolves and spend time so close to them was truly unforgettable and felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They are fascinating animals and so different from dogs. I can't recommend this experience enough. It's educational, emotional, and unlike anything we've ever done.

This was a magical experience from start to finish. I am so happy that we were able to get into the…read moretour. I recommend booking in advanced because we were in a full group of about 16 on a Monday morning. Each of our guides were so kind and meeting the wolves up close was amazing. The entire space is peaceful and serene. We started with a medicine wheel and energy cleansing/ intention setting. You are then taken into different enclosures and taught about each wolf and their pack. The wolves each have their own personalities and the love that each guide has for them can be seen and felt throughout the tour. We were able to learn about wolf medicine and the care for the wolves. This is a very special tour. If you are thinking about booking it, book it! You will not be disappointed.

This review is mostly for people bringing young kids here for the Pumpkin Farm. There are a ton of…read morethings for you to do. From a petting zoo to hayrides. It was packed to the gills on the day we went, but lines were reasonable and there is a ton of space to spread out. The food services were typical fair stuff - nothing good or bad. The shop at the entrance has a TON of farm fresh food. From home-made jellies to fresh apple cider. this stuff is fantastic! If you are a group of adults only, stop at the store, but give a pass to the Halloween Pumpkin Farm.

I came out here to escape the heat on labor day with my son. This farm is open every day except…read moreThanksgiving and Christmas. It is about 1.5 hours north of Phoenix. When you arrive, you first pass through the farm market. They have lot of shelves filled with locally made pasta sauces, honeys, salsas, wines, and fridges/freezers with meats and pies. They have a little cafe there to order sandwiches or to grab a take away box with fruits or veggies or a pastry. There is a little table to sit down and eat. All of the staff in the store is super friendly. When you walk through to the farm, you first come to the chicken coop. There are chickens walking around outside and we even saw some eggs there! Next to the chickens is an enclosure with goats. There are food dispensers there if you want to feed them. There is a greenhouse close by as well. When you walk past the goat and chicken enclosures, you pass by some play structures for kids and then behind that there are rows of crops that you can pick from (you might want to pick up a basket from the store before heading out there if you are planning on picking a lot!) there are rows of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, and I'm sure there is more too. When we came back in from the farm, we ordered some sandwiches for lunch. They were all very good! Since I came here all the way from Phoenix, I would have liked to have seen more farm animals and I was really hoping too that the "grain train" I had seen in some of the photos would have been available to ride.

Great alpaca ranch and fiber mill. They raise Icelandic sheep too…read more Just love Mette and Tom!

Happy place on earth. Need to go back and visit again. Tom and Mette are very good with all the…read morestuff their

This is a cute family sized fair…read more They have a free exotic animal exhibit. Free balloons for the kids. An indoor play area for families. Vendors with fun purchases. Delicious coffee. Cheese crisps. Hatch green chilies. Pizza. Cotton candy. Rides for the kids and a few for the adults. Lots of shaded areas to rest and eat both. A concert will happen tonight. And don't forget to vote for your favorite art, quilt or cake.

This is one of the smaller county fairs that we look forward to attending each year…read more You can definitely get a feel for the nearby community with the animals they bring to show/auction, the artwork they have created, the photographs they have taken, and by interaction with those at the fair. It feels like a small town where everyone knows everyone. Great food every year by Steve's BBQ, the ladies in the booth with cheese crisps and hatch chile burritos, Pony Espresso drinks and smoothies, and AJ Masamas Fry Bread. Wonderful entertainment over the years by acts like Skip Banks, Greg Frisbee, Godfrey the Magician, The Conjurer, Slim and Curly aka Fables of the West, Matt Baker, and many more. Love that they have some form of entertainment strolling the grounds on a regular basis. One thing I truly miss is the music of George Johnson. He was a staple at this fair for close to 20 years (17 or 18, I believe). There are so many people that still talk about him each year and wish he would return. Many kids in the area grew up dancing in the covered area near his music tent. Hopefully, that tradition can be revived in the future. We have seen several fun bands on the main music stage also. Two favorites are Checker'd Past and Eric Dodge. Fun 80's music and some good ol' country music. The fair makes the most of the space they have and have the rodeo grounds, games , and carnival rides mostly to one side with rides extending along the back of the fair past the main stage. We have seen improvements made over the years, especially to the animal areas. Nice to see a fair reinvest in its own grounds and buildings to improve the overall experience. Weather can be odd from year to year. Last year it was very rainy and cold and other years it has been very hot and dusty. Can be very windy also so you may want to secure that hat on your head or have a tie so it doesn't completely blow away.

Our guide (Fred) was awesome and funny. He got us saddled up and matched us with horses to ensure…read morewe would all have a pleasant ride as well as a explanation refresher how-to-ride since it had been awhile since I'd been on a horse. We got to come up close and personal with the livestock on the ranch. I got to know why my horse is named Bam Bam. My husband and I enjoyed our private tour so much we are talking about making it a thing wherever we travel to go horseback riding. Only thing we missed out on was riding through rivers due to time of year (October) - our fault for making the assumption it was a year round thing.

Had a great time with them! Met at Alcantara Vineyards (not at the address on their website) and…read morerode around the Verde River (as well as across it) and then rode to the top of a hill with amazing views of AZ. Rob was a wonderful tour guide. We walked with the horses, but also got to gallop a few times. Rob also taught us about some berries and plants we could eat in the wild, and we got to try a couple! Super fun time. Horses were great and guides were interesting. Recommend!

Wow! If you are anywhere NEAR this area you have to take a ride on this train! Our family drove…read morefrom Tempe to Clarkdale which took about 1.5 hours. It was such a relaxing train ride. 2 hours up and back through the canyon for a total of 4 hours. We saw lots of gorgeous rock formations. Craig was a very knowledge and personable guide as we rode through this canyon. Craig pointed out so many natural formations. He showed us a bear den, mountain lion den. We looked out for river otters but didn't see any. We also saw a beautifully made bald eagle's nest and we did see a bald eagle flying by our train on our way back to the train depot! Craig gave us the history of this railroad which was so interesting. We were able to go outside our train car to the open air seating to have a more "closer to nature" experience. Shine was our bartender! As soon as you walk in the train car you will see a really really nice bar. Shine was super accommodating, friendly and so helpful! Of course it was a really hot day and he said he'd take care of us if we needed any extra water. The car was super comfortable and cool with A/C. As soon as we walked on and sat in our assigned seats, we had a small bottle of champagne and a delicious charcuterie tray for each of us. There is a bathroom in each car. Go early to see the little town before your ride. This is a great trip for Seniors, families, really all ages. It's recommended to go two hours before your train departs but we arrived an hour before and had plenty of time. There is a gift shop and outdoor seating while you're waiting for departure.

We had a nice trip and a good time, BUT we didn't get the seating we paid for and we damn sure…read moredidn't like the seating we got. We paid for living room seating, but we got "dining room type seating" The train car seating is pre assigned and if you are a party of two, as in you and your spouse/friend, you will be seated on the dining room type seating. Those with parties greater than two, you get the living room seating. The company needs some clarity on this matter when selling tickets. There was a big comfort difference between the two types of seating and we weren't told about it in advance. Also, I will point out that none of the living room type seating is located next to the on board toilet, but some of the dining room seats are right next to it. I can tell you there is nothing like a line of six standing next to you while waiting for the WC as you're trying to look at the canyon wall as you eat your lunch.

Fort Verde State Historic Park presents what life was like in Arizona, early in its history -…read moreincluding Indian wars. We spent about an hour in the main building, walking through a number of rooms and browsing the various exhibits depicting life, especially military life in Arizona in its early days. Many wartime artifacts are on display across many discipline from doctoring, to soldiering and more. In the last room of the main building, a video plays on a loop. The video is about Indians in Arizona and how they were involved in wars and especially how many of them helped the white man's army. It was too hot to visit the other 2 buildings across the street today, as they are not air conditioned, so we're not sure what's in them. Restrooms are in another building. Get the key from staff in the main building, then return the key. As the restrooms remain locked, they were in good condition and clean. We did enjoy our visit.

John had this on his hit list of things to do- we stopped in just in time to see one of the rangers…read moregiving a demo on various firearms used in the era that the fort was operational. Insert John's happy face here! They have an extensive museum and an outcropping of buildings that made up the fort. Unlike the other forts we have explored- there was no wall to help with defense. Reasoning was that the natives knew not to attack where the army was. So they didn't bother with the labor intensive work of building high walls. My only complaint was that the restrooms were far enough away from everything and locked. You had to get a key from the ranger for access.