For Shelby Matthews and her family, a single trip to Arizona in January 2022 was the catalyst for a new chapter. Originally from Illinois, the family immediately fell in love with Arizona and knew it was where they wanted to be. Just months later in May 2022, they sold their house and moved to the Grand Canyon state.
The idea for @azfamilyguide, an Instagram account dedicated to family-friendly travel and adventures, grew organically. After a year of living in Arizona, the family became a go-to resource for friends and neighbors seeking recommendations on things to do. Recognizing a broader opportunity, Matthews launched the account to share not just their adventures, but detailed guides for other families.
“We started it to inspire other families to explore together, even with little ones,” Matthews, content creator said. “Our passion stems from seeing how travel brings us closer as a family and creates lasting memories… We didn’t get to travel as kids, so we’re passionate about giving our kids an adventurous childhood and showing them the world outside of their hometown.”
Travel, imperfection and connection
For Matthews, the most rewarding aspect of running the account is hearing from followers who’ve been inspired to try something new.
“It’s those messages that remind us why we do this,” Matthews said. “We hope our followers feel empowered to embrace the adventure of family life, no matter how chaotic it might seem. Whether it’s a weekend getaway or a big family trip, we want to show that traveling with kids isn’t just doable—it’s worth every ounce of effort.”
Through @azfamilyguide, Matthews emphasizes the importance of embracing imperfection.
“We’ve learned to embrace imperfection in a world of social media that is overwhelmed with aesthetic content and picture-perfect families. Traveling as a real family is never picture-perfect, but it’s those unpredictable, funny, or heartfelt moments that we remember the most,” Matthews said. “Don’t wait for the ‘right time’ to explore with your family. We know that it can be hard to get everyone out of the house… It might seem overwhelming, but we want to encourage families to take the first few adventures, and then your weekends will go from mundane screen and clean time to epic adventures.”
More adventures to come
The Matthews family’s adventures don’t stop in Arizona. While their account will continue to focus on local Arizona adventures, they’ll also be expanding and sharing their experiences from other destinations.
One of their biggest upcoming projects is hosting their first family group trip. October 2025 they’ll be traveling to Costa Rica with hopes that this will be the first of many group travel experiences for families.
The goal is to continue working with tourism boards and creating itineraries that inspire families to explore lesser-known places. They’ll also continue to provide free resources and guides to their audience to help make planning easier.
Inspiring families to take the leap
As parents they want to show that it’s okay to travel even when it’s messy and unpredictable. A core memory is their first trip with their newborn.
“We weren’t sure how it would go, but we shared the journey—the mishaps, the successes and everything in between,” Matthews said. “We just want to encourage families to take the leap. Traveling with kids isn’t always easy, but it’s deeply rewarding. The memories you create will shape your family’s story in ways you can’t imagine.”
Find inspiration for your next family trip and keep up with the Matthews family travels by following @azfamilyguide on Instagram.
