And since you mentioned watching for birds (and I assume other wildlife) and if you are going to make a vacation out of it, do yourself a huge favor and keep going northeast and into the Rocky Mountains of southern Colorado, Northern New Mexico. April might be a little early for some of the species (lot of snow on the ground until late May, early June), but there are some beautiful songbirds, migratory birds, and many different kinds of wildlife in the region.
I am in Albuquerque, in central NM, and if I can be of any assistance send me a pm. I love this part of the country and would like to help anyone who has not been here to see the best and avoid the rest.