Thirty seven years of living there as both a teen and an adult, and raising four kids there on both the east side and in our rural enclave, two acre horse property, I've got some things to recommend. Just a few:)
Things to do:
Day trips:
Go visit the Titan Missile Museum. Only place to see the size of the nukes we had to protect us from the Russkies back in the cold war. Cool history. The Asarco Copper Mining tour is another option nearby. Mom liked it, I haven’t seen it.
Combine this lovely trip with a drive down to Tubac, a lovely arts area filled with great shops and restaurants. A little bit further south is
Santa Cruz Spice Company, a great place to grab some great chili powder and ancho seasoning. The Tumacacori church is pretty photogenic down there as well.
Then there’s the other solid day trip to:
Tombstone, where you can watch the recreated OK Corral fight, visit the Courthouse and the Graveyard (all cost money) then go visit artsy Bisbee, take the mine tour and shop with some of the country’s oldest hippies.
Kartchner Caverns, buy tickets in advance for the very coolest world’s only “living” cave tour with spectacular formations. Get both tours. This is a must see in my view.
For a cool overnight, stay in the haunted “Copper Queen” in Bisbee and visit the hummingbird canyons near Sierra Vista (Ramsey Canyon is famous for bird watching).
Tucson to do:
Sonoran Desert Museum, my #1 favorite, I can get the ex hubs to docent you through with advance notice, he works there now.
Saguaro National Park East 17 mile loop drive. Great bike ride or drive through the east side park. My favorite for tourists. Dad’s ashes are there:) Stop and eat at basic Saguaro Corners restaurant for the nice views. Unpretentious watering hole offering tavern eats & spirits, plus an outdoor patio/bar & live music.
Address: 3750 S Old Spanish Trail, Tucson, AZ 85730
When you miss the mountains, head up to Mt. Lemmon, chill out at Windy Point, and I think there’s still the world’s smallest ski resort up top. No snow making, so it’s not open often. Rose Canyon Lake is up there.
For other skiing we always drove 5 hours into the White Mountain Apache resort. Sunrise Ski Resort.
For other mountain trips, there’s a great tiny town called Greer. If you like fishing, Greer has a nice little river nearby. Research fishing licenses. Some you can only get up there, as they are on Indian reservations.
Pima Air & Space Museum. JFK’s Air force One is here. You can pay for an optional bus ride through the famous airplane boneyard as well, which is where Tom Petty filmed one of his music videos.
For the quirkiest used books, go visit the Speedway “Bookmans” It’s not just for books. It’s like a giant used and new bookstore coupled with upscale thrift all in one. Eat at the homegrown “Beyond Bread” store, some of the best sandwiches and soups Tucson has to offer, but go BEHIND that Beyond Bread to get their true calling, The Pies. It’s called the “Back Dough” :)
So many hikes! The Catalina’s have some great hikes, Finger Rock is a good one, pretty challenging, from the end of Swan Road. Down south in the Santa Rita Mountains, just east of Green Valley is Madera Canyon. Great Hiking and the Tres Amigos mexican restaurant afterwards is a good bet. And at the end of Speedway you can hike up into the Rincon Mountains. The Ranger Station is a longish hike of about 20 miles, and it’s a backpacking overnight. There used to be a cabin up there you could rent, not sure anymore. Reddington Pass is another popular hiking area, four wheeling and there’s sometimes water flowing.
Sabino Canyon, you can walk instead of pay for the tram, I love the Seven Falls hike, which is 2 miles in, if you take the tram, much longer without the tram. BRing swimsuits, but not everyone will be wearing them.
There used to be a hiking club, and they do night hikes during the summer.
Check out the observatory on the UA campus, it’s free to the public, There’s also a day trip to Kitt Peak Observatory, which I always loved. Higher elevation, cooler than Tucson. Big solar telescope. You are on the reservation down here. If you see a tamale stand, buy some.
Shows:
The Centennial Hall line up is usually pretty good, but even the UA campus level stuff can be quite good.
Rialto Theater downtown
Hotel Congress still has shows
Fox Theater downtown
Temple of Music and ARt is a beautiful venue
The Gaslight Theater is always fun and boisterous laughing good time.
Tucson Community Center and McKale have the big shows, but I understand so do the Casinos now. Desert DIamond and Casino del Sol. This is also host for the Tamale Festival
Attractions/Art:
DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun, I used to be lucky enough to work next door, up north on Swan Road.
Tohono Chul and their Tea Room Also a good opportunity to purchase native plants.
Old Tucson-if you like history and movies, this is pretty cool now that they re-opened
Arizona History Museum on campus at UA
Arizona State Museum if you like southwestern and Indian things. Also near UA
Tucson Botanical Gardens *and gallery Another native seeds and plants place. You should see some of the very natural transient deterrent fences and options of Tucson here:) Ocotillo living fences, agave and prickly pear near windows and fences are all we need. No barbed wire!
I like rocks, so this was one I would visit often when at UA.
Fourth Avenue Street Fair. Anymore, find parking near the UA and ride the trolley in. Parking is a bitch.
Tucson Meet Yourself is sort of like Denver’s People’s Fair. International Food and fun and music once a year.
Food:
First of all, Tucson is a UNESCO gastronomic city. Very cool. https://www.visittucson.org/press/news-releases/2017/tucson-named-first-unesco-city-gastronomy-usa
Second, TORTILLAS are real here, and are not the Faux Foam of Denver:)
I get mine freshly made from Tucson Tamale Company at Broadway on the east side, but there are lots of options. Also, the green corn tamales are a thing of beauty here. You can dine in very casually, or get a dozen to go.
Sonoran Tamales that are “red” will have a green olive with a pit in the center. Don’t ask me why, but it is delicious and I miss them here in Denver.
Arizona Inn for special occasions, take a walk on the grounds with the peacocks.
El Güero Canelo for the best of Sonoran Hot Dogs, a unique hot dog experience:) We go to the one on 22nd street. Use all of the toppers!
Pico de Gallo for fish Tacos, it’s in south Tucson near the VA hospital and worth the drive.
Jonathan’s Cork is nice for dinner. Jonathan Landeen is a Landmark graduate, and he did my dad’s 70th birthday party. Great little venue, tucked off of Grant/Wilmot.
El Berraco on north 1st for Mexican seafood. Don’t knock it, the Baja is closer than you think. *Rocky Point is your nearest beach. Aka Puerto Penasco.
My favorite Mexican food is at Mosaic Cafe Grant and Silverbell location. They have the very best green corn tamales and the Tia makes the tortillas fresh in front of you so order the flour if you get the choice. The Arturo special is a nice sampler plate of Sonoran style meats. I think El Charro is overrated and touristy, but it’s a lovely location.
El Minuto Cafe for a giant cheese crisp. Get the ones with green chili. Nothing like this in Denver. You will love them.
Janos Wilder “Downtown Kitchen”. Haven’t been to this one, but all his restaurants are phenomenal.
The Blue WIllow on Campbell used to be a hippie hangout. A Chocolate Du Jour and some kind of vegetarian special. Cute gift shop in front.
The Hilton Hotel East side has a lovely picture window overlooking the Catalina Mountains, so for a pricey Sunday breakfast but a fabulous view, I recommend.
I love AJ’s Fine Foods. Up in the foothills for groceries. Find and buy my friend Laura Santi’s family made Biscotti. Whole Foods carries it too.
You can’t go wrong with any restaurant in Casas Adobes Shopping center, we’ve tried them all and they’re all good. It’s a great little shopping venue too. There was a gelato place there that I liked “Frost”? hope it is still there. New one:, Cajun! The Parish! LEt me know how it is.
Indian Oven on Campbell
For Chinese: http://tucson.com/thisistucson/eat/tucson-s-best-chinese-restaurants-according-to-local-chefs-and/article_3ec86e6c-1119-11e8-8a1d-97f9c534eaa3.html I’ve been to Gee’s Garden dim sum, weekends only.
Prickly Pear flavoring. It’s real, it’s good. Jams, jellies, sauces, desserts, meat glazes, syrups, and candies. If you like cooking, foraging for prickly pear fruit and making your own is a fun weekend activity.
There is so much good food, and new food! There’s an annual Tamale festival that started 10 years ago. We went two years ago, worth the trip. Bring cash, and enjoy the Mariachi music.
Eegees has two special flavors I love, Watermelon in July and Root beer in Rodeo Week (Feb?) You can ORDER special flavors in advance for pickup any time of the year! In the party pack size only.
Bars and Miscellaneous:
Only open in Jan/Feb during Rodeo, the Rodeo museum! For the longest non mechanized parade in the country. Used to be Tucson’s first airport site. Go see the parade and go to the rodeo at least once. It’s a Tucson tradition.
4825 S. 6th Ave., Tucson, AZ
Directions:
Northeast corner of S. 6th Ave. and Irvington.
Hours:
Jan 4-Mar 26: M-Sa 9:30-3:30. Closed Su, holidays, parade day. (Call to verify)
Phone:
520-294-3636
Admission:
Adults $10, Seniors $7, Military ID (and family) 50% discount.
“When does the ice break on the Santa Cruz River”? Is the annual contest of what day it will break 100 degrees.
The invasive type of Desert mistletoe that grows in mesquite and ironwood trees has small flowers that bloom in winter and when blooming is one of my all time favorite flower smells. Natives used to eat the fruit once it turned translucent, but the plant is toxic so we never chanced it.
The scent of water coming, as humidity rises is unique in the Sonoran desert when there are Creosote bushes. Petrichor. The name of that before rain smell everywhere. The Indians used the bushes to produce lamp oil. You will grow to love it and miss it when it’s gone.
The very best and easiest way to remove cactus needles that do not have barbs is to highlight them with iodine and then use duct tape to remove them. Stay very far away from cholla cactus. :)
When hiking in the desert *or anywhere, take a few backwards glances, you may have missed something. Sometimes a shed antler, a devil’s horn plant, sometimes one of the rarer rattlesnakes, of which there are several types. The racoon ribbed black and white tails are easier to look for than rattles. :) Think of them as scared bunnies in tube socks, they are truly more afraid of you then you are of them. They don’t waste venom on things too big to eat, so back away. They can only strike ⅔ of their length. http://www.azgfd.gov/i_e/ee/resources/posters/rattlesnake/Rattlesnake_Poster_2007.pdf
“Valley of the Moon” is a real place, handmade by a contemporary of Walt Disney in the 1920’s. An amazing man I got to meet, George Phar Legler. They do a few shows per year, usually spring and fall, currently owned by Boy Scouts I think. Rocks, grottos, and more, I spent many years helping to tame the place and getting it up and running again once some close friends found George living on the place on Ensure back in the early 80’s. It’s a little magical rockscape. George used to train rabbits, and dress them in top hats and do shows out there when it was the only thing out there. Surrounded by homes now. Linda Rondstadt grew up in the neighborhood. Tucson used to have Magic Carpet Golf with a ton of magnificent, large cement sculptures, many of which are now housed at Valley of the Moon.
Speedway Blvd has won “nations Ugliest road” many times over the years.
There are a couple of quirky bars that are fun. Kon Tiki. It is a rite of passage for people turning 21 and authentic Tiki bar for decades. Get a Mai Tai. For reals.
The Shelter. Literally everything good from the 60’s and 70’s. It never changed and it’s cool again.
Traildust Town and the Pinnacle Peak steak restaurant. It’s a pretty good little bad guy/good guy western show and a pretty good steak. Good for tourists, and I’ve enjoyed the show very much over the years. The gazebo is a famous wedding location there. I’ve been to a number of weddings here.
There is weird art all over this city. The invisible mare/colt on Houghton road, the Tall Miner with frequently stolen Ax on Stone Ave or 1st st? (police are hazed by being told to go investigate large man with an ax at this address), The El Toro bull in front of Speedway’s Casa MOlina, which is an authentic Mexican place we also like. The Junk Sculptor whose work is now all over the city since his death and the auction, the Rattlesnake Bridge on Broadway is a fine piece of art, and the Kay Malek designer tiles that tell the history of bowling on the side of the old and quirky Tucson Bowl (behind the best Ace Hardware store ever at Kolb and 22nd street.) I love that Ace Hardware store. It has literally everything you can think of. Need parts for your Sunbeam mixmaster? They’re in stock! Any fastener in the world? In stock! All sizes of weird screws? In stock! And knowledgeable and helpful support staff. Really, go to this Ace.
Finally, Picture Rocks. The easiest and closest are road accessible. The Catholic Diocese sold this retreat fna “Picture Rocks Retreat’ to avoid paying lawsuits out for child abuse. But beyond that, it’s a lovely little hike, just west of the buildings. Down the wash on the west side of the buildings and then on the rock outcroppings to your left are the petroglyphs. On the right is a Stations of the Cross little walk. Bring water everytime you walk in Tucson:) Great trip for the visiting tourists!
“The Picture Rocks petroglyphs are along a short trail at the Redemptorist Renewal Center at 7101 W. Picture Rocks Road.
The center’s website notes that visitors are welcome to view the petroglyphs, but visitors are asked to check in at the front office and refrain from climbing on the rocks.
Scores of petroglyphs are visible on a steep rock outcrop at the site.”
And as for wedding venues. I have to recommend Z Mansion. It’s a charitable organization, an historic downtown mansion, restaurant/catering options that hire the mentally ill, a friend’s local florist is featured, and they feed the homeless on Sunday with the leftovers. It’s also a beautiful venue.
Tucson has four main mountain ranges. North is Catalinas, East is Tanque Verdes in the foreground and taller Rincon in the background, West is the newest range, the prehistoric looking Tucson mountains and south is the Santa Ritas. So instead of “towards or away” of Denver, you need to memorize four ranges to know where you’re going Enjoy Tucson!
