Tucson Hotels and City Guide

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This majestic city, also known as Old Pueblo, is one of the nation’s oldest cities. The fantastic mountains, miles of beautiful cacti and green canyons make it one of the most beautiful landscapes to be found. And to top it off, Tucson has spectacular sunsets. Just as a side note, unless you want everyone here to know that you’re a tourist, you should remember that Tucson is pronounced as too-sahn, not tuk-son. You’d get a few strange looks if you pronounced the later. Tucson is close to the Mexican border and so you can see the influences of the Spanish as well as the Native American in the architecture, cuisine and festivals. Explore its rich history, take in a Wildcats game at the University of Arizona or stroll through the Tucson Botanical Gardens. Whether you decide to relax and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you or explore the interesting sites, Tucson has the perfect climate for you to enjoy it all. It’s almost unfair how perfect their weather is.

For those who love sports, Tucson has a fantastic college football team that will get you on your feet and make you loose your voice from cheering so loudly. You know you’re in a football city when its nature gets branded. Known locally as the ‘A’, you’ll see Sentinel Peak with a giant letter A on it in honor of the Wildcats. Not a football fan? Tucson’s near perfect weather is ideal for a round of golf. Whether you play on a PGA course or enjoy one a little less challenging, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to sneak in a round or two.

Although the largest Smithsonian complex is in Washington, D.C., you’ll find a bit of it here in Tucson. The Arizona State Museum is an affiliate of it and is the oldest and largest anthropology museum in the region. The Smithsonian also displays some of its materials at the Tucson Gem and Mineral show. One of the largest, this show features many displays of fine minerals throughout the city. It’s only on for three weeks in February and one of those weeks is reserved for the gem professionals.

As noted before, Tucson is filled with Spanish influences. This is quite evident in the beautiful architecture of the Mission San Xavier del Bac. Also known as the ‘white dove of the desert’, you’ll really enjoy the wonderful design of this church. The present building dates back to 1785, although the mission itself started back in the 1690s. There are wonderful religious artifacts in the museum and the interior is a collaboration of various artistic motifs. Strangely enough, the exterior looks incomplete, with only one of the two domes being built. Self-guided tours are allowed except when there’s mass. Although it’s free, donations are gratefully accepted.

Tucson's original settlement, dating back to 1775, can be found in the El Presidio Historic District. Many wonderful restaurants and historic buildings are located here. The Museum of Art also calls this home. If you’re only here for a short time, you can get a sample of everything Tuscan in the Presidio district. Stroll down the streets of the downtown Arts District where you’ll find numerous cafes, galleries and shops for you to browse at. You’ll come to La Placita Village, which is quite beautiful and very colorful.

If you’re interested in seeing some of Tucson’s beauty up close, make your way to the Sabino Canyon. Located in the Coronado National Forest, the canyon is a wonderful place to see the local wildlife (deer, javelina, rattlesnakes and skunks) or cross over the waterfalls by the many bridges. You can walk or take a tour via a tram. They’ll take you to various points of interest and at certain stops you can get off and enjoy the scenery up close as you hike the rest of the way down. Go underground and explore the Colossal Cave. Once used as a hideout by bandits and train robbers, you can now explore its nooks and crannies. The guided tour takes you down about six stories so you know you’ll have to climb that on the way back. Leave the stilettos at the hotel. But you’ll enjoy the tour since the cave stays at about 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

For a bit of a more unique experience, make your way to the Biosphere 2 Center. Just 30 minutes outside of Tucson, this ‘little earth’ is over 7 million cubic-feet of sealed glass, including a 900,000-gallon ocean. There’s a desert, rain forest, marsh, and human habitat as well. Go on the tour and bring along your walking shoes – you’ll definitely need them here. Another interesting tour can be found at the Titan Missile Museum. Run by the Pima Air and Space Museum, this site is about 10 miles outside of Tucson. Featuring the Titan II intercontinental ballistic missile, kept without fuel or an active warhead, its used to train Titan Missile crews. President Ronald Reagan decommissioned the Titan II rockets and so all but one, featured here, were destroyed.

Tucson is an easy city to enjoy. It continues to embrace the old world charm with the changes of today. It’s ideal weather, beautiful surroundings, many great restaurants, shopping and stunning architecture makes it a great place to explore.