Visiting Tucson - recommendations (Phoenix, Mesa: live in, restaurants, shop)

[john3232]

The wife and I are planning a visit to Tucson. Three days/two nights.

What are some place you recommend we visit?

Thanks

[steiconi]

What do you like to do? Hike, shop, eat?

What time of year? Summer is so hot, you might not want to plan outdoor exertions.

If you're here in Jan/Feb or Sept, the Gem Show is fabulous.

Winter can be chilly, perfect time for hiking.

[john3232]

Originally Posted by steiconi

What do you like to do? Hike, shop, eat?

What time of year? Summer is so hot, you might not want to plan outdoor exertions.

If you're here in Jan/Feb or Sept, the Gem Show is fabulous.

Winter can be chilly, perfect time for hiking.

We plan on going within a month or s to avoid the summer heat. A museum or two would be nice.

Hiking is o.k. but a moderate trail.

The Gem show sounds great but I think we won't be going to Tuscan until sometime in March.

(We live in Mesa.)

[steiconi]

The Desert Museum https://www.desertmuseum.org/ features native plants and animals. It's in/next to Saguaro National Park, which is gorgeous and free. You can drive through or stop and stroll.

Home - Musical Instrument Museum is the Musical Instruments Museum.

Madera Canyon is a pretty and easy hike; park near the bottom (pass required). Trees and plants, there should be a stream this time of year, I've seen deer and other animals. At dusk, you might see bats, there are bat boxes along the trail.

My favorite restaurants: Santa Rosa Cafe for fry bread/Indian Tacos (the chicken salad is good, too; we split one of each), Istanbul (Turkish food, very similar to Greek).

[john3232]

Originally Posted by steiconi

The Desert Museum https://www.desertmuseum.org/ features native plants and animals. It's in/next to Saguaro National Park, which is gorgeous and free. You can drive through or stop and stroll.

Home - Musical Instrument Museum is the Musical Instruments Museum.

Madera Canyon is a pretty and easy hike; park near the bottom (pass required). Trees and plants, there should be a stream this time of year, I've seen deer and other animals. At dusk, you might see bats, there are bat boxes along the trail.

My favorite restaurants: Santa Rosa Cafe for fry bread/Indian Tacos (the chicken salad is good, too; we split one of each), Istanbul (Turkish food, very similar to Greek).

Sounds great thanks!

[Caladan]

Pima County Historic Courthouse has a new gem/mineral museum. I've not seen it yet, but hear/read that it is quite good. Pima Air and Space Museum and the Sonora Desert Museum are great. Just be aware that a portion of these museums are outdoors. I believe that there are a few science museums on the U of A campus too. Definitely stop by the Saguaro National Park, which has units on both sides of Tucson. Sabino Canyon, the Zoo, and the Botanical Gardens are all worth looking into.

Just a short drive south of Tucson and just off of I-19 is the Titan Missile Museum. A nuclear missile isn't something you see very often. From there, you can make the short drive to Madera Canyon for hiking and birding.

The famous USAF aircraft boneyard is located in Tucson, but I'm not sure if they have tours. But you can check into that if it is something that interests you.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by Caladan

The famous USAF aircraft boneyard is located in Tucson, but I'm not sure if they have tours. But you can check into that if it is something that interests you.

If they are offering tours at this time, they are available at the Tucson Air and Space Museum rather than through the air force base.

[steiconi]

I've always kind of wanted to visit Rooster Cogburn's ostrich farm on I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson.

And there's Biosphere II.

[Loriact]

Arizona Desert Museum, Catalina State Park, Sabino Canyon,…

[john3232]

Thank you everyone for your help!!