The second largest city of Arizona, Tucson is located on a hill, and therefore it is slightly cooler than its neighbor in the desert of Sonora Phoenix. With a total population of about 850 thousand people, Tucson was always at the crossroads of several roads, and his population was the most heterogeneous. The main tourist attractions of Tucson are located not so much in the city itself as around it: it is an ideal place to explore Arizona in its wild, natural form.
How to get to Tucson
Tucson International Airport accepts flights of several national airlines, although some prefer to fly to Phoenix, and from there to get to Tucson by land transport (in particular, shuttle buses "Arizona shuttle"). Amtrak trains run here along the Los Angeles-New Orleans branch.
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Tucson Entertainment, Excursions and Attractions
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum on Kinney Road is not so much a traditional museum as the project "Biosphere II". Partly it is a zoo, in part - a museum of natural history, in part - a botanical garden. Here you can see the most diverse inhabitants of the region, from tarantulas to brown bears, from scorpions to coyotes. In addition, the museum is on the edge of the Saguaro National Park, where you can see the world's largest cactus of saguaro cactuses.
- Feel like a western hero
- Watch for cactuses.
- Visit the aircraft cemetery and desert observatory
Saguaro National Park - the most untouched and extensive cactus forest in the American West . The park consists of two unconnected parts east and west of the city . National Monument is The place became in 1933 . Huge as tugues of the saguaro live here for 200 years, picking up to 15 meters of height and more than 10 tons of weight . These are the same iconic cacti that we imagine ourselves thinking about the Wild West . Although other national parks grow species of thorny plants, and also - desert flowers covering the ground with a colorful carpet after heavy rains . Most animals of the park prefer to hide during the day, but still travelers have a chance to see here coyotes, owls, hawks, turtles, wild pigs, foxes .
Sabino Canyon is a picturesque desert gorge, a slit It is located in the southern part of the Santa Catalina Mountains, on the northern border of the city. It is possible to get there by tram (about 9 stops), and from here another tram - to Medvezhye canyon, where the popular hiking trail to the Seven Waterfalls begins. In order to enter the park, the National Park Pass is required, which is also valid for Mount Lemmon.
The mission of San Xavier del Bac - the "white dove of the desert" from where the city began. Inside the beautiful snow-white building in the midst of a hot desert you can still see beautiful murals and murals. The mission was finally completed in 1797, when Arizona still belonged to Spain.
Old Tucson studio testifies to the times when the city served as a permanent set for Hollywood films about the Wild West. Originally it was built in 1939 for Arizona by William Holden. Since then, "noted" Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, John Wayne. The studio is still working, and with it there is a nostalgic theme park with saloons of the era up to the dry law, dancers of cancan in corsets, restaurants and souvenir shops.
Pima Aerospace Museum on Valencia Road boasts more than 250 historical aircraft. In addition, the museum can order a special tour of the center of storage of aerospace vehicles (it is also a "cemetery of bones"), where more than 4,200 flying aids have been collected. And in the Titan missile museum south of the city, in Sahuarite, there is an underground complex of the Titan-II Cold War era.
Tohono-Chul Park is a comfortable and very pleasant place with a tea room, souvenir shop, bookstore and an art gallery, sheltered among gardens and paths. In the park you can admire the extensive botanical exhibition of local plants and even buy some seedlings
The Tucson Art Museum includes a complex of historic houses and permanent art exhibits of the Latin American and pre-Columbian cultures . Also there are temporary an exhibition of modern art and the Arizona Biennale . Art Museum of the University of Arizona is located on the campus on Olive Road, and here you can see a fairly extensive collection of works of American and Euro from the Renaissance to the 20th century . The masterpiece of the collection is the Spanish altar of the 15th century . In addition, Tucson has a museum of contemporary art (Church Avenue) and the gallery "De Gracia" in the historic San district . The latter is a complex of buildings designed and built by the well-known 20th century artist Ettore "Tedom" DeGration, and here is a gallery of his paintings .
Book popular Tucson hotels at the best prices
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| The Lodge at Ventana Canyon from 7,695 rubles Tucson 6200 North Clubhouse Lane | Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort & Spa from 8,372 rubles Tucson 245 East Ina Road | The Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa from 10,403 rubles Tucson 3800 East Sunrise Drive |
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| University Inn from 3 078 rubles Tucson 950 North Stone Avenue | Econo Lodge University from 2 463 rubles Tucson 1136 North Stone Avenue | Americas Best Value Inn Tucson from 2,832 rubles Tucson 810 East Benson Highway |
Tucson Events
Every Tuson for two weeks turns bustling international market where buy and sell precious stones, minerals and fossils. "Show of stones" is not a single fair in one place: more than 1000 participants are dispersed in 50 different venues, and at the same time in the city there are a variety of shows and exhibitions for the general public, where you can see anything, including gold bars and bones of dinosaurs.
One of the biggest festivals in Tucson is the All Saints' Day procession, a parade nearly 5 km long, which begins with the advent of dusk. A bright and colorful holiday is based on the Mexican Day of the Dead and takes place on the first Sunday in November.
The annual festival of lights takes place in Winterhaven. Backlight is included in several dozen buildings. Usually the holiday begins in the middle of December and ends a few days before the New Year. The festival is very popular, so the traffic is difficult these days.
Tucson Neighborhood
Kartchner Caves are located 15 km south of the city. The State Park was opened here in 1999, and on its territory you can see an amazing cave system in limestone cliffs, which by some estimates is among the ten most beautiful in the world. The caves were discovered in 1974 and kept secret until 1988, which allowed them to be kept in almost original condition.
The Kitt Peak National Observatory is an hour's drive southwest of Tucson. Astronomy fans can not afford to miss this place and lovers of photography too. There are several astronomical telescopes and one large solar one, and you can arrange an excursion.
A popular tourist destination is Summerhaven, a small settlement on Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains .It is at an altitude of almost 2500 m and was originally used by the military from Fort Lowell as a camp to fight the Apaches in the 1870s-1880s .There are several shops, a handmade gizmos gallery and even a gingerbread house where you can treat yourself to home cookies and pizza .In 2003, .the monstrous Aspensky fire caused considerable damage to Summerhaven, but the place is still popular: in Winterhammer they go skiing in the winter, and in the summer - to escape from the heat .