Visiting Tucson? Welcome to the Sonoran Desert! You've landed in a region that encompasses all of the world's biomes. In the Sonoran Desert region, you can find tundra (in the mountains near Flagstaff), coniferous and temperate deciduous forests (in the mountains and foothills), grassland, chaparral, thornscrub, tropical forest (if you travel into Baja California), and, of course, desert.

Before you start exploring any of this region, be sure that you have stocked your RV with plenty of water, sunscreen, and hats for everyone. Additionally, before you plan your trip, be aware that many Arizona state parks will take online RV reservations. You may want to stay at Catalina State Park, which is ideally located and even offers the Pusche Ridge Stables for those who are interested in riding. But, if you plan to stay at Catalina (or any Arizona state park) this summer, keep an eye on weather conditions in the Tucson area. When there is a fire risk in the Santa Catalina mountains, Catalina State Park will be closed. Another option is Kartchner Caverns State Park in Benson, which is less than an hour away (and a wonderful destination in its own right), but you will have to keep an eye on the fire risk there as well.

Day 1

• Plan to be up early your first day in Tucson, so that you can make it to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum early, while the animals are still active before the sun gets too hot. To get there from Tucson, take I-19 to the Ajo Exit, and follow Ajo Way west for about eight miles until you reach Kinney Road. Turn right onto Kinney and follow it to the Desert Museum, which will be on your left. The Desert Museum is a natural habitat zoo, botanical garden and museum of natural history. To see the whole museum, you'll have to hike through almost two miles of paths across 21 acres of desert. To really get the most out of your Desert Museum experience, plan to be there when the museum opens (7 a.m. in the hottest months of the summer). You'll not only get to see gila monsters, prairie dogs, mountain lions and javelinas in their native habitats, but you'll also have a chance to climb thro ugh a cave (save the cave for later in the day, when you are ready to cool off!). If you are bringing along toddlers who love to grab and touch things, you may want to have a stroller with you – the Desert Museum paths are lined with cacti.
• Toward mid-afternoon, as you drive back toward Tucson along Kinney Road, stop at Old Tucson, an old Western movie set. You can see mock gunfights, stunts, and watch musicals. Kids will enjoy having the chance to drive miniature antique cars, ride a train, and pan for gold. If you are here in April, you can enjoy Old Tucson's Wild West Days, a festival focused on the movie Tombstone, which was partially filmed at Old Tucson.
• When you get back onto Ajo Way, start watching for Junction 386, the Kitt Peak turnoff. Highway 386 will take you onto the Tohono Oodham Reservation, through more of the area's beautiful saguaro forest, and up into the mountains, to the Kitt Peak National Observatory Visitor Center & Museum. Find out in advance if the observatory is having a Nightly Observing Program – if so, you will want to make a reservation. If you do have the chance to stay at Kitt Peak (which normally closes at 4 p.m.) into the evening, be sure to bring warm clothes. It is always about 20 degrees cooler at Kitt Peak than it is in Tucson, and at night even the desert temperature will drop significantly. Bring warm hats and gloves.

Day 2

• Take some time this morning to visit the Pima Air & Space Museum, one of the largest aviation museums on the planet. If you can make it here by 10:30 a.m., you can start a walking tour at the Wright Flyer. The Pima Air & Space Museum also operates tours of Davis-Montham Air Force Base's "Boneyard," otherwise known as the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group. One of the unique features about this museum is that pets (on a leash) are welcome to come along (but not on the Boneyard tour bus or tram). The museum's Hangar 1 has several hands-on areas for very young children, who can climb into the cockpit of a plane and work the flight controls, or operate a runway control tower by turning on runway lights and listening to radio transmissions. If you run out of time and want to come back later in the day, you can do so – just get a hand stamp before you leave.
• From the Pima Air & Space Museum, it is a short drive to Colossal Cave Mountain Park, the perfect place to cool off for an afternoon after walking around outside all morning. Just take I-10 east to exit 279 and drive north – you will see the signs for Colossal Cave. Bear in mind that the cave is not handicap accessible or stroller-friendly. The usual guided tour will take you about half a mile into the cave, and takes less than an hour, but if you are feeling adventurous, and are able-bodied and over the age of 18, you can sign up for a "Wild Cave Tour," which will take you on a two- or three-hour long excursion through what the cave website describes as "unlit, unmarked, and rarely seen passageways that extend a quarter mile into the depths of the earth." The park also offers a candlelight tour (for ages 10 and over) after hours (you will need a reservati on). The candlelight tour takes about an hour and a half. But you don't have to spend all your time at Colossal Cave actually IN the cave – you can also visit La Posta Quemada Ranch Museum, which has a gemstone sluice, butterfly garden, and tortoise exhibit, or explore the nearby hiking trails.
• To get to Kartchner Caverns State Park, continue east on I-10 toward Benson, and take exit 302, following the signs for Fort Huachuca/Sierra Vista. Then turn right at Park Srv Rd. If you aren't tired of spelunking (cave exploring) after Colossal, you can get your fill of it at Kartchner, where you can see the longest stalactite in the world. You may want to make reservations in advance for a tour of the caves, as these tours sometimes sell out. Check the website for the dates of Kartchner's Star Night Events, especially if you are thinking of camping at Kartchner.

Day 3

• From Benson, you can follow Arizona Highway 80 southeast to Tombstone (the "Town Too Tough to Die"), where the famous "gunfight at the OK Corral" took place. In Tombstone, you may want to just poke around and see what you discover -- you can have "old time" photos taken, visit a shooting gallery, tour an underground mine, take a spirit walk through Tombstone's old cemeteries or a ghost tour through town, ride an old stage coach, or visit any of Tombstone's small historic museums.
• From Tombstone, take highway 80 west. A two hour drive will get you to the border at Nogales. You may want to take some time to cross the border and explore both sides of Nogales. Otherwise, head north on I-19. About 25 minutes will get you to the 18th century Spanish mission at Tumacacori, where you can still see much of the original church and outbuildings.
• Keep going north on I-19 for another ten minutes, and you will come to Tubac, a former Spanish fort which has become an art colony. You can still see the adobe ruins of the fort at the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park. But you will also want to allow time to visit the town's many unique art galleries.
• Completing your tour of southern Arizona's Spanish American colonial history, you will want to stop at the Tohono O'odham reservation on your way back to Tucson (it's just off I-19), to visit the "white dove of the desert," Mission San Xavier del Bac. San Xavier Mission is even older than Tumacacori -- it was founded by Father Kino in 1692 -- and is much better preserved. Mass is still held at San Xavier regularly, so you may want to note the schedule before driving out to the mission.

You'll probably find that there is much more you would like to do in the Tucson area, such as hiking in the mountains, exploring the University of Arizona campus, or just drinking in the beautiful scenery. My advice is, make a list for your next trip -- you'll be back!

Joe Laing is the Marketing Director for El Monte RV Rentals. For other great RV camping vacation ideas see the Monty's Musings RV Camping Blog or the new Monty's RV Vacation Photo / Picture Gallery.

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Recently, we used the AMTRAK train from Tucson to LA on our outbound journey to New Zealand and were very pleased with our experience. We purchased our tickets at their website www.amtrak.com. The Tucson to LA Train is a combined train of the Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle. Because of this, check the fares as they may vary between trains on the same route and also fares can increase depending upon the number of seats available. The train departs Tucson (west bound) on Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday @ 10:30 P.M promptly from the AMTRAK Station on Toole Street. AMTRAK suggests arriving 40 minutes prior to departure. You should have flexibility in your schedule in case of delays. Bring on your online ticket voucher to the kiosk or check-in with the counter agent to finalize your ticketing and received your boarding pass. Each person can check up to 3 pieces of luggage weighing no more than 50 lb. each. You can have 2 carry-on bags each. Boarding is easy - as you make your way to the conductor who assigns you a seat (coach) & instructs you on seat location.

The trains are double deckers so when you book your ticket specified whether you want the lower level or upper level. Bathrooms are on the lower level. So if you are on the upper level, be aware that the stairwell is quite narrow & steep. The dining car and lounge car are on the upper level. The cafe car is on the lower level. Having a seat on the lower level, may mean less aisle traffic. Most seating is a reserved coach seat which is a comfortable reclining seat with foot and leg rest. There are also options available such as sleeper rooms available but are very expensive. The lounge car has panoramic windows for an excellent view and comfortable seating. Tables are available for playing cards, or socializing in this common area. The dining car (restaurant service) is open for select meals with full menu service with reserved seating times. The cafe car's hours are limited as well and has snacks, sandwiches, beverages, etc.

The train ride was smooth and relaxing. The staff was very friendly and knowledgable. Scheduled arrival into LA was 8:30 A.M. We arrived 40 minutes early! We were impressed that AMTRAK required positive verification of ownership before checked bags could be claimed. The LA Union Station is very picturesque and reflected the ambience of bygone years. Our through travel was from Los Angeles International Airport and we found a convenient express bus departing regularly from Union Station directly to the airport. Other transportation services such as city bus, metro lines, and taxis were available. We would recommend this alternative mode of travel to those individuals seeking a more relaxed and leisurely journey.

Jared and Patrice Ross
Tucson, AZ

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Tucson is the perfect place for outdoor festivals, especially during the wonderful, cool weather during Spring. Doing a bit of research, I found out that the Fourth Avenue Street Fair began in 1970 when Fourth Avenue merchants put tables in front of their stores to attract customers before the holidays. From that beginning it has developed into one of the premier street fairs in the nation, drawing crowds of 200,000 to 350,000 and ranking as one of the top visual arts fairs in the country. No kidding!

One misconception about downtown Tucson is the "lack of parking." Remember, all parking is free in the evenings and on weekends, there is parking available at Pennington Street Garage, and there will soon be another garage completed right at 4th Avenue and Congress Street. If you park in Pennington, they provide a free shuttle to and from the festival. So with all this, we had no problems finding a nice parking spot across from the train station, which is within a 5-minute walk under the new 4th Avenue Underpass and which links 4th Avenue to downtown.

The day was unusually warm, and I did regret not bringing my hat.  While there are trees alongside the sidewalks, most of the fair is fairly exposed and as with any outdoor event in Tucson, come prepared with sunscreen and dress appropriately. There was plenty of water and other beverages for sale along the fair route. If you do forget your hat, there always seem to be a few vendors selling them, along with finely-decorated parisols.  

I personally was impressed with the growing number of food vendors that set up along the cross-streets. With the vendors, shops, various restaurants along 4th Avenue open for business, visitors can find anthing they happen to be craving at the moment. And don't forget about the 4th Avenue Trolley, which is a restored trolley line that runs from Main Gate Square (more great food and shops!) near the University, to 4th Avenue. It's cheap to ride, and a lot of fun for the kids.

It took us a bit of an hour to walk the entire length of the festival, including stopping at a few booths and watching the performers on both stages. Though I imagine you can make this an all-day event if you want!  This year I picked up a small, fun metal sculpture that is now sitting on my desk at work. Because I'm such a cycling fanatic, I thought this little guy demonstrated (too accurately) how I ride mountain bikes.

The Fourth Avenue Street Fair is just "one of those things" you do when you live in Tucson. If you happen to be visiting during the festival, make sure to block out some time and walk the fair... you won't regret it. And if you're into cycling, don't forget to check out the 4th Avenue Bike Swap Meet, too.

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On March 19th, MTCVB joined with Tucson Clean & Beautiful, which promotes and develops community environmental education & participatory programs in waste reduction, recycling, litter abatement and prevention, beautification, resource conservation, solar and alternative energy, and much more. I, along with over 10 other MTCVB staff, as well as staff from our accommodation partners, cleaned litter along Kolb Road from 22nd Street to Speedway, as well as two washes nearby.

We gathered early on a beautiful, sunny and mild morning and donned our high-visibility vests, hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen. With arms full of empty trash bags, and some toting tools, we split up into groups to tackle the litter along Kolb Road in East Tucson, knowing we only had 4-hours to get the job done.

Myself and my three litter-killer partners from the Bureau were assigned a long, nearly two-mile stretch of wash from 22nd Street to Speedway Boulevard. It started off easy enough, along a wide and fairly clean area, though we realized early that if we stopped to pick up every cigarette butt, we'd be cleaning up for centuries. Which brings me to a gentle reminder to those of you who smoke: Please, please, please use your ashtray!

As our noon cutoff loomed, we picked up the pace and continued to gather trash as we worked our way deeper into the wash. All of us enjoyed chatting with a few of the residents whose homes backed up to the wash. They were very friendly and grateful for our help, which shows how Tucsonans are all about Real Caring.

Just as I was beginning to get a bit tired and grumpy, we saw the end in sight. Of course, the end came with an especially large amount of litter that had been pushed up against the Speedway culvert by our strong Monsoon storms. We slogged through and managed to collect at least a dozen large bags of litter from the wash. Dirty, and feeling a bit worn-out, we finished up with an amazing sense of accomplishment and happy that we could contribute to helping keep Tucson clean.  I will definitely be participating again next year, and I encourage you to do so, as well.

If you're interested in knowing more, check out the Tucson Clean and Beautiful website.  Tucson is also packed full of volunteering opportunities, no matter what your interest. You can view the MTCVB's Clean and Beautiful photos, and don't forget to "LIKE" VisitTucson on Facebook, too.

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We returned from our summer vacation and found we had lost part of our flock of fine-feathered hens at our Alta Vista Bed & Breakfast Inn. While sad, we counted our remaining flock, picked up the eggs and moved on. Several days latter our next-door neighbor reported our resident bobcat was hanging around and being very bold, but not aggressive. They heard a sound that they could not recognize. Turns out our bobcat is a SHE and she was a mother!

One of her kittens slid down a gutter of our neighbor's rain-harvesting system. The mother apparently had her den on their roof, which would explain all the thumping noises the neighbors heard. Anyway, the gutter goes directly underground to the water tanks. Tom, our neighbor, called the wild animal rescue folks and they came out to survey the situation. The rescue group and our neighbor had to cut a big section out of the pipe to get to the bobcat kitten. As the rescue people pulled it out with funny gloves, they saw another kitten. It slid farther down the pipe, but our neighbor used water to push the kitten back to the opening.

The rescue team thought they were through, when they heard a noise coming from another downspout. Soon our neighbor had to cut a section from that downspout as well. Sure enough, there was a third kitten! The rescue team put the kittens in a box and put the box on the roof of their house. The mama bobcat came back and got the two kittens that were strong and frisky. We were all worried about the third one, which was very lethargic. But mama eventually came back to get the third one. We don't know quite where she took the kittens, but this morning our neighbor heard one of them up on the other side of his roof. And this evening we saw the mother going down an embankment close by.

Update: Mother has kittens up on the neighbors' roof again! Every now and then one of the kittens sticks its head out of the hole in the downspout that services a roof scupper. Mama sits on the parapet roof wall sometimes and watches the activities below.

We are not housing the animals. We are just observing and working with nature where we can! Many thanks to Tom and Beverly for sharing photos and filling in the wildlife gaps.

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To Whomever It May Concern At The Tucson Visitor Center,

On August 25/10 I ended up in downtown Tucson and, lo and behold, I saw the sign "Visitor Center". Walking in, I was immediately struck by the cordiality of the lady working the late afternoon shift, the vast number of brochures to be found, and the great advice given to myself by the wonderful lady (whose name I unfortunately never got to know). She not only gave great suggestions as to where I might find a suitable hotel within my budget range, but she also put me in touch with Michael Foltz -- owner and operator of Reisen Arizona Day Tours.

That Michael Foltz is extremely knowledgeable about all of Arizona goes without saying. After all, that is his job and the sort of thing one would expect from a tour guide. But unlike most tour guides (and I've had a few over the years), Michael is possessed of a certain charm, wit, and wisdom that can turn even a seemingly mundane exercise (such as standing on a street corner in Tombstone) into an exciting intellectual adventure.

Stated differently, Michael is not someone who merely goes through a series of perfunctory motions in his role as tour guide. To the contrary, he bubbles with the sort of enthusiasm which suggests that, even if he were not being paid, he would gladly inform individuals about Arizona out of sheer enthusiasm and willingness to help people. In fact, while guiding me through Mission San Xavier del Bac, we encountered a stray truck driver who was hopelessly lost and who, despite his predicament, saw fit to step inside the church after Michael gave him the proper directions in addition to telling the driver that he had mistakenly strayed onto the parking lot of the oldest church in the United States.

Quite clearly, then, Michael comported himself with the sort of cheery enthusiasm about Arizona that I found both quite remarkable and contagious. Indeed, because I enjoyed the first tour so much (Tombstone), I felt the strong urge to go on yet another tour with Michael. Unlike most guides, Michael was able to offer social, political and cultural commentary which, for a Canadian such as myself, proved to be indispensable in enabling me to tap into the "pulse beat" of Arizona. Had I been able to stay for another week I would in all likelihood have taken another two or three tours with him. Alas, I had to fly back to Toronto on the first of September.

Once again, therefore, I must thank the Tucson Visitor Center for having provided myself with such sound advice and such a remarkable tour guide in the person of Michael Foltz. I will tell others. Cheers from Toronto! jvk.

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I love being a tourist in my own city, and thanks to a recent visit from my delightful in-laws (from Erie, PA) I took some time out to explore!

Dining: Lucky for us, there is no shortage of great food in Tucson. We had a wonderful lunch at the newly inspired La Cocina in Old Town Artisans, and our server Eric, was friendly, timely and the food fresh and very tasty! Tis been two weeks and my mother-in-law is STILL salivating over the chocolate tofu pie....
Along with 100's of onlookers, we watched the bats emerge from under the Campbell Avenue bridge at the Rillito River, and afterwards we dined at one of my regular favorites: Zona 78 on River & Stone. The food is always great and the service always terrific.

Later in the week we dined at another downtown "must", Cafe Poca Cosa. Bonnie, our server. was excellent! She took such good care of us we almost succumbed to dessert even though we were beyond full of our amazing meal. Cafe Poca Cosa never ceases to amaze!

Excursions: We drove up to Mount Lemmon, marveling at the change of foliage and temperature. From saguaros and 93 degrees on the desert floor to pine trees and 69 degrees at the summit. Plenty of overlooks in all directions with breathtaking taking views from each one. Truly spectacular!

On a whim, we headed to Sonoita on a Sunday afternoon for some wine tasting. Our first stop was Callaghan Vineyards, where our hostess Lisa was busily and efficiently taking care of a full house of visitors. We purchased our glass and tasted through eight fun wines (many made from local fruit) before making a few purchases and heading off to Lightning Ridge Cellars. Lightning Ridge is a relatively new winery whose tasting room has incredible views, southwest hospitality and the largest vineyard dog I have ever seen; a beautiful Great Dane, Bruna. Owners Ron and Ann were terrific hosts and have some fabulous estate wines in the bottle, and in the barrel! If you want a VIP tasting opportunity, this would be a great call! Terrific wines and fun gadgets await.

For some southwestern retail therapy and gifts to take back to Erie, we dove into Tohono Chul Park's gift shops. Not enough time to stroll the grounds, but we will save that for next time.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum never disappoints and this time we took a tour with docent Lynne, and got all kinds of welcome insight into the plants and back story on many of the animals. Then a first for me: Running Wild with George Carpenter, which was SO much fun. Who knew you could train a ringtail cat, a quail, a porcupine, a skunk, a pelican and a military McCaw? VERY educational and EXTREMELY entertaining! Thank you Lynne and George (and plant expert Jeff) for creating yet another extraordinary museum experience.

My family had a wonderful time, and even though I live in Tucson, I never cease to learn something new and exciting!

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On September 17th my husband and I rose before the dawn to take the second balloon ride of our lives on his 72nd birthday. We highly enjoyed the whole event from the inflation of the balloon, through the ride itself and celebratory brunch at the end. Kevin Wilbur of Tucson Balloon Rides, is a convivial host and skilled pilot. His assistant, John Pierson is lively and strong! While John kept us tethered, we climbed aboard at sunrise, and soon after found ourselves gazing down at a desert lively with jackrabbits and deer. Giant saguaros looked like small green terrarium plants casting long shadows in the early morning light. Kevin pointed out an owl that glided below us.

After a little over an hour of floating over the earth, Kevin eased us down for a gentle landing. John met us with the chase car and grabbed the ropes to anchor us to the ground. After helping to pack the balloon (which was fun), we were driven to a park where we enjoyed a delicious brunch with homemade muffins, fresh fruits, meats and cheeses, and of course the customary champagne cocktail. In summary, this Tucson Balloon Ride was everything we hoped it would be and then some!

- Barb, from Tucson, Arizona (Guest Author)

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In March, my parents drove down from Sedona to visit and enjoy some of Tucson's wonderful Spring weather. Considering how much time my parents spend pruning, changing, trimming, and beautifying their yard, I thought they would love to go visit Tohono Chul Park.

Tohono Chul Park is considered one of the best botanical gardens in the United States, and it shows! The park is located in north Tucson, just west of Oracle Road and slightly north of Ina Road. They have paved paths and dirt trails that meander throughout the entire property, with signage that describes the incredible amount of local flora. Volunteer docents are always available and very helpful with their knowledge of the Park's history and it's plants, as well. They also have guided tours, school outreach programs, and great activities for kids.

There is also an art gallery, in which we spent a good amount of time gazing at the local art, a greenhouse (that at the time had an amazing plant sale going on), and a very well regarded restaurant, the Tea Room.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed taking a break from the bustle of the city to walk the serene trails, take photos, and just be part of the Sonoran Desert. It was amazing that we were still technically surrounded by "city." You'd never know it!

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Recently, I had a scant few hours to show a colleague of mine "the heart" of Tucson. She's Canadian and had never been to Arizona, much less Tucson. We were her last stop before leaving the state. She had seen the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Scottsdale and everything in between. Now it was Tucson's turn. So, in just a few hours, we went to the Saguaro National Park West visitors center and watched the "Desert Speaks" video. We then drove a few minutes deeper into the park and took the quick but rewarding hike to the Signal Hill petroglyphs (10,000 year old rock drawings). From there we zoomed to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and caught a glimpse of the Javelina, Ocelots, Gila Monsters, and black bears (oh my!). We both ooh-ed and ahhh-ed as we drove over Gate's Pass and into Downtown Tucson for lunch. After lunch, we did something I've really always wanted to do. It was adventurous, it was risky to suggest, but Kathy was absolutely up for it. We took a Segway tour!

I know, I've done my share of giggling when a Segway tour group, all driving in a little line of the two-wheeled machines, donning their helmets and fully concentrating on the path ahead crosses my path. Ever since I convinced a security guard to let me give his Segway a spin, I've wanted to do a road test. Here was my opportunity. Kathy and I met Denise Russell, owner and tour guide at Roll With It! Segway Guided Tours on Fourth Avenue. After a brief but thorough instructional and safety session; helmets on and a headset to hear our wonderful guide, we were off like a herd of turtles. Denise has the Segways set so that they can't go too fast, all for our own safety of course. At first I was disappointed at this fact, thinking I was going to be Mario Andretti on two wheels. But, once we got out into the public byways, my tune changed a little. I was concentrating so hard on how my weight was distributed and how to keep the thing going straight, avoiding potholes, not swerving into traffic, not running into Kathy; Oh, and looking at all the really cool stuff around me. I forgot my need for speed! After about 10 minutes, I was really comfortable, though, and was having a blast. We went through the historic Pie Allen Neighborhood (which I'd never seen after living here for 12 years!) and over the iconic Rattlesnake Bridge (which rattles to welcome you when you pass under the tail). After stopping for a picture in the mouth of our beloved rattlesnake structure, we headed back to Fourth Avenue on yet another scenic route. We went right down the sidewalk of Fourth Avenue (something like Tucson's Height Ashbery district). I thought for sure we'd get some of the looks and giggle for our stylish helmets and duckling style formation. But nope! Everybody was asking questions about the Segways! Is that hard? Is it fun? Where can I get one? It was hilarious. Kathy and I both vowed to come back and do a longer tour another day. It really was super-fun and a truly great way to tour the wonderfully historic neighborhoods of downtown Tucson. It beats walking them - hands down! You cover more ground and are much less exhausted when you're done!

By the time it was said and done, Kathy and I had covered a lot of ground and seen a lot of things during her short visit to Tucson. One of the fondest memories that we both hold, is posing for a picture in the mouth of a giant rattlesnake on our newest two-wheeled rides! We highly recommend taking a Segway tour. Sign up for yours today!

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