That little mountain that overlooks the downtown area with the big “A” on it is called A Mountain or Sentinel Peak.   The park is open to visitors and the view of Tucson from up top is something to see.  You may pass some bicycle riders on your way up or down.  Speaking of bikes, Tucson is very pro bicycle and you will see bike paths just about everywhere. If you enjoy riding bikes for fun, there just happens to be a bike path that circumvents the entire city. One side of it runs along our Rillito River, so people can walk, run or ride for miles, without having to stop for traffic. The bike path runs under the bridges that span the Rillito from North to South.

For those of you interested in ecology and the research going into sustaining life in an enclosed environment whether that be in space, on the moon, or on mars, you do not want to miss Biosphere 2, located about 40 minutes north of Tucson on the Oracle highway.

Tucson’s Oldest cave attraction that Tucsonans have been visiting since they were children, is Colossal Cave. Colossal Cave has been open to the public for generations. 

About 45 minutes to the Southeast of Tucson, a second, more dramatic hidden cave was discovered and kept secret by the family for many years before being sold to the State of Arizona. This cave is now called the Kartchner Caverns.  The main room was prepared to protect the geology of the cave before it could be opened to the public.  This cave has been perfectly preserved since it was never open to the public until recently.  The main room is so large that only the Carlsbad Caverns can compare.  It has been hailed as Arizona’s best attraction, (next to the Grand Canyon of course.)

Tucson is also the home of Davis Monthan Air Force Base.  Each year the base is open for one weekend in March to allow the public to see historic and modern aircraft up close, in addition to seeing the Thunderbirds perform their incredible tight formation stunts.

If you missed the airshow, you can always visit the Pima Air and Space Museum, which offers one of the largest selections of military and civilian aircraft currently on display in the country.

There is always something going on at the Tucson Community Center, be sure to check their calendar of shows and events.

The Tucson Music Hall has its own calendar of events.  It is located next to the Tucson Community Center downtown.

The Tucson Museum of Art is located in the downtown area.

The Ted DeGrazia museum is located in the same place it was when Ted himself was working there and selling his art to the locals for bargain prices before he became famous.

Some of the local casinos offer some of America’s best musical and comedic talent.  Check out the Desert Diamond and Casino Del Sol.

Tucson is the home of the University of Arizona Wildcats.  The U of A campus offers museums, art galleries, exhibits, and often times sponsored activities on the mall (main strip of grass located in the center of the campus). Of course, Basketball and Football games draw huge crowds so check your schedule before you try parking near the U of A stadium.

If you are into astronomy, do not miss the Kitt Observatory.  Located west of Tucson to escape light pollution, one can schedule tours in advance and see this observatory up close.

If you love watching the stars and do not want to drive to the Kitt Observatory, check out the U of A’s Flandreau Planetarium.  The shows include a ticket to see real moon rocks and other interesting scientific collections.

If you want to see the nightlife in downtown Tucson, be sure to check out Downtown Saturday Night, which is a family-friendly event held every 2^nd Saturday of the month.  They close the streets down to traffic so people can mill about and enjoy the galleries, evening entertainment, food, street performers, etc.

Tucson also loves their 4^th Avenue Street Fair, which is held in March and in December.  Come see what our local artisans have to offer.

The Renaissance Festival is held beginning in February through most of March each year.  It is not cheap but it is a lot of fun.

In addition to the various restaurants and bars located on 6^th Avenue near the U of A, there just happens to be an interesting glass gallery located in the vicinity on 6^th Avenue.

The largest gem and mineral show in the world is held from January to February in Tucson each year. The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show have something for everyone.

Golf Tournaments;  Dove Mountain is the home of the Accenture Golf tournaments.

If you are here during the Christmas holidays, one community in Tucson has staged a neighborhood Christmas lighting event for the last 60 years or so-called the Winterhaven Festival of Lights. Each year the decorations are even more impressive than the last. On certain days, they shut down traffic from coming and going to allow children and visitors to safely walk around the neighborhood and enjoy the show.

The Kino Sports Complex offers its baseball and soccer facilities to many different organizations.  It might be worth calling to see what events will be open to the public.  Some of the major league teams used to practice here.

If you love hockey, be sure to check out the game schedule for the Tucson Roadrunners.

The kids always love the local Reid Park Zoo.  Be sure to get there early when they feed the animals, especially in the summer time.

When the kids get restless, you can always take them to Funtasticks.  They recently opened a mini water park there in addition to the go-karts, miniature golf, video games, etc.

For you, history buffs, don’t miss out on exploring the missions that were built by the first conquerors to inhabit the southwest. Father Kino established the San Xavier del Bac located in Tucson, which is still in operation. A short trip south to the town of Tubac, you will find the old Presidio San Ignacio de Tubac. Tumacacori will take you back in time when you step into La Mision San Jose de Tumacori. Be sure to check out the museum which teaches just how difficult life was in the area for those who tried to establish this mission.

The Desert Museum is well worth the price of admission. The diversity of wildlife in the Sonoran Desert is astounding and this is where you can see for yourself just how wild the wild west really is.

We love the many Mexican Food options Tucson has to offer but for value, try the Baja Café on Campbell or La Mesa Tortillas for burros made with fresh tortillas.

For Indian food, we like the Saffron Indian Bistro. For classic American cuisine, Wildflower will cater to just about any craving.

If you are in the mood for good value in Chinese cuisine, it is hard to beat Pei Wei.

For great burgers and pizza don’t miss Serial Grillers.  If you want a light and refreshing juice bar, stop by Juice Envy.