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TUCSON SOUTHERN ARIZONA! Welcome to
If you’re curious about where Tucson derives its heartbeat, you’ve come to the right place. Tucson Insiders Guide: Official Travel Guide provides an insider’s perspective on the rich flavors, traditions, arts and the environs that make our city unlike anywhere else.
The Gastronomy section explores why UNESCO named Tucson as its first U.S. Creative City of Gastronomy in “An A-Maizing Heritage.” In “The A-Z’s of America’s Best Mexican Food,” we offer a brief glossary of less-common culinary terms. But the city has more than just Mexican food. In addition to the usual Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Greek and Indian restaurants, in restaurants around town you can sample everything from East and West African cuisine to Jamaican, Bosnian, Brazilian, Egyptian, Salvadorian, Eritrean, Peruvian and Polish foods. Check out “A Following of Foodies” for more.
In the guide’s Outdoors section, we note some of the more popular Tucson and Southern Arizona hiking and biking trails as well as a bit about the flora and fauna you might encounter during your visit. In Explore, we’ve provided information on terrific Southern Arizona day trips, a feature on birdwatching, and spotlight some Pima County Attractions that are not to be missed. Tucson’s golfing history goes back to 1915, and our area currently features more than 40 different courses to challenge you. In the Culture section, both performing and visual arts are explored. And to wrap it up, we also show how the Old Pueblo has been featured on both the big and small screens.
For additional information about Tucson or Southern Arizona, stop by VisitTucson.org or glean insight from a local expert at 800-638-8350. We hope to welcome you to our Sonoran Desert paradise soon!
12 Must-See Attractions 8
Annual Events 12
Visitor Map 16
On the Cover
The cover of the Tucson Insiders Guide beautifully captures the essence of Southern Arizona’s allure, showcasing the region’s dark skies—perfect for both professional and amateur astronomers to explore the vastness of the universe. This stunning image not only highlights the area’s natural beauty but also offers a unique glimpse into the rich Hispanic heritage. Photo by hosted content creator/ photographer @Asteryx, Terry McLaughlin. March 2024
Starstruck 20
Dark skies unveil Southern Arizona’s beauty.
Tucson Day Trips 26
Amazing Southern Arizona experiences await!
Sonoran Desert Wellness 32
Explore one-of-a-kind treatments inspired by the Sonoran Desert.
Pete
Gregoire
GASTRONOMY
Culinary Collabs 38
Innovative partnerships that craft unforgettable food experiences.
Meet Your Sonoran Dog 43
Discover our city’s signature dish.
An A-Maize-ing Heritage 44
Tucson’s culinary roots are explored.
OUTDOORS
Under the Sun 52
Navigate Tucson’s outdoor living.
Take a Hike 58
Take to the trail to discover our region.
Tucson Highs 62
Experience the area from new heights.
The Perfect 18! 66
Tucson’s 40+ golf courses offer challenges for all.
CULTURE
250 Years of Tucson’s Hispanic Heritage 72
Uncover Tucson’s cultural foundations.
Blown Away 76
The delicate artistry of glass.
Made in Tucson 80
Meet local makers.
ATTRACTIONS Must-See
Tucson Presidio Musueum
Delve deeper into culture and heritage at the Amerind Museum, Arizona History Museum, and Jewish History Museum.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Branch out on the nature paths at Tohono Chul, Tucson Botanical Gardens, and Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson.
5
Mission San Xavier Del Bac
Find other examples of historical architecture at St. Augustine Cathedral, Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, and Tumacácori National Historical Park.
Colossal Cave
Head underground for a different caving experience at Kartchner Caverns State Park.
Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures
There’s even more fun to be had at Children’s Museum Tucson | Oro Valley, Reid Park Zoo, and Franklin Auto Museum.
Sabino Canyon
Set your sights on other birding hotspots like Madera Canyon, Mt. Lemmon, and Sweetwater Wetlands Park.
Catalina State Park
Keep on trekking at Oracle State Park, Patagonia Lake State Park, or Picacho Peak State Park.
Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter
Keep your focus skyward with tours of Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium, Kitt Peak National Observatory, and Mt. Graham International Observatory.
Old Tucson
Rustle up more Old West history at Tucson Wagon & History Museum, and the O.K. Corral.
Pima Air & Space Museum
Further broaden your scientific horizons at Biosphere 2, the Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum, and Titan Missile Museum.
Saguaro National Park
Discover more Sonoran Desert beauty at Ironwood Forest National Monument and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
University of Arizona Museum of Art
Be further inspired at Center for Creative Photography, Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block, and DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun.
ANNUAL EVENTS
A year in Tucson and Southern Arizona is packed with fun things to do, indoors and out. At annual events like these, you can get to know this special place.
JANUARY
American Indian Arts Exposition usaindianinfo.com
Dillinger Days hotelcongress.com
Savor Food & Wine Festival saaca.org/savor
TAR Soccer Shootout fortlowellshootout.org
Tucson Desert Song Festival tucsondesertsongfestival.org
Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase tucsongemshow.org
Tucson Jazz Festival tucsonjazzfestival.org
Wings Over Willcox wingsoverwillcox.com
FEBRUARY
24 Hours in the Old Pueblo epicrides.com
La Fiesta de los Vaqueros Rodeo & Parade tucsonrodeo.com
Spring Ikebana Festival yumegardens.org
Tubac Festival of the Arts tubacaz.com
Tucson Gem and Mineral Show® tgms.org
MARCH
Cologuard Classic PGA TOUR Champions cologuardclassic.com
Cyclovia Spring Ride cycloviatucson.org
Fourth Avenue Spring Street Fair fourthavenue.org
Texas Canyon Trail Run amerind.org
Tucson Festival of Books tucsonfestivalofbooks.org
Tucson Invitational Games tigsports.com
Tucson Winter Chamber Music Festival arizonachambermusic.org
APRIL
Agave Heritage Festival agaveheritagefestival.com
Arizona International Film Festival filmfestivalarizona.com
Pima County Fair pimacountyfair.com
Sugar Skulls Indoor Football Season Opens tucsonsugarskulls.com
Tucson Folk Festival tucsonfolkfest.org
Pueblos del Maiz pueblosdelmaiz.com
MAY
Tucson International Mariachi Conference tucsonmariachi.org
Mt. Lemmon Hill Climb bikegaba.org
Pueblos del Maiz pueblosdelmaiz.com
San Ysidro Festival missiongarden.org
Willcox Wine Country Spring Festival willcoxwinecountry.org
Tucson Roadrunners Ice Hockey Season Opens tucsonroadrunners.com
Vamos a Tucson Mexican Baseball Fiesta mexicanbaseballfiesta.com
NOVEMBER
All Souls Procession Weekend allsoulsprocession.org
Dusk Music Festival duskmusicfestival.com
El Tour de Tucson eltourdetucson.org
GABA Bike Swap bikegaba.org
Holiday Artisans Market tucsonmuseumofart.org
TenWest Impact Festival tenwest.com
Tucson Modernism Week tucsonmod.com
DECEMBER
Ballet Tucson’s The Nutcracker with TSO ballettucson.org
Downtown Parade of Lights & Festival downtowntucson.org
Fourth Avenue Winter Street Fair fourthavenue.org
Holiday Nights tohonochulpark.org
La Fiesta de Tumacácori nps.gov/tuma
LightsUp! tucsonbotanical.org
Patronato Christmas at San Xavier Del Bac patronatosanxavier.org
Tamal and Heritage Festival casinodelsol.com
The Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl thearizonabowl.com
Tucson Marathon tucsonmarathon.com
ZooLights: Holiday Magic reidparkzoo.org
TUCSON WELCOME TO
We invite you to follow local custom and relax in laid-back Tucson. Fancy dress is optional. You can explore the region’s wide-open spaces on a hike, bike, or horseback ride, discover real science at a University of Arizona museum, or learn why Tucson was named the first UNESCO City of Gastronomy in the U.S. at a variety of locally owned restaurants.
IT’S A DRY HEAT
Tucson’s climate is mostly dry and clear, with about 325 days of sunshine each year. Hats, sunglasses, lightweight skin-covering clothing, sunscreen, and reusable water bottles are advised year-round. In the summer: enjoy indoor activities; venture outdoors at sunrise and after sundown; visit nearby mountains; seek shade at the swimming pool. Stay hydrated! Drink water before feeling thirsty.
HISTORY
In the heart of the Sonoran Desert region of the American Southwest, Tucson and surrounding area have been continuously inhabited for more than 5,000 years. First by Native Americans, including the Tohono O’odham and the Pascua Yaqui, and more recently by Europeans. Spanish explorers founded Presidio San Agustín del Tucson, which became the City of Tucson, on August 20, 1775.
TIME ZONE
Tucson is in the Mountain Standard Time zone. Except for the Navajo Nation, Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time. Make sure you set your watch right, so you don’t miss last-call at 2:00 a.m.
TWO-NATION VACATION
Head across the international border to Mexico for a “two-nation vacation” with beaches, shops, and restaurants. Travelers are required to present a valid passport at the border and are encouraged to verify auto insurance requirements before driving in Mexico.
For information or to make hotel or other travel arrangements, call 520-225-0631 when in the U.S.
Visit Tucson operates Spanish-speaking visitor centers in Hermosillo and Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico. To make Tucson hotel and other travel reservations from Mexico, call 01-662-213-7282 or visit VamosATucson.com.
BLEISURE TRAVEL
Tucson is open for business and leisure travel. You can host your group meeting here and experience the area through team-building and other planned activities. Contact our convention and sports sales teams at 800-638-8350 or TucsonOnUs.com
GETTING HERE
Tucson International Airport
Nonstop service to 19 destinations, with connections worldwide. 520-573-8100, flytucson.com
Amtrak Passenger Rail
Located in downtown Tucson’s Historic Train Depot, the Amtrak station is served by the Sunset Limited train. 800-872-7245, amtrak.com
GETTING AROUND
Sun Tran Regional Bus Service
Transit centers are located at major destinations throughout the metro Tucson area. The fleet uses such clean-burning fuels as compressed natural gas (CNG), biodiesel, and hybrid technologies. 520-792-9222, suntran.com
Sun Link Streetcar
In central Tucson, the four-mile Sun Link streetcar connects exciting dining and entertainment districts: University of Arizona, Main Gate Square, Historic Fourth Avenue, Downtown Tucson, the Convention Center complex, and Mercado San Agustín. 520-792-9222, suntran.com
Shuttle Service, Car Rental & Cab
Shuttle service, car rental, taxis and ride-sharing platforms are widely available in Tucson.
Southern Arizona Heritage & Visitor Center
Start your exploration of Tucson at the Southern Arizona Heritage & Visitor Center where knowledgeable volunteers share their insights and recommendations, and beautifully crafted displays tell the story of the region’s history, its people, and the land. Located in the Pima County Historic Courthouse, this hub of culture and tourism-related information and activities also includes the University of Arizona Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum, the John Dillinger Courtroom, and Tucson’s January 8th Memorial.
Chiricahua National Monument
Photo by Adrienne McLeod
Starstruck
Professional and amateur astronomers agree: Southern Arizona’s dark skies create the perfect conditions to explore the universe
BY JEFF ATWELL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY AS CREDITED
In Southern Arizona, constellations are visible to the naked eye almost every night of the year. Look up and seemingly cinch Orion’s belt. Look up long enough and Ursa Minor stands out in the ink-black sky full of constellations. In a region known for its blue skies and sunshine, Southern Arizona’s night skies reveal the other half of the story.
Viewing celestial phenomena requires clear skies, high elevation viewing points and low light pollution. In the 1970s, Tucson became the first city in the world to regulate light pollution specifically for space observation. DarkSky International, based in Tucson, has been at work in the decades since to develop best practices to reduce light pollution and promote stewardship of dark skies around the world.
“We are not against light, we are for good light,” says Drew Reagan, DarkSky International’s Communications Manager. “Not every space needs to be super-illuminated. We need the night. We share strategies that reduce light pollution in urban and rural areas around the world.”
Doing so preserves the natural, cultural and scientific benefits of dark skies and promotes a time-honored form of silent tourism. Simply look up and marvel at the stars, planets and constellations on full display throughout Southern Arizona.
Photo by Ray Cleveland
Dark Sky Parks
The Four Corners region of the United States has the largest concentration of Dark Sky Parks in the nation. For many visitors, a dark sky park is the first place they can see the Milky Way galaxy and star clusters that make up constellations that reach from the horizon to the sky’s zenith.
Saguaro National Park was recently recognized as the ninth Urban Night Sky Place in the world. With nearly 100,000 acres of land on the east and west sides of the Tucson metro, the park preserves nocturnal environments to increase opportunities for astro-tourism and protect habitats for native plants and animals. On moonlight or flashlight hikes, visitors discover a desert that teems with life at night.
“The area around Tucson has a long history of astronomical research and activism around protecting the night from light pollution,” says Spencer Burke, Interpretive Ranger at Saguaro National Park. “We are proud to be part of this important work of protecting nighttime habitats for the many species that rely on naturally dark nights to migrate, find food and locate mates.”
Sonoran Desert plants also benefit from natural light-dark cycles. Plants need dark skies to recover after hot days and some desert wonders, such as the night-blooming cereus, bloom only after the sun goes down. The magnificent saguaros unique to this region are also in tune with natural rhythms. Saguaros blooms open at night to increase their chances of being pollinated by nocturnal bats.
Other dark sky parks in Southern Arizona protect the beauty of the Sonoran Desert and offer some of the best stargazing in the nation. The Santa Catalina Mountains block out much of the light from the Tucson metro, making Oracle State Park an ideal spot for night-sky viewing. Farther south, Kartchner Caverns State Park protects the dark skies above ground and the fragile living cave system below ground. Both parks host Star Parties where guests are guided by pros with high-powered telescopes to view stars, planets, galaxies and nebulas.
At Chiricahua National Monument, a dark sky park in the sky island mountain ranges of Southern Arizona, visitors hike through unusual spires and hoodoos by day and join
astronomy events after dark. At Tumacacori National Historical Park, visitors marvel at the dark skies through professional telescopes on select nights at the historic mission site.
University of Arizona’s Impact
“DarkSky International started in Tucson because of the university,” says Reagan. “The area already had a lot of big telescopes and a large astronomy community. As the city grew, people became mindful about protecting night skies and reducing light pollution.”
The University of Arizona has attracted top astronomers and planetary scientists for more than 100 years. The university contributes to NASA space missions and builds vital elements for telescopes around the world. At the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab underneath Arizona Stadium, an enormous honeycomb mirror is being built for the Giant Magellan Telescope, the largest telescope in the world being built near Santiago, Chile. It’s main goal is trying to find other galaxies with planets that sustain life.
Visitors can tour the massive mirror lab
Milky Way over Douglas Spring
and have access to other astronomy programs on campus. At Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium, visitors settle in for a projected spectacle of the night skies and then explore the real thing through onsite telescopes. At Steward Observatory, the research wing of the university’s Astronomy department, visitors join students and teachers from around the world who come to experience dark sky exploration firsthand at immersive astronomy camps.
The Tucson Triangle –Southern Arizona Observatories
The Tucson metro is surrounded by high-elevation mountains with many of the world’s most powerful telescopes. The Tucson Triangle is formed by observatories at Kitt Peak, Mt. Hopkins and Mt. Graham. Inside the triangle, the city of Tucson and Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter add to the region’s status as a leading destination for astronomical observation and astro-tourism.
University of Arizona affiliate Kitt Peak National Observatory is the oldest observatory in Southern Arizona, dating back to 1958. Located west of Tucson on Tohono O’odham land, the site boasts the world’s largest solar telescope. Visitors can join dinner stargazing tours year-round at Kitt Peak, with liberal rainchecks for monsoon season when summer skies often cloud over in the afternoon with dramatic thunderstorms. Visitors get to see and use one of North America’s largest collections of astronomical instruments and look through a large research telescope.
At Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory south of Tucson atop Mt. Hopkins, guests gather on viewing decks to see the stars through North America’s second-largest single-mirror telescope. Built in 1966 in the Santa Rita Mountains, this Smithsonian affiliate presents hands-on astrophysics exhibits that give a deep dive into the history of the planet. Stop in the new Visitor & Science Center to look through telescopes designed to find Earth-like exoplanets.
Northeast of Tucson, visitors reach an elevation of more than 10,000 feet to look through the world’s largest optical telescope at Mt. Graham International Observatory. Mt. Graham is an affiliate of the University of Arizona and hosts scientific researchers from around the world. May through October, visitors are welcome to join weekend observatory tours that start at the Eastern Arizona College Discovery Park in Safford before heading up the mountain.
In the middle of the triangle, Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter invites backyard astronomers to focus on night skies from the top of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Two of the largest public telescopes in the Southwest bring celestial bodies into clear view, plus SkyNight viewing parties and Astronomy Camps immerse visitors in dark-sky exploration.
Saguaro at night on the Babad Do’ag Trail near Tucson, Arizona. Photo by Ray Cleveland.
Tohono O’odham Star Stories
Indigenous communities have generational connections to the night sky. The movement of the sun, stars and moon are integral to origin stories, oral traditions and planting, hunting and ceremony calendars. The Four Corners region of the U.S. respects this more than anywhere else in the nation, mainly because modern tribal communities have a political voice and understand the importance of preserving night skies. At special events throughout the year, visitors can join tours led by Tohono O’odham rangers who weave localized star knowledge into the narrative.
“Star parties and ranger-led night hikes reveal the cultural and natural significance night skies have for all of us,” says Spencer Burke, Interpretive Ranger at Saguaro National Park. “Moving forward, we are excited to offer more educational programs that highlight the nighttime wonders of the Sonoran Desert and the cultural importance of the park’s dark skies.”
Stargazing Around Town
Many area resorts offer activities that reveal the wonders of the region’s dark skies. Loews Ventana Canyon Resort enlists guides from Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter to give guests a professional stargazer’s guide to the galaxy. The Tuxon also offers regular stargazing for their guests.
For dark-sky lodging a bit more bohemian, head to Cat Mountain Station on the far westside. Located on the fringe of Saguaro National Park West, this outpost includes a lodge, restaurant, trading post and on-site observatory with multiple large telescopes. Spencer’s Observatory is open daily sundown to sunrise for uninterrupted stargazing.
Tucson even has an astronomy bar. Head to 4th Avenue after dark to visit Sky Bar, a popular gathering spot for karaoke and trivia on select nights and telescopes on the patio every night. Like with other astro-tourism options throughout the region, professional astronomers are on hand to share their knowledge and passion for protecting Southern Arizona’s dark skies.
Save the Date
DarkSky International certifies communities, parks and attractions around the world that protect dark skies. The organization invites visitors to attend International Dark Sky Week activities and the Under One Sky virtual conference, global initiatives that promote dark-sky appreciation and strategies for night-sky preservation.
Visit darksky.org for details.
Note:
Whipple is currently closed to visitors, will reopen in 2025 with guided tours of the observatory and a new science center, open to the public.
western horizon looks especially eye-catching in this image of the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter telescope at Kitt Peak
Time fora
ROAD TRIP!
With so much to explore in Southern Arizona, it’s hard to narrow down the list of cities, towns, and villages to visit, but we’ve picked a handful that are definitely worth your time and money. FROM THE EDITORS
Less than two hours away are two Cochise County communities where the storied past coexists comfortably with the 21st century. Driving east on I-10 to State Route 80 and then heading south takes you along a scenic stretch that perfectly sets the mood for exploring these former mining communities.
Bisbee
Continue down State Route 80 and the winding road will take you through the Mule Mountains in Bisbee. For many years this was a booming mining town, and the good news is that many of the historic buildings are intact and repurposed as shops and restaurants.
There are numerous reasons to visit here, including the fact that it’s generally several degrees cooler than Tucson; it features a fascinating mix of architecture — from Victorian to Eclectic Movement to Italianate; and it has more character than a cartoon convention, with lots of fun places to explore, and distinctive events.
Must-see stops are the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum; the Copper Queen Hotel; and if there’s a game scheduled, the nearby Warren Ballpark, said to be the oldest continuously operating baseball diamond in the U.S.
Among the many annual events that draw packs of visitors is the coaster race through Tombstone Canyon, which takes place every July 4, and adults are invited to attend and cheer the kids on!
Photo by Steven Meckler
Other highlights include the Copper City Classic Vintage Baseball Tournament (held in the spring); and Bisbee 1000 The Great Stair Climb (occurring in October).
When you get hungry, checkout famed Café Roka, where casual fine dining with locally sourced ingredients is on the menu, grab a slice of “za” at Screaming Banshee Pizza, just down the hill from the beautiful St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, or head to Patisserie Jacqui on Main Street for a delectable pastry … or two.
Tombstone
The first big stop, Tombstone is famous for being the scene of a notorious gun battle that is still controversial more than 140 years later. Earps or Clantons … who started it all? And why?
Allen Street, which is a major artery through the town, still resembles its frontier-day self, and it comes alive for re-enactments. Vigilante Sundays occur every two weeks, with festivities that include a period-correct fashion show, as well as skits that reflect the wild and woolly history of the area.
Major annual celebrations of the town’s roughand-tumble past are Wyatt Earp Days in May, and Helldorado Days in October.
Big draws for aficionados of the Old West include the OK Corral & Historama; the Bird Cage Theatre; Boothill Graveyard; and the Tombstone Courthouse State Park. You can easily tour these destinations yourself, but if you wish, there are multiple tour groups, including one that takes you around in a stagecoach.
Dining options in “The Town Too Tough to Die” include American pub food offered at the Crystal Palace Saloon & Restaurant (whose lineage highlight is housing the office of U.S. Marshal Virgil Earp), and a wide variety of Mexican food, burgers and more at Big Nose Kate’s Saloon, once a grand hotel, with an actual tunnel leading to a silver mine shaft.
Sonoita and Elgin
State Route 83 south is a trip into the heart of Southern Arizona’s Wine Country. The big appeal of these communities is the amazing landscape, with its rolling grasslands that stood in for Oklahoma in the 1955 movie musical. But it’s no secret anymore that the region also is popular for the multiple wineries that are open for tours and tastings.
Some of the standouts are Dos Cabezas WineWorks, Flying Leap Vineyards and Distillery, Callaghan Vineyards, Sonoita Vineyards, and Arizona Hops and Vines. There are many events throughout the year dedicated
Opposite Top: Main street, Bisbee
Above Top: Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park
Above: Arizona Hops & Vines, Sonoita
Photo courtesy of the Arizona Office of Tourism
Photo courtesy of the Arizona Office of Tourism
to wine production and tasting, such as HarvestFest, held in July, which includes grape stomping, vineyard tours, and wine and food pairings.
Speaking of food, end your day at The Steak Out, a western steak house, or on the weekends check out The Café in Sonoita, where Chef Adam Puckle puts his own spin on the classics. Another great option is Pronghorn Pizza at Dos Cabezas WineWorks.
Sierra Vista
If you head down State Route 90 you’ll wind your way to one of the premier spots in the state for bird watching. Even in the summer, you can observe many species in Ramsey Canyon Preserve, Ash Canyon and Miller Canyon, to name just a few locales.
Guided nature walks take place in Ramsey Canyon Preserve on a regular basis. Additionally, there are hummingbird banding sessions (where staff and volunteers from the Southern Arizona Bird Observatory catch, measure, weigh and band hummingbirds) on at San Pedro House. The public is invited to observe.
Guided bird walks also are held at Environmental Operations Park, and at San Pedro House.
Lastly, the Southwest Wings Birding and Nature Festival, with everything from hands-on activities to lectures to field trips, is held each summer at Cochise College.
Tubac and Tumacácori
Nestled an hour south of Tucson off I-19 lies the enchanting village of Tubac, set in picturesque Santa Cruz County. Indigenous peoples have lived in the area for thousands of years, but its European connection dates from 1752 when it became a Spanish presidio along the Camino Real that stretched from Mexico into California.
Visitors can observe the ruins of the fort at Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, which includes a visitors center located in an historic 1885 schoolhouse; the Griffin Museum where you can see exhibitions related to the history of Southern Arizona, including the printing press that published Arizona’s first newspaper; as well as historic properties Otero Hall (circa 1914) and Rojas House (from the 1880s).
Re-enactments of the presidio era happen during events such as Anza Days (in October), which commemorates Juan Bautista de Anza’s 1775 expedition from the presidio northwest to what eventually became San Francisco.
The town also is home to many visual artists, and each February you can see their studios and purchase their work during the Tubac Festival of the Arts. Equally popular is Tubac Golf Resort, where you can enjoy a meal, play some rounds on one of the courses used in the Kevin Costner movie Tin Cup, or just relax and watch the cattle that frequently show up on the edges of the fairways.
Opposite Top: Tumacácori National Historical Park
Opposite Bottom: Nogales Arizona
Adjacent to Tubac is Tumacácori National Historical Park, a terrific place to learn about the cultures of the area as you tour the ruins of the church, the mission grounds, the orchard, and stop by the museum to read about how the original buildings were constructed — and why they were abandoned.
Top Left: Ramsey Canyon Preserve, Sierra Vista
Top Right: Tubac shops
Photo courtesy of the Arizona Office of Tourism
Photo by Adrienne McLeod
Nogales, Arizona/ Nogales, Sonora
Drive I-19 south for about an hour and 15 minutes and you’ll wind up in Nogales, Arizona, a city on the border with Mexico that is bustling with commerce, culture and life. Founded as a ranching community, named for the Spanish word for walnut, the trees of which once spanned the border on both sides, and often referred to by locals as “Nogie,” Nogales has a lot to offer history buffs. It’s along the de Anza Trail, and in 1914 controversial Mexican Revolution commander Pancho Villa briefly occupied the town.
There are a number of historic buildings to see, including the neo-classic 1904 Courthouse, 1914 Old City Hall (currently the home of the Pimeria Alta Historical Society), and the U.S. Customs House, built in 1935 in the Spanish Eclectic style.
Many outdoor enthusiasts visit the area for the fishing and boating at Pena Blanca Lake or Patagonia State Park. The latter offers many birding opportunities, places to park RVs, and campsites available as well as cabins for rent.
Crossing over into Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, is an easy trip that many visitors to Southern Arizona make. You can walk across (there are a number of lots to park in on the Arizona side) or drive, but be aware that American auto insurance is not recognized in Mexico and if you plan to drive, you should purchase Mexican insurance first to avoid any hassles. Also, for reentry, you’ll need a passport, border crossing card or government-issued photo ID.
For a number of years now, dental and medical tourism have been popular in Nogales, as well as utilizing area pharmacies to get U.S. prescriptions filled. Many of these facilities are located a very short walk from the border and have signage in English to make them easy to identify.
Fans of art of all types should head to the Nogales Museum of Art, located just a couple of blocks from the border in a mid-century modern building and displaying works by Mexican artists, including paintings, photography and sculptures. Another popular spot for tourists, the picturesque Parroquia De La Purísima Concepción church, is just across the street.
But shopping and dining are probably the two biggest things that tourists do in Nogales, Sonora, and the choices are too numerous to mention. Haggling over the price of goods (while being respectful) is more or less expected, and there are many great deals to be made if you do some comparison shopping and turn on the charm. As for restaurants, border cuisine doesn’t get more authentic, and some of the well-established places such as La Roca are legendary for ambience and food quality.
by
Photo
Lori Gregoire
Sonoran Desert
Wellness
According to many ancient traditions, the desert is a spiritual, purifying place. And according to many contemporary aestheticians, it’s also a hair- and skin-drying place. No wonder, then, that some of the world’s premier spas reside in Tucson, which basks in the Sonoran Desert sun. Here’s a sampling of unique local treatments that share a single goal: to soothe body and soul.
Canyon Ranch
Forget the desolate sands of Lawrence of Arabia. The Sonoran Desert abounds in distinctive flora, from green-branched trees to 40-foot-tall cacti. The Spa at Canyon Ranch draws on the healing properties of several indigenous plants for its hydrating Desert Ritual. This sensory joyride includes a pore-opening cactus flower body scrub; the application of a prickly pear enzyme with antioxidant properties; a nourishing mesquite flour and red clay mask; and, after a short massage, a soothing soak in a bath redolent with saguaro-blossom oil. You’ll come away stimulated, exfoliated, and relaxed.
Miraval
Native to the Sonoran Desert, the mesquite tree is revered for its gluten free flour, beautiful hardwood, and incredible aroma when used for grilling. Guests at Life in Balance Spa can experience Cara Vida, a unique facial inspired by the Native people of Arizona and their connection to mesquite, or “tree of life” as it’s known for its power to heal, nourish, and protect. This sensual journey begins with a chia seed exfoliation followed by a mask of organic honey, antioxidants, and Omega 3’s. You’ll emerge with skin glowing with new life.
Casino del Sol
The only Native American-owned spa in Tucson, Hiapsi Spa (“heart and soul” in the language of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe) marries modern therapeutic techniques to traditional wisdom. At the start of the Flower Ritual, you are enjoined to breathe deeply and contemplate your connection with Mother Earth as your feet soak in warm, floral- scented water. A full-body acupressure massage to release the body’s natural energy is followed by a gentle kneading with essential oils. The perfect finish: slowly sipping a cup of Yaqui herbal tea, a blend of prickly pear, chamomile, chicory, and hibiscus.
JW Marriott Starr Pass
The Hashani Spa pays tribute to its natural surroundings with its name—hashani means “saguaro cactus” in the language of the local Tohono O’odham people—and with such treatments as the Arizona Copper Peptide Facial. A renowned antioxidant, copper has played a major role in the state’s history. It’s used alongside such above-ground treasures as prickly pear, sage, jojoba, and aloe to rejuvenate the skin. After a scrub with a soft brush, a toning, a two-layer mask, and a finishing spritz, you’ll be ready to put your best face forward.
Loews Ventana Canyon
Inspired by the Southwest’s Native American heritage, the Lakeside Spa’s signature Red Clay Sacred Ritual revitalizes the mind and body. The treatment starts with an invigorating desert salt body polish, and then warm red clay is smoothed on and you are wrapped like a cocoon for immersion. The purifying smoke of white sage wafts through the room. The treatment finishes with a Desert Dew serum facial and neck massage and a full body rub of cedar wood citrus lotion for hydrating the skin. You’ll be sent off as if reborn!
Westin La Paloma
Nestled amidst the serene desert landscape, La Paloma Spa & Salon stands as a sanctuary for holistic well-being, inviting guests to harmonize mind and body. Indulge in their signature CBD Body Treatment. Capitalizing on the uniquely beneficial and growing body of research about healing effects of CBD this unique experience begins with a full body exfoliation, followed by an aromatic warm oil body wrap, culminating in a full body CBD Swedish massage for enduring relief.
Westward Look Wyndham Grand
You’d be hard-pressed to find a treatment that caters more to individual tastes—or makes more direct use of its natural setting—than the Sonoran Spa’s Wellness Garden Ritual. You’ll stroll with the therapist through a lush on-site garden, selecting herbs and medicinal plants with desired properties: lavender for calming, or jasmine for mood lifting. Your chosen botanicals are then mixed with your pick of exfoliant—perhaps Dead Sea salt or organic sugar—and blended into a light oil base. After a shower and massage—you decide the pressure, of course—you’ll feel empowered as well as relaxed.
Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort
Indulge serene luxury at The Spa at Hacienda del Sol, where every detail is curated to relax and rejuvenate. From facials to massages and body treatments, services are tailored to your unique needs. Step through the peaceful courtyard into a tranquil oasis. Don’t miss the Desert Aloe Soother, designed to heal dry or damaged skin with a dry mitt exfoliation, soothing aloe mask, face and neck massage, and hydrating lotion.
Hilton El Conquistador
Located in the Catalina Foothills, with a spectacular view of Pusch Ridge. While many spas have wet and dry saunas, you’ll want to check out SpaWell’s Salt Therapy Lounge which uses salt bricks and salt dust to promote relaxation and rejuvenation while restoring calm. You can take it a step further with a Himalayan Salt Stone Massage where warm salt stones are used to soothe sore muscles and naturally replenish your body with vital minerals.
CULINARY
COLLABORATIONS
Tucson Chefs compete and share with each other
BY EDIE JAROLIN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY AS CREDITED
SSnce the success of Gordon Ramsey’s “Hell’s Kitchen” in the early aughts, cooking competitions have become must-see TV. Channels are filled with celebrity chef-driven dramas replete with tears of disappointment, cheers of victory–and, often, barking of commands. Although Tucson chefs and restaurateurs have taken part in these flashy food fights, the stories that make the city’s gastronomy scene unique are less shouty, and more heartwarming. Tucson abounds in tales of culinary camaraderie.
Stephen Paul, founder of the locally distilled and bottled Whiskey del Bac, says, “Chefs in general are very competitive and keep their ideas close to the vest. But you don’t see that here. They all like each other and root for each other, even in Iron Chef competitions.”
The congeniality runs even deeper.
Paul says, “There’s a creative climate in Tucson that’s really fun. There are so many innovative and interesting makers here. The fact that they not only exist but that everyone wants to share what they’re doing and play off each other is an extension of the sense of community that Tucson has.”
The adventurous spirit and sparce beauty of the Southwest play a key role in nurturing that community. Inspired by the Sonoran Desert and the native wood he used in his craft furniture practice, Paul came up with a wild idea: Why not smoke barley over mesquite rather than the peat used for Speyside Scotches to create a whiskey that embodies the desert setting, what in the wine-making world would be called terroir? The resulting spirits, including a rye along with single malts, have been nationally praised and quickly became a part of Tucson’s creative food chain. Not only are they sipped neat and in cocktails around town, but they are also savored in dishes such as Union Public House’s Del Bac Mushroom Melt burgers and confections like Monsoon Chocolate’s Whiskey Del Bac Bon Bons.
Stephen Paul owner, Whiskey del Bac
Non-potable products of the whiskey’s distilling process help enhance other local businesses too. Rod Miller of E & R Pork feeds the spent grain to his livestock, for example. The retired American oak barrels are recycled to impart richness to beans from coffee roasters including Decibel, Yellow Brick, and Presta, and to lend depth to beer from Pueblo Vida, Button Brew House, and 1912 Brewing, among others. More unusually, Desert Provisions salt, harvested from the Sonoran Desert, spends two years in Whiskey del Bac barrels, a rest that affords the table staple “subtle notes of campfire, caramel, and mesquite,” according to the product description.
An early signal of the city’s collaborative spirit was the creation in 1999 of the Tucson Originals, an alliance of locally owned, independent restaurants that became a model for similar groups around the country. Among the forms of support the organization offers its members is visibility at such festivals as the World Margarita Championship, started in 2005 and benefitting the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (SAACA). Terry Kyte, the Originals’ current president and an active member since 2014, observes that, while sipping tequila cocktails, “People also have a chance to sample our food and have a great time for a good cause.”
The organization also supplies administrative support for its members. “We have an HR specialist, a lawyer, and a food-safety person on retainer as informational resources,” Kyte explains. “We partner with a full-service marketing company that advertises the Originals as a group and individually. We also tend to do group buying.” In addition, the group website sells gift cards that are redeemable at any of the member restaurants. Distinct from those sold through third-party vendors such as Uber Eats, they provide participating restaurants with 100% of the proceeds when they’re redeemed.
Most important, according to Kyte, who owns the Bisbee Breakfast Club, is the
personal support members lend each other.
“The organization has been integral to my personal growth as a restaurateur,” he says.
“When I was first starting out, I felt like I was having to go it alone. When I joined this group I realized, hey, all these all these people have
been through the same stuff. There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel when they are willing to share what they’ve learned, all their expertise.”
While the Originals helped raise awareness of independent restaurants locally, Tucson’s designation in 2015 as the United States’
Monsoon Chocolate
first UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy brought international attention – and serious scrutiny -- to the city’s culinary scene. Why, many wondered, was Tucson chosen for recognition over more obvious foodie superstars like New York, say, or Los Angeles?
Members of the food press soon discovered not only the variety and quality of restaurants in town, but also Tucson’s 4,000-year-old agricultural heritage, intertwined culinary influences, myriad festivals devoted to food and drink, and dedicated efforts to alleviate food insecurity for the future.
They learned about resources like Iskashitaa Refugee Network, helping to support newcomers with such programs as harvesting homeowners’ unwanted citrus; Mission Garden, where heritage crops are grown in plots that represent the historical waves of cultivators, from the earliest indigenous people to the latest arrivals from Africa; and the Southern Arizona Community Food Bank, working to address the root causes of hunger rather than just responding to immediate needs.
They also discovered individual makers like Don Guerra, winner of the James Beard award for Outstanding Baker. The rich, nutty flavor of his beautifully crafted loaves of Barrio Bread derive from Guerra’s use of Arizona heritage grains, especially white Sonoran wheat.
Harder to see from an outsider’s perspective are the ties between all these talents and resources. Barrio Bread appears on the menus of independent restaurants all around the city. The onions and chiles for the caldo de queso at the venerable El Charro Café may be plucked from the Mission Garden’s Mexican plot. And John Martinez, chef/owner of Tito & Pep and a James Beard semifinalist for Best Southwest Chef, has hired several cooks from the Community Food Bank’s culinary training program.
The nonprofit Tucson City of Gastronomy (TCoG) was created to grow the awareness of the award’s meaning – and of its reach – even further. The Pueblos del Maíz festival was introduced by TCoG in 2022 in collaboration with three other UNESCO Creative Heritage
Don Guerra, Barrio Bread
Mission Garden
cities: Mérida. Mexico, San Antonio, Texas, and Bergamo-Gandino, Italy. As its name suggests, this international gala celebrates corn, a staple that unites all.
The UNESCO recognition also helped spur the formation of the Gastronomic Union of Tucson (GUT). Begun as a private Facebook group for chefs and other members of the restaurant and catering community to share information, GUT coalesced in 2016 into a collective that hosted public-facing cooking events.
An annual GUT activity is the summer dinner series, with multi-course repasts arranged around different themes such as classic films or lost Tucson restaurants. GUT also hosts one-off dinners throughout the year. In 2024, the kickoff to TCoG’s Festival de Maiz paired top Tucson chefs Janos Wilder, Gary Hickey, and Tyler Fenton with visiting chefs from the other participating Creative Heritage cities. And GUT showcased citrus gleaned by the Iskashitaa Refugee Network in a feast featuring such dishes as grapefruit-and-tequila-cured gravlax and Seville orange-marinated achiote pork tostaditas.
GUT dinners are fluid affairs, with more than three dozen members alerted to events they may wish to participate in and voluntary captains put in charge of each course. They are also egalitarian. One of GUT’s founding members, Obadiah Hindman, emphasizes that participation is open to everyone, from line cooks to chef/owners. Hindman, the executive chef of the Mountain Oyster Club, gives as an example Aurelio Garcia, who led a team for the Pueblos de Maiz dinner. “He runs a food cart called MuncheeZ. But he’s an amazing chef, who makes some of the best hamburgers and tacos in town.” Hindman adds, “All you need is enthusiasm. We just want people that will be dedicated to the project and who work well with others.”
The participants’ camaraderie proved to have side benefits. “I think it just ups all our games when we get together on these dinners,” says Hindman. “There’s so much we that learn from each other. Everyone wants to bring something fresh to the table, the latest technique, maybe some ingredient that’s new to them. And they end up influencing what other chefs do.”
There’s solid evidence of this salutary influence: In early 2024, eight GUT chefs entered the 15th annual Devour Culinary Classic as a group, outliers in a statewide competition where most contenders represent a single restaurant or catering company. They won Best in Show.
Devon Sanner, chef/co-owner of Zio Peppe and another GUT founding member, takes full advantage of the city’s many opportunities for engagement. Sanner belongs to the Tucson Originals; he participated in the Devour competition; and he co-hosted GUT’s collaboration with the Iskashitaa Refugee Network. In addition, Zio Peppe’s menu showcases both cross-cultural influences and chef partnerships in such dishes as pizza topped with birria sourced from Juan Almanza’s El Taco Rustico. If Sanner’s level of involvement sounds exhaustive – and exhausting – perhaps more typical is the casual, everyday generosity of Tucson’s food community. Consider an Instagram post by butcher Ben Forbes, referring to one of the offerings of Flora’s Market: “Today’s sando is very special… our Pork Katsu will be nestled between two lovely slices of Japanese milk bread, aka shokupan, baked fresh by our friend at Okashi Ice Cream & Confections. We love Dean [Blair] and all the amazing confections he creates. He’s at Hello Bicycle every weekend.”
In turn, Okashi might be seen to embody Tucson’s collaborative and cross-cultural
spirit. The aforementioned confections, which can also be found at Presta Coffee Roasters, reflect Dean Blair’s training as a pastry chef in Portland, where he learned classic French and Italian techniques, as well as his Asian heritage; Blair’s mother is Japanese and Blair spent time as an exchange student in Tokyo, where, he says, “I mostly went out every day, trying lots of different dessert shops.” As a result, you might find hojicha financiers -- a French almond cake incorporating Japanese green tea -- among Okashi’s regularly changing offerings.
Blair sources his ingredients from locations as distant as Japan (“After my mother’s last trip there, she brought me back seven pounds of Okinawa black sugar”) and as close to home as Sandyi Oriental Market in midtown – and, sometimes, from his neighbors’ backyards. The citrus in the grapefruit-and-pink-peppercorn glaze on his scones, Blair reports, “was given to me from a barista at Presta who lives in my neighborhood.”
From the global to the local with a little help from your friends. That’s what Tucson brings to the table.
El Rustico Birria pizza at Zio Peppe
Savor Every Moment at The Grill
GET
TO
KNOW TUCSON’S ICONIC DISH
SONORAN DOG Meet Your
“It’s the maddest, stoned-teenager invention,” said British food critic Marina O’Loughlin in BBC Good Food magazine. That’s not far off. The creator of this dish—a fluffy bun full of more ingredients than probably makes sense—is lost to time, but a good amount of credit goes to Daniel Contreras, the namesake and legend behind El Güero Canelo.
bolillo (crusty roll)
AN A-MAIZE-ING
HERITAGE
The Old Pueblo’s culinary history not only goes back thousands of years, you can still experience many of those traditional flavors today.
BY ELIZABETH HUNTER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY AS CREDITED
IIn 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of Tucson’s designation as the first UNESCO “City of Gastronomy” in the United States will be celebrated. UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization launched the Creative Cities Network in 2004 to spotlight cities that excel in literature, design, folk art, film, media arts, music and gastronomy. Tucson is is just one of 52 cities to receive this designation globally, with one-two in the U.S. (the other is San Antonio, Texas) to be recognized as such.
The official mandates to win CoG accreditation are listed in scholarly terms, but reduced down, like a good sauce, they are: a city must have a well-developed gastronomy, characteristic of the region or city; a vibrant food community with plenty of traditional restaurants and chefs using locally sourced and heritage ingredients, using long-established methods of food preparation; an abundance of traditional food markets; a prospering trade food industry with plenty of food-centric festivals, farmers
markets and culinary competitions; farming culture that promotes sustainable practices, and a nurturance of public appreciation for and promotion of nutrition in schools.
History is on our side as Southern Arizona is the oldest continually inhabited and cultivated area of the U.S., with an archaeological record of habitation and crop cultivation extending back more than 4,000 years, and a 300-year tradition of orchards, vineyards, and livestock ranching. Tucson’s City of Gastronomy designation is managed by the non-profit Tucson City of Gastronomy (TCoG).
Tucson cuisine features influences of Indigenous, Mission-era Mediterranean, Sonoran, and Ranch-Style Cowboy food traditions. TCoG Executive Director Jonathan Mabry offers specifics on the unusual amalgam: “For many thousands of years, the Tohono O’odham people indigenous to the region have harvested wild plant edibles, including pods of mesquite trees; wild greens; cactus fruits, buds,
Fresh, locally sourced ingredients used at Charro Steak & Del Rey. Photo by An T. Pham.
and pads, including fruits of the prickly pear and giant saguaro; the spinach-like greens of desert amaranths; and non-bitter acorns.” Maize, beans, and squash are tropical Mesoamerican crops known collectively as “the three sisters.” The first maize arrived in the Santa Cruz Valley (where Tucson is located) from Mexico 4,100 years ago.
The Pascua Yaqui Tribe also has a deep history here and have influenced the cuisine with their wild foods and varieties of these crops. Beginning around 1700 A.D., other desert-adapted crops from the Mediterranean and additional arid regions in the Old World were introduced by missionaries and colonists from Europe and what is now Mexico during the Spanish Colonial period. The first missionary to this region, a Jesuit from northern Italy, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, planted White Sonoran wheat, fruit trees and grapes, and raised cattle. Colonists brought a variety of other field crops and herbs, and fruit tree stocks of figs, pomegranates, quinces, apricots, citrus, and olives.
After Mexico achieved independence from Spain in 1821, what is now Southern Arizona was part of Sonora, and its food culture shared the distinctive features of Sonoran-style food of northwestern Mexico. These include the use of flour tortillas instead of the corn tortillas predominant throughout the rest of Mexico, an emphasis on beef cooked over mesquite wood fires, and a blending of native and Mediterranean ingredients. Red chile sauces are favored over the green chile sauces that characterize New Mexico-style Mexican food. Chiltepines, the small, round “mother of all chiles,” grow wild here and are typically the only very hot ingredient. Fish, shrimp, and other seafoods from the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) also are popular ingredients of the style.
Ranch-Style Cowboy cooking became a new influence during the late 1800s. New cuts of beef, one-pot stews, pinto beans, potatoes in various forms, fruit pies and cobblers, quickbreads, and boiled coffee were introduced from trail cooking out of chuckwagons — the original food trucks — and also became part of the multicultural, blended cuisine of our region.
Some examples of traditional food preparation techniques historically characteristic of this region, include grilling over mesquite-wood fires; drying beef then shredding and frying it with other ingredients to make carne seca; “cooking” seafood with citrus juice marination to make ceviches; sun drying and roasting cactus buds and chiles; baking with combinations of wheat flour and ground mesquite pods; wrapping green corn masa (alone or along with meats) with corn husks and steaming them to make tamales; wrapping various fillings in large flour tortillas to make burros (and sometimes deep frying them to make the iconic chimichanga); and flavoring with wild chiltepin peppers and sea salt from the Gulf of California.
Some distinctive features of our restaurant culture are the relatively large proportion of locally owned, independent restaurants and bars (almost two-thirds, compared to the national average near 40%), the multicultural menu mashups alongside traditional regional favorites, and our many
creative chefs constantly inventing new recipes with heritage ingredients.
Tucson is the only City of Gastronomy to offer certification to restaurants and food producers. “Through certifications,” says Mabry, “the nonprofit Tucson City of Gastronomy recognizes locally owned restaurants and food artisans that are exemplary in supporting our local food economy, keeping our food heritage alive, using socially and environmentally responsible business practices, and giving back to the community.”
Among the dozens of restaurants and artisan food producers that have the TCoG accreditation is 5 Points Market. The eatery offers food that is handcrafted and legendary, from the cinnamon-kissed pancake to the seasonal frittata. The latter is served in a lofty wedge, moist and eggy, singing of fresh vegetables and sharp cheese, contrasted by a side of peppery organic greens tossed in roasted tomato and rosemary vinaigrette and buttery slices of French baguette.
Another very popular restaurant, The Blue Willow, a Tucson fixture for more than 40 years, also has earned TCoG certification. Owner Rebecca
Huevos Rancheros served with a vibrant house salsa made of cilantro, tomatoes, onion and jalapeños at 5 Points. Photo by Steven Meckler.
Ramey enthuses, “We support local producers like Double Check Ranch, Cheri’s Desert Harvest and many other vendors in the gift shop. We use sustainable practices like recyclable containers; we recycle and donate our oil and have switched to LED lighting.”
A top menu pick at Blue Willow is Migas Verdes. The traditional Mexican breakfast dish features softly scrambled eggs, spicy pulled chicken, tomatoes and crunchy strips of housemade corn tortilla topped with red and green
chiles, tomatillo salsa, sided by hearty black beans and a velvety flour tortilla.
Ramey says her favorite heritage ingredient is the versatile prickly pear fruit. “It can be used in savory or sweet dishes, cocktails and mocktails. We use prickly pear syrup in Margaritas, lemonade, and pancake syrup.”
Established in 1922 by Tía Monica, the original El Charro Café on Court Avenue downtown is the oldest restaurant in continuous operation by the same family in the U.S. The
from various regions
Flores family has since bloomed into Flores Concepts, with more than a dozen incarnations. Flores Concepts’ Ray Flores Jr. explains his initial reaction to Tucson’s UNESCO accreditation as a City of Gastronomy. “At first it was ‘what does that mean?’ but as we learned more we realized it was really about what we’ve been doing all along — sustaining our local food heritage. It’s the appreciation and understanding of the food sources and the people who bring those foods to the table.”
The popular mesquite grill Tito & Pep has earned a City of Gastronomy stamp of approval. John Martinez, chef/owner, has a powerful take on why the Old Pueblo was chosen as a CoG. “I feel this honor speaks to the hard work and drive of all the people who have called our beautiful valley home before us, from the indigenous peoples to the first European colonists from the south, to the descendants of both who established their own culture here in Southern Arizona. Their work to make this pocket of the desert fruitful and livable is what I feel this designation truly honors.”
Of his own eatery’s place in the scheme of things, Martinez observes, “We are a restaurant that focuses on the cuisine of our region in a way that is unique to Tucson. We are dedicated to using ingredients from, and familiar to, our region. Baja Arizona’s culinary heritage and the cultural diversity of its present are a constant source of inspiration for our food.
The heart of our kitchen is our mesquite-fired hearth. The ingredients that have been used in our region for centuries, and the dishes that are cultural touchstones for locals, are our inspiration to create new and exciting dishes that appeal to both local and visiting guests. All of our meat and poultry is cooked over the embers and our seafood selections draw inspiration from the Sea of Cortez.”
More Info:
For readers interested in tasting dishes featuring heritage ingredients of the Tucson region, the list of certified Tucson City of Gastronomy restaurants and food artisans recognized for keeping our food heritage alive is the perfect place to start. The list is updated every year and can be found on the web at tucson.cityofgastronomy.org.
of Mexico, crafted with authentic regional flavors at Seis Kitchen.
Locally OwnedCommunity Strong
Tucson Originals Restaurants is an alliance of independently owned local restaurants, purveyors, and partners working together to raise awareness of our rich and vibrant culinary community since 1999.
We provide, support, and uplift our Tucson community with incredible local culinary talent, events, and community partnerships. We are proud to showcase the wide cultural diversity that is a Tucson Trademark.
The rst of it’s kind, Tucson Originals Restaurants has inspired like-minded groups to create their own local chapters nationwide.
Step into the enchanting world of e Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, where little things tell a BIG story.
A HUGE COLLECTION OF TINY TREASURES
Model warships by GREGORY BAUMGARTNER • THROUGH APRIL 6, 2025
e Broadway designs of DAVID KORINS • THROUGH MAY 31, 2025 e dynamic work of RAY HARRYHAUSEN • OPENS FALL 2025
Use discount code TMIG for $2 off admission when ordering online.
Museum, Art Gallery & Texas Canyon Nature Preserve 2100 N. Amerind Road Dragoon, AZ. 85609 520.586.3666 | www.amerind.org
Open Tuesday-Sunday Museum 10am-4pm Trails 8:30am-3:30pm
Connecting People, Tradition, and History
Amerind is a world-class museum, fine art gallery, and research institute. Amerind is an influential voice and public space for people to learn about Native American culture and art, anthropology, and the art of the American est. Nestled in one of the most spectacular geologic landscapes in Arizona, Amerind also has 8 miles of walking trails for you to enjoy, winding through a 1900 acre nature preserve.
the mini time machine .org | 4455 E. Camp Lowell Drive, Tucson | 520-881-0606
Photo: GoatOGRAPHER
God Gives the World to Arapaho Children, by America Meredith (Cherokee Nation). Now on exhibit.
Horseback Riding at Colossal Cave Mountain Park
Photo by Steven Meckler
SUN Everything Under the
From remote hiking trails to rooftop bars, enjoy the city’s sunny disposition at these outdoor attractions
BY JEFF ATWELL
Ask locals why they love Tucson and their answers will include outdoor living in more than one way. Year-round, we take our morning coffee and evening happy hours on the patio. Hiking is our sunrise workout and golfing is the perfect way to spend a day off, especially in the middle of winter. When it heats up, we hit The Loop at 6 a.m. and meet up at restaurant patios when the sun goes down. In a city where people gather to greet the sunrise at Sabino Canyon and head to Gates Pass to watch the sunset, the great outdoors come into play every day.
Dine Alfresco
350 sunny days greet visitors each year, which lead to 350 pleasant nights perfect for patio dining. Downtown, take it to the rooftop at Playground for appetizers and cocktails or head upstairs at Reilly Craft Pizza & Drink to dine under the sun or under the stars. Find another rooftop perch at The Moonstone at Graduate Tucson, an open-air cocktail bar located on the 14th floor of the hotel.
Discover Tucson’s most popular patio behind Hotel Congress, a year-round party pad with live bands and dinner and drinks from the hotel’s Cup Café and Tap Room. On nearby 4th Avenue, the Boxyard takes the outdoor
by
Photo
Jackie Tran
food-hall concept to triple-decker heights with shipping containers that surround a lively outdoor courtyard. Take your pick of on-site restaurants, order a round of local beers and find a community table to chill.
Main Gate Square on the west side of University of Arizona features many openair eateries overlooking University Avenue. Gentle Ben’s has been the go-to gathering spot for more than 50 years, serving pub grub and craft beer. The patios at Frog & Firkin and Illegal Pete’s buzz with activity, misted in the summer and heated in the winter so visitors can always enjoy a table outside.
Just west of I-10, the Mercado San Agustín and MSA Annex have multiple eateries surrounding mesquite- and palo verde-shaded courtyards. At the Mercado, order tacos or a coffee nosh and join one of the community tables in the courtyard. At MSA Annex a few steps away, the patio sprawls out between shipping-container businesses where guests eat, drink and enjoy another perfect day in Tucson.
One benefit of the pandemic was restaurants expanding their outdoor dining areas permanently. Basically almost every restaurant around town will have an outdoor or patio option. Just ask.
Enjoy Festival Season Year-Round
Few places in the country host signature events in the middle of winter. Tucson’s annual Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase spans three weeks over January and February. The oldest and largest mineral show in the world fills every inch of Tucson Convention Center, and tents and hotels along I-10 swell with satellite shows that sell everything from raw minerals to rare jewelry. Admire museum quality pieces behind glass or dig through boxes of rocks to find unique treasures.
Also in February, La Fiesta de los Vaqueros turns 100 in 2025. Join the nine-day celebration of the region’s ranching roots and Wild West heritage, where competitors from around the country vie for their personal bests in barrel racing, team roping, bronc and bull riding. The tradition is so engrained that Tucson closes public schools on rodeo parade day, because where else would you want to be on a sunny winter day than the largest non-motorized parade in the country?
Opposite Top: MSA Annex
Opposite Bottom: Mercado San Agustin
Left: Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase
Below: La Fiesta de los Vaqueros
Discover Outdoor Museums
Visitors spend most of their time admiring everything outside at Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. On the trails, marvel at the spectrum of greens on display in the desert, most notably the saguaros and palo verdes so prolific here. See bighorn sheep and coyotes in their natural habitats along with wolves and mountain lions found throughout the region. Inside, aquariums and amphibian exhibits show how much life the Sonoran Desert sustains. Part of their tagline is “80% outdoors,” and they showcase just about every native plant or animal in a natural and easily walkable setting with great dining at both the Ocotillo Café and Ironwood Restaurant, and places to just have a picnic. They also have an excellent gift shop featuring local items.
Two botanical gardens within city limits feel more like living museums. Tucson Botanical Gardens presents 20 themed gardens in an intimate residential setting that showcase the diversity of plants that thrive in the desert. Tohono Chul Park offers a more sprawling experience with themed gardens representing the region’s diverse habitats. The Garden Bistro has become one of Tucson’s favorite brunch spots, as much for the garden-to-table dishes as the shaded outdoor courtyard surrounded by desert blooms.
At Pima Air & Space Museum, many of the main attractions are kept outside — naturally preserved in Tucson’s dry climate. Visitors see some 400 historic aircraft in indoor hangars and spread across the expansive property. Near the museum, find the largest military aircraft boneyard in the world at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. After touring Pima Air & Space Museum, drive north on Kolb Road to see rows of retired aircraft stretching all the way to the horizon.
Opposite
Photo by Steven Meckler
Photo by Andres Lobato
Above Top: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Above: Tohono Chul Park
Opposite Top: Chiricahua National Monument
Bottom: Starr Pass trail system
Hike Through Astonishing Landscapes
From every vantage point in Tucson, the Santa Catalina Mountains tower due north over the metro area. Access popular hiking trails from the foothills, such as the moderate Pima Canyon Trail or Tucson’s toughest day hike — Finger Rock. Or go to the far east side of the Catalinas to experience Sabino Canyon.
Beginners join legions of walkers and cyclists on the paved trail that leads four miles into Sabino Canyon. Others hop on the tram to access trailheads that go even deeper into the Sonoran Desert wonderland. Seven Falls takes visitors four miles through the surprisingly green and diverse ecosystem and ends at a refreshing swimming hole. Blackett’s Ridge bypasses the paved path and climbs into a saguaro-studded section of the canyon that ends along a remote ridgeline with panoramic views.
In all other directions, smaller mountain ranges jut up from the valley floor creating landscapes built for adventure. On the east and west sides, segments of Saguaro National Park trek through low-elevation desert landscapes surrounding the Rincon and Tucson mountains where hikers come face to face with 40-foot saguaros. The desert giants are Tucson’s most admired, recognizable silhouettes.
To the south, the Santa Rita Mountains rise more than 10,000 feet. Madera Canyon features easy shaded nature walks and difficult climbs into the pine forest. Continue southeast to the Chiricahua Mountains to hike on some of the best made trails in the national park system among unusual hoodoos carved by centuries of wind and rain, and some of the formations named by the Civil Conservation Corps in the 1930’s, such a “Punch and Judy.”
For shorter, quicker workouts, urban hiking trails are easily accessed from the valley floor. Tumamoc Hill is the local favorite — a paved, three-mile round trip that climbs steep switchbacks to a summit overlooking the city. When a family of quail waddles across the path, everyone stops to give them room.
Explore on Two Wheels
Hundreds of miles of designated road routes and off-road mountain bike trails have made Tucson consistently one of the top five cycling destinations in the country. Many group rides take advantage of the city’s wide roads and designated bike lanes. Others choose a segment of The Loop — a paved, traffic-free, multi-use trail that wraps 137 miles around the metro area.
Many of the area’s hiking trails are shared with mountain bikers. The Starr Pass trail system on the west side offers an off-road playground with fast and flowy singletrack that romps through the desert. Experienced cyclists let loose on the trails, hitting banked curves at full speed and navigating stacks of boulders that appear along the way.
Mountain bikers make an annual pilgrimage to Oracle, Arizona in February to compete in the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo, a team event that speeds non-stop overnight on craggy desert singletrack.
Road cyclists train year-round for the El Tour de Tucson race in November. Join cyclists in colorful kits on ribbons of paved road that cut through Saguaro National Park. Or try the high-elevation climb on Catalina Highway. The 6,000-foot elevation change over 26 miles gives Tucson cred with the international cycling community. The ride back down is so fast and technical even the most experienced riders white-knuckle it.
Photo by Seth Turner
Photo by Pete Gregoire
Play Desert Golf
Tucson’s golf courses are open year-round, attracting PGA Tour pros in spring, snowbirds in winter and locals looking for great deals in summer. With five municipal courses and more than 40 public courses, visitors have plenty of options to experience the wonder and challenge of desert golf. Play through the Sonoran Desert on courses where fields of prickly pear and cholla cactus are out of bounds. The foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains have many courses with dramatic elevation changes and tricky tee shots over desert ravines.
While playing Tucson’s golf courses, be on the lookout for desert critters. Whether it’s a solo roadrunner strutting along a dry wash, a lizard sunning on a rock, or a group of javelina rooting around in a mesquite grove, always give them a wide berth.
Let the Kids Loose at Splash Pads
Discover next-level pools at resorts throughout Tucson. At JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort, guests enjoy a refreshing oasis on Tucson’s westside. A lazy river lets kids float on tubes while they build up energy for another round on the waterslide and splash pad.
The five pools at The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa feature a waterfall and a massive curlicue waterslide that kids can’t resist. Adults like the swim-up bar and grill and the no-kids-allowed mineral pool. Find a similar
scene at any of Tucson’s destination resorts, where water is always front and center. At Loews Ventana Canyon and Omni Tucson National, water fun extends past sundown at seasonal dive-in movies.
Visitors also head to city parks to let the kids run wild at some 20 splash pads throughout the metro area. Brandi Fenton Memorial Park in the central part of town features plenty of shaded picnic tables to enjoy the view while the littles play in the Wet Saloon. Water cannons and dump buckets keep them entertained during the heat of the day. Udall Park near Tanque Verde and Sabino Canyon roads on the eastside is popular year-round for its exercise trails, sports fields and pickleball courts. In summer, kids burn off energy in the swimming pool and splash zone.
Outdoor Concert Series
Tucson’s parks and plazas fill with music lovers during popular outdoor concerts. Bring blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy outdoor concerts at Reid Park, a sprawling green space in the middle of town where Tucson Pops Orchestra presents Music Under the Stars in spring and fall. At St. Philip’s Plaza, dine at any of the restaurants surrounding the courtyard where live bands play. At the Rhythm & Roots Concert Series, grab a table near the outdoor stage at Hotel Congress. At Tohono Chul Park, enjoy Sundays in the Garden and Jazz Under the Stars concerts that often pay tribute to the area’s Sonoran influences with colorful flamenco and folklorico performances. Check the calendar at VisitTucson.org to see the full line-up of outdoor entertainment.
Above: Tucson Jazz Festival
Left: Westin La Paloma
Photo by C.Elliott
Take a
Hike!
What better way to spend a day in and around Tucson than to go out for a hike?
With our 350+ days of sunshine and clean, clear air, it’s easy to understand why so many residents and visitors prefer to exercise outdoors. The desert valley that is home to most of Metropolitan Tucson is surrounded by five cactus-covered mountain ranges and boasts a wonder and beauty all its own.
Which are the “best” trails in town? Not an easy question to answer. As they say, “Ask 10 hikers, get 15 opinions.” Here are some of our favorites.
In the Santa Catalina Mountains
At the top of the rugged Santa Catalina Mountains, Mt. Lemmon is a favorite for hikers, particularly during the warmer months as its elevation (9,157 at its very top) keeps temps down. Wander among the pines and discover the treasure trove of hiking trails up in one of the few places around Tucson where you can witness the changing of seasons. The aptly named Butterfly Trail is a feast for the eyes with clusters of colorful winged creatures fluttering atop wildflowers and the Sunset Trail is a short, family friendly hike that offers scenic views of the mountain. While exploring Mt. Lemmon, Rose Canyon Lake is a lovely stop and many folks enjoy visiting Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley to ride the sky ride, which during winter is used as its ski lift. From that lofty perch, you can see down to the desert floor and around to the surrounding mountains. Make sure to stop in the picturesque village of Summerhaven, where you can shop at several stores or find sustenance at Beyond Bread, Mt. Lemmon
Photo More Than Just Parks
Cookie Cabin, or Sawmill Run Restaurant. Back down from the mountaintop, an absolute must-visit destination for natives or outof-town visitors is Sabino Canyon Recreation Area — one of Tucson’s true treasures. You can’t help but be overwhelmed by the awesome beauty of this “Oasis in the Desert.” For a nominal fee, you can catch a narrated ride up the canyon and back via the electric Sabino Canyon Crawler. It travels the 3.7-mile paved road many times a day and you can hop off at any of the stops to explore. Just hang onto your ticket in case you get tired and want to catch the Crawler back to the Visitor’s Center.
Whether out for a leisurely stroll or seeking some serious exercise, you have any number of options in Sabino Canyon. The road is accessible to all (including strollers and wheelchairs), but you may need periodically to stand aside for the Sabino Canyon Crawler. As you cross the nine stone bridges, you might not even notice the gradual 500-foot climb to the top — until that last half mile, which really gets you huffing and puffing.
Among the most popular Sabino Canyon trails is the Phoneline, which provides a panoramic perspective as you wind along the Canyon rim. This one is relatively easy, even for novices. No difficult or steep surprises, although the path does get a bit narrow at times. One helpful hint: if you have a fear of heights, it’s best to come back down on the paved road rather than via the trail. Either way, it’s approximately an eight-mile round trip.
Winning the “best short strenuous hike” award is Blackett’s Ridge. A somewhat steep, 6.5-mile round trip rising 1,800 feet takes you atop the ridge between Sabino Canyon and Bear Canyon for picture-postcard views.
Another perennial favorite is Seven Falls in lower Bear Canyon, where water can be found most of the year. About 4.4 miles one way takes you to the incredible seven-tiered waterfall, which has frequently been described as one of the most beautiful in town. More often than not, it’s an effortless endeavor — but can be arduous (or even temporarily closed) when water levels rise.
Depending on the time of year, the creek beds may be parched with barely a trickle … or contain a raging river. Err on the side of caution when attempting to cross flooded bridges or flowing creeks … the current can be amazingly — and perilously — powerful.
Opposite Top: Windy Point, Santa Catalina Mountains
Top Right: Romero Canyon, Catalina State Park
Right: Sabino Canyon
Photo by Adrienne McLeod
Photo
Farther west in the Santa Catalina Mountains, The Finger Rock Trail (six strenuous miles, round trip) starts at the north end of Alvernon Way. Another challenging hike is the Ventana Canyon Trail (a 13.6-mile round-trip hike) that begins at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort and follows a steep trail up Ventana Canyon in the front range of the Santa Catalinas and ends at a rock arch at the top of a peak.
Saguaro National Parks
The parks are broken into two districts on opposite sides of town: the Rincon Mountain District (referred to by locals as Saguaro East) and the Tucson Mountain District (called Saguaro West by locals).
Locals and visitors enjoy the Rincon Mountain District — a monument of majestic multi-armed cactus uniquely indigenous to the Sonoran Desert. The eight-mile paved Cactus Forest Scenic Loop Drive is a trip well worth taking that offers access to several trailheads, scenic vistas and picnic areas. Hiking trails range from easy to challenging. An example of an easy jaunt would be The Mica View Trail to Cactus Forest Trail, a 1.9-mile loop. If you’re an experienced and fit hiker, start out at the Javelina picnic area for an 18-mile, all-day adventure on the steep, narrow and rocky Tanque Verde Ridge Trail, which takes you from low desert to juniper forest, with a 4,000-foot elevation gain.
On Tucson’s west side, Tucson Mountain District also offers hiking trails ranging from easy to difficult. The Valley View Trail Overlook Trail is an
Above: Saguaro National Park
Below: Tucson Mountain Park
Opposite Top: Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mountains
Photo by Cris Cubillos
Photo by Josiah Q. Roe
easy family hike at .8 miles that reaches a ridge providing great views. Moderate hikes can be found on The Wild Dog Trail (1.95 miles round trip), and Gould Mine Loop (2.4 miles). An intermediate/difficult trail is Wasson Peak Summit, for a 9.4-mile round trip.
South of the Tucson Mountain District is Tucson Mountain Park, which has a great variety of fun trails to explore. Bowen Trail is an easy 1.5-mile out-and-back that is very popular for birding and hiking. Camaro Loop also is easy at 2.3 miles and is enjoyed by hikers, mountain bikers and runners. The moderately challenging Bobcat Ridge and Starr Pass Trail Loop takes just under two hours to complete, at 4.1 miles (it traverses some steep and rocky sections of Bobcat Ridge). For a challenging hike, try the David Yetman Trail, which is 12.1 miles out and back that takes an average 4 hours, 51 minutes.
Heading South…
Forty miles south of Tucson, in the Santa Rita Mountains — Madera Canyon offers something for everyone. Cool and shady with high canyon walls and a spring-fed stream, it’s a refreshing respite in the heat of summer.
For a moderate stroll, Madera Creek Trail follows the creek from the Proctor parking area all the way to the Amphitheater parking area, approximately 1.5 miles one way, but with a mild grade and plenty of shade. Highly recommended is the 10.8-mile, round-trip hike to Mt. Wrightson along the Old Baldy Trail. Starting at 5,420 feet and rising to an elevation of 9,753, it might take your breath away — literally, especially when you see the spectacular 360-degree view.
This local gem also is renowned for the more than 200 species of birds living in the lush riparian habitat. Birders flock from around the world in hopes of catching a glimpse of a rare Yellow-eyed Junco, Aztec Thrush or colorful Elegant Trogon.
Although many wildlife areas don’t allow you to bring Rover along on your outing, dogs on leashes are welcome at Madera Canyon. (You probably wouldn’t want them at your side on a birding expedition.) Don’t forget to carry enough extra water and a collapsible bowl for your four-legged friend. If you’re worried about protecting your pooch’s paws from the rough terrain, you can find a variety of booties on the market.
A Few Words of Advice
Don’t hike alone unless you know the trail you’re taking very well, and make sure that someone knows where you’re going and when you expect to return. Plan for the weather; summer heat can be deceptive — tolerable in the early morning and downright dangerous by lunchtime. Likewise, it does get cold in the winter months in the desert, especially after the sun sets, so be prepared with the appropriate clothing. During the summer and early fall, monsoon rains can come in very quickly with little warning. Be aware that the trail you’ve chosen that crosses washes and low-lying areas can be washed out in a matter of a few minutes.
FIND Tucson hikes for all levels
Photo by Adrienne McLeod
TUCSON HIGHS
Creative ways to gain new perspectives on the Old Pueblo
BY KATHY MCMAHON
Viva la Vistas
The winding road takes you higher and higher and soon you are gazing down upon the city from an overlook high above it all. Your car has transported you thousands of feet in elevation in mere minutes. Or, use your own power to hike or bike up to that special vantage point, albeit a little slower. Either way, you won’t be disappointed for the views bring new vantage points to ponder.
Locals and visitors alike flock to Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains to the north, especially in the warmer months. As the thermometer in town starts to climb, it can be 20 to 30 degrees cooler at the top. Learn a little something along the way by downloading the University of Arizona’s Mount Lemmon Science Tour App. Enjoy breathtaking views from overlooks such as Windy Point, which visually serve up the entire Tucson Basin. Extend your high with an overnight stay at chalet-style Mount Lemmon Lodge, known for its
elegantly rustic vibe. Other nearby Sky Islands with killer views include the Rincon Mountains to the east and the Santa Rita Mountains to the south. There you’ll find loads of trails for every fitness level.
In-town highlights might include a trek up local favorite, Tumamoc Hill, an 860-acre ecological reserve just west of downtown. Open from 4am to 10pm, the “walk” is only three miles round trip, but sports a 700-foot elevation gain. It’s a challenge to make it to the top, but you’ll be glad when you arrive—the sweeping view is its own reward, in addition to those endorphins.
“A” Mountain, also known as Sentinel Peak, offers a nice mid-level view of the Tucson Basin, and it’s easily accessed on a paved road by car, bike, or on foot. Tucson’s original inhabitants grew crops at the base of the mountain along the Santa Cruz River. Indeed, the city’s name comes from the O’odham word Cuk Ṣon, meaning “[at the] base of the black [hill].” In
Photo by Josiah Q. Roe
the 1910s, University of Arizona students used local basalt rock to construct a 160-foot tall “A” on the mountain’s east face, giving the peak its nickname, “A” Mountain. From the top you get a nice view of the city—especially at sunset as the lights begin to shine—and it’s only minutes from downtown.
Up for a challenge? Wassan Peak, in Saguaro National Park West, is the highest peak in the Tucson Mountains at 4,687 feet. There are a number of routes that will get you to the top, depending on how much time you have. But no matter your path, you’ll be rewarded with 360-degree views from the summit. Local tip: There’s no shade, so plan accordingly.
Adrenaline Highs
Sometimes the high you seek takes the form of an adventure that gets your heart racing, your blood pumping, and your breath coming fast.
Never tried rock climbing before? Now’s your chance. Altitude Mountain Guides offer half and full day climbs for entry-level to advanced climbers, as do Arizona Climbing Guides. Both take adventurers to try their hands on the granite walls and gneiss crags of Mount Lemmon rock features. With an emphasis on safety, and friendly, expert guidance, it’s sure to be a satisfying day to remember.
Get out of your comfort zone and learn about Sonoran Desert flora and fauna while speeding above ground on an AZ Zipline Adventures’ EcoTour, which touts five different ziplines ranging in length from 400 to 1,500 feet. Once a month in the spring, adventurers can book their special Sunset Zipline and experience all the fun of the EcoTour as the magic hour approaches.
Hop into the saddle—the bike saddle that is—and get your heart pumping on a guided ride with Home Grown Mountain Biking Tours, whose outings include mountain biking trips to Mount Lemmon (or opt for a simple shuttle ride up). The Backcountry option takes you to some ridgelines, while the Middle Mountain option offers a ride with a bit less altitude. Either way, plan on catching some great views from your bike.
Opposite Top: Sentinel Peak
Top Right: Windy Point rock climbing Right: Mount Lemmon mountain biking
Photo
Photo
Bird’s-Eye Views
Sometimes getting high involves, well, literally gaining altitute. And sometimes it involves using your imagination to see things from another perspective, in this case that of feathered friends, whirlybirds, and hot-air balloons.
See—and capture—the Sonoran Desert in a whole new way on a helicopter photo flight with Volare Helicopters. Flights last from 20 minutes to up to an hour and offer several different routes from which to choose, from a ride over Gates Pass in the Tucson Mountains to a downtown flyover to Mount Lemmon swoops, and more. They even offer to roll all five locales into one Ultimate Photo Flight that includes the Airplane Boneyard, in addition to the aforementioned rides. For an extra fee— and rush—you can fly doors off.
Considered the oldest sport known to man, falconry has been traced back thousands of years to Mesopotamia. Take part in this thrilling and ancient pursuit with Sky Island Falconry Experience. Their 1.5 hour Hawk Walk is a real hunt, while the Triple Threat Raptor Experience features falcons, hawks, and owls. Other options provide participants a chance to learn about these magnificent creatures while not on a live hunt. The Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum’s Raptor Free Flight program also lets visitors experience the desert from a bird’s point of view, seasonally. Both Hot Air Expeditions and Balloon America will have you soaring thousands of feet aboveground in no time. Seasonal rides give you a great view of the valley, but also bring you low enough to just skim over trees and cacti. You’ll be able to spot local landmarks, learn some local history from your guide, and bone up on desert plants while you take it all in from on high. Feet back on the ground means it’s time to enjoy some chilled champagne—a festive ballooning tradition.
Explore More
Legal marijuana dispensaries abound in Tucson, and if cannabis-related fun is your jam, you might want to check out the following joints:
Ganja Yoga at Tucson Saints Dispensary, a cannibas-inspired combo
Harambe Café, a public café where you can partake recreationally
High in the Desert concert in October
Stoner Stretch at the Downtown Clifton hotel to limber up
Sonoran Cannibas Expo held in spring Tucson Doobie, a website for cannibas aficionados
Above Top: Volare Helicopter Tours
Above: AZ Zipline Adventures
The Perfect 18!
Tucson’s golf courses represent hall of fame designers.
BY LINDA DILLENBECK
Tucson’s Santa Catalina Mountains framed against the cloudless desert sky provide a setting for golf that is transcendent the world over. No matter which of the destination’s 40-plus courses you’re playing, when you pause and look up, Tucson’s stunning views envelop you and seem to make your shot a bit less critical and a lot more fun.
Traveling golfers - both returning veterans and first timers - report the variety of golf course designs, tee sheet availability, relative affordability, and easy access are what make Tucson golf world-class. That’s no surprise, as Tucson golf is the byproduct of hall of fame designers, players, and tour performances spanning eight decades. Nicklaus, Palmer, Weiskopf, Trevino, Lehman, Fazio, Moorish, the Trent Jones family, and the Bell family have authored courses for your enjoyment.
Amble through tree-lined parkland style layouts, immerse yourself in native Sonoran Desert routings, or tackle the challenge of
emerald green fairways stitched into rugged mountain terrain, the variety and scenery are unparalleled. Resort properties like Omni Tucson National Resort, Casino del Sol, The Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa, and the Loews Ventana Canyon offer high quality golf in their backyards. But Tucson’s golf is not exclusively tied to its premier resorts. You’ll find compelling options at the countless semi-private, public, and six high-quality municipal courses sprinkled throughout the area.
If your intent is to see the greats in action, you’re in luck - the PGA Tour has played tournament golf in Tucson since 1945. Historically, the PGA Tour event was called The Tucson Open and was a who’s who of celebrities, at times featuring hosts like Dean Martin and Joe Garagiola. Other celebrities, such as John Denver and Kevin Costner also have lent their status the Tucson Open. Legends, such as Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, and Phil Mickelson won the Tucson Open. Mickelson won as an amateur and a professional. For a number of years, Tucson hosted the Top 64 golfers in the world at the annual Accenture Match Play. Tiger Woods won the Accenture here in 2008.
Today, the 2025 PGA Champions Tour Cologuard Classic takes place March x-x at the Jack Nicklaus designed La Paloma Country Club course. It’s the first professional
tournament held at this stunning target-style desert course located in the central Catalina Foothills. Debuting at La Paloma in 2024, the pros raved about the beauty of the course, the conditioning, and the challenging, but fair layout. The fans loved the city views one direction, the mountain views in another, the manicured green course surrounded by cacti, plus the quality of the pros.
If you are a movie buff and/or a golfer, the film “Tin Cup” was shot at the Tubac Golf Resort, just a short drive south of Tucson. No matter what factors determine where you’ll play your next round - designer, layout, setting, affordability, or ambiance – Tucson’s high quality, easily accessible courses can create your perfect golf trip.
Opposite Top: The Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa
Opposite Bottom: Loews Ventana Canyon Resort
Above Top: Sewailo Golf Club, Casino Del Sol
Above: Tubac Golf Resort and Spa
(206) 291-7818
julie@swurban.com
JULIE BOARDMAN
Stay a little longer?
( 2 06) 2 91-7818
julie@swurban.com
julieboardmanrealestate.com REAL ESTATE AGENT | REALTOR®
Ideeply invested in your success
t’s easy to fall in love with Tucson’s undeniable charm. For many, that love leads to the desire to make Tucson home. After visiting Tucson, I found my own piece of paradise — a mid-century fixer-upper I remodeled into my dream home. Now, I’m dedicated to helping others do the same. I’ll guide you through one of life’s most important investments with ease and confidence. First-time buyers, vacation homes, investors, relocations, or upsizing/downsizing — whatever your needs, Tucson offers endless possibilities. Let me help you explore them all.
Experience the unique beauty of the Sonoran Desert and the Santa Catalina Mountains in Oro Valley, Arizona.
Whether your pleasure is hiking, golfing, swimming, cycling, shopping or relaxing at a spa, you’ll find it here.
After a successful corporate career in Fortune 100 and high tech start ups, I utilize my expertise in active listening, relationship-building and negotiating for your advantage. Whether you’re looking for the right time to buy or sell, the perfect price, or the most effective approach, my market and lifestyle savvy are invaluable. Let’s navigate the Arizona real estate market together and achieve your goals with care, expertise, and a personalized touch.
Download the Explore OV app to make planning your time in Oro Valley easier.
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
ORO VALLEY AT TOHONO CHUL
CMOV at Tohono Chul has indoor and outdoor exhibits, activities and programming for kids and families that draw on the natural setting of Tohono Chul, with a focus on the culture, animals and plants of our Sonoran Desert region. childrensmuseumtucson.org/ cmov
HEIRLOOM FARMERS MARKETS
is a non-profit organization that connects, educates and empowers the community to create a vibrant food system in support of local food producers and small businesses. Heirloom Farmers Markets are open year round with winter and summer hours rotating throughout their five locations around Tucson, Rincon Valley, Oro Valley and Green Valley. heirloomfm.org
CLAY & CLOTH
Clay & Cloth offers a beautiful selection of handmade folk art that showcases the rich cultural heritage of Southern Mexico and beyond. Their current location at 310 S. Convent Avenue, in the Historic Barrio Viejo, adds memorable charm to experiencing Tucson. Tue - Sat 11am - 5 pm Summer Hours: Will Vary madmaxthedogshop.com
TASTE OF TUCSON DOWNTOWN FOOD TOUR
This event offers culinary and cultural tours that serve up delicious food. Along the route, guests learn about Tucson’s colorful history and enjoy public art projects. At many of the restaurants, guests meet the chef, manager or owner, and learn about the food offered. Corporate events and tours are available. tasteoftucsondowntown.com
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM TUCSON
Discover and Imagine at Children’s Museum Tucson! CMT offers fun, play-based, hands-on learning experiences for families. Step inside and explore STEM in Investigation Station, climb Sabino Canyon, cook up a feast in Bodyology or unleash your creativity in Imagine It! childrensmuseumtucson.org
KITT PEAK NATIONAL OBSERVATORY
boasts the largest number of major optical research telescopes on Earth. Daytime guided tours of research telescopes. Nightly guided views through powerful Visitor Center telescopes. VIP overnight experiences available. Celebrating our 60th year of public tours! visitkittpeak.org
GETTING ELEVATED IN ARIZONA!
Whether you’re new to cannabis or an OG with the 420, you can trust Curaleaf to help guide you! Everyone walks into a dispensary looking for something different, and we work WITH you to curate a one-of-a-kind cannabis experience that’s as unique as you are! curaleaf.com
Devine Desert Healing 00000026ESRZ88769978
TUCSON
DESERT ART MUSEUM
The nonprofit Museum features Navajo textiles, Early American and Southwestern art. Special exhibitions in 2025 include: “Colors to Dye For,” “The Twisted Road” with immigration art, and “The Dirty Thirties” with New Deal Photography. Visit the Museum’s Gallery to purchase local fine art, pottery, jewelry and gifts. tucsondart.org
Mural Joe Pagac Bikes
250 YEARS OF TUCSON'S HISPANIC HERITAGE
Next year, Tucson Celebrates 250 years since the founding of El Presidio de Tucson. And with it, a quarter millenia of Hispanic heritage.
BY VICTOR MERCADO
Like the rich colors and delicate weaving of the traditional Mexican serape, Tucson’s Hispanic heritage is woven into the fabric of everyday life. It is found in the sounds of Spanish and Spanglish, both spoken nearly universally in the Viejo Pueblo. You can find it in our architecture. You can find it in mariachi, cumbia, and banda music–the soundtrack of Tucson. Here in Arizona’s second-largest city, you can eat your way through hundreds of restaurants, food trucks, street vendors and experience amazing cultural festivals like the Tucson International Mariachi Conference and Tucson Meet Yourself (affectionately referred to by locals as Tucson Eat Yourself).
Mexican and Spanish American History lives on in Tucson’s Barrio Viejo
Lines of beautiful and colorful row houses along Tucson’s Barrio Viejo date to the mid 1800s when Tucson was still a part of Mexico. They were built from exposed mud adobe brick, featuring high ceilings, stone foundations, canales (roof drainage pipes), and vigas (round roof timbers). Central hallways called zaguanes lead from the exterior door to a patio or courtyard. These hallways are a characteristic of Spanish colonial architecture of this time period. Many of the first streets in Tucson had Spanish names. Language was an important part of the history of the built environment in Tucson.
Experience authentic
Sonoran cuisine in Tucson
As the first UNESCO City of Gastronomy in the United States, it’s no wonder that Tucson is home to America’s Best Mexican Food. Tucson’s Mexican food scene draws heavily from the vaquero (cowboy) influence of Sonora, most notable in the food corridors along 12th Avenue, the City of South Tucson, and Tucson’s west side. Three of Tucson’s James Beard nominees and foodie rockstars–Maria Mazon, Wendy Garcia and Flavia Briones–draw heavily from the Mexican culinary canon.
Tucson is on the national gastronomy map. It is also the birthplace of folk rock bad-ass and Mariachi legend, Linda Ronstadt. And for that matter, the chimichanga! So when it comes to food and culture, Tucsonans hold on to their Mexican-American roots like a badge of honor. Locals, transplants and out-of-towners lose themselves in miles and miles of tacos, menudo, mariscos, elote. Here, wiping your Hot-Cheeto fingers on your jeans or blissfully diving into loaded bags of Tostilocos like a middle-schooler is just what we do.
Along 12th Avenue, a predominantly Mexican-American community, visitors and locals continue flocking to the O.G.’s of the carne asada taco and Sonoran hot dog–BK’s and El Guero Canelo. Since the early 1990’s these taco shops located across from one another have been serving up staples of Sonoran street food, and most recently, the quesabirria, a recent addition to the Sonoran food canon. Think of a quesadilla stuffed with mouth-watering birria (shredded beef marinated in its savory juices).
In the City of South Tucson, a one-square mile city within the boundaries of the City of Tucson, you can find a hole-in-the-wall spot called El Torero. There, Michael Hultquist, Jr. is keeping a family tradition alive while experimenting with dishes like spicy tuna truffle hash browns, while serving up classic combo plates and a lineup of piping hot Mexican soups, and even paying homage to local artist Danny Martin, naming a burro after him.
Across from Pueblo High School, home of one of the best youth mariachi ensembles in the
country, a spot called Taqueria Porfis serves up tacos al vapor (steamed tacos). Taqueria Porfis started out of a carreta in the border city of Nogales, Sonora, catering to the lunchtime crowd along Ingenieros street. Like all delicious things in Tucson, Porfis made its way up from the border along Interstate 19. You could probably eat ten tacos in one sitting, so bring a friend. For Tucsonans, food brings us together.
Urban renewal destroys La Calle, a beloved MexicanAmerican Tucson community
In the 1960’s, nearly 250 homes in the thriving neighborhood known as La Calle (just north of where Barrio Viejo stands today) were bulldozed as City leaders made room for what is now the Tucson Convention Center. This year, through a partnership between Rio Nuevo, the Tucson Convention Center, and Borderlands Theatre, visitors to the Tucson Convention Center grounds can use an augmented reality app to see how MexicanAmerican, Chinese-American, Tohono O’odham and Yaqui residents and families lived before the neighborhood was destroyed.
Sonoran hot dogs
Photo by JASoriano
Tucson’s version of SXSW:
Agave Heritage Festival, Pueblos de Maiz, All Souls Parade and Tucson International Mariachi Conference
Tucson is one of four world heritage sites that celebrates Pueblos del Maiz, an international festival celebrating corn, a food source that has been sustaining life in the Sonoran Desert and around the world for millennia. Tucsonans are connected to corn primarily through the corn tortilla, and through traditional Mexican and Sonoran dishes like menudo and pozole that make use of hominy. From tacos to quesadillas to chilaquiles, to entomatadas, to tostadas, and more, the corn tortilla is ubiquitous. It is traditionally prepared on top of a comal (large metal disc) over a crackling mesquite fire by the rapid pat-pat-pat of calloused hands.
This year’s Pueblos del Maíz Festival took place across four days of cooking demos, celebrations, lectures, concerts, and film. It included collaboration dinners with visiting chefs Jaime Gonzalez from San Antonio, Texas and Chef Nidia Sanchez from Mexico, honoring the ancestral ways of corn. Add to that a Selena tribute band Bidi-Bidi-Banda, the Pueblos del Maíz Fiesta, and a concert by Grammy-nominated, Afro-Cuban Rockstar Cimafunk and you have all the ingredients for one of Tucson’s biggest festivals.
Another popular springtime event in Tucson is the Agave Heritage Festival, celebrating the culture of the agave plant, native to the Sonoran region, which is used to make tequila and mescal. The Agave Heritage Festival has grown into a celebration of small batch, traditional mescals and tequilas that are not readily available via normal commercial markets. The event has some great tasting and dining events, lectures, presentations, and more. It is truly a unique and wonderful Tucson event celebrating one of our regional specialties.
In early November each year, Tucson features its “All Souls Procession,” where upwards of 200,000 people march silently honoring dead friends and family. Directly inspired by the “Day of the Dead” ceremonies in Mexico, this procession features artistic, colorful images from Day of the Dead, personal decedents, and people in the parade paint their faces, wear special outfits, and the procession ends with a ceremonial burning of “The Urn” filled with hopes, offerings (ofrendas), and wishes of the public for those who have passed.
Mariachi music is a way of life in Tucson. In 1983, Mariachi Cobre founder Randy Carrillo pitched the idea for a mariachi competition that became the Tucson International Mariachi Conference. The conference is one of the largest mariachi events in the U.S., later inspir ing Linda Ronstadt’s gram my-winning, double platinum album Canciones de Mi Padre she herself took part in the conference. It is the biggest-selling non-En glish album in American history.
Linda Ronstadt’s Canciones de Mi Padre became a symbol of cultural heritage, especially in places like Tucson, where Mexican-American students in the city’s largest school district were punished for Speaking in the 1960s. In 1987, Linda’s beautiful tribute to her father became an anthem for a Mexican-American community seeking to reclaim its voice.
Barrio Viejo’s style of urban architecture is unique to Tucson. Its vibrant homes are located in the one-mile area of Cushing Street to the north and 18th Street to the south, Stone Avenue to the east and the Frontage Road to the west. You can book a walking tour of the one-mile Barrio Viejo neighborhood through the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson Museum. The tour begins at El Tiradito Wishing Shrine. A group called Borderlandia also offers guided tours of “Tucson Origins.”
An 1892 map of Tucson shows many of the streets and their Spanish names. Source: La Calle, written by Tucson historian Dr. Lydia Otero. Located within Barrio Viejo is El Tiradito Wishing Shrine. Legend says that in the late 1800s a man named Juan Oliveras married the daughter of a wealthy rancher. Oliveras had an affair with his mother-in-law and the two fell in love. The rancher, after finding out of the affair, killed both of them and buried their bodies at El Tiradito. El Tiradito is revered by Tucson’s Mexican American community, and the shrine is open for all to see on South Main Avenue. There, the faithful pray for lost causes and light candles for both the living and the dead.
Agave Heritage Festival
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Blown Away
Tucson’s Vibrant Glass Art Scene
BY EDIE JAROLIM
Opaque or translucent, colorful or monochromatic, forged in flame or etched by hand – glass is a uniquely versatile and appealing artistic medium. Alison Harvey, co-owner of Tucson’s Philabaum Glass Gallery, says “There are no limits with glass, from color, shape, size, texture, or surface.”
You can see the dazzling range of possibilities unfold as you stroll through the beautifully illuminated rooms of the downtown gallery, the only one exclusively showcasing glass in Arizona and one of the few with this singular focus in the United States. Harvey explains, “Only showing glass really gives people a sense of what this material can do. It’s magical.”
Harvey managed the gallery for a decade while it was still in the hands of founder Tom Philabaum; she and her husband, Dylan, purchased it after Philabaum retired in late 2018. Although he is no longer blowing glass, Philabaum is still creating painted and fused-glass pieces. And his influence on Tucson’s glass art scene continues to grow.
A bit of background. In 1973, Philabaum graduated with a master’s degree in glass art from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where Harvey Little headed the first collegiate glassblowing program in the country. Credited with founding the American studio glass movement in 1962, Littleton was not only a
Photo by Scott Griessel/Creatista
Photo by Scott Griessel/Creatista
groundbreaking instructor but also one of the early creators of the small-scale furnaces that allow glass artists to work individually in their studios.
Philabaum moved to Tucson in 1975 and started a clay-andglass cooperative, reflecting his interest in both artistic media.
A decade later, he founded a combination art gallery and glassblowing studio in a converted Tastee Freez [sic] downtown; after 1991, it was devoted to glass only. Philabaum’s work soon earned international acclaim and the artist was instrumental in bringing the annual conference of the Glass Art Society, the world’s largest organization of glass enthusiasts, to Tucson.
When Philabaum retired, his glass studio was shuttered and the gallery was expanded; it now represents over 75 artists from across the country, more than 30 of whom live and work in Arizona. By then Philabaum and artist Dave Klein had co-founded the nonprofit Sonoran Glass School, with extensive studio facilities for glass artists. Philabaum taught nationally accredited courses there for many years, and a number of the artists who now teach at the school came up through the Philabaum studio.
Formerly “a rusty, closed-down tire station in one of Tucson’s oldest barrios south of downtown,” as the school’s website puts it, the building still doesn’t look like much from the outside. But inside – oh my! Shelves of eye-catching glass art crafted by the school’s instructors are juxtaposed with the main room’s centerpiece, a huge glowing furnace maintained at 2,000°F. Talk about beauty and the beast.
Some of the most striking pieces on display were created by Brianna Barron, manager of the school’s warm shop. As opposed to the hot shop where the furnace holds sway, the warm shop is for those whose pieces – for example, suncatchers or platters – are later fired in a kiln. Barron emphasizes that the school is not only
Photo by Scott Griessel/Creatista
for professionals. She says, “We offer a lot of different classes, all sorts of processes, for people from all walks of life and all ages. It’s really fun and really addictive.” And although the school has a steady roster of local instructors, many guest artists teach classes, too – including some who come to town from far flung places to attend Tucson’s annual gem and mineral show.
Most of the classes are at held at the school itself but, grant funding permitted, those that don’t involve playing with fire are offered at places like senior centers and K-12 classrooms. Marica Whittemore, an arts educator who has taught several of these classes, reports that many students from the third-grade up already know the basics of glass-making and glass art from watching Netflix’s popular “Blown Away.” The reality show competition starts each episode by saying, “Throw sand, lime, and soda into a 2000-degree Fahrenheit furnace and you get liquid glass.” The show also introduces the audience to such tools of the trade as torches and molten-glass cutters.
There’s a close symbiotic relationship between the Philabaum Gallery and the Sonoran Glass School. Gallery owner Harvey says, “We do two big exhibitions a year. And the current show has over 60 pieces by three great Tucson artists and they all blow their glass at Sonoran Glass School.”
One of those featured artists, Steve Hagen, gave a glassblowing demonstration at the Sonoran Glass School in the spring; they’re offered quarterly and are free to the public. Harvey says, “We had a crowd of over 50 people on the edge of their seats for two hours while Steve created one of his wonderful citrus sculptures. It was really exciting to hear people say, ‘I can barely keep my attention on anything for two hours, but I couldn’t take my eyes off that.’”
As anyone who has watched “Blown Away” knows, it is the tension of working with extreme heat while taking account of the fragility of glass that helps generate this excitement. Melanie
Morgan, the school’s Executive Director, says, “Breakage is something the instructors joke about all the time. They say to their students, ‘Don’t get too attached to your work.’ And when they’re doing a demo, the artists won’t let the audience clap until the whole thing is successfully finished.”
The classes, the demonstrations, the quality of the art school and of the pieces in the downtown gallery… all can be traced back to Tom Philabaum. Harvey says, “He sent his work all over the world, but always focused on the arts here in Tucson.” She adds, “He was vital in giving local artists the skills and time they needed to carry that torch” — a fitting glass-art metaphor.
Photo by Scott Griessel/Creatista
Photo by Scott Griessel/Creatista
Made in TUCSON
Meet local makers who find inspiration in their backyards
BY JEFF ATWELL
Tucson’s creative spirit is reflected in the work of local artists and makers inspired by their hometown. Here we present an artist who paints the town, gin producers who keep it local and a candy maker who brings the heat.
Sonoran Desert Dreamscapes: Muralist Joe Pagac
“Collaboration happens naturally in Tucson,” says artist Joe Pagac, who has contributed to the city’s aesthetic one mural at a time for more than 20 years. “Tucson is very supportive of art in general. People celebrate creativity here.”
Nature and outdoor activities are common themes in Pagac’s artwork, inspired by a lifetime exploring the landscapes of Southern Arizona. With larger-than-life murals depicting javelinas popping wheelies on bikes or whales floating over the desert’s sky-island mountain ranges, Pagac’s style is instantly recognizable.
“Murals give a sense of place and local pride. I want my murals to reflect the values of the community,” says Pagac. “I lean into whimsey to make the art fun, to capture plants and animals in a fresh way that brightens up a person’s day.”
His sunsets capture colors unique to this part of the Sonoran Desert. The oranges and purples emerging from a monsoon storm are spot on. Other colors ring true to Southern Arizona, including the deep olive green of the cactus here and the vibrant rainbow pattern behind a roadrunner’s eyes.
Pagac has expanded public art from Tucson’s downtown core to all corners of the city. See his new sky island waterscape at Scented Leaf on the eastside near Tanque Verde and Sabino Canyon roads. In the midtown Prince and Mountain neighborhood, he created a mural that depicts the history of Rillito River. At La Encantada in the foothills, his fanciful lizard poses in a turquoise necklace. His iconic murals aim to make the city as colorful and uplifting as the Sonoran Desert that surrounds it.
“We have a vibrant mural art community that has taken off in the past 10-15 years,” says Pagac. “Murals have created a new industry in Tucson with walking tours and more artists making a living creating art. Many businesses want murals on their walls now so they can participate in the story.”
Raise a Glass to Tucson: Suncliffe Gin
Ryan Lawrence, Thomas Giddings and Clare Byrne of Suncliffe set out to create an American gin with a sense of place. By foraging juniper berries near Sedona and incorporating other Arizona botanicals, the woman- and LGBTQowned business developed a gin with a uniquely Arizona flavor profile.
“Gin can feel exclusive in the way it is marketed,” says Giddings. “It is either Mad Men masculine or 1800s apothecary shop dusty bottle on the shelf.”
In 2020, Ryan and Tom learned that three species of junipers intersect in Sedona. They foraged juniper berries and experimented by adding Ponderosa pine bark, manzanita berries and elderberry flowers to create the Suncliffe concept that launched in 2021. The result was less
astringent and piney than other premium gins. The bark added a hint of butterscotch and a slightly peppery finish. Floral notes came from the addition of elderflower.
Partnerships with local bars and spirits stores soon followed. At shops such as Westbound, Rum Runner and Tap & Bottle, Suncliffe hosts gin tastings and cocktail competitions to give customers a taste of their top-shelf Arizona gin.
“When Hotel Congress put Suncliffe on the cocktail menu, it gave us credibility and visibility,” says Lawrence. “It does not get more Tucson than Hotel Congress.”
Just months later at Juniper — Arizona’s only gin bar — a full page of Suncliffe cocktails was added to the menu. At The Parish, Suncliffe Gin stars in Manzanita at Midnight, winner of the 2023 Cocktail of the Year. Suncliffe also earned a place in the Fox Theatre bar program and partners with local distiller Whiskey Del Bac to use charred whiskey barrels to age limited-release Solstice Gin.
The next step? The team is researching and developing new products using Arizona botanicals. Future releases will highlight plants sourced from Mission Gardens in Tucson to the agriculture fields of Yuma. They are also working on a physical tasting room concept to showcase their field-to-glass spirits and pride for Tucson.
Pucker
Up:
Dirty T Tamarindo
Alana Solis, owner and candy maker at Dirty T Tamarindo in Tucson’s Barrio Hollywood neighborhood, loves where she lives. Born and raised in Tucson, she grew up visiting relatives in Hermosillo who taught her how to make chamoy and tamarindo — Mexican sauces flavored with pickled fruits, chiles and limes and used on everything from fruit to meat. The flavors Solis enjoyed as a kid became the love language she wants to share with Tucson today.
“Tamarind tastes sweet and sour with a lot of acidity,” says Solis. “Chamoy has a similar flavor profile with additional hints of chile and salt.”
Solis imagined a product line focused on authentic Mexican candies such as dried mango coated in spices and saladitos — dried plums hit with a hot and salty blast. She also knew she wanted to source fruits and spices from Mexico and update her menu of fruit-based snacks seasonally. Which is to say, Solis likes to experiment. Her Mexican Sushi wraps fruit rolls around Juicerz then coats each piece in chamoy and spices for a bite visitors can find only in her shop.
Dirty T Tamarindo quickly grew from an online snack store to a brick-and-mortar location.
Among Solis’ early supporters, iconic Tucson eateries Tumerico and BOCA by Chef Maria Mazon, were joined by a legion of convenience stores, brewpubs, barber shops, tattoo parlors and motor lodges eager to carry Dirty T candies.
To shine a light on Barrio Hollywood’s business community, Solis hosts Night Markets at Dirty T Tamarindo. On the third Saturday of each month, the parking lot at St. Marys Road and Grande Avenue fills with neighborhood vendors and has rotating attractions such as mariachi bands, lowriders and food trucks.
“Customers often say they feel nostalgic eating these candies and are instantly transported to their childhoods,” says Solis. For visitors trying Mexican candies for the first time, Solis suggests Dirty Juicerz and Dirty Peachez. “They have the perfect balance of sweet, sour and salty with just the right level of spice.”
• Local, Family-Owned
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New Visitors Special: 50% Off for first order (up to $50) – in-store only!
Open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; holiday hours may vary.
Order online at earthshealing.org for in-store pickup or same-day delivery ($60 minimum), or visit either of our 2 convenient locations:
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