Roger Naylor

Special for The Republic

When Fodor’s released its annual Go List in November, a familiar name was on it. Tucson was one of the 52 places around the world that inspire travel in 2019.

Hey, Fodor’s, tell us something we don’t already know.



In their list, the editors of Fodor’s barely scratch the surface of what makes the Old Pueblo such a fun getaway. So we’ll just have to pick up the slack.

Museums and history

There’s too much great stuff for one building to contain the city's treasures, hence the name Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block.

Along with the extensive collection of art, the museum complex includes some of the oldest, most notable structures in the city. The Historic Block represents five restored homes dating to the 1850s.

Docent-led tours, included in the admission price, are offered at 11 a.m. Wednesdays and Sundays. They take you inside the J. Knox Corbett House, filled with Arts and Crafts-era décor, and provide juicy tidbits about the lives of past residents.

Details: 140 N. Main Ave. $12, $7 for ages 7-13, free for Arizona residents on the second Sunday of the month. 520-624-2333, tucsonmuseumofart.org.

History buffs will appreciate the sights along the Turquoise Trail. The historical walking tour covers 2.5 miles and roughly 2.5 centuries. Designed as a loop and marked by an easy-to-follow turquoise-colored stripe, the trail begins and ends at the intersection of Church and Washington streets.

Visitors will amble past a range of attractions, including restored vaudeville theaters, historic homes, a “wishing” shrine and the reconstructed Presidio San Agustin del Tucson, the fort built by Spanish explorers that marked the northern edge of their frontier in the Americas.

Details: Pick up a map at the Tucson Visitor Center, 811 Euclid Ave. Or download a copy at tucsonpresidio.com/turquoise-trail.

Other downtown highlights include the colorful row houses of Barrio Historico, south of the convention center. Classic Sonoran-style adobes, many painted in bright hues, push right to the edge of the property lines, making room for central courtyards hidden from view. This is a favorite stop for photographers.

Mission San Xavier del Bac is noted for its elegant Spanish colonial architecture and colorful art adorning the interior. Shimmering in the sun 10 miles south of Tucson, the “White Dove of the Desert” remains an active parish. The church is open daily, although it may be closed for specific services. A museum and gift shop are on the premises and free guided tours are available.

Details: 1950 W. San Xavier Road. 520-294-2624, sanxaviermission.org.

Hiking, biking and the outdoors

This is the time of year when everyone wants to play outside in the desert, and Tucson offers plenty of opportunities.

Start with the Big Kahuna – a national park that practically laps at residents’ doorsteps. Two sections of Saguaro National Park bookend Tucson and create easy to reach the backcountry.

On the east side of town, the Rincon Mountain District features the scenic Cactus Forest Drive. This one-way paved loop road curves through the heart of a bristling forest of saguaro. A series of interconnected trails branch off from the road so you can stretch your legs, including the short Freeman Homestead Trail.

To the west, the Tucson Mountain District offers the chance to see hundreds of petroglyphs at the Signal Hill Picnic Area. The Hugh Norris Trail is a moderate 10-mile round-trip climb to Wasson Peak with some of the best views in Tucson.

Details: Admission is $15 per vehicle per week and includes both districts. 520-733-5153, nps.gov/sagu.

Visitors can also get their exercise right in the heart of town. Bring a bike and jump on The Loop.

Completed in March, The Loop is 131 miles of paved bike lanes and trails flowing along riverbeds and through natural habitats with beautiful mountain views because, come on – this is Tucson. Mountains dominate every horizon.

The Loop is closed to motorized vehicles, so it’s party time for pedestrians, pedalers and equestrians. You can rent a bike or grab a snack or repair at the Loop Bicycle Shop in a shipping container at 3201 W. Diamond St. 520-909-6288, tucsonsloopbikeshop.com.

Details: For updates and happenings, check out the Ride the Loop Facebook page at facebook.com/ridetheloop.

Birders will enjoy Catalina State Park as much as hikers and mountain bikers do. The park spreads across the foothills of the craggy Santa Catalina Mountains north of town.

Trails like Canyon Loop ramble through desert meadows dotted with cactus, mesquite and ocotillo. Others, like Romero Canyon, ascend the mountain slopes and lead to hidden pools of water. Watch for desert bighorn sheep.

During the winter months, the events calendar is packed with guided hikes, bird walks and outdoor concerts. There’s a campground, too.

Details: $7 per vehicle. 520-628-5798, azstateparks.com/catalina.

Have some quirky fun

Take another trip down memory lane with a visit to the Ignite Sign Art Museum.

Open since October, the museum preserves 350 historically significant signs that offer plenty of life advice. They tell you where to sleep, shop, eat, drink and more. It’s good to see this slice of Americana being protected. Plenty of neon blazes brightly, but any sign with a touch of artistic integrity is welcome. There are miniature versions of some of Tucson’s iconic signs, interactive displays and a museum store.

Details: 331 S. Olsen Ave. $11, $8 for ages 6-17. 520-319-0888, ignitemuseum.com.

For anyone over a certain age, playing a game on your phone is not nearly as satisfying as standing in front of a pinball machine banging away at a silver ball with flippers and body English.

Experience the arcades of your youth at D&D Pinball, where machines from various eras are lined up in colorful rows. You’ll be serenaded with a joyous cacophony of bells, buzzers, jingles, jangles, theme songs and the rat-a-tat clatter of points being tallied. And it’s all yours for a fistful of quarters.

Details: 331 E. Seventh St. 520-777-4969, facebook.com/danddpinball.

Trail Dust Town is an Old West attraction on Tucson’s east side that includes shops, amusement rides, stunt shows, Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse and the Museum of the Horse Soldier. Kids will have a blast watching shootouts, riding the train and more.

Admission is free but there are fees for rides and shows. A $12 wristband provides unlimited rides and access to just about everything.

Details: 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road. 520-296-4551, traildusttown.com.

Colossal Cave Mountain Park, 16 miles east of town, has a long and storied history.

Hohokam Indians once used the caverns for food storage and outlaws hid out here between train robberies in the 1880s. During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps built much of the infrastructure still used by visitors today.

Tours are given daily on the hour starting at 9 a.m. The Classic Tour costs $18, $9 for ages 5-12. For the more adventurous, a Ladder Tour ($35) explores rarely seen corners of the vast hollowed-out mountain, and Wild Cave Tours ($74.99) will have you slithering through narrow passageways and clambering over obstacles. Call for reservations.

Details: 16721 E. Old Spanish Trail, Vail. 520-647-7275, colossalcave.com.

Learn more about what the city has to offer at Visit Tucson: 800-638-8350, www.visittucson.org.

Find the reporter at www.rogernaylor.com. Or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RogerNaylorinAZ or Twitter @AZRogerNaylor.

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