Tucson Visitor's Guide
Rattlesnake Bridge, Broadway W. of Euclid
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This web page is intended to help short-term and long-term
visitors to Tucson find interesting things to do. I prepared
it during my sabbatical year at the University of Arizona from
August 2001-July 2002.
Obviously this list strongly reflects
my own interests, but others might also find it useful. I've tried
to focus mostly on what makes Tucson different from other cities.
Hitchhiking saguaro cactus, 2875 N. Tucson Blvd.
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For more information about Tucson, see the following links:
Bakeries
- Beyond Bread - good bakery,
mostly sourdough-based bread, yummy pretzels. Very crowded at
lunchtime.
- 3026 N. Campbell Ave., 322-9965
- 6260 E. Speedway Blvd., 747-7477
- Ilsa's Konditorei and Bakery, 3355 N. Dodge Blvd., 323-7101 -
traditional German-style bakery
Paul Bunyan Statue, Glenn and Stone
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Baseball
Three major-league teams come to Tucson for
spring training, which runs roughly from March 1 to April 1. There's
also the Tucson Sidewinders, a AAA minor league team.
Tucson Electric Park is near the intersection of Ajo Way and Country Club
Road.
Hi Corbett Field is in Reid Park, between Broadway and 22nd Street on
Randolph Way.
Gambel's Quail
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Bookstores
Tucson has a reasonable selection of both new and used bookstores
(although it used to be better).
- Borders - good new bookstore, also CD's
- 4235 N. Oracle, (520) 292-1331
- 5870 E. Broadway Blvd., (520) 584-0111
- Barnes & Noble - reasonable new bookstore
- 5130 E. Broadway Blvd., (520) 512-1166
- 7325 N. La Cholla, (520) 742-6402
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Bookman's - largest used book chain in Arizona - definitely worth a visit
- 1930 E. Grant Rd., (520) 325-5767
- 3733 W. Ina Rd., (520) 579-0303
- 6230 E. Speedway, (520) 748-9555
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Antigone Books, 411 N. Fourth Ave., 792-3715 - feminist and progressive
- Scholar's Bookstore, 2644 E. Speedway Blvd., 326-3115.
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Reader's Oasis, 3400 E. Speedway Blvd. #114, (520) 319-7887.
Independent bookstore. Science section is truly abysmal, heavily
populated with pseudoscience claptrap; other sections better.
- Book Stop, 2504 N. Campbell, (520) 326-6661. Very nice
old-fashioned used bookstore (narrow aisles, floor-to-ceiling books),
carefully-chosen selection.
- Cover Story Book Store, 8628 E. Broadway, (520) 886-5364,
e-mail: purplesage@earthlink.net.
Doesn't look like much on the outside, but inside is crammed floor-to-ceiling
with books -- mostly paperbacks. Selection is too indiscriminate; there's
lots of junk. Limited hours (Mon-Fri, 10 AM - 5 PM).
Caves
- Colossal Cave, Vail,
(520) 647-7275. Very kitschy but fun for kids. Some tour guides are
really awful, some are very good.
- Kartchner
Caverns State Park, Benson, (520) 586-2283.
Pristine caverns, some of the best in the US.
Coffee
- Bentley's House of
Coffee and Tea, 1730 E. Speedway Blvd., (520) 795-0338. Open 7 AM
to midnight, Monday through Saturday; 8 AM to midnight, Sunday. Free
wireless internet access!
Hiking
Woods Memorial Library, 3455 N. 1st
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Libraries
The Tucson-Pima Public Library has
many branches throughout the city. It is reasonable, although not
wonderful, for a city of this size.
Here's a list of branches,
locations, and hours. And here's the library catalogue.
Of course, there is also the
University of Arizona library, which is quite good. Here's
the U of A
Library Catalogue.
Maps
Museums
- Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum,
2021 N. Kinney Rd., 883-1380. See all the wildlife you didn't see while
hiking.
- Pima Air and Space Museum, 6000
E. Valencia, 574-0462. Excellent museum with vintage aircraft.
- Center
for Creative Photography, 621-7968.
- Flandrau Science Center,
University Blvd. and Cherry, (520) 621-4227.
Small science
museum on UA campus. Wonderful mineral museum in basement.
- Arizona State Museum
- 1013 E. University Blvd., 621-6302. Anthropology of Arizona's native
Americans.
- Tucson Museum of Art -
140 N. Main Ave., 624-2333
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Tucson Children's Museum, 200 S. 6th Ave., 792-9985. A real disappointment.
Dirty, displays are boring, and many remain broken for months.
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Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon, (520) 326-9686
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Reid Park Zoo, 22nd Street and Lake Shore, 791-4022. Small zoo suitable
for kids.
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International Wildlife Museum, 4800 W. Gates Pass Rd., (520) 629-0100,
ext. 275. Stuffed animals out the wazoo.
- Titan Missile Museum,
Sahuarita, (520) 625-7736.
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Biosphere 2
Bighorn sheep, Desert Museum
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Music
Newspapers
Outdoors
- Tucson Audubon Society,
300 E. University Blvd., #120, (520) 629-0510. Great gift shop.
Rare bird alert, 798-1005.
- Nature Conservancy of
Arizona, 1510 E. Ft. Lowell, 622-3861. Great display of wildflowers
outside headquarters.
- Saguaro National Park. Two units,
one east, one west of town. Splendid saguaros. Trail to Wasson Peak in
Saguaro West is a favorite.
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Coronado National Forest. Hiking trails, camping, etc. Visit Mt. Lemmon,
Summerhaven, Lemmon Rock Lookout Trail, etc.
- Catalina
State Park, N. of Tucson on Oracle. Nice park, Romero Ruins trail.
May be subject to closures due to state budget cuts.
- Southeast Arizona
Birding Trail
- Southeast Arizona Bird Observatory
- Summit Hut. Tucson's version of REI.
Packs, gear, books, maps. Expensive.
- 605 E. Wetmore, 888-1000.
- 5045 E. Speedway, 325-1554.
- Popular Outdoor Outfitters.
Cheaper, junkier stuff than Summit Hut.
- 6315 E. Broadway, 290-1644.
- 2820 N. Campbell, 326-2520.
- 6314 N. Oracle, 575-1044.
- REI. None in Tucson.
You'll have to drive all the way
to Tempe (1405 W. Southern, (480) 967-5494).
Outside Tucson
Prickly pear blossoms, April.
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Parks
- Himmel Park, 1000 N. Tucson Blvd. - grass and shade trees, unusual for
Tucson.
- Tohono Chul Park,
7366 N. Paseo del Norte, 575-8468.
Radio
See The Tucson Radio Dial for
a list of all stations.
- KUAZ 89.1 FM and 1550 AM - NPR news and jazz.
Not the best NPR station in the country (where's Talk of the Nation?),
but adequate. Surprisingly poor reception in many parts of Tucson.
- KUAT 90.5 FM and a repeater for northwest
Tucson at 89.7 FM - classical music,
but the programming is not very adventurous.
- KJZZ This is a Phoenix NPR
station with a Tucson repeater at 98.9 FM. Very poor reception away from
downtown, but at least they have Talk of the Nation.
- KXCI - 91.3 FM - Eclectic community radio.
- KNAU (Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University)
Acupuncture by licensed saguaros? 1643 E. Prince
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Restaurants
- Blue Willow, 2616 N. Campbell, 327-7577. Tucson institution, nice
atmosphere, crowded on Sundays.
- Cafe Terra Cotta, 3500 E. Sunrise, 577-8100.
Expensive nouvelle cuisine with Arizona flavor.
Everybody says it used to be better, but still very good. Make
reservations.
- Casa Chimichanga, 3992 N. Oracle, 887-9200. Specializing in the
chimichanga, which supposedly was invented in Tucson by accident when
a burrito was dropped in a deep fryer.
- Chipotle, 905 E. University, 628-7967. Partly owned by McDonald's.
Serves enormous burritos that are not bad for a place partly owned
by McDonald's. Popular and somewhat slow at lunchtime.
- Dakota Cafe and Catering Company. 298-7188.
In Trail Dust Town, 6541 E. Tanque Verde. Mediocre.
- Da Vinci Italian Restaurant, 3535 E. Fort Lowell, 881-0947.
Good Italian restaurant in stereotypical setting.
- El Cubanito, 1150 E. 6th St., 623-8020. Only Cuban place in town.
- El Charro, 311 N. Court, 622-1922. Very good Mexican
food, but touristy and
a bit expensive for what you get.
- Greasy Tony's, 828 E. Speedway, 622-9089.
Very slow service. Cheesesteaks are not authentic.
- Irene's, 254 E. Congress, 206-9385. Peruvian food, downtown. Mediocre.
- La Indita, 622 N. 4th Ave., 792-0523. Spicy. Indifferent service.
- La Salsa, 1800 E. Ft. Lowell, 325-0082. Fast, fresh, reasonably
cheap Mexican food. A chain.
- Los Betos Mexican Food, 914 E. Speedway, 884-5291, and many
other locations. Good, cheap Mexican food. Try the chorizo burrito.
Cleanliness could be better.
- Macayo's Mexican Kitchen, 7360 N. Oracle, 742-2141. Undistinguished.
- Magpie's Pizza,
4654 E. Speedway, 795-5977, and other locations.
Best pizza chain in Tucson.
- Millie's Pancake Haus. A cut above IHOP.
- 7053 N. Oracle, (520) 797-8997
- 6530 E. Tanque Verde, (520) 298-4250
- Mi Nidito, 1813 S. 4th, 622-5081. President Clinton ate there.
Long lines on weekends.
- Mr. Goody's Bar-B-Q Restaurant, 3643 N. Campbell, 327-0720.
Great barbeque.
- Nico's Fine Mexican Food, 1855 E. Fort Lowell, 327-3190.
Also three other locations. Cheap, good Mexican fast food.
Cleaner than Los Betos.
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Ocotillo Cafe, Desert Museum, 883-1380. Excellent, but a little pricey.
Reservations recommended.
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Oregano's Pizza Bistro, 4900 E. Speedway, 327-8955. Good
inexpensive Italian food.
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Picurro Pizzeria, 2921 E. Ft. Lowell, 325-7777, and other locations.
Reasonably good chain pizza.
- Reef, 78 W. River, 407-0470. Seafood. Amazing fish tanks.
- Rosa's Mexican Food, 1750 E. Ft. Lowell, 325-0362. Very good Mexican,
high garlic salsa. One of the few places in town that sells sopapillas.
- Sabor de Mexico, 1122 E. 6th St., 622-1122. Genuine, inexpensive
Mexican food in tiny restaurant near university. Best chips in
Tucson. Cleanliness could be better.
- Sanchez Burrito Company, 2530 N. 1st, 622-2092, and other locations.
Excellent cheap Mexican food.
- Sher-e-Punjab, 853 E. Grant, 624-9393. Indian food. Good.
- St. Mary's Mexican Food, 1030 W. St. Mary's, 884-1629.
Cheap, reasonable.
But served in styrofoam, which decreases the pleasure.
- Sushi-Ten, 4500 E. Speedway, 324-0010. Japanese food, supposedly
best in Tucson.
- Tohono Chul Tea Room, 7366 Paseo Del Norte, 797-1222. Breakfast,
lunch, afternoon tea in desert park.
- Tony's Place, 331 W. 29th St. Haven't been, but
supposedly the best snow cones
in Tucson. Another good snow cone place is in front of the Toys R Us store,
4525 N. Oracle.
More Restaurant Reviews
Reviews from:
Rocks, Minerals, Gems
Of course, the real action is in February, during the Gem and Mineral
Show. Nevertheless, if you are visiting some other time, here's a few
places to go.
- DAH Rock Shop
(aka Discount Agate House), 3401 N. Dodge, (520) 323-0781. Very nice
store, lots of specimens ranging from local mineral rarities like kinoite
to small uncut pieces of emerald, sapphire, iolite, etc., to a small
selection of cut stones.
- Tucson Gem & Mineral World,
2801 S. Kinney, (520) 883-0682. Real old-fashioned
rock shop, with thousands of specimens in file drawers, arranged in no
particular order. About 6 miles south of the Desert Museum.
Schools
- Kino School - alternative, progressive
private school for K-12 education.
Toys
- Yikes, 2932 E. Broadway, 320-5669. Very interesting and strange store
with wind-up toys, etc.
- Kid's Center,
1725 N. Swan, (520) 322-5437.
- Lown's Costumes, 3933 E. Pima, #109, 795-5467. Costumes and practical
jokes.
Bus shelter, 4th and Broadway.
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Transportation
- Bus service provided by SunTran.
Click here for schedules,
or call 792-9222.
- Arizona Shuttle to Phoenix
airport, 795-6771, (800) 888-2749.
Weather
shallit@graceland.uwaterloo.ca