Thriving in Tucson
If you're thinking of breaking up with your city...consider Tucson as your next love
I’ll be honest, I knew nothing about Tucson except my experience with the Double Tree hotel right by the airport. When I closed my eyes and thought of Tucson I thought of Double Tree cookies and Saguaro cacti.
What I found, was so much more.
Tucson is a growing city. It experienced 7.8% population growth from 2010-20 according to Census data. However, I found that the area is so well thought out that it was easy to navigate as an outsider. Even in the busiest times of day, I never sat in, what I would consider, “traffic” and the longest drive I took was up to Saguaro National Park. Every place I visited was about 15-20 minutes away from each other, making the schedule I followed completely doable, even if you are limited on time.
So, you want to get a feel for the city and are possibly considering relocating here? Well there’s a few options of places to stay starting with their world-renowned spas. You might not realize Tucson is a wellness destination, but Canyon Ranch and Miraval are the most sought after spots. I even saw a Miraval shuttle at the airport, so if relaxation is what you seek, you don’t even have to hassle with driving to the resort.
I didn’t come to sit in a spa, however, I came to check out some art galleries and hiking. There’s over 35 art galleries, just in the downtown area alone, but I decided to go with one near the Hacienda Del Sol where I was staying, called the DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun.
I picked DeGrazia, because the gallery isn’t just an art gallery, it was a gallery built by DeGrazia himself to showcase his own work. Apparently Ted DeGrazia migrated to Tucson and his works weren’t well received by other galleries, so he decided to build his own. This is also where he lived and he and his wife are buried on site. His paintings tell stories so you’ll find them hung on the wall in order of how the story is supposed to unfold. The gallery also has rotating collections of his works featured so you can go every visit and find something new to discover. When he died it took them 8 years to categorize his works, if that gives you any idea of the scale of his paintings, sculptures and drawings. From 1960 to the mid-1970s DeGrazia became wildly successful and the gallery flourished with hundreds of thousands of yearly visitors. I also learned that when DeGrazia found out there would be an inheritance tax on his works, he hauled about 100 of his paintings on horseback into the Superstition Mountains near Phoenix and set them ablaze in 1976. He also created his own legend around some of his paintings being hidden in the Superstition mountains and there are people who go searching for them to this day.
After a few hours at the gallery and a refreshing lunch at Charrovida, I headed over to Tohono Chul. Tucson offers 30+ museums to explore including the world-renowned Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and the Reid Park Zoo. There really is so much to choose from that make this city a great location for families and I was told many weddings and receptions take place at Tohono Chul. I loved walking through the botanical gardens and learning about all the different plants that occupy the region. Tohono Chul also offers family yoga sessions, has a great children’s area and even a spot for their turtles and a butterfly garden. If you get hungry there is a café on site, and of course you can visit the gift shop to take home a little piece of the desert with you.
After exploring all day, I headed back to the hotel to prepare for my sunset drive to Sagurao National Park. This is one of the places I actually researched quite a bit before coming so I could decide whether to check out the East or West side. It’s important to note there are two separate park entrances, so it’s easier to type in to your GPS the location of which visitor center you want so you don’t end up at the wrong park. I chose the West side in the interest of time, because it is smaller and less-visited and would make a great spot to watch the sunset. The loop you drive does turn to dirt and becomes one-way, but I made it in my Camry with no issues (you probably wouldn’t want to travel there after heavy rains though).
There are 37,000 acres of parkland for hiking, camping and exploring so if National Parks aren’t your thing, there are plenty of other areas to explore. Tucson also has 4 mountain ranges for jogging, rock climbing, horseback riding, stargazing and of course bird watching. Bird watching is huge in Tucson, so bring your binoculars. If you are more into biking, there is 800 miles of bike paths, making Tucson consistently ranked as one of the nation’s most bike friendly cities. If I had more time I would have added in horseback riding and a drive up Mount Lemmon, which seemed to be a very popular spot for locals to enjoy.
After my day of exploring it was time to see why Tucson received the first UNESCO City of Gastronomy award in the country. I pulled up to Tito and Pep, a restaurant that looked nice, but not so over-whelming where you feel out of place, and was immediately smitten. The lighting, the decor and the thriving plants, all gave the feel you were invited over to a nice home for dinner and you knew you weren’t going to walk away hungry. While waiting for my table, at least 4 other couples tried to come in and get a seat and were turned away. The bar is first-come, first-served, but I highly recommend reservations or you will be disappointed. The focus of the dining experience at Tito & Pep is mesquite-fired cuisine, complemented by one-of-a kind cocktails and a full-service beverage menu featuring locally brewed beer and a unique selection of wine. I can confirm the cocktails were amazing as was the Sea of Cortez shrimp and if you like Queso Fundido then prepare to have your taste buds delighted. Trust me don’t skip out on the Panna Cotta for dessert!
Tucson is home to University of Arizona, and you can tell adventuring around that the university is a big part of the community. The town has that buzzing energy that only college kids can bring to the table, and it serves 50,000 students. I think having the university there lends itself to a variety of restaurants, shops and bars, and you get the feeling that if you wanted to stay out after dinner, you could certainly find places to go.
Can you believe I managed to fit so much into one day? I have more to tell you about my Tucson trip and how I fell in love with this city saved for my next newsletter. I don’t want to overwhelm you all at once, but I believe this will get the wheels turning if you are looking for a new spot to adventure.
Thank you for being such a loyal reader and I can’t wait to show you all the unique experiences I had on a Saturday living like a local!
Stay tuned for Part 2!