Where do these “snow birds” go after the holidays to warm up? Where the Saguaro are abundant and the sunsets are breathtaking. I’m talking Tucson, AZ, but it could be anywhere in southern AZ. We like to stay in the Sonoran Desert at Desert Trails RV Park. This is a 40 plus community park with planned activities if your interested, or you can hike or bike from the park with over 120 miles of trails. The best part is that it is a quiet park with no noise pollution from planes, trains or freeways. It also has no light pollution, so you can survey the stars to your heart’s content. The park has 225 full hook-up sites and you truly can meet the friendliest people. The park started as a waterpark in the 1970’s and was converted to an RV park in 2007.
The park is great for bird watchers as well. The park attracts well over 50 varieties of birds.
While in Tucson
Tucson is a large city with so much to do. From hiking, biking, wine tasting or just site seeing, there’s plenty to keep you busy.
We love to visit National Parks and there is a big one right in Tucson: Saguaro National Park. This park is the home to the nations largest cacti: the Saguaro. There are 2 sections, east and west of Tucson. There’s a quite a few hiking trails to see the park.
The East side of Saguaro National Park
With most places, I like to begin at the visitor center to get the lay of the land. I’ve found that the rangers have a wealth of information and offer useful maps of the park as well. The visitor center also offers restrooms and a giftshop. If you have about 15 minutes, I would highly recommend the short film, “Voices of the Desert,” and walking around the small museum. This is also the beginning of the 8 mile Cactus Forest Loop Drive.
Inside the museum, you learn a lot about the different species of cactus.
The West side
Along the Bajada Loop Drive I did a short hike Signal Hill Trail because it was the best place to see petroglyphs and the view of the desert meeting the city.
So if you’re a hiker, the East side is better. I would say if you’re short on time, the west side is for you. If you’re a southwestern lover of a cactus, either park will work for you. If you’re interested in seeing the desert come to life with blooms, May is probably the best time to see that, but beware of the heat at that time of year.
History Lesson of Missions of Tucson
Everyone knows about the California mission trail, right? NO? Is that just taught in California 4th grade classes? Probably. But did you know that Arizona has missions also? I did not either. So here is the thing, from 1682-1821, the Spanish established more than two dozen missions and presidios in Southern Arizona and northern Sonora, Mexico. These were built BEFORE the California missions that were established between 1761-1823. When we were visiting, we were not able to go inside due to renovations going on but if you’re in the area, check out their website to organize a visit.https://sanxaviermission.org/
Behind the mission, you can take a short little hike around a hill and get a great view from the top of the hill.
Old Tucson
If you are interested in stepping back in time and interacting with the times of the past, Old Tucson is the place to visit. Its a historic 1939 movie studio and western- themed park. The park was built in 1939 for the 1940 film Arizona. It has been a movie studio for over 500 production including some famous one including Rio Bravo with John Wayne, Tombstone with Kurt Russel as well as the TV show, Little House on the Prairie with Michael Landon. It has gone through some challenging times over recent years. There was a major fire that destroyed 40% of the studio lot on April 24, 1995 destroying sound stages as well as memorabilia. The park was shut down in 2020 like everything else due to the COVID pandemic. The park reopened in October 2022 and has been slowly trying to get traction as a tourist destination. When we visited last year, we saw stunts shows and shootouts. Andrew even got to participate in a show. Tickets are a bit steep at $40 per person, but where else can you get such entertainment?
The Turquoise Trail
This was our introduction to Tucson, AZ. We first stopped at the visitor center in downtown and got a map of the city, restaurant suggestions, and a recommendation for a walking trail. We were told about the Turquoise Trail that is a 2.5 mile walking loop around the city. It is marked with a bright turquoise line on the sidewalk. You can download the trail on your phone to get more information for a small fee. It highlights several historical sites that start with the historical Presidio Museum. The museum is a recreated Spanish fort built in 1775. The highlight was the pit house for me because I read about them, but you have to see one to understand it; it is different.
Along our trail we ventured to the Historic Tucson courthouse that was built in 1929. It has remained an active courthouse. It has seen many prominent cases as well as been visited by Hollywood.
The courthouse made headlines in 1934 when the Dillinger Gang was captured in Tucson. Actor Clark Gable was found quilty in this courthouse in 1954 for negligence and crashing his car into another. In 1991 Johnny Depp pleaded guilty to speeding in the courtroom.
University of Arizona
If you have been following us for a bit, you know that we always find ourselves on college campuses. This time we came to the University of Arizona because my husband was a huge fan of Lute Olson and wanted to see where the legend coached.
So whether you have a day, a week, or several months, Tucson has a lot to offer for everyone. There is so much history in this town and a lot of murals around town to see. I highly recommend a visit and each year we come back with the “snow birds” to stay for a bit. I hope you enjoyed our journey to Tucson, AZ. Please hit the like and subscribe button to travel around the country with us.