 Outdoor,
indoor
attractions sprinkled
throughout Tucson
TravelGolf.com Staff Report Surrounded by five mountain ranges and sitting in a lush desert filled with spectacular cactus, Tucson offers some of the most beautiful scenery in Arizona. You’ll often see snow dusting the highest peaks in winter and fiery blooms lighting up the desert in the spring.
While Phoenix has become a fast-growing, high-speed city, Tucson hangs onto its desert environment and easy-going lifestyle. Yet there’s an air of sophistication in this cosmopolitan city of 800,000 people. Tucson has plenty to offer outdoor enthusiasts, history buffs, urban cowboys, and culture vultures alike.
 If
you’re a fan of fresh-air and outdoor excitement, you’ll enjoy hiking
and horseback riding among towering saguaro cactuses -- Saguaro National
Park has the world’s largest concentration of them -- or teeing off on
one of the area’s many fine golf courses designed by some of the world’s
top golfers. The Tucson and Southern Arizona region is also ranked as
one of the five best areas in the nation for bird-watching. Southern Arizona
attracts the largest number of hummingbird species in the world.
If you love baseball, come to Tucson in March and you’ll get to see
three Major League Baseball teams who come for spring training every year.
The Arizona Diamondbacks, the Colorado Rockies, and the Chicago White
Sox play a total of 45 games here.
And rock hounds from all over the globe know Tucson is home to the world’s largest gem, mineral and fossil show in January and February.
Spa lovers can find the ultimate experience in Tucson, which is home to world class spas including the world famous Canyon Ranch, Miraval Life in Balance and Elizabeth Arden Red Door spas.
Tucson’s cultural heritage mixes the best of Spanish, Mexican, and Native
American culture. The Mission San Xavier del Bac, south of the city on
Highway 19, still serves the same Tohono O’Odham Indian community for
whom it was established by priests 250 years ago. Parts of the original
Spanish presidio or fortress flank the downtown area’s mosaic-tiled courthouse.
In El Presidio you can find the Tucson Museum of Art, specializing in
pre-Columbian, modern American and Southwestern art.
Celebrations such as the annual International Mariachi Festival in downtown Tucson show off the continuing influence from south of the border (Mexico is only 64 miles away). You’re also going to enjoy the wonderful Southwest cuisine and authentic Mexican food that can be found in Tucson.
Tucson pays tribute to the Old West as well and the legend of the cowboy. Visitors can mingle with cowboys at guest ranches, and country and western dance bars. Old Tucson Studios, where some of the west’s most famous legends were captured on film, offers simulated shoot-outs and western-style entertainment. In fall and winter, huge annual rodeos feature tricks with roping and riding that will amaze you.
Any opinions expressed above are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the management. The information in this story was accurate at the time of publication. All contact information, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the golf course or resort before making reservations and/or travel plans.
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