No Mirage

There is no Prada in Tucson. Trust me, this is a good thing.

Tucson is perhaps the last of the Southwest vacation hubs to stave off the acres of upscalia that all but defines Phoenix, Scottsdale, Palm Springs, Vegas, and Santa Fe.

But Tucson is not untouched, mind you. After observing its gridlock along its wide arterial streets with forty-miles-per-hour speed limits, which only get met after 9 p.m., I’d argue that freeways have been good for Phoenix. There’s the requisite smog, and, truth be told, the area lacks a world-class resort. To make matters worse, try to fly there nonstop in season for less than $500. I dare you.

So why bother? Because Tucson’s the real deal. It’s not a made-up place designed to fulfill a developer’s fantasy. It’s a slightly hardscrabble town on the fringe of a stunningly great desert. And it’s perhaps the last place in America where you can still have a reasonably priced desert vacation without giving up any of the comforts of home (January snow notwithstanding).

Nothing embodies Tucson and its desert environs better than its crowning glory, the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. Part zoo, part botanical garden, the ASDM embraces the desert and shows it off to great effect. The fifty-three-year-old nonprofit educational foundation is an open-air playground of cacti, hummingbirds, javalinas, prairie dogs, owls, and coati. There are no bars or cages, just paths and trails through various outdoor ecosystems, with an ingenious mesh fence to keep the animals from rambling too far. A special kids’ discovery program compelled my son, Holden, then five, to experience every sector of the museum, so he could collect the requisite stamps. More than two hours without an “Are we done yet?” later—mission accomplished. The Desert Museum has a popular and critically acclaimed outdoor restaurant, the Ocotillo Café, which was unfortunately closed during our Thanksgiving weekend visit.

On the long route back into the city (ASDM is on Tucson’s western fringes) is Saguaro National Park, a bifurcated preserve that contains the world’s largest concentration of the region’s signature T-shaped cacti. Native to the Sonoran Desert (which extends south into Mexico), the saguaros, whether pristine and sentinel-like or grizzled and pockmarked, stand in forests among red rocks and ochre soil. The park’s larger eastern unit, on the other side of town, offers hikes through the foothills of the Rincon Mountains.

Saguaros, which take nearly a century to grow their first arm, flower in April and May, which are the best months to view them. My recommendation is to make a day of it, combining an early start at the park, hiking the Petroglyph Trail, and visiting the Red Hills Visitor Center. Follow up with lunch at Ocotillo and a leisurely stroll through the ASDM during the warmer part of the day.

Another natural highlight of the Tucson area is its numerous canyons, which come as a bit of a surprise in such a dry region. The most diverse is Sabino Canyon, on the north side of town, in the Coronado National Forest. A tram distributes visitors at trailheads, picnic spots, and swimming holes. Adjacent Bear Canyon has more strenuous hiking, including a well-trodden trail to Seven Falls.

If you’re willing to leave your resort or cactus outcropping, the urban side of Tucson has its pleasures as well. As a metro area just shy of a million people, Tucson has its share of development and a reasonably lively downtown. The centerpiece is the stunning Pima County Courthouse, a 1927 Spanish Colonial building boasting a mosaic tile dome. Not as well-preserved inside as outside, the structure is still in use as a hub of civil servants. On downtown’s fringes are two gentrifying districts where the city’s historical architectural styles—Mexican adobe and the so-called “Territorial-style” homes with broad porches—are preserved: El Presidio to the north and Barrio Historico to the south. Paseo Redondo in El Presidio and Convent Avenue in the Barrio are the streets to stroll. The nearby Tucson Museum of Art offers a self-guided tour of El Presidio.

When in El Presidio, don’t miss a stop at Old Town Artisans, a charming array of adobe structures, circa 1850, with saguaro-cactus-rib ceilings surrounding a bricked, flowering courtyard. The warren of rooms is home to various local merchants trafficking in arts, crafts, and jewelry.

The essential downtown lunch is offered nearby at Café Poca Cosa, Tucson’s most celebrated Mexican restaurant. Owner Suzana Davila is regarded as Tucson’s Alice Waters, preparing authentic dishes—made with ingredients from local farms and purveyors—representative of the regions of Mexican that abut Arizona.

Tucson is also a college town. The University of Arizona maintains a big role in the city’s cultural life. Most noteworthy on what I found to be a generally unremarkable campus (despite what the guidebooks say) is the Center for Creative Photography, conceived by Ansel Adams. The CCP is home to the legendary western photographer’s archives and the majority of his negatives. Changing exhibits highlight the work of other photographers as well. The Adams archives are on view by appointment.

The other cultural pilgrimage of note is about ten miles southwest of the city at Mission San Xavier del Bac. Here the oldest Catholic Church in the United States, completed in 1797, is still serving a local congregation. One of a string of missions built in the 1700s to serve the Sonoran Desert regions, San Xavier is now owned by a local Native American tribe. Most recently restored in 1997, the mission, a mix of Spanish and Moorish architectural styles, stands against barren terrain. Paul Schwartzbaum, who helped restore the Sistine Chapel, called it the “Sistine Chapel of the USA.”

Finally, on a more obscure note, men and little boys seem to get a big kick out of Tucson’s status as one of the world’s great aircraft graveyards. On the east side of town is AMARC, the nation’s largest boneyard of mothballed military aircraft. Tours of the facility, part of the gigantic Davis- Monthan Air Force Base, are available with advance booking. On the western edge, near the town of Marana, is the Evergreen Air Center, one of the world’s largest homes of retired commercial aircraft. Many are stored here in the vain hope of future sale to some Third-World operator, but most are eventually stripped for parts. Evergreen is only open to the public one day each year, but the rest of the time nearby cotton (!) fields are thick with enthusiasts with binoculars. On our visit, several Northwest 747s occupied prime real estate.

Inevitably, Tucson visitors will base themselves at a resort. The area is thick with adults-only spas, such as Miraval and Canyon Ranch, arguably the area’s most prestigious lodgings. For those with kids in tow, or those not really interested in preening and pruning, the two big dogs are the Westin La Paloma and Loews Ventana Canyon Resorts, both on the north side of town.

Though the Westin is a bit newer and romantic, I’d recommend the Loews. It sits astride beautiful Ventana Canyon, an incomparable site. From our room, we saw wildlife, including eagles and a pack of javalinas. Though I thought the décor and furnishings were a bit bland, the public areas were very pleasant and the staff superb. Longtime concierge Victoria Cote had invaluable advice regarding activities and restaurants and is superconnected. She also has Twin Cities ties, so mention from whence you came. You’ll get an enthusiastic response. 

Adam Platt is Mpls.St.Paul Magazine's travel editor.