No Mirage

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.