Guidebook for Tucson
Essentials
Whole Foods Market
3360 E Speedway BlvdFood Scene
Starbucks
3025 E Speedway BlvdFresco Pizzeria & Pastaria
3011 E Speedway BlvdNot your average pizza joint.
Relaxed atmosphere serving mexican street tacos and margaritas, indoors, or more preferably, on the patio. Go here to relax, eat a little or a lot, and talk story.
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La Botana
3200 North 1st AvenueRelaxed atmosphere serving mexican street tacos and margaritas, indoors, or more preferably, on the patio. Go here to relax, eat a little or a lot, and talk story.
Outdoor (and an open air bar and patio area) restaurant with tables surrounding a fish pond, and facing a stage featuring local entertainers on some nights. Open for lunch and dinner.
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LaCo Tucson | Outdoor Downtown Tucson Restaurant
76 N Court AveOutdoor (and an open air bar and patio area) restaurant with tables surrounding a fish pond, and facing a stage featuring local entertainers on some nights. Open for lunch and dinner.
Mom & Pop breakfast and lunch diner, a few blocks east on Grant Road. A local favorite, and one of my 3 favorites.
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Bobo's Restaurant
2938 E Grant RdMom & Pop breakfast and lunch diner, a few blocks east on Grant Road. A local favorite, and one of my 3 favorites.
Local favorite diner. Sign out front says "Elegant ding elsewhere" and they aren't joking. Friendly service, and a favorite amongst locals. On the top of my 3 personal favorite diners.
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Frank's & Francisco's Denoche Restaurant
3843 E Pima StLocal favorite diner. Sign out front says "Elegant ding elsewhere" and they aren't joking. Friendly service, and a favorite amongst locals. On the top of my 3 personal favorite diners.
Alice's Restaurant rounds out my favorite of many of Tucson mom and pop diners. Very clean air-conditioned with Coca Cola and Pepsi memorabilia throughout, it is the opposite of Frank's but still casual. A local favorite not often touted to out of towners.
Alice's Restaurant
5416 E Pima StAlice's Restaurant rounds out my favorite of many of Tucson mom and pop diners. Very clean air-conditioned with Coca Cola and Pepsi memorabilia throughout, it is the opposite of Frank's but still casual. A local favorite not often touted to out of towners.
If you're looking for a breakfast place that is a little more upscale than my favorite 3 mom and pops, then this is a good choice, one I enjoy. Starting out in Bisbee, it has grown into a string of restaurants in southern AZ. Enjoy a great cup of coffe, or a mimosa, or both with your meal.
If you like good freshed baked bread, then just down the sidewalk, there is a bakery that cooks the best bread in town, and baguettes like straight out of France, while they last.
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Bisbee Breakfast Club Broadway
2936 E Broadway BlvdIf you're looking for a breakfast place that is a little more upscale than my favorite 3 mom and pops, then this is a good choice, one I enjoy. Starting out in Bisbee, it has grown into a string of restaurants in southern AZ. Enjoy a great cup of coffe, or a mimosa, or both with your meal.
If you like good freshed baked bread, then just down the sidewalk, there is a bakery that cooks the best bread in town, and baguettes like straight out of France, while they last.
Between Tubac, and Tumacacori mission is Wisdom's. A mom and pop restaurant, now run by their kids, great mexican food, and a chimichanga fruit roll for dessert (don't pass it up).
Easliy spotted by the two large white chickens out front--scratch that, now one chicken, and painted black--scratch that, there webpage tells you to turn at the white chicken. I'll have to take a trip down there and find out. Good way to enjoy a day.
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Wisdom's Cafe
1931 I-19 Frontage RdBetween Tubac, and Tumacacori mission is Wisdom's. A mom and pop restaurant, now run by their kids, great mexican food, and a chimichanga fruit roll for dessert (don't pass it up).
Easliy spotted by the two large white chickens out front--scratch that, now one chicken, and painted black--scratch that, there webpage tells you to turn at the white chicken. I'll have to take a trip down there and find out. Good way to enjoy a day.
Shopping
Walgreens
3200 E Speedway BlvdEverything Else
Casa Video
2905 E Speedway BlvdThe Loft Cinema
3233 E Speedway Blvd4 screen theater that focuses on Independent movies.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
1545 N Stone AveCar rental is easy walking distance away.
Gadabout SalonSpas
1990 E River RdAn upscale Tucson salon chain location
Sightseeing
If you go to the Desert Museum, you'll see signs for the
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Posjetiteljski centar Rincon Mountain
3693 S Old Spanish TrailIf you go to the Desert Museum, you'll see signs for the
If youre new to the desert, then this is an incredible place to visit and get acquainted. Very informative, beautiful, entertaining and rewarding. From an artificial cave exhibit to a large cat enclosure, to an aviary, it covers a lot of ground, and totally dedicated to the sonoran desert. Drive west on Speedway into the Tucson Mountains, thru Gates Pass and continue west until you see signs for the desert museum (a misnomer, sort of).
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Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
2021 N Kinney RdIf youre new to the desert, then this is an incredible place to visit and get acquainted. Very informative, beautiful, entertaining and rewarding. From an artificial cave exhibit to a large cat enclosure, to an aviary, it covers a lot of ground, and totally dedicated to the sonoran desert. Drive west on Speedway into the Tucson Mountains, thru Gates Pass and continue west until you see signs for the desert museum (a misnomer, sort of).
There are two parts to the Saguaro National Park. The western section borders the desert museum, but the eastern part is more impressive and worth the trip, even if just to do the nine mile loop through the park, in your car, walking or bicycling, and it's not as crowded as Sabino Canyon. One of my favorite spots in Tucson.
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Posjetiteljski centar Rincon Mountain
3693 S Old Spanish TrailThere are two parts to the Saguaro National Park. The western section borders the desert museum, but the eastern part is more impressive and worth the trip, even if just to do the nine mile loop through the park, in your car, walking or bicycling, and it's not as crowded as Sabino Canyon. One of my favorite spots in Tucson.
If you're short for time, and want to see the desert, Sabino Canyon is the place. You can ride the tram up into either of the two canyons, or walk one of several trails. Regardless, carry plenty of water. Take a look up the side of the canyons, and noticed how the vegetation changes with the increasing altitude and water.
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Rekreacijsko područje Sabino Canyon
5700 North Sabino Canyon RoadIf you're short for time, and want to see the desert, Sabino Canyon is the place. You can ride the tram up into either of the two canyons, or walk one of several trails. Regardless, carry plenty of water. Take a look up the side of the canyons, and noticed how the vegetation changes with the increasing altitude and water.
Just beyond Tubac down 97 (drive the old highway, it is more interesting) is the Tumacacori Mission and across the street the Tumacacori Bar, maybe open, maybe not, but it has a history too. A little further south is the Santa Cruz Chili Company, spices of all kinds.
Incidentally, 97 is the only road that stretches from northern Canada to the tip of South America (we'll ignore the bit that sort of doesn't make it through the Panamanian swamps.
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Nacionalni povijesni park Tumacácori
1891 I-19 Frontage RdJust beyond Tubac down 97 (drive the old highway, it is more interesting) is the Tumacacori Mission and across the street the Tumacacori Bar, maybe open, maybe not, but it has a history too. A little further south is the Santa Cruz Chili Company, spices of all kinds.
Incidentally, 97 is the only road that stretches from northern Canada to the tip of South America (we'll ignore the bit that sort of doesn't make it through the Panamanian swamps.
City/town information
About an hour south of Tucson. Artist community and historic town with plenty of shopping located on the Santa Cruz River where its water still runs. Consider including Tumacacori a littlr further south into your plans with this trip.
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Tubac
About an hour south of Tucson. Artist community and historic town with plenty of shopping located on the Santa Cruz River where its water still runs. Consider including Tumacacori a littlr further south into your plans with this trip.