For those of you planning a long weekend in Tucson, we thought we'd share some fun things to do while you're there. The Radisson Suites where we blocked rooms has an outdoor heated pool, and the weather should be good for swimming/sunbathing.
La Encantada (www.laencantadashoppingcenter.com) is a new, outdoor mall full of fabulous stores (or fabulous window shopping) and great restaurants. This is a good place to enjoy views of the mountains and Tucson.
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (www.desertmuseum.org) is a great place to learn about native plants and wildlife. The museum features large animals such as mountain lions, coyotes and javelinas, as well as smaller animals like birds and reptiles (under glass). The museum is mostly outdoors, with paved trails winding through the desert, though some exhibits (reptiles, minerals, etc.) are indoors.
Bike rental: Tucson is very bike-friendly; there are wide bike lanes all over town. Bikes can be rented from Broadway Bicycles (520-296-7819), Tucson Bicycles (520-577-7374) or Fair Wheel Bikes (520-884-9018).
Biosphere 2: For those of you science nerds out there (you know who you are), the Biosphere 2 (www.b2science.org) is worth a visit. Located about 20 minutes north of Tucson on AZ Highway 87, the biosphere 2 was built in the late '80s/early '90s as an experimental research station and space exploration prototype. Now it's a site of ongoing research, and contains an ocean complete with coral reef, rainforest, savannah, and marsh. The Biosphere 2 is currently studying environmental change, and half the admission from guided tours funds ongoing research.
Tubac (www.tubacaz.com) is a great place to go browsing for art, if you don't mind a bit of a drive. This small community is now an artist's haven and is full of art galleries and boutiques, as well as restaurants and lodging. Tubac is located 45 miles south of Tucson, off I-19.
Of course, there is tons more to do than we could put on this list. If you're outdoors-y, there are all sorts of national and state parks with great hiking. Beware the native flora and fauna; things tend to be pointy or poisonous (or both). And NEVER go hiking alone; mountain lions love that. No really, they eat people.
Foodies will be in heaven. We've enjoyed great French, Italian, Asian, fusion, American and of course Mexican cuisine on our Tucson visits.
We found a lot of great ideas in the 2008-2009 Tucson Guide (www.tusconguidemagazine.org).
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