Tucson, Arizona Travel Guide
Tucson, Arizona was all about pools, playgrounds and tacos.
The kids love a good playground. They want to try a playground in every new place we visit. Don’t try telling them that every swing and set of monkey bars are basically the same. When this full time travel adventure of ours is over, my kids could write a book about the best playgrounds across this beautiful country of ours.
I feel the same way about tacos.
Have I had tacos before? Yes. Do I know generally what to expect from a taco? Of course. But without fail, my mission when we visit a new city is to try the best local food. It is hard to distract me from my mission.
When it comes to playgrounds and tacos, Tucson treated us well. Check it out for yourself in our travel video of Tucson, Arizona here.
Let’s take a deep dive into our Tucson, Arizona travel guide!
Where to stay:
If your home is on wheels, like an Airstream or RV, we typically stay in a KOA, and Tucson’s is next level!
There is a heated pool and hot tub, which was perfect for our wintertime visit.
Although I love Airstream life, I did have to give up my daily baths in favor of a space-saving shower, and taking advantage of this hot tub— although not quite so calming as my bathtub with bubbles and incense— was glorious.
The KOA was huge, so we rode our bikes from our Airstream to the pool.
We also got the most incredible surprise when we ran into the friends we’d met when we first made it out west to Carlsbad, NM. We had no clue they were staying here, and the kids had the best time playing together again.
They have a huge RV, with a tv on the outside, and one night we watched The Grinch while the kids made s’mores and the adults sipped cocktails. It was like our own little Christmas party.
Of course then the kids wanted a huge RV with an outdoor television. There are certainly tradeoffs, but our decision to go with an Airstream was a thoughtful one, and we don’t regret it one bit!
Local Amenities:
As some of you know, I’m a huge fan of planning trips. It’s my hobby. My passion even.
So long before we pointed the Airstream in the direction of Tucson and hit the road, I’d heard about the Miraval spa.
Brian even encouraged me to take a day and make the short drive from Tucson to Miraval and treat myself, but I opted to stay with the family for the day.
Looking back, I totally should have taken the spa day.
Oh well! You live and you learn. But next time I’m nearby, this is going to happen!
Famous Tucson Eats:
Sonoran Dogs
Tucson is famous for a specific style of hot dog originated in Sonora, Mexico in the late 1980’s. There are over 200 places to get Sonoran hot dogs in Tucson, and even more in Phoenix.
They’re basically hot dogs wrapped in bacon, gilled, and served on a bolillo-style hot dog bun, topped with pinto beans, onion, tomato, and jalapeño salsa, along with more typical toppings like mayonnaise and mustard.
You get the Sonoran hot dogs from street cart vendors called “dogueros.”
If you want to eat like the locals, the Sonoran hot dog is an essential stop! Almost everywhere I looked recommended the Sonoran dogs from El Guero Canelo.
Where We Ate:
Like I mentioned, my number one priority was tacos. So that is reflected in what we ate and where we ate it.
When I visit a city, I want to experience it through my taste buds. That means finding the best local places, not necessarily the fanciest.
We loved all the food we ate in Tucson.
El Charro Cafe – Hands down THE best meal we had in Tucson, and probably the best meal we’ve had on the road so far, which is saying a lot.
Save room for the Tres Leches cake for dessert! We devoured it!
Boca Tacos & Tequila – If you’re looking for amazing street-style tacos on Tucson’s 4th Avenue, hit up this award-winning, woman-owned restaurant. The tacos are just stuffed with beautiful ingredients and delicious flavors. We loved the breakfast tacos most of all!
El Minuto Cafe – For a more low-brow but authentic and delicious Mexican option, check out El Minuto near the Convention Center downtown.
If you were a lover of the Taco Bell pizza that recently fell off the menu, they do it here, only bigger and you know, with better ingredients. And they don’t call them Mexican Pizzas they call them “crisps.”
Order one. You won’t regret it!
Other Recommended Eats:
Little Anthony’s Diner Our family loves a diner!
Guadalajara Grill – Another Tucson classic, they’ll make salsa or guacamole fresh at your table.
Charro Steak – From the same family who owns El Charro Cafe, Charro Steak is a classic Southwest steakhouse.
Hacienda del Sol – The former girls school turned guest ranch, Hacienda del Sol has two different restaurants to complement their incredible views.
Ice Cream:
My kids and Brian all LOVE ice cream, so if we’re visiting a city instead of a national park, we try to find the best ice cream in town.
Everyone was pleased with The Hub Ice Cream
What We Did:
We packed in the activities and still didn’t have time to check out everything Tucson has to offer! But these are some things we did get to check off our list.
Explore Downtown Tucson
Admire the San Xavier Mission
Sunrise or Sunset Hike
We chose sunrise because it’s way less crowded. Tumamoc Hill Trail is one of the only trails that opens when it’s still dark!
More Recommendations:
Hike Hidden Canyon (recommended on every blog I researched)
Visit Tombstone
Old Tucson - a Hollywood film set in the desert. Some of Hollywood’s best westerns were filmed here. Old Tucson is currently closed indefinitely, but may open under new management at some point.
Drive out to Kitt Peak National Observatory
Shop Tucson by Streetcar (3.9 mile track runs from Main Gate Square to Mercado San Agustin)
Tohono Chul Park – Beautiful botanical gardens on the Northside of town. This is also the site of one of the most highly recommended dining options in Tucson. Beautiful art galleries and shops!
Where to Stargaze:
Kitt Peak National Observatory – Home of the largest collection of optical research telescopes in the world. If you can, plan to visit in the evening so you can catch their program.
Mount Lemmon Sky Center – Also has an incredible evening program.
Oracle State Park – A Dark Sky Park.
Flandrau Science Center – On the University of Arizona campus. They have a 16-inch telescope that is open to the public on certain days. Check out the website for details!
Playground:
Souvenir to Pick Up:
I purchased a dream horse!
I’m passionate about keeping souvenirs that will remind me of where we’ve visited while also bringing real value and beauty to our lives. I don’t want to keep something around just because we bought it on a trip. This is why, before our Airstream adventure, I’d often grab a coffee table book from a local bookstore in a new city.
Where We Shopped:
Old Town Artisans – This is a lovely collection of local shops and galleries in a 150-year-old adobe building in the Presidio District. This is where I purchased my dream horse.
Mercado San Agustin – If you want fun boutiques and restaurants in a beautiful courtyard, this is for you!
The Lost Barrio – Three blocks of shops and galleries located in an old warehouse district. This was my favorite stop!
Other Recommendations of Where to Shop:
La Encantada – Tucson’s upscale outdoor shopping mall. Fancy nationwide brands, local shops, and restaurants all mixed together.
Casas Adobes Plaza – Another upscale outdoor mall with a Whole Foods if you need to make a grocery run!
St. Philips Plaza – If you’re on the Rio Rillito bike path, take this quick detour to a courtyard surrounded by boutiques and restaurants.
Tubac – A historic artist’s village about 45 minutes south of Tucson.
Tohono Chul — Making its third appearance on today’s travel guide, the Botanical Garden gift shop is worth the stop.
Antique Store
In this week’s vlog, you’ll see Stella and I pop in a cute antique store. Here’s where we went!
Farmers Market:
They have a Sprouts farmers market which is one of my favorite grocery stores!
Locally Crafted:
Here’s a helpful list of where to shop locally.
City's Best View:
Best Place to Catch the Sunset:
National Historical Site
Local Coffee Shop
Check out these favorites!
Favorite Tucson Moments:
Our sunrise hike with the kids at Tumamoc Hill Trail. I’ll remember it forever!
And our meal at El Charro Cafe. El Charro Cafe is the originator of the Chimichanga!
Between the food, the friends, and the swim lessons, Tucson was another amazing stop on our adventure list. Make sure to come back this weekend and check out our Tucson vlog!
-Jess
Looking for links and addresses (and a few more fun pictures) to all the places above? Download my Tucson Travel Guide below.
Come join the adventure! Follow along at @jessicazimmerman_ on Instagram.
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