Feature articles are reprinted from previously published Kids' Guides. Please consult the featured website links for current information and rates.
Tucson, Arizona
Arizona, particularly Tucson, has always been one of our family's favorite vacation destinations. The
dramatic landscapes of America's southwest are worlds away from our typical
scenery at home and with more than 300 days of sunshine a year, a sunny
vacation is virtually guaranteed (watch for violent afternoon thunderstorms during "monsoon"
season in August and September, however).
Metropolitan Tucson lies in a flat valley, but is surrounded by five mountain ranges, three with peaks of 9,000 feet and higher. To the west and east lie the saguaro-studded hills of Saguaro National Park. The city has grown rapidly and redevelopment surrounds its original adobe fortress or presidio downtown, which marks Tucson's formal founding in 1775. A car is essential for sightseeing, but the area is easily navigated on a few major roads and many sights can be reached within an hour or less.
Tucson's accommodations range from hotels and motels, historic bed and
breakfasts and guest ranches to luxurious resorts and world-renowned wellness spas. The major resort
area lies about 10 miles north of the city, where many award-winning destinations
are tucked against the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Resorts
include Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort, Hilton
Tucson El Conquistador Golf and Tennis Resort, The Lodge at Ventana
Canyon, Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, Omni Tucson National Golf Resort and Spa, Tanque Verde Ranch, The Westin
La Paloma Resort and Spa, and Westward Look Resort.
Stretched over 500 acres under the sheer red granite cliffs of Pusch Ridge in the Santa Catalina Mountains, the setting for the Hilton El Conquistador Golf and Tennis Resort is truly spectacular. The El Conquistador was built in 1982 and is one of the area's early resorts. It came under the Hilton brand in 2002 and has undergone major renovation since then. 428 guest rooms include 92 one, two and three bedroom casitas, ideal accommodations for families. A one-bedroom master suite can be joined on one side or both with another bedroom with bath to make a spacious 2 or 3-bedroom unit with shared living room with fireplace and tv, dining room, and efficiency kitchen equipped with a sink, microwave, mini-refrigerator, counter and cabinet space.
All rooms have a private balcony or patio with sweeping mountain, desert or courtyard views. Some casitas offer lawn space off the patio convenient for children to play outside or patios that border the casita pool. Natural vegetation and flowering plants line the winding pathways that lead through the casita complex and to the casita pool and hot tubs.
Outside the main hotel, the Desert Springs Water Oasis fulfills every kid's dream and consists of a large traditional pool, a 143-foot water slide, hot tub and children's splash pool with water fountains. The pool area is well designed utilizing rock features and waterfalls to separate elements and mirrors the cliffs of Pusch Ridge that rise dramatically behind the resort. The Desert Springs outdoor cafe serves lunch and tropical drinks poolside. While typical December temperatures only approach the mid-60s, by mid-afternoon, the sun can be warm enough to swim, lounge in the hot tub and cool off on the waterslide.
The El Conquistador is the only Tucson resort
with its own equestrian center on property. The resort borders Coronado
National Forest and miles of trails are accessible for horseback riding
as well as hiking, biking and bird watching without the need to pack up
the car. Horse rentals and guided rides for all levels are available. The
one and a half hour sunset ride leads up Pusch Ridge on a narrow, rocky
and steep path, and offers riders stunning views of the iridescent mountains
and valley below. Wranglers are particularly attentive to children and use
a lead line to assist them when necessary.
If golf is your game, Tucson is an ideal destination, offering year round play on desert-target courses and traditional parkland layouts designed by notable architects including Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Tom Weiskopf. The Hilton El Conquistador features 45 holes of championship golf on three different courses and a golf academy. The 9-hole Pusch Ridge Course is located at the resort and winds, dips and climbs through a 175-foot vertical drop in the foothills. The Cañada, a desert-style design, and the Conquistador courses are located seven minutes west of the hotel via hotel shuttle. Rolling terrain, emerald fairways and greens combined with spectacular mountain views and a perfect climate make for a fabulous day. Be aware when making tee times in winter: Tucson is a high desert, so does get cold, and early morning frost can delay play for several hours.
Another one of our group's favorite courses was the very challenging and beautifully designed Canyon Course by Tom Fazio at The Lodge at Ventana Canyon. A newer luxury resort along the foothills, The Lodge at Ventana Canyon is notable for its exquisite design seamlessly incorporated into the natural mountain and desert landscapes.
In addition to golf, horseback riding and swimming at the Hilton El Conquistador, amenities include 31 lighted tennis courts, a fitness center with custom spa services, full-service salon and Kids Camp during the summer. On-site restaurants include Dos Locos offering Latin fusion and southwestern cuisine with outdoor seating; Sundance Cafe, serving traditional breakfast and lunch; and the Desert Spring poolside dining. Children's menus are available.
With all the on-site activities, a family could easily hole up here for the week and never leave the premises. Besides resort life, however, Tucson has a great number of attractions and activities that are unique to the area and well worth a visit.
For sightseeing, there's no better place to start than the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. It is the best introduction to the unusual and complex environment surrounding you--the Sonoran Desert--an area encompassing parts of Arizona and California in the United States and the Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, Baja California Sur and the Sea of Cortez. It is the only place in the world where the giant saguaro cactus grows. Experiencing the Desert Museum is just like taking a walk through the desert, except this is a controlled outdoor environment with interpretive signs and docents on hand to introduce you to the surrounding plants and animals. Almost two miles of winding paths traverse 21 acres through mountain woodlands, desert grasslands, a riparian corridor, desert cave and walk-in aviaries with plenty of opportunities for hands-on action. Invisinet mesh is used to create strong, safe, nearly transparent enclosures in large, open exhibits. You will see coati, beaver, river otters, desert fishes, black-tailed prairie dogs, bighorn sheep, reptiles and spiders, bobcats, coyotes, birds and leave with a much better understanding of the unique world of the Sonoran Desert. Gardens identify commonly seen cacti, succulents and trees. The gift shop at the Museum is one of the best we visited, carrying souvenirs, natural history books and fine native crafts.
Other attractions worth a visit are listed below.
FAST FACTS
and tucson's most unique
attractions
Metropolitcan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau
The Tucson Attractions Passport is an exceptional value if you are planning on touring multiple museums and attractions. Purchase online, at the Visitor Center or at museum entrances and receive 2-for-1 admission and other discounts.
La Placita Village
100 S. Church Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85701
888-2-Tucson
Hilton El Conquistador
Golf & Tennis Resort
10000 N. Oracle Rd.
Tucson, AZ
800-325-7832
520-544-5000
Loews Ventana Canyon Resort
7000 N. Resort Dr.
Tucson, AZ 85750
800-234-5117
520-299-2020
Arizona Dude Ranch Association
P. O. Box 603
Cortaro, AZ 85652
520-823-4277
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
2021 N. Kinney Rd.
Tucson, AZ 85743
520-883-2702
Rincon Mountain District Visitor Center
3693 S. Old Spanish Trail
Tucson, AZ 85730
520-733-5153
Tucson Mountain District Visitor Center
2700 N. Kinney Rd. (2 miles north of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum)
Tucson, AZ 85743
520-733-5158
Sabino Canyon Recreation Area
Hike the 3.8-mile paved trail into the canyon, or take a narrated tram ride to learn about the history and wildlife of this unique desert oasis.
5900 N. Sabino Canyon Rd.
520-749-2861
Pima Air & Space Museum
See more than 300 aircraft and spacecraft indoors and outdoors in one of the largest air and space museums in the world. Don't miss the opportunity to hear veteran pilot docents share their personal flying experiences.
6000 E. Valencia Rd.
Tucson, AZ 85756
520-574-0462
Titan Missile Museum
Tour the only publicly accessible Titan II missile site in the nation. Visiting the launch control center and experiencing a simulated launch brings the front line of the Cold War dramatically to life.
1580 W. Duval Mine Rd.
Sahuarita, AZ
520-625-7736
Old Tucson Studios
Old frontier town, the setting for some of Hollywood's most famous westerns, is now an outdoor entertainment venue offering tours, corny live shows, saloon musicals, trail rides and kiddie rides.
201 S. Kinney Rd.
Tucson, AZ
85735
520-883-0100
Hotel Congress
Stop at the Cup Cafe in this historic 1919 hotel for a delicious breakfast or lunch. Old newpaper clippings posted in the lobby tell the fascinating story of the accidental capture of John Dillinger, one of the country's most notorious criminals, when a fire broke out at the hotel in 1934.
311 E. Congress St.
Tucson, AZ
800-722-8848
Kartchner Caverns State Park
Take a 1 1/2 hour tour of this "living" cave discovered in 1974.
Bensen, AZ
520-584-4100
Kitt Peak National Observatory
Home to the world's largest collection of optical telescopes, the Visitor Center is open to the public daily and observing programs are scheduled at night.
Tohono O'Odham Reservation
State Rt. 86 (56 miles southwest of Tucson)
520-318-8726
J. Unger, December 2008, updated 2011