# Tucson in late July: What to do? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 18, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345 "2011-05-18T16:42:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/1 "2011-05-18T16:42:26Z")
The Mrs. and I will spend over a week in Tucson in late July and early August (don’t ask why, it’s complicated.) We’ve our accomodations picked out, so that’s not an issue. We do enjoy the desert, and have done some careful summer desert/mountain hiking in the past in other locales, and would enjoy doing similar in the Tucson area. Any recommendations for good day hikes? Preferably something we can do early or late in the day, in less than 3 or 4 hours, to avoid extreme heat. Beyond that, we’re not real big party types, but would enjoy seeing what cultural/historic/fun aspects Tucson has to offer otherwise. We’ve done Phoenix/Sedona/Flagstaff/Grand Canyon/Oatman before, and really don’t want to drive all that far from Tucson anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/2 "2011-05-18T16:46:11Z")
I think you would enjoy the [Sonora Desert Museum](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonora_Desert_Museum). ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/3 "2011-05-18T16:53:28Z")
[ul] [li]Go hiking at Mt. Lemmon, at 9157 ft, the continental US’s southernmost ski resort and a nice cool place to hike during the summer.[/li][li]Visit Biosphere 2 in Oracle.[/li][li]Visit Bisbee (historic old mining town) and Tombstone. The temperatures there during the summer shouldn’t be too bad.[/li][li]Visit southern Arizona’s wine country: Sonoita, Elgin, and Patagonia.[/li][li]Go see the mission at Tumacacori. Visit the Presidio museum and do some touristy shopping at Tubac.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/4 "2011-05-18T16:53:29Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > I think you would enjoy the [Sonora Desert Museum](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonora_Desert_Museum). Seconded. I haven’t been there in years, but I still remember enjoying the heck out of it. There’s also [Old Tucson Studios](http://www.oldtucson.com/), but that’s a theme park, which might not be up your alley if you’re not bringing kids. I’m not big on hiking, so unfortunately I can’t give tips there, but I do recall as a kid being taken to the [Saguaro National Park](http://www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm) and enjoying the scenery. You might look into that. It’s a shame you’re not going when the 4th Avenue Street Fair is rolling, that’s usually a fun way to spend the day. 4th Avenue near the U of A is usually what I think of when I think about historic/cultural things to see in Tucson, but really it’s just a run-down hippie street with some interesting stores. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/5 "2011-05-18T17:09:56Z")
I’ve never been able to spend much time in Tucson but [Mission San Javier del Bac](http://www.sanxaviermission.org/Index.html) might be worth a visit. It’s been restored; the [Tumacácori National Historical Park](http://www.nps.gov/tuma/index.htm), previously mentioned, contains some more ruined missions. (Hey, I like missions!) ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/6 "2011-05-18T17:50:13Z")
I’ll also recommend the Desert Museum. If you’re into this kind of thing, the [Pima Air & Space Museum](http://www.pimaair.org/) is worth a stop. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/7 "2011-05-18T17:54:23Z")
Well if you’ve ever wanted to die of dehydration out in the desert, I think you’ve picked a perfect spot and time to do it ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/8 "2011-05-18T18:03:21Z")
Second San Xavier Del Bac and the Pima Air Museum. I need to get to those places myself. Also, Kartchner Caverns and Kitt Peak Observatory. ---
**Author:** ![Lightlystarched](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Lightlystarched](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightlystarched)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/9 "2011-05-18T19:31:37Z")
Kartchner Caverns is really cool. [http://www.pr.state.az.us/parks/KACA/](http://www.pr.state.az.us/parks/KACA/) And the wineries around Sonoita. [http://www.arizonawine.org/](http://www.arizonawine.org/) ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/10 "2011-05-18T19:54:09Z")
Ooh, excellent! Thanks, all! Keep the suggestions coming! Any restaurant suggestions? We do love southwestern cuisine, and love the spicy stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/11 "2011-05-18T20:02:43Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Ooh, excellent! Thanks, all! Keep the suggestions coming! > > Any restaurant suggestions? We do love southwestern cuisine, and love the spicy stuff. For dinner, the Mexican places I know of are [Casa Molina](http://casamolina.com/), which my mother swears by, and [La Parrilla Suiza](http://laparrillasuiza.com/). Both are excellent Mexican restaurants, but they _are_ chains, even though they’re local to Tucson/Arizona. I’m sure others can point out small holes-in-the-wall that are even more authentic than those, but those are very good IMO. For lunch, I always make it a point to go to [eegees](http://www.eegees.com/) whenever I’m in town; it’s a decent sub shop that sells frozen fruit slush (called eegees). I don’t care for the actual drinks myself, though it’s a local treasure, but they do very good sandwiches and fries. Also for lunch, I only just recently discovered [El Guero Canelo](http://www.elguerocanelo.com/index2.html), which upsets me because had I known about it when I went to the U I’d have been there three times a week. Their Sonoran hot dogs are unbefrickinlievable. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/12 "2011-05-18T22:18:23Z")
If you’re into that sort of thing, it’s a great place for birdwatching - you can see species not available further north. One especially good place (Trogons, anyone?) is [Madera Canyon](http://www.friendsofmaderacanyon.org/), about 30 miles south - but you’ll also find good birds at the above-mentioned [Sonoran Desert Museum](http://www.desertmuseum.org/) (which is more or less a must-see). ---
**Author:** ![Yarster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7c8e57/32.png) [@Yarster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yarster)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2011, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/13 "2011-05-18T23:59:23Z")
Don’t miss the Titan Missile Museum too. > **[Home | Titan Missile Museum](https://titanmissilemuseum.org/)** > > Plan a visit to the one-of-a-kind Titan Missile Museum today and explore the last of the 54 Titan ll missile sites used between 1963-1987. Where else can you simulate nuking the Russians? We had a great time there. ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/14 "2011-05-19T21:54:57Z")
Does the USAF still have that gigantic airplane graveyard? I second almost everything linked in above replies. There once was a botanical garden. Is that part of the Saguaro National Park? (I spent many weeks at a radar installation on top of Mt. Lemmon. It never worked so all my efforts were, and probably still are, classified. But the trip up and down was really nice.) ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2011, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/15 "2011-05-19T23:51:57Z")
You can come visit me! I’ll be sweating and waiting for cooler weather. But while you are here, you’ve got to eat a Sonoran Hot Dog… there is a great deal of controversy about which one is best, so I’ll let you chose: [http://www.google.com/search?hl=&q=tucson+sonoran+hot+dogs&sourceid=navclient-ff&rlz=1B3GGLS\_en\_\_\_US410&ie=UTF-8&aq=0&oq=tucson+sonoran+#q=tucson+sonoran+hot+dogs&hl=en&safe=active&rlz=1B3GGLS\_en\_\_\_US410&prmd=ivnscm&source=univ&tbm=plcs&tbo=u&ei=tqzVTaqtN6bm0QHolo3aBw&sa=X&oi=local\_group&ct=more-results&resnum=1&ved=0CDIQtQMwAA&bav=on.2,or.r\_gc.r\_pw.&fp=1f2e28122e4ae045](http://www.google.com/search?hl=&q=tucson+sonoran+hot+dogs&sourceid=navclient-ff&rlz=1B3GGLS_en ___US410&ie=UTF-8&aq=0&oq=tucson+sonoran+#q=tucson+sonoran+hot+dogs&hl=en&safe=active&rlz=1B3GGLS_en___ US410&prmd=ivnscm&source=univ&tbm=plcs&tbo=u&ei=tqzVTaqtN6bm0QHolo3aBw&sa=X&oi=local_group&ct=more-results&resnum=1&ved=0CDIQtQMwAA&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=1f2e28122e4ae045) ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/16 "2011-05-20T04:29:03Z")
[Frank’s](http://www.franksrestaurant.com/) on Pima for breakfast. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/17 "2011-05-20T04:47:39Z")
Okay, I have a real outlier for you. The[Lightning Field](http://www.newmexico.org/explore/science/lightning_fields.php) in Quemado, NM., about a 5 hour drive from Tucson. I’ve always wanted to see it in action. It’s an art installation of hundreds of lightning rods out in the desert, and I’ve heard that if a storm hits it it will provide maybe the biggest light show spectacle you will ever see. Unfortunately, electrical storms out there are apparently a very rare event, and without lightning, it’s just a big field of vertical metal rods. Keep an eye on the weather reports while you’re there. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/18 "2011-05-20T06:32:04Z")
Late July is prime monsoon season. Good chance for lightning. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/19 "2011-05-20T14:09:53Z")
I’d suggest at least a day trip to [Bisbee](http://www.discoverbisbee.com/). Tombstone is also nearby, a bit of a tourist trap, but it can be worth a visit. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2011, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345/20 "2011-05-20T15:22:57Z")
Thanks, looking better and better! We’ll be sifting through these more thoroughly soon. Please keep the suggestions coming! Anything interesting to see in the (relatively) nearby O’odham reservation? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tucson-in-late-july-what-to-do/582345.md?page=2)