Dining
- Wildflower – My favorite Tucson spot! Lunch or eat at the bar.
- Arizona Inn – Lunch at the pool
- Frank’s Restaurant (Diner)
- Zin Burger
- Blanco – Tacos/Mexican
- Siete – Fast, casual Mexican
- Tohona Chul – tea, breakfast or lunch. Prickly pear lemonade is a must! Set in a desert botanic garden you can walk through.
- 5 Points Market & Restaurant – love this place; there’s a cool but $$$ store next door too.
- Agustin Kitchen or in the Mercado Agustin courtyard there is a more casual option called Seis — order at a window; good tacos. Seis also has an outpost restaurant at River & Campbell.
- Congress Hotel – downtown for drinks or a meal. Cool atmosphere.
- Alvernon – La Sinaloaenses- Sonoran hot dog.
- Time Market – Loved this place!
- Tito & Pep – Great brunch.
Hikes
- Catalina Mountains – Finger Rock – End of Alvernon Way
- Catalina Mountains – Pima Canyon – Iris O. Dewhurst trail
- Tucson Mountains – Formerly called Sweetwater trail – End of El Camino del Serra
- Catalina Mountains – Catalina State Park – Romero Pools; Sutherlin Trail
- Sabino Canyon Recreation Area – Bear Canyon
- Rincon Mountains – Tanque Verde Trail
- Sunset at Gate’s Pass
- Finger Rock hike
- Romero pools hike
- Saguaro National Monument Park hikes
- East side – the Rincons
Activities
- Bear down and visit the U of A art museum — it has a great permanent collection with Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Alexander Calder and more.
- The Loft Theater – Indie / art films in a boutique cinema-style setting.
- Bookman’s – great used books and stuff store. Several locations.
- Tahona Chul – I like walking through the gardens in springtime and sometimes they have cool local art exhibitions in the gallery. I like their Prickly Pear lemonade!
- Gates Pass for sunset view/mini hike
- Desert Museum
- Farmers Market
- Tucson Botanical Gardens which is another great stop.
- Day of the Dead – huge parade
Local’s Favorite Tips
- Tania’s Tortilla Factory – posole
- El Indio – southside. Burritos.
- Guero canelo- Carne Asada.
- Algernon – Sonoran Hot Dog – It’s in a tent in a vacant lot but it’s so worth it. The fresh limeade is the best also.
- 47 Scott – downtown
- Maynard’s – downtown
