Visiting Phoenix and Tucson made for a great springtime getaway for us. We experienced temperatures in the mid-80s and low humidity. You can’t beat that. For a cheap fare to get from here to there, check out my friends below at cheapOair.
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Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, AZ
The desert setting of the Arizona- Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, AZ
This unusual museum is a 98-acre combination zoo, botanical garden, aquarium, and natural history museum in Tucson, AZ. Also, you have 2 miles of walking trails. This is the best way to experience this unique Southern Arizona nature. I came away with a better understanding of this region.https://www.desertmuseum.org/
The Old West
Day Trip from Tucson
I went back in time to the 1880s with our visit to nearby Tombstone. The town was a product of the silver mining boom that took place in that era as the mines produced $40 to $85 million in silver mining. Tombstone’s population grew from 100 to 14,000 in less than 7 years (the current population is about 1,300).
Reenactment Actors from the famous Gunfight at OK Corral, Tombstone, AZ
The boom times produced much lawlessness with its main street (Allen Street) lined with 110 saloons and 14 gambling halls along with many brothels. One of the popular attractions today is the reenactment of the Gunfight at OK Corral. This gunfight took place in 1881 between Doc Holiday with the Earp brothers (Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan), against Billy Clanton, and the McLaurys (Frank and Tom). I got a ringside seat at a real “western gunfight”. Another neat touch is the stagecoach rides offered on Allen Street. This neat little piece of history made visiting Phoenix and Tucson quite enjoyable.
Boot Hill Graveyard is a nearby attraction with the three victims of the OK Corral shootout interred there. Boot Hill Graveyard is believed to be named because those that are buried there “had died with their boots on”. Next, we moved on from Tucson to Phoenix.
Phoenix Art Museum
Phoenix Cultural Highlights
Entrance to Phoenix Museum of Art with “not real” prehistoric creature in front, Phoenix, AZ
I do like to check out the local art museums in the places that I visit and the Phoenix Art Museum proved to be a nice surprise. I am a fan of modern art and the museum has plenty of that. We took a docent-guided tour (which I always recommend) and got a lot of good insights. They had a nice exhibit going on featuring street photography, one of my favorite genres.
Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix
Phoenix Cultural Highlights
The Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix
The Japanese Friendship Garden is a 3.5-acre garden within walking distance of my hotel ( Sheraton) in downtown Phoenix. The garden features 1,500 tons of hand-picked rock, stone footbridges, lanterns, and more than 50 varieties of plants. No Japanese garden is complete without a teahouse and we have one here. Also, I loved the Koi pond which contained over 300 Koi. The garden is a true oasis of tranquility close to downtown Phoenix.
Taliesin West,
Phoenix Cultural Highlights
Taliesin West, Scottsdale, AZ
Taliesin West is another unique Phoenix destination which was the winter home and studio of the great American architect Frank Lloyd Wright from 1937 until he died in 1959. This magnificent place, located in nearby Scottsdale is open for tours. I have always been a big fan of Mr. Wright, having visited some of his other works ( Fallingwater, Guggenheim Museum, etc.). Mr. Wright made sure that his buildings reflected their surroundings. https://franklloydwright.org/
Herberger Theatre Center
Phoenix Cultural Highlights
The theatre center is located right across the street from our hotel. Although time did not permit us to attend a play, we were able to enjoy a free outdoor concert on its grounds. We do like sitting outside on a nice Phoenix spring night listening to jazz.
Word From Steve
This is a curated look at visiting Phoenix and Tucson, not meant to be a comprehensive article. For more suggestions, click on the banner above
