I can’t say enough good things about Tucson.
Having spent time in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and other Arizona cities this year– there’s just no place in the state as good as Tucson. I chose to spend several weeks there (rather than pushing on), and felt the ease that comes with feeling truly comfortable in a spot.
Tucson is ringed by gorgeous desert that extends wild for miles– offering excellent hiking. And yes, Saguaro National Park is split by the city. You can see from my previous posts that I went to Saguaro last year, but never got to spend time in Tucson. And I’m super glad I came back to check the town out.
I use that word ‘town’ deliberately– Tucson feels more like a town than a city, small enough that you can drive anywhere in 15 minutes, and large enough to be a cosmopolitan mix of cuisines, cultures, and communities. The small feeling means it’s easy to meet quality people in a matter of days, just by striking up a conversation with strangers.
Also, right when I rolled into town, there was an artisan fair going on right downtown. I’m a sucker for an artisan fair. I bought Mac a homemade, handpainted (!) bow tie at this market. Because nothing is too fancy for my boy.
Since I was downtown, I decided to take The New York Times up on its suggestion to eat at 5 Points Cafe– covered in its “36 Hours in Tucson” piece from this year, the food was quite delicious and upscale– but the vibe was incredibly casual, which I appreciated. As in all of Tucson, coming dressed as-you-are is perfectly fine, even when eating fine food.
The Huevos Rancheros– which can be completely underwhelming most places, was absolutely exquisite. The homemade red sauce was made of freshly-ground red peppers and spicy chilis, and there was pesto (believe it or not) in there too. They blended Italian and Mexican flavors in the dish, to surprising success. They also had stellar baked goods– worth the spend (and a little wait).
Tucson is also home to one of my favorite streets– the North 4th Avenue stretch of shops and restaurants and bars is a true gem. From Tumerico all the way down to The Hut, the street is always alive with folks who are out enjoying the sunshine of Tucson year-round. The shops are truly unique– with a feminist bookstore (a relic nowadays), and a few good record stores, as well as excellent bars of all stripes– some dives, some upscale– all welcoming. I picked up some ‘zines’ (handmade magazines) and sat out on a patio with Mac (in the early spring, temperatures were already hot) to read them.
But my favorite bar was indisputably The Surly Wench Pub– the name drew me in, but I stayed for the lovely people. And the attention Mac got made him feel really chuffed, both from staff and patrons. The Surly Wench wasn’t just a dive bar, it also had excellent food– tacos and tots that I’d say are far better than passable. This spot was legit, and even had a small patio out back.
Tucson is also home to “The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures”– which is exactly what it sounds like. The front door (pictured below, center) offered both a real-sized door, and a miniature one, which really set the tone for how charming this ‘little’ (HEY-OH!) museum would be. Below, every photo is a carefully-constructed miniature– usually set in houses of some sort, these different dwellings were painstaking in detail. Made my artisans that sometimes took years (YEARS!) to create them.
Truly, one could have spent hours staring at each miniature to take in the curious details of every one– but with the high volume of miniatures in the museum to see, it was not possible to linger too long. I hadn’t known quite what to expect when hitting up the museum, but it was an absolutely disarming way to spend an afternoon. And their gift shop has some truly wonderful miniature sets to try your hand at (if you are not living in a small van that constantly bounces around).
When I saw the sign for The Polish Cottage, it caused me to jerk the steering wheel. I arrived just before they started serving lunch, and have to say, this was one of my favorite road-food finds. Being a Pierogi Fiend, when I can find authentic, fresh pierogi on the road, it’s the ultimate treat. And Polish Cottage had a plate of potato pierogi they paired with potato pancakes (another favorite, are you sensing a theme?) served with a side of… potato salad. Yes, a ‘triple dose of potato’ kind of meal is my kind of meal.
As far as other meals I loved, The Hoagie House (spelled Hogie House for some reason on the sign) kept my Italian heart coming back day after day. Fresh bread, fresh-sliced toppings the way an Italian sub should be– it was really excellent for fueling long workdays, and happened to be on the way to Mac’s favorite dog park. And was cheap as chips. So ‘wins’ all around.
One of the stranger bars in the city was called The Shelter, as it was modeled entirely after a 1960s bomb shelter. Cheeky and full of nostalgic antiques, this bar made a stiff habenero-infused martini. Full of locals, far away from the tourist or hipster areas of the city, this spot was playing period-appropriate movies and music, and even had an adjoining cigar lounge. With no windows to speak of, you could huddle in and wait for the end of the world.
With Tucson being a college town, there was also plenty of boba tea options– trying new boba spots being a favorite pastime of mine, there was lots of places to explore. Ding Tea, near the campus of the University of Arizona, had extremely high-quality boba (not too hard, not too soft), and VERY strong brewed tea that got me buzzing a bit on the caffeine.
Every city has its sunset spots, but Tucson has THE sunset spot: Gates Pass. A random guy in town suggested it, and I’m grateful he did. It didn’t disappoint. Mac and I arrived about an hour before sunset, and stayed about an hour after.
The Saguaro cacti dotted the landscape in the thousands, and the light was stunningly orange as the sunset deepened. Mac kept hearing all kinds of wildlife scurrying around as dusk fell, and loved the perch he was on– as he could see (and hear) everything below him on the hillside.
It’s a place people bring folks from out of town when they visit– so it’s crowded in the parking lot, an early arrival will behoove you. But like any touristed area, if you just walk about 100 yards in any direction, you can get away from most folks. (Including the teenagers who come to make out). True to form, people dissipated as soon as the sun dropped below the horizon, and the sky only got more beautiful after.
Don’t be ‘that idiot’ that leaves too early to enjoy the twilight! The Saguaros provide a silhouette against the brilliant sky that is worth the wait.
Tucson also has a vibrant live theater scene– and I got to see the premiere of Pru Payne, a play about an accomplished woman with dementia, who is grappling with losing her faculties as those around her try to help. It was a devastating play, brilliantly played by Mimi Kennedy, who carried nearly the entire 90 minutes (no intermission) and made the dense material terribly engrossing.
Mac and I were lucky to meet some nice folks from the queer community who invited us to Queer Kickball on a sunny Saturday. Mac met an elderly dog and cheered for our new friends on the Green Team. When I said Tucson was a friendly town, I meant it!
I haven’t yet gotten to the best part of Tucson– it is surrounded by wild lands that the Bureau of Land Management is in charge of, meaning you can camp for 14 days for free. There’s not much that’s free in the world nowadays, and especially given AirBNBs in Tucson can cost you $300 a night, you can’t beat bedding down just 15 minutes from the heart of town, on wide open desert land.
I camped on land that was fairly underused, as the roads getting in were a bit rough. But with perfect cell signal thanks to the proximity of the city, I set up my workstation for at least a week in the middle of the desert. Which, when 70-80 and sunny in the early spring, made my soul happy. Waking up to chirping birds and wandering deer was a pleasure. (Mac only chased a few).
I’ll close with a random montage from Tucson, which became my favorite spot to spend “city time” in the Southwest U.S. (For Tamarindo fans, I’ve literally never had better than “Dirty T’s Tamarindo” — bought from a stand at the artisan market, this dried spicy mango was simply the best out there). Order from their website if you dare– it’s spicy.
If you are looking for a sunny spring getaway, I can’t recommend Tucson enough. If you’re a camper and can camp on BLM land, why not explore the city, essentially for free!
Posted by Sun
