Following is a list of some of the attractions in Tucson and Southern Arizona that we have covered and heartily recommend. Click here for a Map of our recommended attractions.
Recommended Attractions
The Road To Mt Lemmon
This wonderful short video introduces you to Mt. Lemmon, laying out the biomes of Mt. Lemmon as you wind your way to the top. Jim Gressinger narrates this video in the style of Joe Friday from Dragnet if you are old enough to recall that show.
Continue readingChildren’s & Family Museums in Tucson & Southern Arizona
TABLE OF CONTENTS Children & Family Museums The Mini-Time Machine: Museum of Miniatures International Wildlife Museum, Tucson – This Museum has closed its doors. January, 2024 Tucson Children's Museum, Tucson & Oro Valley Children’s Museum Oro Valley Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson The Flandrau Science … Continue reading
Great Plans for the Reid Park Zoo
This past week, we went on an early morning tour of the Reid Park Zoo as a part of our membership to the Attractions Alliance. For those of you who don’t know, they are the organization that puts out the Attraction Alliance Passport, a booklet full of Discounts and Deals … Continue reading
How Paton’s Birder Haven Became World-Famous
Like many “Big Deals”, this one started with a “Little Deal”. In this case, the little deal was a flying jewel about 10 cm long and weighed in at about 5 grams. It had feathers, of course. A white underbelly, red beak, and sported a violet crown. It was also … Continue reading
Ironwood Forest National Monument: A Tucson Treasure
Created in 2000 by the Clinton administration, and administered by the BLM, Bureau of Land Management, Ironwood National Monument supports some of the oldest trees in the world. Read this article posted with permission by R.J. Brenner. Less than forty minutes west of Tucson, an inconspicuous treasure awaits exploration: Ironwood … Continue reading
There’s A New Mineral Museum in Tucson & It’s Great!
There is a new gem and mineral museum in Downtown Tucson and it opened to the public on July 19th, 2021. Ms. Karen and I, along with other members of the Southern Arizona Attractions Alliance, were lucky to get a private tour of the Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum. … Continue reading
Plants of the San Pedro River
I love the San Pedro River and its environment. This is a long but wonderful video describing the plants that currently inhabit this unique place in Arizona. If you are interested in plants or the natural environment, you will enjoy this video. Thanks to Mike Foster, San Pedro River Videos, … Continue reading
A Stroll Through St. Anthony’s Monastery!
Florence Arizona is about 75 miles NE of Tucson on Highway 79. Saint Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery is on the way from Tucson to Florence. We had wanted to visit this monastery for years, but each time we were at or near Florence, we did not have the proper attire. … Continue reading
The Heavens Through Sky Center’s Telescope
(While 99% of the Guide’s content is either Ms. Karen’s or Jim’s product, occasionally we invite adventurous and talented others to write a guest column. Wendy & Richard Buckley are visiting us from Alberta and we encouraged them to experience the Sky Center’s night program. This is their report.) We … Continue reading
Raptor Free Flight Begins A New Season!
The Raptor Free Flight Program at our Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is the most extraordinary bird of prey exhibition in the United States! The new season begins Saturday October 15, 2016 and continues through April 2, 2017. Shows are daily at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. November and December are great … Continue reading
2 Arizona Book Reviews: Chasing Arizona and Dry River
Two Book Reviews, One Arizona Author. Chasing Arizona: One Man’s Obsession with the Grand Canyon State. By Ken Lamberton Chasing Arizona is a travelogue by Ken Lambertson about his one-year quest to find all 12 of Arizona’s state symbols in their natural setting: State Flower: Saguaro Blossom; State Bird: Cactus … Continue reading
Museum of the Horse Soldier
The Museum of the Horse Soldier is a small, but remarkable museum about one very important aspect of American military history.
Continue readingGunfight at the O.K. Corral: The Day of the Fight and After
If you have not read the events leading up to the Gunfight, you can do that here. The Years Leading up to the Gunfight at the O.K.Corral. TABLE OF CONTENTS The Day of the Gunfight 1881 – October 26th: Early Morning 1881 – October 26th. Late Morning. 1881 – October … Continue reading
Our Lady Of The Sierras
There is much to do just a little south and east of Sierra Vista, such as hiking and bird watching along the San Pedro River; visiting ghost towns, such as Fairbank and Clovis sites, such as Murray Springs; and climbing the 600′ to this shrine dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Continue readingSouthern Arizona Guide’s Tombstone At Twilight Tour
This is Southern Arizona Guide’s Tombstone At Twilight Tour. I’m Jim Gressinger, travel writer, photographer, and publisher of Southern Arizona Guide. Please join me for an Old West evening like no other. Tombstone, Arizona after sundown is a very different place than Tombstone by daylight. The shops along historic Allen … Continue reading
A Hike to Seven Falls in Tucson’s Scenic Sabino Canyon
Ms. Karen here. On a pleasant Sunday in January 2015, I and Ms. Rosemary, hiked to Seven Falls in Bear Canyon adjacent to Sabino Canyon in northeast Tucson. Jim and I had hiked this in 1985 and at that time I considered it easy. I came back to see if … Continue reading
Sabino Canyon: A Late Summer Pictorial!
Here are a few images of Sabino Canyon in late September 2014. The monsoons have been generous with their imported rains this season. So our favorite desert canyon was quite green in the late summer. Now is the perfect time to hike Sabino Canyon.
Continue readingHalloween Howl: Descent Into A Frightening Underworld!
Last Halloween (2013), Neighbor Roy & I descended into the underworld of Colossal Cave to witness both adults and young children get frightened out of their wits. They call this adventure “Halloween Howl”. At the entrance, the nice folks at Colossal Cave gave their brave (or foolish) guests a candle … Continue reading
Autumn Fest 2014 To Celebrate Apache Culture
TABLE OF CONTENTS AMERIND AUTUMN FEST 2014 CELEBRATES APACHE CULTURE Event details: AMERIND AUTUMN FEST 2014 CELEBRATES APACHE CULTURE The Amerind Museum is one of Southern Arizona Guide’s favorite attractions. It is located in beautiful Texas Canyon and will hold its Annual Autumn Fest October 18, 2014. The day-long event … Continue reading
Tucson Museum of Art Announces New Exhibition Featuring 120 Master Works
I added new information about this special Tucson Museum of Art event Friday night October 17th. Neighbor Roy & I will be there and hope to see you there too. Ms. Karen & I have been members of the Tucson Museum of Art since we moved here 11 year ago … Continue reading
Pima County Fair: A Slideshow
Just before sundown on Easter Sunday, we visited the Pima County Fair for the first time. Here are some photos we took to share. You can find out about all the events at the fair at http://pimacountyfair.com. The fair runs through April 27th.
Continue readingBig Bird Lives At The Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch!
I imagine that anyone who lives in Tucson, Arizona has passed by the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch along I-10, at Picacho Peak many times. And I imagine that most Tucsonans have, as they passed by doing 85, thought to themselves that some day they would stop in and see what … Continue reading
Gunfight At The O.K. Corral: A Review of Tombstone’s Top Attraction!
Conspicuous by its absence, the Gunfight At The O.K. Corral, Tombstone’s most popular attraction, has not graced the pages of Southern Arizona Guide … until now. Why? At Southern Arizona Guide we have a guiding philosophy. If we cannot wholeheartedly recommend your establishment or event to our friends & family, … Continue reading
Tucson Attractions: The Ones Few People Know About!
Locals are generally familiar with our major Tucson and Southern Arizona attractions, such as our fantastic Desert Museum & the beautiful gardens of Tohono Chul Park. You can find the ones we recommend under “Attractions” in the Main Menu. However, very few locals know about or have been to the … Continue reading
Pima Air and Space Museum: A Review!
It had been many years since we visited Pima Air and Space Museum. When we first moved to Tucson more than 10 years ago, we took our young grandchildren there and had not been back since, except briefly to create one of our 50 original videos when we first started … Continue reading
Arizona Folklore Preserve: A Southern Arizona Hidden Treasure!
We’ve “discovered” another Southern Arizona Hidden Treasure. Of course, like all “hidden treasures” we have discovered since starting Southern Arizona Guide years ago, this one is hidden in plain sight. It’s just that most locals and almost all visitors don’t yet know about it. We would like to help correct … Continue reading
Visit The New Desert Palm Oasis At Tohono Chul Park
If you haven’t experienced it yet, do visit Tohono Chul Park’s new Desert Palm Oasis. They have created a reproduction of the ecology in the canyons near Guaymas, Mexico along the Gulf of California coast where 3 species of fan palms thrive. These rare palms are only found north of … Continue reading
Children’s Museum of Tucson Is Newly Remodeled; New Exhibits!
When our 4 grandchildren were young, my job as Grandpa was weekly field trips. I would scout out venues that were educational, but also interesting to young people. We ranged all over Southern California taking in the zoos, railroad parks, natural history museums, including the La Brea Tar Pits, historic … Continue reading
Empire Ranch Fall Roundup: A Slideshow
Every year in the fall since 2000, the Empire Ranch Foundation has put on a grand celebration of ranching life in Southern Arizona. From the 1860’s to the 1960’s, the Empire Ranch was one of the largest and most successful cattle operations in the American Southwest. It is currently, 2023, … Continue reading
Colossal Cave Halloween Howl: ‘Twas A Dark & Scary Night!
October 18, 2013 – Neighbor Roy & I arrived about 5PM. Our mission? To photograph the annual Colossal Cave Halloween Howl. Halloween Howl will be held next weekend as well. The ghosts and ghouls look forward to having you there! Learn more about Colossal Cave Mountain Park here. Editor’s Note: I … Continue reading
The 390th Memorial Museum: A Pictorial.
From 1943 through June 1945, the 390th Bombardment Group (Heavy) was an Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress unit stationed in England. The 390th was assigned to the 13th Combat Bombardment Wing, and the group tail code was a “Square-J”. Its mission was to cripple or destroy German strategic targets, … Continue reading
Saguaro National Park West: A Pictorial.
We delight in the beauty of Southern Arizona. And no place is more magnificent than Saguaro National Park West. When friends & family visit for the first time, we always recommend they visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum to learn about our Sononan Desert. We suggest they then go a few … Continue reading
A Visit to Gammons Gulch
One day last year, as we were on our way to discover our version of Muleshoe Ranch Preserve, a Nature Conservancy property, we ran across a little known gem in the middle of nowhere, kinda like John and Sandy’s Rattlesnake Crafts and Rocks. We came across a sign for Gammons … Continue reading
International Wildlife Museum: A Cool Spot On A Hot Summer Day!
The International Wildlife Museum located west of downtown Tucson on Gates Pass Road is definitely on our list of recommended “Things To Do With Kids In Tucson”. Particularly on a hot summer day. The International Wildlife Museum, IWM, is focused on conservation, discovery and education. They offer events to kids … Continue reading
Cool Summer Saturday Nights At Our Desert Museum
One of the reasons so many locals visit SouthernArizonaGuide.com is our recommended Things To Do With Kids section. Extreme summer heat increases the difficulty of finding activities for the whole family. Which is why we appreciate our great Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum even more in June, July, & August. Every Saturday night from June through August […]
Continue readingHalf-Day Trip #1: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
To orient new visitors to our magnificent Sonoran Desert, we always recommend they spend some time at our Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. This is not a museum in the ordinary sense, but rather a combination botanical garden and zoo. Click on this link to view our four brief videos with several … Continue reading
Boothill Graveyard: Tombstone, AZ
Visiting Tombstone’s Boothill Graveyard is no longer Free. Currently, April 2017 it is $3. It cost money to maintain the graveyard. But it takes considerable willpower not to stop at the gift shop on the way out and buy a souvenir. We have several. Newman (Old Man) Clanton was … Continue reading
Tucson Botanical Gardens
There are many reasons to love Tucson Botanical Gardens. First, of course, are the many different types of gardens. Second, every spring they have a “Weird Plant Sale” where you can purchase living conversation pieces. Third, TBG is a peaceful place in the midst of a bustling urban environment. Fourth, they have concerts & art shows. Fifth, you can rent the facilities and have a magnificent party there, be it for a wedding, reunion, or whatever special occasion. Go to our Tucson Botanical Gardens to discover reasons #6, #7, & #8.
Continue readingOld Tucson: A Slideshow
Old Tucson has served as a movie studio for over 300 Westerns, TV productions and commercials. Today, it’s an Old West theme park that is both entertaining and educational. In April 2012, I attended the Western Music Festival & Art Show there and took these photographs. Old Tucson is closed to the public during the hot summer months, but is open October – May.
Continue readingMescal Arizona: A Slideshow
Mescal Arizona is a faux Old West town 50 miles east of Tucson that was built as a movie set. A lot of Westerns were filmed here, including Quick & The Dead …
Continue readingCasa Grande National Monument Prehistoric Ruins
The Hohokam built this city in a most inhospitable place. This prehistoric site is seriously interesting.
Continue readingThe Village of Arivaca, The Ghost Town Of Ruby, & Sweet Peas Cafe’!
The road from Amado to Arivaca winds through rolling, mesquite-covered hills. It’s obviously very popular with cyclists, motor and otherwise.
Just before we arrived in town, we came to the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge where, by appointment, we met and interviewed Richard Conway, a local geologist and Mary Scott, a seasoned birdwatcher and wildlife photographer.