Discovering Tucson: Downtown

After our outdoor exploring, we were excited to see what downtown Tucson had to offer. Our only planned stop was at Laff's Comedy Cafe,' which did not disappoint! The food and drinks were great, and the comics had us slapping knees, buckled over, and crying!

After our laugh-fest, we pulled out our handy Arizona Craft Brewers Guild Beer Trail Map. Now THIS was the way to explore a new town! We found easy parking downtown, and our first stop was Thunder Canyon Brewery. It was a chill atmosphere, and our server helped us select a few favorites for our tasting "flight." Perhaps the most memorable part, however, was being serenaded by a local bagpipe clan as they rehearsed for the Gaelic Storm performance at the Rialto Theater across the street! We took it as a good sign that the gentlemen came to Thunder Canyon (kilts and all!) to get a drink after the show.

We enjoyed the comfortable walk up and down the main streets of Tucson, and even popped in to a small art gallery hosting a live jam session with a grand piano and a six-string guitar. What a way to get lost in the art! As the sidewalk started to get a bit more crowded, we decided to find the next brewery before the college kids really started hitting the streets.

After doubtfully following our antiquated GPS through back alleys and over train tracks, we were happy to actually find the Barrio Brewery. While we were skeptical of the dimly lit parking lot and warehouse appearance, the atmosphere inside was fun and welcoming. We confirmed that it was a great find when we saw the Mocha Java Stout on tap (we're suckers for the dark stuff) and award-winning beers all around.

We loved our short visit into downtown Tucson, and are hoping to visit again when we can enjoy it by day as well (and maybe take a few photos this time). We also decided to keep our Beer Trail Map in the car... for future exploring "emergencies."

Discovering Tucson: Sonora Desert Museum

There's something thrilling about seeing coyotes, wolves, mountain lions, and bears roaming the same ground as the path under your feet (rather than behind glass, from a paved road or sidewalk). Touring the Sonora Desert Museum is like hiking a desert trail, and being lucky enough to spot tons of wildlife. You can hike for years without seeing even half of the wildlife that you see in one loop around the open desert there!

Desert Fox

Mexican Wolf

Black Bear

Mountain Lion

Coyote

Javelina

We happened to arrive at the Museum just in time for their "Raptor Free Flights." We followed the crowd, not really knowing what all the excitement was about. It didn't take long before large predator birds were swooping right above our heads, diving and soaring from one branch to another. We learned a lot about birds of the desert, and, of course, got some really fun photos!

Gray Hawk

Barn Owl

Harris's Hawks

Gray Hawk

Harris's Hawk

The Museum also has its own aquarium, which gave us close-up views of creatures you're far less likely to encounter in the desert. We especially enjoyed the saltwater species from the Sea of Cortez.

Garden Eels

Pacific Seahorse

Can you identify this charming fellow?

If you're going to be visiting Tucson, the Sonora Desert Museum is definitely a must-see! It is certainly worth the price of admission, whether or not you get to attend a special program like the Raptor Free Flights. We arrived around mid-day, and stayed until it closed (it's a great spot for sunset!). We could have easily spent the entire day there exploring!

Discovering Tucson: Saguaro National Park

Though we only had a weekend to spare, it was just enough time to make our first trip to Tucson and see what we could see. If you're looking to see the best of Tucson with a limited amount of time (and a limited budget), we highly recommend our itinerary. We've separated our stops into separate posts, all under "Discovering Tucson."

Our first stop was Saguaro National Park.

It's important to note that there are really two parks in one - an east side and a west side, separated by the city of Tucson in between. We opted to visit the west side (officially called the Tucson Mountain District) because of its higher density of the great Saguaro Cacti, and its proximity to the Sonora Desert Museum (our next stop).

Crested or cristate cactus

N aturally formed cross-section of a dead cactus - Saguaro are preserved at all stages of life in the park.

The friendly volunteers and Park Ranger directed us to a scenic drive and short hike to get the most out of our short visit, including where to spot the rare crested/cristate saguaro cactus! Scientists still aren't sure how or why this mutation occurs, and it is a very rare find.

Valley View Overlook Trail

We'd love to go back and spend more time, as well as visit the eastern half, the Rincon Mountain District, which has longer scenic hikes and cycling routes.