Most beautiful places in Tucson? Favorite unique places in Tucson

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by Magnum Mike

Old Tucson is a pretty interesting place, a lot of western movies were filmed there.

How much of the original is still around? Didn't most of it burn down ten years ago or so? I have been hesitant to actually visit there as I do not really want to see a reproduction.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by veuvegirl

I wish I could remember the name of this place. If you drive South towards the border it is a great little Southwest restaurant with awesome Margaritas, a little dive. You could look all the way into Mexico and watch the lightening storms!

Is it Wisdom Cafe near Tumacacori?

I do not think that you could see much from the Cow Palace.

[RichCapeCod]

The bar art at the Cow Palace (Amado, about 25 miles due south of Tucson) was done in the 1950s. A cowboy was supposed to pay off his bar bill (or some such story) by painting behind the bar.







Wisdom Cafe. There are two enormous white chickens (statues) that sit outside (sorry, will take photos of them next time I go there). Not a clue what they're doing there!


Good Margarita at Wisdom's!


San Xavier Mission, due west from Tucson. Been there a while....

[RichCapeCod]

Inside the San Xavier Mission. No flash used (rested camera on flat surface and did "bulb" shots.







Plaque on wall explains the mission's history.

[azmemories]

To me, the most beautiful place in Tucson was in the foothills at dusk. The panoramic view featured the Tucson, Rincon and Santa Rita Mountain ranges silhouetted against the sky and the city lights illuminating the valley. My suggestion is to drive all the way to the north end of Campbell and park there.

Unique? Maybe the San Xavier Mission. For a town that was hardly on the map as recently as 60 years ago, the church is a couple of hundred years old and absolutely stunning.

For more history, there is also Old Tucson, especially if you are a cinematic buff of westerns. Most of it burned in the mid-90s, but then again how many westerns would have been made in the last 20 years anyway? Some key landmarks from a pivotal moment in a John Wayne film may be gone, but at least you can be on the grounds of where they were made. It is not all about the movies; there is touristy stuff with the Old Western theme. Plus, it is a nice drive. Motorists pass the much talked about Gates Pass to get to Old Tucson. If I remember the commercials correctly, it was twelve miles. "Old Tucson is 100 years and 12 miles from town" as the slogan used to go.

[Dreamweaver's girl]

The Catalina Foothills are gorgeous. Up here you can see the Tucson Mountains (W), The Rincon Mountains (E), and the Santa Rita Mountains (S & SE) with the stunning Santa Catalina range behind you. The drive up Mt. Lemmon has many spectacular stop offs and hikes covering five different ecosystems. The change in landscapes is dramatic as you climb finally reaching an alpine forest near the top. One of my favorite hikes is the Wilderness of Rocks trail where you will see incredible hoodoos and rock structures. Of course, all the mountain ranges are home to beautiful spots accessible by foot like Seven Falls in Sabino Canyon.

I agree with the other posters that San Xavier Mission is a must see. There are too many beautiful spots too mention. I discover new places all the time.....:-)