There are so many great things to do in Tucson while you're here! Below are some of our favorite places. 

The Desert Museum

The Desert Museum is one of our favorite places in Tucson, and probably our highest recommendation if this is your first (potentially only) time visiting the American Southwest. One part zoo, one part botanical garden, and one part geology museum (among other things), the Desert Museum will give you a taste of everything Sonora has to offer, from its desert floors to its mountain peaks. It has multiple in-house restaurants, plus you can pick up prickly pear margaritas at the coffee shop right by the entrance to start your visit off right. 

It's largely outdoors on dirt and gravel trails with exhibits interspersed throughout the grounds, so be prepared to walk a mile or more in order to see everything. Victoria's favorite exhibit is always the mineral cave, while Angus loves the hummingbird aviary (and hates the spiders!).

El Charro Cafe

El Charro Cafe is the oldest Mexican restaurant not only in Tucson, but in the entire nation. It's also where the chimichanga was invented! Continuously operated by a single family for over a hundred years, there is perhaps nothing more Tucson in Tucson than El Charro. It's pretty casual, has margaritas on tap, and has a unique menu with specialty dishes from its founding family that you won't find at traditional Mexican, American, or Tex-Mex. Victoria loves anything quesabirria and Angus's favorite is the carne asada tacos! Their table side guacamole is also incredible. 

Biosphere 2

The Biosphere 2 is an ecological research center about half an hour north of Tucson, which set out to create a microcosm of the entire planet's ecosystem! Within, you can travel through a rainforest, desert, savannah, and even visit an honest-to-goodness coral reef all within the span of an afternoon stroll. 

Sabino Canyon & Pima Canyon

For the hikers among you, Tucson and its environs could support you for months! The easiest access points are Sabino Canyon and Pima Canyon, both of which have drive-up trailheads and free public access. Sabino is much more casual, with paved trails for those who prefer more of a nature walk, while Pima's trails are more rugged, unpaved and with lots of ups and downs for those looking for a proper hike!

Mission San Xavier del Bac

Known as the "White Dove of the Desert," the San Xavier Mission was founded in 1692, razed by an Apache raid in 1770, and rebuilt between 1783 and 1797, which makes it the single oldest European structure in North America. And unlike the other Spanish Catholic missions in the region, San Xavier is still in service today, run by Franciscans and catering to the local community that originally built it. It is considered the finest example of Spanish Colonial architecture in the United States.

Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium at the University of Arizona

Flandrau is a great spot for kids and adults alike! As a science museum, the center covers far more than it's 'planetarium' title might imply, including exhibits not only on deep space, but also the deep ocean and the deep past. But as a planetarium, they also do exactly what the picture above implies. Shows and exhibits rotate monthly, so check out their website as we get closer. As astronomers, we can't pass up the opportunity to encourage some wonder at the scale of the universe! And if you're like Angus and are more interested in telescopes than what they're pointed at, right across the street is the Meinel Optical Sciences building (where Angus works), the lowest floor of which contains a small optics museum.