Tucson, AZ

I have to say, it was just a series of little pink signs with clever rhymes, but seeing them day by day up and down Campbell Ave definitely did a good job of intriguing me. I’d long seen bats flitting around at twilight in my neighborhood, and had wondered where it was they might sleep during the day. I definitely hadn’t been able to imagine any caves within the city, and I didn’t think they’d fly so far as to come from open desert…but under any of the bridges crossing the Rillito River? There was only one way to find out, and that was to attend Bat Night!

I love flowers. One would be hard pressed to find a flower that evokes a negative emotion – even a black rose or orchid would rather be described as darkly beautiful, not depressing or sad. And for those in search of the vibrant sunset and rainbow colors of blossoms, Tucson does not disappoint, with vivacious wildflowers sweeping across most any slope around town.

Of course, if you’re less inclined to make that more outward drive, all that same desert beauty can be found within Tohono Chul Park!

igger isn’t always better and Viente De Agosto Park in the heart of downtown Tucson is absolute proof of this old cliché. Viente De Agosto Park is on Church Street between East Congress and Broadway Boulevard, right across from the PIMA County Superior Court building.

The tour group meets at 6p.m on a wonderfully shady corner of Alameda and Main Street where Alan Kruse, our guide, hands out an annotated bibliography about Tucson history and the mansions we’re off to see. He starts us off with a quick background on Tucson and how it came to be part of the United States territory. I probably learned some of this in school, but it’s more interesting coming from Alan.

One of the attractions of the Southwest in general and Tucson in particular is both the quantity and quality of the public art. It is difficult to travel around our city without being exposed to various works of art which are as much a part of the fabric of our community as are the streets, buses and even I-10.

It’s a hidden gem in Tucson. That’s such a cliché, I know. Yet it’s true. I don’t mean hidden in the sense that it’s unknown, but in the sense that once inside the park, the feeling of being in a city fades away. The park is dedicated to educating people about the desert ecology and culture, and does so by being a lush, serene place to explore or just sit and contemplate. I did a bit of both.

A great way to get out and experience spring in Tucson is with an early morning hike in Sabino Canyon. While the canyon did experience damage during 2006’s monsoon season, much headway has been made to restore it, and the Sabino Canyon Trail is still a beautiful way to witness nature.

You don’t necessarily have to be a writer to add your own posts to OneThousandThingsToDo.com! We are currently looking for people to write about the things that you do in your local area. Do you do a lot of hiking? Biking? Swiming? Do you tear up the town a lot? Are [...]