Hotel Tucson City Center InnSuites Conference Suite Resort

Day Trips from Hotel Tucson City Center

If you thought Tucson was surrounded by flat, sandy desert, you are in for a surprise. True, there is a desert here, but it is a lush desert where tall saguaro cacti tower over mesquite, ironwood, creosote, and many smaller cacti that bear vibrant blooms. Hills and mountains break the view, and distant mountains promise cool forests of ponderosa pines.

Arizona’s landscape is varied and beautiful, and you can see a lot of it in a series of day trips out of Tucson. Some of the most popular day trips out of Tucson include:

Amerind Foundation: (Short for "American Indian"),
the Amerind Foundation Museum contains one of the finest collections of archaeological and ethnographic materials in the country. (1 hour drive)

Bisbee & Tombstone, Arizona:
A great day trip to two of Arizona’s unique historic towns. Historic Bisbee, the infamous mining boomtown, is now an arts and architectural oasis and the Copper Queen Mine. Tombstone, the "town too tough to die",is the site of a fascinating chapter in American history, home to notorious saloons and the Gunfight at the OK Corral. (1 hour drive)

Colossal Cave Mountain Park:
Dry cavern and historic site; crystal-filled hollow mountain, previously home to American Indian families and cowboy outlaws, is now the scene of underground candlelight tours. (40 minute drive)

Columbia University’s Biosophere 2 Center:
World renowned experiment in creating a closed eco-system. (40 minute drive)

Kartchner Caverns State Park:
Arizona’s newest attraction. An ancient limestone cave dripping with colorful formations, recently discovered and opened to the public. (45 minute drive)

Kitt Peak National Observatory:
Home to the world’s greatest concentration of telescopes for stellar, solar and planetary research. (1 hour drive)

Nogales, Sonora:
A festive Mexican marketplace featuring homemade crafts and goods. (1 hour drive)

Tubac, Arizona:
Admire mission architecture, browse galleries and shop in the village of Tubac, where art and history meet. (45 minute drive)

Visiting The Grand Canyon from Tucson
If you are visiting Arizona, it is well worth the drive to visit The Grand Canyon.

Nearly five million people see the 1 mile deep (1.6 km) Grand Canyon each year. Most of them see it from their car at overlooks along the South Rim (this includes Grand Canyon Village, Hermits Rest, and Desert View). The South Rim is the most accessible part of the park and is open all year.

A much smaller number of people see the Canyon from the North Rim, which lies just 10 miles / 16 km (as the condor flies) directly across the Canyon from the South Rim. The North Rim rises a thousand feet higher than the South Rim, and is much less accessible. Heavy snows close the road to the North Rim from late October to mid May of each year. Even in good weather it’s harder to get to. It is 220 miles / 354 km by car from the South Rim, or 21 miles / 34 km by foot across the Canyon by way of the North and South Kaibab Trails.

The Inner Canyon includes everything below the rim and is seen mainly by hikers, mule riders, or river runners. There are many opportunities here for adventurous and hardy persons who want to backpack, ride a mule to Phantom Ranch, or take a river trip through the Canyon on the Colorado River (which can take anywhere from a few days to three weeks - there are no one-day river trips through Grand Canyon).

For information on planning your visit, go to http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/

Hotel Tucson City Center Conference Suite Resort is a perfect gateway to visiting Sedona, Arizona.

Approximately 3 hours from Tucson lies the town of Sedona--located in north central Arizona.

Often called "Red Rock Country" Sedona is a four seasons playground for everyone - whether you’re into history and archaeology; arts and culture; shopping; outdoor sports; or the spiritual and metaphysical, imagine doing all this in a backdrop of some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.

This picturesque city is surrounded by red-rock monoliths named Coffeepot, Cathedral and Thunder Mountain. At the north end of the city is the stunning Oak Creek Canyon, a breathtaking chasm that is wildly wonderful.

Natural endowments aside, you’ll also find a very good variety of dining to keep you satisfied. Kick back and enjoy the beauty that Sedona offers.

Hotel Tucson City Center Conference Suite Resort is a perfect gateway to Southern Arizona.

Southern Arizona offers many fun and exciting places to visit including Tombstone, Tubac and Mexico.

Driving about one hour southeast of Tucson is Tombstone, Arizona. "The Town Too Tough to Die" has a vast array of attractions and points of interest for all ages. There are many places to eat, drink, and sleep in town, as well. Several of the saloons in town offer live music on weekends, and most can accommodate dancing. There are a number of gunfight shows in town, stagecoach and wagon tours, and a city park. If you’re interested in shopping, Tombstone has a wealth of unique shops and services available to you.

Driving about one hour south of Tucson is Nogales, Arizona which also borders Mexico. Just across the border from Nogales, Arizona, the two cities share the same name but the cultures have evolved separately. Fill your trip to Mexico with its traditions, wonderful shopping and great food. Take the time to enjoy the restaurants-La Roca and El Greco are a couple of local haunts but there are many terrific restaurants to choose from. Walking is a popular way to cross the border and Nogales, AZ has many guarded parking lots close to the port-of-entry. The cost to park your vehicle all day is very reasonable, generally under $4.00, and most of the shopping and eating attractions are close to the border and within easy walking distance. As you enter Mexico, you will see the Flag Island of the Americas, which has banners for all of the Mexican states-Nogales is in the state of Sonora. Turn right at Campillo Street and walk down three blocks to Obregon Street-now you can shop, browse, explore and enjoy the people, places, sights, and sounds of Mexico. If your love is pottery, glassware, furniture, baskets, rugs, leather, or jewelry you will, if you look, find unique and beautiful pieces at reasonable cost. A local business where you can find all of these items is El Sarape located on Calle Obregon, you can contact them at 011-52-631-312-0309. Prices at the shops are not fixed so prepare to enjoy bargaining-negotiate a price! Business is done in English and American currency is preferred. Before crossing the border give the U.S. Customs office a call to check for current regulations. The Mexican and U.S. Customs offices are available 24 hours a day to answer any questions (520) 287-1410. You may also call (520) 885-0694 for more information.