Travel Guide to Tucson, Arizona

Tucson, Arizona is a desert paradise where you can spend the morning hiking in the mountains surrounded by snakes, cacti and other wildlife, then have an elegant lunch followed by shopping at Louis Vuitton and other luxury stores at a fancy mall. I lived there for 20 years and it's my favorite city in the U.S.

The weather is almost always perfect (especially if you like dry heat) and you've also got golf, horseback riding, mountain biking along with delicious dining. And if you like the spa experience, Tucson can deliver. Tucson is about 100 miles from Phoenix along U.S. 10 and 100 miles from Mexico.

Tucson has many foods and restaurants, I always recommend a roadside taco stand or taco truck for a meal. Find one with all kinds of lights and people there eating, usually on a busy corner. Locals know the best places and for under $10 you may have the best Mexican food of your life.

For a fine dining experience, always go to Anthony's in the Catalinas. This is one of those nice, local places, with great views, great old-school food and old-school service. This is a restaurant like I remember back east; big portions, with waiters my age, not young kids. Many local families go here for special occasions and we would go for our anniversary every year and were never disappointed.

Anthony's
6440 N Campbell Ave
Tucson , AZ 85718-1302
(520) 299-1771

For hotels, there are are many options for travelers. If you want downtown action, clubs, bars and fun things to do, I would send you to the Hotel Congress, a restored historic property in the heart of the East End area. Even the hotel itself has a cool bar and nightclub featuring live music and the whole area is filled with younger people having fun. The rooms are cheap, from about $89, but don't expect luxury. This is a fun place to stay, in the heart of the action that is downtown Tucson.

Hotel Congress
311 East Congress Street
Tucson, AZ 85701
hotelcongress.com

For older travelers like me, the brand new Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain, in the foothills above the city, delivers a more relaxed, pampered experience. The hotel delivers the ultimate in luxury and personal service, they seek to know details about your likes and dislikes and will strive to deliver for you. After years of economy and basic travel, my wife and I discovered this higher end form of travel later in life, and we love it. It changes the travel experience.

And it doesn't have to be expensive. The resort offers a "Resort Reconnect" special for $239 a night, which includes a $100 a day resort credit towards spa, food or other activities (not your room charge). The package also includes an American breakfast for two in the hotel's Core Restaurant, providing a lot of bang for your buck.

Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain Resort
15000 North Secret Springs Drive
Marana, Arizona 85658
(520) 572-3000
ritzcarlton.com

Walking in the Sonoran desert is a great thing to do in Tucson and the Tohono Chul Park and nature center is really a botanical garden featuring the plants of the desert. It's a wonderful place for young and old and tea room is a nice place for lunch.

Tohono Chul Park
7366 North Paseo del Norte
Tucson, AZ 85704
(520) 742-6455
tohonochulpark.org

The Tucson Zoo is also a great place to visit for travelers young and old, my wife was a docent there until we moved west to Los Angeles last year. The zoo. During the summer on Friday nights, the zoo is open until 8 p.m. to provide a cooler, night experience with the animals.

Reid Park Zoo
1100 S. Randolph Way
Tucson, AZ 85716
tucsonzoo.org

Tucson has a nice, quiet airport, with service usually connecting through Phoenix or Las Vegas. Direct flights are available from Los Angeles and take about an hour. A rental car is a good option and many are available at the airport.