A Fresh Perspective on Travel Every Day
Tucson is situated in Pima County within the state of Arizona. As the second largest city in Arizona, following Phoenix, it boasts a population exceeding 500,000. This city is also the proud home of the University of Arizona and embodies the essence of the Sonoran Desert.
Considered a suburb of the larger City of Tucson, South Tucson operates as a distinct municipality with a population slightly exceeding 5,000 inhabitants.
As an adventurous traveler in Arizona, I find myself captivated by Tucson, a vibrant city nestled in the hot and arid desert landscape. It is the second largest city in the state, situated near the Mexican border in the southern part of the United States. Tucson serves as a captivating crossroads where the rich cultures of Mexico and the U.S. converge, creating an intriguing tapestry of history, ruins, frontier settlements, and abandoned ghost towns.
Situated in the Southwest corner of America, Tucson might seem overshadowed by its bigger brother Phoenix to the north. While both great Arizona cities are located in the Sonoran Desert, Tucson might be the unofficial capital. For starters, it’s right smack in the middle of the region, and it’s home to sacred Saguaro National Park, which National Geographic once named the “Greatest National Park in America.” That’s a big deal in this rare subtropical desert that sustains millions of giant green cacti with the help of two annual rainy seasons.
Like New Orleans, Tucson is one of the great American cities for original cuisine that has spread rapidly across the country. In 2017, Tucson became the first American city to be recognized by the United Nations as a notable “city of gastronomy.” Not even New Orleans can claim that.
Recognized by Unesco as one of the world’s most important food scenes, Tucson is not only larger than you may expect (one of the country’s 30 largest cities), but it is also an exceptional place for Mexican and Southwestern gastronomy. Here’s a list of must-try dishes in this Arizona metropolis.
Arizona is hot. However, Tucson is literally (and figuratively) 10 degrees cooler than the capital of Phoenix. Although best visited in shoulder seasons or winter to avoid 100-plus-degree temperatures, Tucson is a remarkable location for hiking among the giant green saguaro cacti, dude ranching, breathtaking sunsets, and mountain biking. Here’s why you should consider Tucson as your next travel destination:
One might assume that, given Phoenix, Arizona’s status as one of the ten largest cities in the U.S., it would surely have an Amtrak train station. However, that is not the case. Arizona hosts only eight Amtrak train stations, each identified by a three-character code akin to airports:
