We went full bore tourist today. No apologies. Our Airbnb host suggested a fantastic hike nearby the didn’t involve paying a fee. So we drove a little north and east to the Ventana Canyon Trailhead and hiked for an hour on a fairly easy trail through the desert and into the mountains. Perfect. It had stormed the night before so the sky over the mountains was particularly dramatic as the dark clouds moved east and patches of blue soon became full on blue sky, with sunshine.

Downtown we went on a two hour bike ride through historic neighborhoods of Tucson with Lorraine, a knowledgeable and low-key guide with Tucson Bike Tours. (Itinerary recap below)

We rode about nine miles in and out of various historic neighborhoods – the barrio Viejo, the presidio, courthouse and La placita, armory park, the downtown area around the Hotel Congress, mission district and loop river trail, the fourth avenue area, a former black neighborhood called Dunbar spring and west university. I’d been to a few places but didn’t really know how close they were to each other. Also saw some new places – the house where linda rondstadt grew up, a row house Diane Keaton bought and resold for a gob of money (she didn’t live in Tucson, our guide thought).

We also visited many places we’d never been, hidden parks (one dedicated to sinners), the first synagogue in Tucson (now a holocaust memorial and museum), the presidio court house (where Dillinger and Johnny depp had court dates), a moving memorial to Jan. 8, 2011 when Rep. Gabby Giffords and several other people were injured or killed in a mass shooting. Lorraine also was big on pointing out interesting murals, restaurants, sculpture, landmarks, cool signs.

We ended up having a late lunch at Seis Kitchen, which served excellent inventive tacos and prickly pear lemonade.

You order at a takeout window and then they send you to a table with your anointed number (a good system so you don’t have to search for a table) in the pretty open courtyard surrounded by small shops (a good men’s shop called Laughlin) and another well known restaurant St. Augustin Kitchen.

Miscellaneous: On 4th Avenue, we went to a very cute store with local crafts called Popcycle and appreciated the free bathroom at the food coop which had good looking sandwiches, among other attractive offerings.

DOWNTOWN

1. Coronado Hotel – Beautiful 1928 hotel designed by Roy Place.
2. 4th Avenue – Funky shopping and entertainment street with a streetcar line.
3. Hotel Congress – Classic 1919 hotel. Biker-artist Larry Boyce painted the art-deco lobby. Hotel is famous for a fire in 1934 that led to John Dillinger’s arrest.
4. Rialto Theatre – Just across from Hotel Congress. Most elegant theater west of the Mississippi when built in 1919. Nice murals in this area, both rotating and permanent.
5. Southern Pacific Station – Train arrived in 1880 to much fanfare, including a telegram to the Pope. Tucson changed from a village to a city. Cut travel time to San Francisco from 10 days to 2. Also site of Wyatt Earp shooting Frank Stillwell. Engine 1673 hauled a million miles of freight and appeared in the 1954 movie Oklahoma.
6. Borderlands Brewery – One of many craft brewers in Tucson. They specialize in adding local ingredients, like prickly pear. First brewery was built by Alexander Levin in 1864. A surreal mural in the back wall.
7. Transfer Building – Rock Martinez’ “Agave Lady” is really big and really beautiful. The spot also offers a nice view of the giant cycling cowboy mural, by Joe Pagac.

THE PRESIDIO

1. El Charro – Oldest continuously family-owned Mexican restaurant in the USA. Popularized the chimichanga.
2. Sonoran Row Houses – Beautiful homes from the 1860’s and 70’s.
3. Main Ave – Used to be Calle Real, or Royal Road, part of a Spanish road system starting in Mexico City.
4. Owl’s Club – Turn of the century bachelor pad designed by Henry Trost. Now home to a conservation organization that got its start protecting owl habitat.
5. Steinfeld Mansion – Wealthy retailer’s home designed by Henry Trost.
6. Sam Hughes House – Kicked off a stagecoach in 1858 to die of TB in Tucson. Recovered and became one of Tucson’s most important civic, business, and educational leaders.
7. Tucson Museum of Art – Nice campus with an impressive collection of Western American, Latin American, and Pre-Columbian art.
8. Casa Cordova – The oldest house downtown, from 1848.
9. Old Town Artisans – Old 1860’s building, now home to an interesting artists’ market and a beautiful courtyard offering food and drinks.
10. El Presidio de San Agustin – Spanish fort founded in 1775 by Hugo O’Conner. Mostly gone now, but the original foundation remains in places along with reconstructed walls. Also home to an ancient Hohokam pit house.

COURTHOUSE & LA PLACITA

1. Pima County Courthouse – Designed by Roy Place. Beautful mission revival style. There was some controversy about the color and design at the time, but now much admired.
2. Veinte de Agosto Park – Site of original cathedral. Site of a federal homeless rights lawsuit and a statue or Poncho Villa, a controversial present from Mexico.
3. Fox Theatre – Neat old theater. Saw success during the Great Depression. First building in Tucson with air conditioning, which was critical to post WW-II growth.
4. La Placita – 40 year old mixed use urban renewal project. Home of the Tucson convention center. Wiped out a good chunk of the Old Barrio.

ARMORY PARK

1. Cathedral San Agustin – 2nd site. Built in 1896. Has some nice southwest features, such as horned-toad lizards and saguaro cactus.
2. Old Pueblo Club – Former gentlemen’s club that hosted John Wayne, Buffalo Bill, and Charles Lindbergh. Made from California brick. Currently veteran housing.
3. Griffin – 12’ tall half lion half eagle made from steel.
4. Scottish Rights Cathedral – Mason’s hall built in 1915.
5. Carnegie Library – Built in 1901, now the Children’s Museum.
6. Blenman House – Tucson’s first Victorian home from 1878. The only known adobe Victorian. Now a B&B.
7. Temple of Music & Art – Spanish Colonial Revival building from 1926. Home of Arizona Theatre Company.

BARRIO VIEJO

1. Convent & Meyer Aves – Colorful adobe homes line these two narrow streets. Many of the homes have been restored recently, including one by actress Diane Keaton.
2. Teatro Carmen – Built in 1915. Was a Spanish language cultural institution.
3. El Tiradito – A little shrine that saved Barrio Viejo from being destroyed by freeway construction. In memory of a ranch hand who was killed due to romantic involvement with his mother in law! Still a functioning shrine where many people write messages and burn candles to ask for a wish.
4. La Pillita & Elysian Grove Market – The area used to be Carrillo Gardens and Elysian Grove, a nice area in the late 1800’s for a picnic and even a boat ride. Leopoldo Carrillo was Tucson’s wealthiest man. Owed over 100 properties, appointed himself water commissioner, and went by the job title “Capitalist.”
5. San Cosme Chapel – From 1929 with nice art. Cosme is Greek for “harmony” and was the name of the first European mission established in Tucson along the Santa Cruz river in 1692.

MISSION DISTRICT & THE LOOP RIVER TRAIL

1. Santa Cruz River – The reason Tucson exists. For thousands of years this stretch always had flowing water. Due to groundwater pumping, now dry.
2. “A” Mountain – Made of basalt rock, it is the reason why the Santa Cruz river water was pushed to the surface here. The name Tucson is comes from the Pima Indian word “chuk-shon”, which means “at the foot of dark mountain.” Also called Sentinel Peak. Sentinels were indeed stationed at the top to watch for attacks. The “A” was placed on top with stones by University of Arizona students in 1914 after a football victory.
3. Mission Gardens – Recreation of historic 1770’s garden and mission. The area has native artifacts going back to 2000 BC. Was turned into a landfill but it is in the process of being redeveloped.
4. Mercado San Agustin & MSA Annex – Nice market offering traditional Sonoran cuisine.
5. Phina’s Tree – Tallest tree in Tucson. Planted by a girl in 1910.
6. Gardens of Gethesemane – Religious park built by Felix Lucero, a homeless WW-I veteran living under the Congress St bridge.
7. The Loop – a 130 mile paved path system around Tucson.

DUNBAR SPRING & WEST UNIVERSITY

1. The Bike Church – Cool art gazebo made from old bike parts.
2. Jim’s Market – Pretty little former market in what was Tucson’s prominent African-American neighborhood.
3. Mural at Merle’s – Sprawling mural by Sue Johnson, who helped create the All Souls Procession. Water harvesting projects in this area too.
4. Ronstadt Residence – Old victorian home of Linda’s grandfather, Fredrick. He made wagons, she sang hits (21 in the top 40).