For our first overnight trip in (checks notes) 18 months, we decided to take a road trip through southeast Arizona. Tucson is the closest big city to El Paso, so we took a long weekend and headed down I-10. We chose to go in early May to avoid the heat and to see the cactus in bloom. It was nice getting back to our normal long weekend routine, even if we had some hiccups. If you’re interested in checking out some of these sites, I would recommend that you have good quality tires, a full tank of gas, plenty of water, and extra sunscreen.
Where we stayed in Tucson
If you’re also planning a weekend in southeast Arizona, be sure to plan out your stops ahead of time. Towns with hotels and services are pretty spread out. We spent the first night at the Holiday Inn Express in Sierra Vista. Overall, a clean and pleasant experience. Our room was also massive. From there, we stayed at the Hotel Tucson City Center. The hotel was fine, but we had a terrible experience the first night. The people in the room next to us spent the whole first night screaming (like actually screaming) and fighting for hours. Super fun.
Where we ate in in Tucson
Since we were out in the boonies, we packed lunch and snacks. We grabbed dinner at Native Grill and Wings in Sierra Vista. We split an appetizer platter, and we both had salads. The food was good, service was quick, and we were able to enjoy a meal in a restaurant. Dinner two was at Los Olivos in Tucson. We ordered a Mexican pizza and a calzone for takeout. It took a bit longer than expected, but the food was tasty. On our last day, we found Ten55 Brewing Company. Did I order tomato soup and a grilled cheese when it was 90 degrees outside? Yes, I did. We also had a Bavarian pretzel, and Mac had a cheesesteak. The food was good, if the service was a bit slow.
What we did in Tucson
On our first day, we headed out and drove about three hours to Fort Bowie National Historic Site and hiked into the Visitor’s Center. We then headed down to Chiricahua National Monument for some more hiking and a scenic drive through the park. For our last stop, we strolled down the main drag of historic Tombstone, walked around the original OK Corral, and sampled some local sarsaparilla. We stayed in Sierra Vista.
The next morning, we made the short drive to Coronado National Memorial, went off-roading to find an old US-Mexico boundary stone, and then headed out to Tumacacori National Historic Site. We also discovered that Interstate 19 (between Nogales and Tucson) marks distances in kilometers instead of miles. And, of course, we hit up the Chile Shop across the highway from Tumacacori. After a stop at the Mission San Xavier del Bac, we drove through the Tucson district of Saguaro National Park.
Sunday morning, we pre-booked tickets for the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum to check out their zoo. Next, we headed over to the Rincon district of Saguaro National Park to hike a few more trails and to look for more cactus blossoms. After grabbing lunch, we strolled through downtown Tucson and over to the Fourth Street neighborhood. I made sure to get a photo of the main Tucson mural, then we picked up ice cream before heading back to the hotel. We work up early on Monday, drove over to Trader Joe’s, stocked up on all of the marinated meats (we packed cooler bags and ice packs), and headed home to El Paso.
Have you explored southeast Arizona or spent a weekend in Tucson?
It seems like your timing was perfect for a visit! Those cactus blooms are so pretty. I’m with you – tomato soup & grilled cheese is always a good idea. I’m glad you’re getting to travel again. I’ve been to Arizona a few times, but never for very long.
The timing worked out well! This was the first trip either of us had made to Arizona where we actually spent time exploring the state. Definitely a good choice for a long weekend from here!