Miraval

Find your Remedy

Relaxing used to mean doing nothing. Now, my lifestyle has been redefined. My choices are better, my life is balanced and relaxing has become an activity I share.

AUTHENTIC REMEDY

Miraval is the Authentic Remedy for trying times

In these trying times even our usual routines can seem more stressful. Sometimes the only thing we can control is the choice of how we handle these situations. Taking care of ourselves during the midst of it all is the most important choice we can make to stay healthy and happy.
Miraval has long been the place to relax, recharge and gather the tools to take home to live and feel better.
$399* at Miraval. No minimum length of stay.

Book your getaway now!

Call 800.232.3969 to book with code: REMEDY. Visit miravalresorts.com for more information.

Package includes:
o Introduction to the pleasures of Organic Wine with complimentary wine tasting alfresco
o Indulge your epicurean side with daily cooking demonstrations
o Enjoy the freedom of our Signature Programs such as Quantum Leap and The Equine Experience
o Upgraded accommodations available in our luxurious new sustainable rooms with sexy outdoor showers and oversized roman tubs for an additional $200 per person, per night

Package also includes:
o Roundtrip transportation from Tucson International Airport
o Three gourmet meals daily, unlimited snacks, evening hors d’oeuvres and all non-alcoholic beverages
o Use of complete resort facilities
o One spa service or one round of golf up to a $125 value per person, per night of stay
o Unlimited access to all scheduled programs and activities

* Rate is $399 per person, per night of stay based on single or double occupancy. Exclusive of tax and resort amenities fees. Valid for stays in between February 1st through May 31st, 2009. Not applicable to groups or preexisting reservations. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Blackout dates apply.

Miraval Resort
5000 E. Via Estancia Miraval
Catalina, Arizona 85739
USA

800-232-3969

This Article is brought to you by Arizona Resort – Spa – Golf Getaways

Arizona Resorts/ Arizona Travel Deals / Arizona Golf / Spas in AZ

Solar tour kicks off in Colorado, headed to Arizona in October

The City Tour for Solar kicked off Aug. 1 at Colorado’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden and will hit Arizona in October as two biodiesel trucks featuring free public exhibits travel to 50 western cities over 100 days trying to bring solar energy into the mainstream.
Stops will include both the Denver Democratic National Convention in Denver and the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.

Solar energy services provider SunEdison is the tour’s lead sponsor along with Evergreen Solar Inc., a manufacturer of solar power panels; United Solar Ovonic LLC, a manufacturer of thin-film solar laminates; SMA America Inc., a manufacturer of solar inverters; and Xantrex Technology Inc., a manufacturer of advanced power electronic products.

“We are at an intersection of environmental concerns,” said Thomas Rainwater, CEO of SunEdison. “In the past, solar energy was considered an alternative energy, and it was relegated to a few rooftops or what we call “off-grid” applications. Today, there is an opportunity to make this a mainstream energy resource. This tour will help educate people in 50 cities on the ability we have right now, to generate power in their cities using solar energy.”
Arizona stops include:

• Sierra Vista, Oct. 17.
• Tucson, Oct. 20-23.
• East Valley, Oct. 27.
• Phoenix, Oct. 25-28.
• Flagstaff, Oct. 30

Full Article & Credits

Special Offer from

$79 — Arizona 3-Diamond Resort through September, 40% OFF*

Wyndham Canoa Ranch Resort

Green Valley, AZ

Travel dates: June 1 – Sept. 30

Save more than 40% OFF at one of southern Arizona’s newest resorts without limiting your travel dates or stretching your budget.

The AAA 3-Diamond Wyndham Canoa Ranch Resort, located just south of Tucson, is offering a $79 per night special when you stay between June 1 and Sept. 30. Other hotels in the area are going for $259 during this same travel period.

Nearby activities include hiking at Madera Canyon, boating at Pena Blanca Lake or wine tasting at Sonoita Vineyards and Santa Cruz Winery. The property also features 2 championship golf courses, a restaurant, health club, heated pool and Jacuzzi.

Travelzoo Tip: Stay in a 1300-square-foot Premium Suite with a full kitchen, 42-inch flat-screen TV, Jacuzzi tub and private patio for only $139 per night.

For more information and to book, click here, select your travel dates and enter promotional code TZOO. Or call 1-888-430-2474 and mention the same code. Book by May 23.

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Everyone-friendly Tucson

Ask a long-term LGBT resident of Tucson which bars and hotels are gay-friendly and they might bristle with good humor while telling you that such designations aren’t really useful in their city, since everyone is warmly welcomed.

Agreeing, many visitors to this bastion of Southwestern culture and Arizona desert beauty find Tucson to be a blue oasis in an otherwise red state. With two Pride parades every year to boot — a national nod in June and another in October for Tucson Pride Month — the city’s liberal leanings seem to be in good, sun-tanned health.

Tucson does its tidiest trade between October and April, when winter chills settle into most other places and the city fills with travelers defrosting in the almost permanently tan-worthy weather. LGBTQ folks, also drawn by the city’s October Pride Month and Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, make it a busy month for the gay-owned bed-and-breakfasts, so reservations in advance are recommended. For those who like a Continental accent, summers find Tucson brimming with queer Europeans.

SLEEP

Though local accommodations frequently do not broadcast the fact, Tucson has a higher gay-friendliness baseline than many other Southwestern cities — queer couples are welcomed in most places, but here are few sure bets.

At the gay-owned Catalina Park Inn (309 E. 1st St; 800-792-488; www.CatalinaParkInn.com) occasional homemade lemon ricotta pancakes and shaded, private cactus gardens go a long way in creating a comfortable camaraderie between guests. The 1927 building (which is blanketed in wireless internet) is a short walk from the University of Arizona campus.

In downtown’s center, the gay-owned Royal Elizabeth Bed and Breakfast (204 S. Scott Ave; 877-670-9022; www.RoyalElizabeth.com) is a 19th-century Victorian mansion with period furnishings to match. The owners prepare delightful local fruit ensembles every day for breakfast, and the accompanying greenery-lined pool is luxuriously secluded.

Nestled in the upscale Catalina Foothills just outside the city bustle, gay-friendly Casa Luna (4210 N. Saranac Dr; 888-482-7925; www.Casa-Luna.com) makes outdoorsy stuff like hiking, national parks, local wineries and amateur spelunking easily accessible. Of course, you could also just enjoy the poolside view and ponder which spa treatment best follows a late night downtown.

EAT

Deep couches, tasty snacks and free wi-fi are enticing, as is the fine local coffee, but all may still be second to ogling the fine local LGBT folk from the sunny, bamboo-sheltered patio of The Rainbow Planet Coffee House (606 N. 4th Ave; 520-620-1770; www.ThePlanetCoffeeHouse.com).

Nearby, Cafe Poca Cosa (110 E. Pennington St.; 520-622-6400) attracts a devoted — and often queer — following with its inventive mole sauces and alchemic blends of chilies and spices. The menu may change daily, depending on what the owner/chef selects from the morning markets, but reservations are always recommended.

On weekdays, the gay-owned Colors Food and Spirits (5305 E. Speedway; 520-323-1840; www.ColorsTucson.com) serves up standard American fare, doubling after hours as one of the friendliest piano bars in town. Sunday Champagne brunch is also a long-standing tradition at this neighborhood-style eatery.

PLAY/MEET

Tucson’s LGBT community may be well integrated into city nightlife, with most neighborhoods having heavily gay-trafficked spots, but here are a few watering holes frequented by a good concentration of queer folks.

Spinning hip-hop, Latin beats and a few love-to-hate-it pop classics alongside some of the best drag acts in town, Ain’t Nobody’s Biz (2900 E. Broadway Blvd; 520-318-4838; www.TheBizTuc.com), often just called “The Biz,” is probably Tucson’s best-established LGBT dance club — and the only one with a weekly video game night.

The club at downtown’s historic Hotel Congress (311 E. Congress St; 800-722-8848; www.HotelCongress.com) also gets a pretty queer crowd, especially on Mondays when they dust off for ’80s night. Revelers can often be found sopping up the wee hours with goat cheese and artichoke crostini at the hotel’s late-night cafe.

Venture-N (1239 N. 6th Ave; 520-882-8224), a few blocks away, attracts a steady supply of gay men with its outdoor gazebos.

Outside downtown, Woody’s bar is known for events like gay volleyball, while Howl at the Moon (915 W. Prince Rd; 520-293-7339; www.HowlAtTheMoonTucson.com) is beloved of country-dancing folk who appreciate a long beer menu.

SEE/DO

There are malls and Southwestern craft shops aplenty in Tucson, but most visitors like to take in a day trip and lose themselves in Arizona’s wellspring of unique natural beauty.

Just outside the city, Saguaro National Park (Old Spanish Trail; 520-733-5153; www.nps.gov/sagu) — named for the iconic giant cactus — is a hiking universe with delicious views, bizarre desert creatures and strikingly bright flora. Adventurers are just about guaranteed exclusive blazing experience on the massive 165 miles of trails.

Twenty minutes away, the Biosphere 2 (Biosphere 2 Rd; 520-838-6200; www.B2Science.org) project offers daily tours of the unique, three-acre self-contained ecosystem that made headlines in the 1990s when a few lucky people lived in it for years to demonstrate the possibility of space colonization. It can be like wandering around a lush sci-fi movie set — only stranger, because it’s real.

If “activity” per se is off your map, just an hour outside of Tucson lie some of Arizona’s best vineyards. The wines from Callahan Vineyards (336 Elgin Rd., Elgin, AZ; 520-455-5322; www.CallaghanVineyards.com) are ranked particularly high for the region by wine guides.

MORE INFO

Wingspan, Tucson’s LGBTQ Center (425 E. 7th St; 520-624-1779; www.WingSpan.org) compiles a handy calendar of the city’s queer goings-on, from clubs to group meetings. With its list of gay-owned and -friendly businesses, the Tucson GLBT Chamber of Commerce (P.O. Box 14312; 520-615-6436; www.TucsonGlbtChamber.org) can also be a helpful resource.

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Arizona Resorts/ Arizona Travel Deals / Arizona Golf / Spas in AZ

Tuck into Tucson AZ

The aroma of the farmers market at St. Philip’s Plaza ranges from roasted corn to fresh tamales to blazing-hot chili peppers. Yet as I strolled among the booths selling emu oil, lentil soup and handmade soaps, it was another, more familiar scent that alerted me.

Following my nose like Yogi Bear seeking out a picnic basket, I found the smiling face of Rodney George under a huge banner proclaiming his offerings: “Original Kansas City Barbecue.”

“Even here in the southwest, people know that Kansas City barbecue is something special,” George said.

A Wyandotte County native who once worked for Kansas City barbecue magnate Ollie Gates, George and his wife, Dee, moved to Tucson in 1990 to help care for his aging parents, who had retired there.

Rod’s KC Barbeque was voted best barbecue in the city by readers of local publications for several years. Just don’t expect to find burnt ends when eating “original Kansas City Barbecue” in Tucson.

“I’ve tried to offer burnt ends a couple of times, but the culture here just doesn’t get it,” George said. “You have to go with what will sell.”

What sells well in the Southwest, besides sliced beef sandwiches with a Kansas City-style sauce, and sweet potato pie, is a pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw on top, a nod to George’s family in Tennessee and the Carolinas. He also sells smoked salmon, catfish and trout, and he finds business at two popular farmers markets so good that his downtown restaurant is open only two days a week.

Still, George hopes to return to the Kansas City area in his retirement years. That’s a decidedly backward twist on how most people end up in Tucson. A list of the most popular places to retire, reported last year by Where to Retire magazine, ranked Tucson No. 9. (Phoenix was No. 1.)

But it would be a huge mistake to think that Tucson is just for retirees. This metro area of 1 million people, 75 miles north of the Mexican border, is an active community. Cooking Light Magazine included it last year among the top 10 healthiest cities in the country, in part because of the many outdoor activities available.

Spring is a perfect time to explore Tucson. The Arizona skies are a cloudless blue, and temperatures are in the 80s.

Golfers and snowbirds descend from around the country, stretching their cold, achy muscles on one of 75 regional golf courses. Besides the simple pleasure of warm weather, golfing in the Arizona desert is a delight for the senses as courses wind among mesquite trees, towering cacti and stark mountain backdrops.

Tucson is also a great city for bicyclists. Consistently ranked one of the top five bicycling cities in the country by Bicycling magazine, Tucson has more than 325 miles of well-marked bike lanes and trails. The most popular trail is the two-lane asphalt Rillito River Park Trail, which winds 11 miles on the north side of the mostly dry riverbed and provides easy access to parks, shopping areas and public services.

It’s also not uncommon to see individuals and families crisscrossing the city on horseback on great trails. The spaciousness of the city and its suburbs allows for numerous private and public stables.

Tucson Mountain Park, just east of the city, is filled with equestrian and hiking trails that meander through one of the world’s largest saguaro cactus forests. The Sonoran Desert is the only place on Earth where these towering, multi-armed cacti grow, living as long as 200 years as they slowly reach heights of 50 feet or more. Saguaro National Park, celebrating 75 years this year, protects cacti in preserves on the east and west sides of Tucson. The saguaro blooms in the spring and is the official flower of Arizona.

Thanks to above-average rainfall this winter, the desert is reported to be greener than usual, and wildflowers are expected to bloom in greater numbers this spring. One of the best places to explore those wildflowers is at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, just east of Tucson Mountain Park.

Home to 300 creatures and more than 1,200 species of plants, the museum is designed to help those of us who aren’t familiar with desert life to see the beauty in things like prickly cacti, rattlesnakes and smelly critters such as the javelina.

It’s a combination zoo, botanical garden and natural history museum tucked into 21 acres of nearly pristine Sonoran Desert. Especially popular are the mountain lions, the official symbol of the museum and charismatic critters that enjoy the spotlight, as well as sunning themselves in the Arizona sun. The hummingbird aviary is equally popular, although the energy those tiny winged creatures exert in the search for nectar is much more tiring to watch than the big cats’ playful antics.

As much fun as Tucson is during the day, it becomes more intriguing at night. With cloudless skies an average of 350 days a year, Tucson is considered one of the best stargazing cities in the country.

About 60 miles southwest of Tucson is Kitt Peak National Observatory, where dozens of research institutions from around the world have scientists at work. Visitors are welcome for day and evening tours.

Several hotels and inns make telescopes available to guests. One of the best public facilities is the Steward Observatory at the University of Arizona, which offers Monday evening lecture programs.

Tucson is a locally mandated low-light city, and that increases the brilliance of a starry night sky. So make plans to take a walk in the late evening or sit quietly on your hotel balcony enjoying the beauty and stillness of the night sky.

If the wind is right, you may even catch a whiff of Kansas City barbecue.

Getting there

Tucson is in southern Arizona, about 1,400 miles from Kansas City. Round-trip, restricted airfare between Kansas City and Tucson recently ran from about $165.

What to see

•Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road. Hours and admission vary seasonally. Through June 1, admission is $13 for adults, $4.25 for children 6-12, free for children younger than 12. 520- 883-1380, desertmuseum.org.

•Tucson Mountain Park, west of Tucson and south of Saguaro National Park West. Open 7 a.m.-10 p.m. 520-877-6000, www.pima.gov/nrpr/ places/tucs_mtpk/index .htm.

•Kitt Peak National Observatory, 56 miles southwest of Tucson. Open 9 a.m.-3:45 p.m. daily. Nighttime observation $39 a person; reservations required. 520-318-8000, www.noao.edu/kpno.

•Steward Observatory at University of Arizona, 527 National Champion Drive. Public tours vary according to class schedules. 520-621-1022, mirrorlab.as.arizona.edu.

Where to stay

•Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, 7000 N. Resort Drive. From $319 double occupancy. 520-299-2020, loewshotels.com.

•Sam Hughes Inn, 2020 E. Seventh St. $85-$125 double through May 31. 520-861-2191, samhughesinn.com.

•Adobe Rose Inn, 940 N. Olsen Ave. $125-$190 double through May 31. 800-328-4122, aroseinn.com.

Where to eat

•Rod’s KC Barbeque, 601 N. Fourth Ave. Sliced beef sandwich costs $6, but Rod’s also is known for its peach cobbler, $2.95. Open 12:30-6 p.m. Thursday-Friday. Also at the Oro Valley Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday; St. Philip’s Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday. 520-623-0182.

•El Charro Café, 911 N. Court St. Grand-size Carne Seca Chimi is $19.95 and will feed the family. 520-622-1922, elcharrocafe.com.

•Zivaz Mexican Bistro, 4590 E. Broadway, offers a twist to typical Mexican fare with pescado ajillo for $11.95 or tofu fajitas, $9.95. 520-325-1234, zivaz.com.

Arizona Resorts/ Arizona Travel Deals / Arizona Golf / Spas in AZ

NO question — we were way off the beaten path.

Sasabe, AZ., has a population of about 30 and a general store that includes a bar.

The rutted dirt road we had been creeping along in southern Arizona near the Mexican border — the perfect setting for some over-the-top S.U.V. commercial — suddenly vanished into a murky creek. Skeptical that our rented sedan could slosh through, we used a stick to test the water’s depth before inching across.

Then, our amateur fording complete, a United States Border Patrol helicopter that we had noticed earlier in the distance suddenly swooped out of the sky and hovered in front of us. We felt as if we had just become characters in some cut-rate thriller.

The pilot and a spotter with binoculars were clearly visible through our windshield. When they finally lost interest in us, after a quarter-mile or so, the helicopter thump-thumped away toward the border, just a couple of miles south. A bit shaken but determined, we pushed on, heading east toward a paved road that would take us back to Interstate 19 and Nogales.

An Indianapolis friend, Richard Beach, and I were on this backcountry road as part of a trip to explore some of the smaller towns on either side of the 70-mile I-19 corridor between Tucson and the Mexican border.

Most tourists driving south out of Tucson stop at a strikingly designed Native American casino, a couple of Spanish Colonial Mission churches, or the arts and crafts center in Tubac. Many are going to Nogales, where they can park and then walk across the border for a day trip to Nogales, Mexico.

For the more adventurous, though, there are any number of tiny, funky towns surrounded by a visual feast of high desert, mountains and rolling grasslands. Then there’s the region’s vibe, its strangely attractive desolation. There are ghost towns, and living towns that seem to be on their way to becoming ghost towns. It’s a place for lovers of deserts who crave the yelp of coyotes at night, a fading hippie haven that serves up stirring vistas of a kind of Southwestern heaven.

Our journey started in Green Valley, about 25 miles south of Tucson, and snaked through towns like Arivaca, Sasabe, Nogales, Patagonia and Sonoita. Along the way, we took in the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge and the Madera Canyon Recreational Area, and crossed the Santa Rita Mountains. Total distance traveled: 212 miles.

The entire loop can be driven in a day if you don’t linger. But the region is full of hiking trails and other temptations like bird watching and bar-hopping. Plus, a more relaxed two- or three-day trip allows time to hang out at the local coffee shop or general store and meet the people who give these towns their quirks, charm and funk.

One warning: The border area of southern Arizona is ground zero for drug smuggling and illegal immigration. Many back roads, especially near Arivaca, should be avoided after dark. It’s also open range country, so watch out for wandering cattle.

Arivaca, with its rustic wooden buildings and commercial emphasis on ceramics, art, yoga, meditation and herbal remedies, is like traveling back to the late 1960s and early 1970s, except the hippies are grayer and heavier. During those years, Arivaca was discovered by the counterculture, some of whom established a nearby community called California Gulch. Many later moved into town and stayed on. About 1,200 people now live in and around Arivaca.

Mary Noon Kasulaitis is a local historian and the librarian at the Caviglia-Arivaca Library; she has deep roots in Arivaca. Her family arrived during the 1870s silver-mining boom; her great-grandfather was a local doctor and prospector.

“The hippies came here in the ’60s and early ’70s because it was a pleasant, warm place — and isolated,” she said. “By buying up mining claims, which many of them did in California Gulch, you could get cheap private land protected by national forest land. Isolation, self-reliance, anonymity and peace — that was what they came for. Those who stayed are now the mainstays of the community.”

One who stayed was Jeanne Ferris, the associate librarian. Her first son was born in a tepee in California Gulch. “I was part of the antiwar movement,” she said, “and wanted to do something different.”

Another was Tom Shook, who runs the Gadsden Coffee Company on the eastern edge of town. He roasts and sells about 1,000 pounds of coffee beans a week. He came to live in California Gulch in the early 1970s after organizing chapters of Students for a Democratic Society in Texas and Oklahoma and later selling flowers in Tucson. He is a Libertarian and a Tibetan Buddhist. He ran for state mining inspector on the Libertarian ticket in 1982, getting 5 percent of the vote.

“Arivaca is a place where you can do your own thing with no interference from others,” Mr. Shook said, stroking his long, ZZ Top-style beard. “I don’t look back; I live in the present. Hell, I never thought I’d make it to 30. It’s a real thrill to be looking at 60.”

FROM Arivaca to Sasabe, the road cuts through the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, which is well worth a stop. The refuge has a permanent herd of about 60 pronghorn antelope and is popular with bird watchers and hikers. The refuge also operates the Arivaca Cienega, on the east side of Arivaca. It’s a rare desert wetland — featuring a two-mile handicap-accessible trail — fed by a spring that makes it a haven for migratory birds; it also attracts local critters like coyotes and deer.

Sasabe is an eye blink of a town of about 30 residents, with a post office and a general store that sells everything from gasoline to clothes to shots of tequila — there’s a bar in the back room. The town is also the site of one of the smallest border-crossing facilities. Some 150 cars come through each day, and the crossing is closed at night.

As you backtrack to Arivaca, heading for the Interstate and Patagonia, you may be tempted to take what looks on the map like a shortcut to Nogales. It’s called Ruby Road and runs southeast out of Arivaca past California Gulch and Ruby, one of the best-preserved ghost towns in Arizona. The town came into being with the mining boom of the 1870s and had a population of about 1,200 at its peak in 1930, when its mines were producing gold, silver, lead and zinc; it was abandoned in the 1940s.

Despite the temptation, avoid Ruby Road unless you have a high-clearance vehicle or an S.U.V. — and the weather is dry. It is no shortcut timewise, though it runs through stunning reaches of the Coronado National Forest. It was where we had to test the creek and said hello to our buddies in the Border Patrol helicopter.

Patagonia is an old mining and railroad town of about 900 — the train station has been transformed into a town hall — that is a bit more trendy and accessible than some others of these towns. With a well-run visitors center, it takes extra steps to cater to tourists and welcome retirees.

Don’t miss the Wagon Wheel Saloon, a popular late-afternoon gathering place whose walls have no shortage of antlers, horseshoes and vintage firearms. It’s a spot that’s agreeable to the novelist and poet Jim Harrison, who has maintained a winter home in Patagonia for 17 years. Mr. Harrison, whose works include “Legends of the Fall” and “The Shape of the Journey,” his collected poems, was taking an afternoon break from editing the proofs of his new novel, “The English Major,” which is scheduled to be published in October.

MR. Harrison says he likes Patagonia because of its sparse population and proximity to Mexico. “I first came through here in 1970 when I was reading poems on Indian reservations through a National Endowment for the Arts program,” he said. “I liked the area, and thought if I ever had the wherewithal to have a second home, this would be it. Both here and in Montana, where I live in the warm months, I can’t see any neighbors. So I don’t have to think about the population explosion. And I like Latino culture.”

Mr. Harrison is a legendary eater and drinker who manages to keep up that tradition in Patagonia. “I don’t suffer for lack of good food out here,” he added as he downed icy vodka. “I’m a cook myself.” He orders specialty foods via FedEx and every two weeks drives up to Tucson for what he can’t get locally.

From Patagonia, it’s an easy high-country, open-sky drive to Sonoita, an affluent region full of ranches and retirement homes that sit on lots as big as small farms. There’s also a network of wineries complete with wine-tasting rooms. Southern Arizona’s best wines tend to be from varieties of grapes that grow in the Mediterranean region, especially grenache, mourvèdre and tempranillo.

Then it’s over the mountains on Box Canyon Road — unpaved but civilized — to Madera Canyon Recreational Area, one of the best bird-watching spots in America for both its resident and migratory species. Visitors come to catch glimpses of elegant trogons, elf owls, sulfur-bellied flycatchers and painted redstarts.

If you’re not up to clambering over steep trails looking for birds, there’s a big feeding station with nearby benches. Just sit still, and many of the birds will come to you — kind of like the Border Patrol helicopter that came to us.

VISITOR INFORMATION

YOU seldom need specific street addresses and directions in these small southern Arizona towns. Most places stand out in an obvious way and sit on one of the few streets in town. It is, however, a good idea to call ahead; posted hours are sometimes more goal than reality.

If you use Green Valley as a base, there is a Holiday Inn Express (520-625-0900) at Exit 69 off Interstate 19, as well as a Best Western (520-625-2250) and a Baymont Inns and Suites (520-399-3736) at Exit 65. The Holiday Inn’s rates for a double begin at $96 with advance booking; Best Western’s begin at $79.95; Baymont’s rates begin at $99.

In Patagonia, the Duquesne House (357 Duquesne Avenue; 520-394-2732) is a well-regarded bed-and-breakfast. A former rooming house for miners, built in 1898, its rooms are $125 a night and include breakfast. The Patagonia Visitors Information Center (888-794-0060) on McKeown Avenue can help you find lodging.

For those with vehicles that can handle the Ruby Road and who want to visit the ghost town of Ruby, it’s best to call in advance (520-744-4471) for hours of operation. There is a caretaker and a $12 entrance fee.

The Gadsden Coffee Company (520-398-3251; www.gadsdencoffee.com) in Arivaca is a local hangout where you can also get sandwiches and pastries.

Shelby’s Bistro (520-398-8075) in Tubac is a popular spot for lunch (every day) and dinner (Wednesday through Saturday) with a Southwestern flair. Lunch entrees are $9 to $18 and dinner entrees are $9 to $33. Signature dishes include Southwest bouillabaisse and lavender-rubbed grilled chicken breast stuffed with Gorgonzola.

Another popular place to eat is the Longhorn Grill (520-398-3955) in Amado at the Arivaca Road exit of I-19. The entrance is through a giant Texas longhorn’s skull. Open every day, the Longhorn’s prices are moderate, with lunch entrees from $8 to $10 and dinner entrees from $12 to $19. The owner describes the fare — steaks, as well as Mexican and Italian dishes — as “spaghetti western.”

For wine tasters, a good place to start is Dos Cabezas Wine Works (3248 Highway 82; 520-455-5141; www.doscabezaswinery.com) in Sonoita. For $5, you get a glass and a taste of six wines. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday only.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: April 7, 2008

An Inside the Times summary on Friday of an Escapes article about off-the-beaten-path attractions south of Tucson toward the Mexican border misidentified the Interstate near the attractions. As the article noted, it is I-19 — not I-90 (which may have its own attractions, but they would be found between Boston and Seattle).

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Championship golf courses, lush resorts, and emerald events are earning this desert city a reputation for greenery.

Tucson has long boasted a spectacular climate, one historically enjoyed by the convalescent in search of the area’s healthful air and temperatures. It was not until relatively recently, however, that Tucson’s reputation for tourism began to rival that of more prominent Southwest cities such as Palm Springs, Santa Fe, or even Tucson’s northern neighbor, Phoenix. Today, many events, locales, and lodging properties conspire to make Tucson a first-tier tourist destination whose lushness belies its desert setting.

Courting the Snowbirds

During the past three years, investment commitments to downtown Tucson have reached more than half a billion dollars,1 and the resulting new construction and renovations aim to highlight Tucson’s urban appeal against its desert backdrop. The tourist season in Tucson lasts from October to May, when so-called “snowbirds” flock southwestward from less hospitable climates.

This year, travelers to Tucson will notice a lot of new developments underway. The downtown Rio Nuevo revitalization project is finally taking shape, and the city is committed to bringing even more attractions, commercial developments, and restaurants to the well-preserved art and historic districts.

Contributing to Tucson’s expanding popularity are two Robson Resort Communities voted among the top 15 most popular places to retire.2 SaddleBrooke is situated just north of the city center in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains, and Quail Creek lies in the Green Valley to the south, offering spectacular views of the Santa Rita Mountains. Both master-planned communities feature world-class golf courses, health and wellness centers, and country club amenities.

Tucson International Airport now features flights to 28 non-stop destinations and connections worldwide.3 The airport’s range of non-stop service has grown significantly over the past decade, bringing a far higher level of convenience to faraway travelers. Revelatory of the level of luxury, executive, and corporate travel expected in the Tucson area, Premier Aviation plans to open its new franchise fixed-base operation, Million Air, at the airport. Scheduled for completion by mid-year 2008, the project will include a two-story building with 20,000 square feet of office space.4

Events

Tourism in Tucson really begins to race in February, when a cavalcade of major events spurs an international influx of tourists. The Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase, held annually, draws a throng of more than 50,000 out-of-town visitors. These range from beginning collectors and gem enthusiasts to professional gemologists, jewelry artisans, and scientists, collectively making an estimated economic impact of $100 million.

5 La Fiesta de los Vaqueros Rodeo celebrates the Southwest’s rustic traditions with a nine-day event centered on the Tucson Rodeo, one of the top 20 professional rodeos in North America. The 2008 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship will be held February 18-24 at the Gallery at Dove Mountain. This big-ticket event pits 64 of the world’s top golfers in head-to-head competition for a piece of an $8-million purse. Last year’s championship brought an estimated $100 million to the Tucson area6 and produced $1.5 million for state charities.7

Resorts and Golf Courses

Over the past decade, Tucson has become home to some of the world’s finest spa resorts. These include Canyon Ranch and the Miraval, Life in Balance Resort & Spa, both of which were voted among the “World’s Best Destination Spas” by the readers of Travel + Leisure in 2007. Two of Tucson’s long-time favorites, the Westward Look and the Omni Tucson National Resorts, are undergoing renovations and expanding their services to keep up with the area’s growing popularity. The Omni Tucson will present the first fruits of its renovations this winter.

The $70-million renovation, scheduled for completion in 2009, will culminate in 279 guestrooms, suites, and villas, an array of entertainment and dining options, 22,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as the spa, swimming pools, and salons on which the resort’s soothing reputation rests.

8 The Westward Look Resort, prided as the “Soul of the Southwest,” has begun a major two-phase renovation. The $10-million first phase of remodeling, projected for completion in April of 2008, will upgrade the resort’s guestrooms and lobby area, as well as the Catalina and Sonoran Ballrooms. Phase Two is currently in the planning stage. The renovation will, in the words of General Manager Alan Klein, create “. . . a Four Diamond resort that will offer true Southwest luxury.”9

Heading the list of newcomers to Tucson’s resort community is the Starr Pass Resort & Spa, a Marriott-branded property comprising 575 guestrooms and 35 suites, a world-class spa, and five-star dining options. The Starr Pass Country Club’s three golf courses were designed by legend Arnold Palmer. The sixth hole of the Coyote course has been incorporated into the trail blazed by Richard Starr’s stagecoach in 1880, and the surrounding vistas glimmer with the magnificence of the surrounding mountain ranges and Sonora Desert.

The winter season draws many golfers to the Southwest, and Tucson offers a wealth of professionally designed courses. Among the best is the Arizona National Golf Club, which was heralded at its opening by Golf Digest as one of the top ten new courses in the United States. The Lodge at Ventana Canyon is home to the Tom Fazio-designed Mountain and Canyon courses, which form a 600-acre oasis in the midst of the Sonora. In addition, Hilton’s El Conquistador resort features three recently renovated courses designed by Greg Nash.

More Hotels

Many hotel properties have come online in Tucson over the past ten years to accommodate the increasing demand. Two of the most recent developments demonstrate how hotels can achieve an aesthetic synchrony with the environment and culture where they reside. The 119-suite Embassy Suites Tucson-Paloma Village, which opened in September of 2007, features original artwork by Tucson artist Diana Maderas, known for celebrating the region’s adobe architecture and gorgeous landscapes in her watercolors.

10 In late 2009, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC will open The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, a 250-room golf and spa resort in the high Sonoran Desert, just northwest of Tucson. The hotel’s four-story main building will be constructed with adobe block, straw-flecked stucco, clay tile, and native stone, while the 226 guestrooms will offer views of the beautiful and variegated desert terrain.11 The resort is being built in tandem with a master-planned residential community, and the total project, at 850 acres, will represent Ritz-Carlton’s largest branded resort/residential community in the continental U.S.

Conclusion

Many come to Tucson to engage in the bustle of its popular events and downtown atmosphere, and others to recede from the bustle altogether at one of the area’s resorts or golf courses. Either way, the area’s lodging industry is seeing more green than ever before

Arizona Resorts/ Arizona Travel Deals / Arizona Golf / Spas in AZ

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