Suggest stuff to visit in Tucson and Phoenix, AZ!

[cubinator]

I'm going to spend a weekend in Arizona for some presentations there, but will have a large amount of free time as well. I basically will have one day in Phoenix and one day in Tucson - any suggestions for cool things I should see during that time?

[Poppa Wheelie]

Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix.

Thought I was going to spend an hour here, but stayed all afternoon.  Could have made a day of it.  Highly recommend:

https://mim.org/

 

[TheSaint]

In Tucson, you want to see the Pima Air and Space Museum and the Titan Missile Museum. Kartchner Caverns is pretty cool too. Tombstone is okay, but if you only have one day I wouldn't bother, unless you're really into the Old West or something.

I second the Musical Instrument Museum. If you're into architecture, Taliesin West is cool. Really, for as large as it is, there's not a lot to do in Phoenix.

[cubinator]

15 hours ago, Poppa Wheelie said:

Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix.

Thought I was going to spend an hour here, but stayed all afternoon.  Could have made a day of it.  Highly recommend:

https://mim.org/

Thanks! Sounds like a cool complement to the pipe organ pizza place.

10 hours ago, TheSaint said:

In Tucson, you want to see the Pima Air and Space Museum and the Titan Missile Museum. Kartchner Caverns is pretty cool too. Tombstone is okay, but if you only have one day I wouldn't bother, unless you're really into the Old West or something.

I second the Musical Instrument Museum. If you're into architecture, Taliesin West is cool. Really, for as large as it is, there's not a lot to do in Phoenix.

Thanks! Pima is on my radar, there's definitely way more there than I have time to see!

[Nuke]

lived there for a few years, never saw anything of note.

[TheSaint]

1 hour ago, Nuke said:

lived there for a few years, never saw anything of note.

Yeah. We live about an hour-and-a-half away from Phoenix. Was sitting here on the couch with the wife racking our brains trying to think of things to do there last night, couldn't think of anything. There's a bunch of stuff to do if you're a kid. But as far as cool stuff to see if you're an adult we were just drawing a blank. You could go shoot at Scottsdale Gun Club, I suppose. They rent everything, including full auto. That could be fun. Never been, but I hear it's nice. There's a zillion golf courses, if you feel like spoiling a perfectly good walk. There's an indoor aquarium out on the res, but you can see those anywhere.

Now, if you want restaurant recommendations in Phoenix I can chew your ear off.

[cubinator]

11 hours ago, Nuke said:

lived there for a few years, never saw anything of note.

9 hours ago, TheSaint said:

Yeah. We live about an hour-and-a-half away from Phoenix. Was sitting here on the couch with the wife racking our brains trying to think of things to do there last night, couldn't think of anything. There's a bunch of stuff to do if you're a kid. But as far as cool stuff to see if you're an adult we were just drawing a blank. You could go shoot at Scottsdale Gun Club, I suppose. They rent everything, including full auto. That could be fun. Never been, but I hear it's nice. There's a zillion golf courses, if you feel like spoiling a perfectly good walk. There's an indoor aquarium out on the res, but you can see those anywhere.

Now, if you want restaurant recommendations in Phoenix I can chew your ear off.

At the very least, it's a very different climate than where I live, and I am biologically and geologically inclined, so I will be content with walking around in some natural park looking at the plants and dirt and bugs!  Also mountains. I have not been around a mountain in a year. I will be happy to look at them.

[kerbiloid]

Whatever you are doing there, beware them!

Spoiler

 

 

[Nuke]

On 2/25/2024 at 10:01 AM, TheSaint said:

Yeah. We live about an hour-and-a-half away from Phoenix. Was sitting here on the couch with the wife racking our brains trying to think of things to do there last night, couldn't think of anything. There's a bunch of stuff to do if you're a kid. But as far as cool stuff to see if you're an adult we were just drawing a blank. You could go shoot at Scottsdale Gun Club, I suppose. They rent everything, including full auto. That could be fun. Never been, but I hear it's nice. There's a zillion golf courses, if you feel like spoiling a perfectly good walk. There's an indoor aquarium out on the res, but you can see those anywhere.

Now, if you want restaurant recommendations in Phoenix I can chew your ear off.

oh yes, lots of great mexican food there. hands down. while a lot of college students live on ramen and pizza, i often found myself at one of the myriad of taco stands where it helps if you know a little bit of spanish.

17 hours ago, cubinator said:

At the very least, it's a very different climate than where I live, and I am biologically and geologically inclined, so I will be content with walking around in some natural park looking at the plants and dirt and bugs!  Also mountains. I have not been around a mountain in a year. I will be happy to look at them.

the city itself is pretty flat. easy to bike. that dry heat is a doozy though if you aren't ready for it. moving from anchorage to phoenix was a big change. these days i dont think i could handle the heat or the city.

one of these days im going to live somewhere with moderate climate and no people. though i think a nuclear war has to happen first.

Edited February 26 by Nuke

[StrandedonEarth]

I always wanted  to visit Meteor Crater, but that's three hours away from Phoenix...

[Superfluous J]

1 hour ago, StrandedonEarth said:

I always wanted  to visit Meteor Crater, but that's three hours away from Phoenix...

IMO it's worth the drive, as is the Grand Canyon especially if you've never seen them before.

[TheSaint]

9 hours ago, Superfluous J said:

IMO it's worth the drive, as is the Grand Canyon especially if you've never seen them before.

I concur, they are both worth seeing. But it's a seven hour round trip drive to the Canyon, six hours round trip to Meteor Crater. That's a lot of driving.

If you want to drive to a geological destination, Sedona is a bit more doable. That's about four hours round trip. It's not the Canyon, but it's very pretty. Red Rock State Park is awesome to hike around in. There are some great four-wheel trails there, but I doubt you're renting a 4x4. Just don't go on a Pink Jeep tour. Those guys are jerks.

[Nuke]

been to sedona, that's where my brother married his second ex wife. damn nice place.

[Superfluous J]

7 hours ago, TheSaint said:

Sedona is a bit more doable.

And if you're going to Sedona, go up to Jerome. I don't know if it's still there but the pizza place there was awesome... like 20 years ago last time I was there

[TheSaint]

Just now, Superfluous J said:

And if you're going to Sedona, go up to Jerome. I don't know if it's still there but the pizza place there was awesome... like 20 years ago last time I was there

I don't know if the pizza place is any good, but my buddy swears by The Haunted Hamburger. I've never been.

[Superfluous J]

1 hour ago, TheSaint said:

The Haunted Hamburger

I'm about 99% sure that's the same building. Sad, I loved that pizza.

I need to go back and try the burger place. Too bad it's over 1,000 miles away.

EDIT: Hmm it says "Since 1994" and I'm sure I was at the pizza place some time around 2004. It was assuredly not in the 90s. But I don't see any  pizza places on the map so they must have closed. I'm fairly sure it was called something simple like "Jerome Pizza." I knew I should have bought one of their t-shirts, I'd probably still have it

Edited February 28 by Superfluous J