Terrific
Tucson: Spanish Colonial Charm and Cacti, Too
The lovely city of Tucson, Arizona,
is not only rich with ancient history, it is also an ideal destination
for travelers looking for an idyllic spot to hike, ride bikes, climb mountains,
go spelunking, or just relax on the edge of a canyon and dream.
Life in the Tucson Valley
began about 10,000 B.C. when the Paleoindian and Archaic hunters and gatherers
migrated to the area. Although historians don’t know whether the area was
inhabited continually after that, they have found evidence of agricultural
settlements along the Santa Cruz River dating back as far as 1,000 B.C.
The Hohokam culture thrived in the Tucson Valley for a dozen centuries,
from 200 A.D. to 1450 A.D., before the civilization declined. Today’s Pima
and Tohono O’odham cultures are the descendants of that advanced civilization,
and they have inhabited the region since the mid-16th century.
 Around
1540, the Coronado Expedition crossed what is now Arizona, searching for
the "Seven Cities of Gold." Father Francisco Kino established the Mission
San Xavier del Bac in 1699, but it took nearly 100 years for the mission
to be completed. In the meantime, the Mission San Agustin, a "visita" of
San Xavier, was established on the west bank of the Santa Cruz River. In
1775, Hugo O’Conor established the Tucson Presido—and that year was when
the City of Tucson was officially born.
When Mexico fought for its
independence in 1821, Tucson became part of Mexico. In 1854, after the
Gadsden Purchase, Tucson was thereafter under the jurisdiction of the United
States. Arizona became an official U.S. territory in 1864, and in 1912
it became the 48th state in the Union. By 1950, Tucson’s population had
reached 120,000, and just 10 years later the population had doubled. In
1990, Tucson became the 33rd largest city in the United States, with a
population of nearly a half million people.
 With
its colorful cultural history, Tucson offers visitors a wealth of diverse
exploration pursuits as well as mild weather all year long. When most people
think of Tucson, they get a mental picture of lush, sweeping desert spotted
with tall saguaro cacti. But the second-largest city in Arizona is nestled
in the heart of an area surrounded by mountains and canyons, state and
national forests, rivers, and waterfalls.
The Santa Cruz River Valley,
south of Tucson, is being considered for becoming a National Heritage Area
because of its historic and cultural significance to the area. The valley
is known worldwide to bird lovers, being home to elegant trogons and blue-throated
hummingbirds in the Santa Rita and Santa Catalina Mountains. The tall riparian
forests near Tumacacori are home to summer tanagers. The area is also the
site of many Native American archaeological ruins as well as being a center
of Spanish colonial exploration.
In fact, the evidence of
Spanish colonial influence is everywhere you look in Tucson, especially
in the city’s numerous adobe houses. Visitors can learn about the Spanish
colonization of the Southwest by taking a trip down the Juan Bautista de
Anza Trail, the explorer who established an emigration and supply route
in 1776 from Tubac, south of Tucson, all the way to California.
Sabino Canyon, located in
the Santa Catalina Mountains in the Coronado National Forest, boasts thrilling
desert landscapes. Everywhere you look you can see cholla and prickly pear
cactus, ocotillo groves, and palo verde trees. Hikers can make their way
down the 2.5-mile Sabino Creek trail, lined with cottonwood trees, and
stop at Seven Falls to relax by clear-running pools of water. The narrated
Bear Canyon Trail tram provides a more leisurely route to the top of the
canyon. Hikers and explorers should keep an eye out for white-tailed deer,
lizards, collared peccaries, tarantulas, lizards, and snakes that live
in the canyon.
Be sure not to leave Tucson
without visiting the Saguaro National park, to get a glimpse of the iconic
cactus most people think of when they think of Arizona. Majestic saguaros,
in all shapes and sizes, tower over the landscape, some as tall as 50 feet
high. Drive on a scenic loop to learn more about the spectacular Sonoran
Desert. The area offers more than 150 miles of hiking trails ranging from
easy, casual strolls to challenging steep, rugged hikes into the Rincon
Mountains.
Whether you’re a history
buff, a nature lover, a wildlife adventurer, a canyon explorer, or a combination
of all of these, Tucson is the perfect destination for you!
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