Christmas in Tuscon, AZ - Fun things to do?

AgFrogfan

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12:24p, 12/22/25

Howdy all, I'll be leaving tomorrow from DFW to meet up with the brother (San Fran) since both are around 13 hour drives from each city. We'll be staying at Hotel McCoy through Friday.

Does anyone have any suggestions on fun things to do in the area? Saguaro N.P. is definitely at the top our list. Also, we'll have our three dogs along for the ride so anything pet friendly would be great!

Thanks!

Marauder Blue 6

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2:20p, 12/22/25

AG

Pima Air & Space Museum is outstanding

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jja79

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2:31p, 12/22/25

AG

Drive up to Mount Lemmon. Short distance from town.

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AgFrogfan

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In reply to Marauder Blue 6 • 4:04p, 12/22/25

Awesome, thanks Marauder!

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AgFrogfan

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In reply to jja79 • 4:05p, 12/22/25

jja79 said:
Drive up to Mount Lemmon. Short distance from town.

Will do! Thanks and Merry Christmas!

EclipseAg

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5:46p, 12/22/25

AG

Definitely agree on Pima. Cool place. We went for what we thought would be an hour or so and wound up staying much longer. Don't miss the 309th B-17 Memorial Museum which is onsite but across the storage lot. That was our favorite part.

We also took the Sabino Canyon Tram tour which was pretty cool if you don't want to do a lot of hiking.

https://sabinocanyoncrawler.com/

Lots of good breweries in Tucson. Barrio is probably the best known.

We had a nice meal at Cielo's at The Lodge at the Desert. It was kind of a drive from our hotel but worth it to sit outside and enjoy the cool evening.

https://lodgeonthedesert.com/cielos/

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barnacle bob

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7:27p, 12/22/25

AG

I love Tucson.

Get an early hike in at west side park, then hit barista del barrio for coffee and breakfast burrito. Then walk across street for some baked goods for later.

I enjoyed the Titan Missile tour. There is a neon museum if you are into that sort of thing.

There is a free audio driving tour put out by the college, look it up and listen to as you drive up mt. Lemmon.

Sanora dogs are local/regional hot dogs.

Lots of great restaurants. Barrio bakery is known for bread, you'll likely need to plan/order ahead.

Have fun!

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bthotugigem05

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7:28p, 12/22/25

AG

Drive down south on I-19 a bit to the San Xavier Mission, absolutely beautiful. If you keep going south towards Mexico, you'll encounter the only highway in the USA where the units of measurement flip to kilometers.

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AgFrogfan

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8:15p, 12/22/25

These are all amazing ideas! We'll certainly add as many to the itinerary as possible. The aviation related suggestions sound especially cool. (Dad & Granddad worked for Convair/G.D./Lockheed here in F.W.)

Sanora Dogs, Neon, Cold Beers, Airplanes, and beautiful scenery to enjoy. Sounds perfect!

Thanks for all the great tips and I hope y'all have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year! I'll be sure to get some photos for posting here when we return.

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CanyonAg77

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In reply to Marauder Blue 6 • 10:04p, 12/22/25

AG

Marauder Blue 6 said:
Pima Air & Space Museum is outstanding

And you can arrange a tour through the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan through them.

Also highly recommend Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum.

And if you are an airplane nut, the Arizona National Guard used to fly their F-16s on the Tucson airport. They also used to train Dutch AF F-16 pilots there, but the Dutch have transitioned to F-35s and no longer train there

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jja79

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11:13p, 12/22/25

AG

I live in suburban Phoenix so I've spent much less time in Tucson than here. If you're into outdoors, hiking, etc at all Arizona is an absolutely amazing place. Enjoy and I look forward to seeing your pictures. On your way out here Texas Canyon between Willcox and Benson has some amazing boulder formations.

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Caladan

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11:14p, 12/22/25

If you happen to be in the downtown area, consider the University of Arizona Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum located at the historic courthouse. If you use a parking garage, you can get your ticket validated at the visitors center/gift shop at the courthouse.

You might see/read recommendations for the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum located near Saguaro National Park west unit. I wouldn't recommend it this time of year, as all the desert plants they have there - and they have a lot - are dormant right now. And in case you didn't know, Saguaro N.P. has two units, one on each side of Tucson.

From your hotel, it is a very short drive down to San Xavier del Bac. Well worth seeing, even if you aren't Catholic. From there, it is not very far to the Titan Missile Museum, located in Sahuarita. This museum is easy to get to, as it is only about a mile from the interstate. This place can get quite busy during the holiday break, so better to make a reservation if you can.

I would also recommend the drive up to Mt. Lemmon, but keep an eye on the weather. You don't want to do this drive if there is a chance of snow.

You could consider a drive to Tombstone, if by chance that place is on your bucket list. One way is around 1.5 hours drive. There will probably be a lot of people there.

Trail Dust Town in N.W. Tucson *might* be a fun place for dinner. However, I have not been there so can't say for sure, but it is something you could investigate.

Lots of good restaurants in Tucson, but Wild Garlic Grill isn't one of them. Also would not recommend any traditional sea food restaurant, anywhere in Tucson. Most BBQ restaurants aren't that great either, with the exception of Kiss of Smoke BBQ located in the industrial area south of downtown. Seis Kitchen (several locations) is pretty good for tacos.

C

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Caladan

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In reply to CanyonAg77 • 11:16p, 12/22/25

CanyonAg77 said:
Marauder Blue 6 said:
Pima Air & Space Museum is outstanding

And you can arrange a tour through the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan through them.

It must have been a while since you were there. Sadly, the tours were discontinued a number of years ago. Which is a shame since there are plenty of retired AF personnel who would love to volunteer there. Me included.

C

bthotugigem05

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2:46a, 12/23/25

AG

Shame that the tours are still canceled. Had the privilege of flying over the yard while doing a heliphotography project at Pinal, the scale is just nuts.

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CanyonAg77

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In reply to Caladan • 9:00a, 12/23/25

AG

Sorry to hear about the boneyard. Yes, it was Nov 2018 we were last there. As I recall, you can see at least part of it from nearby city streets

AgFrogfan

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3:36a, 12/24/25

Safe Landing into Tuscon

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BSD

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7:15a, 12/24/25

AG

I agree on the Titan Missile Museum. That was a cool stop. We also hit up the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, which is like a little zoo. Tombstone for a few beers, as well, if you have the time.

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barnacle bob

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5:13p, 12/24/25

AG

You could road trip down to Nogales and get fitter for some custom boots at Paul Bond. The drive down is nice , feels a lot like central Texas and they make great boots.

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dylan

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9:32p, 12/24/25

Tucson is a magical place. Definitely get a Sonoran hot dog…originally created at El Guero's. Tons of great restaurants. We love Wildflower, the Hub, the Parish, …so many Beard award winners. Barrio Bread is an institution. Arizona Sonoran desert museum is a great outdoor zoo and Tohona Chul is heaven on earth as a botanical garden. There are so many great hiking places. The Sabino Canyon area is our favorite and Mt Lemmon is great..fairly cold tho Xmas time. Also worth a visit is the Mexican restaurant called El Charro where the chimichanga was invented.

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AgFrogfan

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2:04a, 12/29/25

Bring your sunglasses for the clouds of Tuscon. The Arlington,TX Fire Chief's former 2010 Chevrolet 6.0L 3/4ton Suburban performed like a flawless champ yet again . At 165,000+ on the odometer, the ol' gal continues to chew up fast lanes at a briskly paced 75mph overall on average.

Hauling three dogs and a Mother, we managed to arrive in Tuscon after 12.5 hours of scorching the asphalt with combined fuel consumption between 12-14.5mpg. The FM radio channel scans provided limited results between the confines of El Paso and Fort Stockton along Interstate-10. Cue the Led Zeppelin compact disc on "How The West Was Won" with John Bonhams' epic drum solo and the miles will disappear.

You'll notice a few photos of my brother's VW Vanagon (Turbo-diesel). The California monsoon rains delayed their appearance but they arrived safe with good spirits on Christmas Day. Please enjoy the photos of our adventure and I greatly appreciate the input by all who have provided to this thread. Sadly, we didn't get to see all of the great suggestions (Pima Air Museum especially!) but a return trip is in order. Cheers!

Tuesday 23rd - Arrival @ 7:15 Mountain Clock: Got a monster grinder from eegee's for $10

Wednesday 24th
1) Zinburger for lunch (early morning light rain)
2) Saguaro National Park (West)

Thursday 25th - Christmas!
1) Centennial Hill closed on christmas day, phooey.
2) Picacho Peak State Park: Better than Saguaro East
3) Catalina Brewing Company - A+

Friday 26th
1) San Xavier del Bac : They have a friendly black dog that hangs out. Church is currently under renovation so I did not want to disturb the inside and turn to ash.
2) Saguaro National Park (East) - The parking is terrible and the layout is not designed for large crowds, otherwise, great for small cactus and rock hunting within a reasonable morality compass. Petrified wood is present.
3) Mount Lemmon Highway drive - Excellent - A+++ > Should have known to bring my shotgun for the shooting range...No Targeted Explosives Allowed!
4) American Eat Company (Dinner)- Perfect for great food selections and drinks.

Saturday 27th - Stopped at Whataburger for breakfast, gassed up and hit the superslab; Stopped in Willcox and enjoyed the Sandhill Cranes along with Coots and Shovelheads. Saw a Roadrunner (FINALLY!) in Las Cruces at Veterans Memorial Park (with the Huey helicopter on display) then drove from Fort Stockton to Cisco and home by 1:00am.

By Far, Ballinger,TX (Hwy 67) has the best Christmas Light display. The entire courthouse in Runnels County is draped in lights. Very much a sight to behold this time of year! Happy New Year to a fantastic 2026!