Tag: Tucson

Backyard Discoveries: The Tucson Rodeo

tucson rodeo

La Fiesta de los Vaqueros (or Celebration of the Cowboys) is a time-honored Tucson tradition. What started at just three days of events and competition all the way back in 1925, has grown to a nine-day celebration every February, with its main draw being the Tucson Rodeo.

tucson rodeo

La Fiesta is such a large part of Tucson culture that the schools close for two days just so Tucsonans can go to the rodeo! After hearing that, Nightborn Travel had to check it out.

tucson rodeo

Tips to Know Before You Go:

  • You’ll want to visit the Tucson Rodeo website – there you’ll find a detailed schedule of events and a way to purchase your tickets online.
  • We went on Saturday of the opening weekend and were able to get cheaper general admission tickets (meaning you could sit anywhere in the stands) – we think it was because these were only qualifying rodeo events. You could always call their box office to be sure.
  • Seats are basically open bleachers, meaning that it might get a little toasty if the weather is nice and sunny. Bring hats/sunglasses and sunscreen. We also saw some very smart and prepared people who brought blankets/cushions to sit on.
  • Basically any bag larger than a wallet or clutch isn’t allowed in, UNLESS it’s a clear bag. If you think they’re joking about bag size, they’re not, so you can find a full list of DOs and DON’Ts here.
  • In our humble opinion, you don’t need to know anything about rodeo sports to enjoy it, but it sure helps.
  • In addition to the rodeo, there’s the Tucson Rodeo Parade, which apparently the world’s longest non-motorized parade.

tucson rodeo

Gates at the rodeo don’t open until 11 a.m., so if you make it down to Tucson next year for La Fiesta and the rodeo, we humbly suggest that you give this hike at Tanque Verde Falls a try in the morning and then reward yourself with some tasty lunch at Guilin.

tucson rodeo

Keep Tucson weird!

xo,

Katie

Our Favorite Spot for Tucson Chinese Food: Guilin

Whenever my friends and I travel to or through Tucson we all insist on going to Guilin Chinese Restaurant. Considering that most of us spent at least 4 years living in Tucson, this is pretty telling. We all have different tastes, and between the group of us, we’ve tried many of the restaurants in the area. Guilin is just one of those special, unassuming places that never disappoints. So, if you are looking for Tucson Chinese food (or are just in the area) consider giving this little place a chance.

Tucson Chinese Food

Aireona’s Thoughts on Guilin:

I had not had really good Chinese food until I had Guilin. While my husband would argue that there is nothing special about it, I just find that their food is delicious while not being heavy like some of the other places that I have eaten. Their ingredients are consistently good, and I have never had a disappointing meal here. Service here is also fast, and while there are usually people in the restaurant, it’s rare that you have to wait at the door. Not only is this my favorite place for Tucson Chinese food, Guilin beats any where else that I have been.

Pro Tip:

Go during lunch for some amazing deals! Lunch at Guilin includes soup and either an eggroll or ragoon, plus your entree and rice.

Favorite Dish:

Mongolian Beef

Tucson Chinese Food

Katie’s Thoughts on Guilin:

There are so many amazing restaurants in Tucson – El Guero Canelo, Zemams Brooklyn Pizza and Bobo’s – to name a few. But Guilin is the one I visit every time I go back to Tucson, without fail.

Aside from the nostalgia of it being one of my frequent broke college kid haunts, I’ve never been able to find a comparable tofu dish anywhere else. I think about this dish from time to time. I have dreams about it. Any attempt I have made to make this tofu doesn’t even come close. And honestly, it’s probably for the best, because if I knew how to make it, I would eat it ALL the time. Bye, bye balanced(ish) diet. Besides, this way, I have an excuse to visit my old stomping grounds and support a local business.

Pro Tip:

Try the veggie dumplings – they’re the perfect light appetizer. Crispy outside with a soft cabbage filling, served with a tasty dipping sauce.

Favorite Dish:

Tofu with Black Bean Sauce

Location:

4445 E Broadway Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85711

Tucson Chinese Food

A Hike Worth Hollering About: Tanque Verde Falls

It’s rare for us Nightborn Travel gals to pass up a chance to hike. On our recent trip down to the Ol’ Pueblo (or Tucson, as normal people would call it) we decided to venture out to Tanque Verde Canyon for our first time hiking Tanque Verde Falls.

View from the top of the trail – close to the trailhead.

This trail is located east of Tucson, just barely outside of the city – maybe 15 to 20 minutes. Take note that the paved road leading to the trailhead becomes a dirt road, so take that into consideration if your vehicle isn’t suited for dusty and slightly bumpy (but still driveable) terrain.

A comically angry-looking cactus near the creek bed. You’re welcome.

The hike itself is only about 2 miles long, but if you want to actually make it to the falls, there’s one BIG thing to take into consideration, and that’s water. Should you bring it? Yes. But also, has it rained lately? Because if it has, the creek along the trail will be running and while it will be beautiful, it will make your hike to the falls less of a hike and more of an… attempt.

Mmmm, sweet brown rainwater. (We did not drink this water, nor do we endorse drinking this water.)

Why am I telling you this? Because it’s exactly what happened to us. We made it about halfway up the trail before a mini-waterfall blocked us from going forward. We talked to a couple locals who told us that if the creek is dry or at least more of a trickle, you can scramble your way up the falls.

The mini-waterfall that hike-blocked us.

And here’s another thing to consider, the trail going down to the creek bed is relatively easy going, but from there on you’ll be encountering rock pile after rock pile and some times it will feel less like hiking and more like bouldering.

Rocks on rocks on rocks.

That being said, the area the trail is in is wonderful and the falls are said to be worth seeing, so there’s a pretty good chance we’ll be back. And, keeping what you’ve read in mind, we’ll hope you visit, too (if you’re not a big hiker, it’s a great little spot to find a rock along the creek and relax).

Happy hiking!

xo,
Katie

Weekend in Tucson

Level of Experience: I lived in Tucson for four years; so, I definitely know a thing or two about this location! Feel free to ask me anything travelling related about this destination via comments. J

Trip Type: Domestic

 

First Stop: Guilin Healthy Chinese Restaurant

RECOMMENDED

Type of Attraction: Dining

Website: http://guilinchineserestaurant.com/

The Catalina Mountains (c) ABR

The Catalina Mountains (c) ABR

Notes: Guilin was my go-to restaurant for Chinese food while living in Tucson, and they are an absolutely great deal for lunch, although their food isn’t a bad choice for dinner either. In terms of quality and taste, I think that Guilin squares up well with the other American-Chinese restaurants that I have been to. What really sets them apart, however, and lends itself to their claim of being “healthy” is that Guilin has a HUGE vegetarian menu. Almost anything that they have a meat option for, they have a veggie option for, and they have plenty of dishes that are veggie-only. My favorite dish there is actually their vegetable dumplings, but I have also thoroughly enjoyed several of their tofu dishes as well as classic meat dishes like Mongolian beef. If you go here for lunch, you can get soup, an egg roll, an entrée, and rice for about $5. So, not only can you get great food here, but it works really well for anyone on a budget.

 

Second Stop: Sabino Canyon – Bear Canyon’s Seven Falls Trail

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Type of Attraction: Outdoor- Hiking and Tram Tours

Website: http://www.sabinocanyon.com/

Bear Canyon (c) ABR 2015

Bear Canyon (c) ABR 2015

Notes: Sabino Canyon is a great stop for anyone looking to enjoy some time outside, regardless of skill or activity level. There is a $5 fee to park at Sabino, and if you are willing to walk down the road to the trails, the rest of your experience will be free. People willing to spend a little more money, or needing some assistance exploring can buy a ticket to take the tram down Sabino or to Bear Canyon. The tram for Sabino is more expensive than Bear, but this tram goes further, makes several stops, and includes a guided tour during the ride. Sabino tends to be a little more busy than Bear Canyon for that reason, but anyone looking for a good hike should check out Bear. Sabino is more of a meandering adventure.

The main attraction of Bear Canyon is the Seven Falls Trail, which is about 2.5 miles long from the trailhead (which is 2 miles from the parking lot- total one way hike is 4.5 miles unless you take the tram). The Sabino website warns that the hike takes about three hours, which seems a bit long for a trail only 2.5 miles long, but the trail crosses the creek multiple times, and this can make the going slow at times, especially if the water is high and you have to pick your way across. The waterfalls at the end of the trail are lovely enough to serve as great motivation to get out on the trail, however, and even if you don’t make it to the end, the canyon itself is beautiful, especially when the creek is flowing.

Third Stop: Sentinel Peak/”A” Mountain

Type of Attraction: Outdoor- Outlooks and Views of the City, Picnicking

Tucson (c) ABR 2015

Tucson (c) ABR 2015

Notes: This trip was my first visit to this particular Tucson location, but it is one of my friend’s favorite spots to hang out and get some great views of the city. We really only drove up and took a few pictures, but the spot was popular with people coming to just unwind and take in the beauty of this little city. I can’t speak to any of the hikes on the mountain, but it does seem like a nice place to hang out and have a picnic. Lots of people park by the side of the outlook facing the city, but if you stop by and this looks too full, there is a parking lot further down the one-way road.

 

Fourth Stop: Zeman’s Too

RECOMMENDED

Type of Attraction: Dining

Website: http://www.zemams.com/

Notes: I have never been to the original Zeman’s, but Zeman’s Too is probably the best Ethiopian that I have ever had. That being said, I have only been to one other place in Phoenix, but I go there fairly regularly, and I really enjoy Ethiopian. Zeman’s staff was really friendly, and they were pretty quick, although we ate a little early so it was just us and one other group. The atmosphere of the restaurant is pretty nice and airy as well, and it is built Tucson-style in an old house with decorative accents of Eithiopian origin. Most importantly, however, the food was great. I got the meat and veggie sampler- the veggies were all super flavorful, the meat was succulent, and the sauces were all smooth and delicious.

Roadtrip to Safford

I may have mentioned it before here, but in case I haven’t, road trips are my favorite mode of traveling. Most recently, a friend and I decided that we would take a couple days to travel down to the small town of Safford, AZ. It is about a 4-5 hour drive from Phoenix to Safford, and of course, the best part of road trips is stopping to see things along the way. For this trip, we had planned on stopping by a few road side attractions that we had always thought looked interesting.

The Donkeys at Rooster Cogburns (c) AB Raschke

The Donkeys at Rooster Cogburns (c) AB Raschke

First on our list was Rooster Cogburn’s Ostrich Ranch, which is a pretty noticeable attraction between Phoenix and Tucson, near Picacho Peak. This roadside attraction, besides being a place to stop and explore, is also the largest ostrich ranch in the United States with over a thousand ostrich hens. It was established in Arizona in 1993, after a move from Guthrie, OK where the ranch had been since 1986. Personally, I remember driving past this place on the way to the University of Arizona all the time, and it always looked intriguing. Our trip to Safford was the perfect chance to check the place out, and we didn’t regret taking the time to visit. I was a little worried that the ranch wouldn’t be all that welcoming, especially because I wasn’t exactly sure what we would be able to do there (despite all the road signs saying “Feed the Critters”). However, after leaving our truck in a nice dirt lot, and walking into an open-air gift shop at the southern end of the parking lot, we were greeted by a very friendly employee who sold us our feed. For $7, I was given two cups, one full of hay pellets, and the other with some peanuts for their prairie dogs, a little container of nectar for the lorikeets, and a token for duck feed.

The deer! (c) AB Raschke

The deer! (c) AB Raschke

The first little faces that met us through the doorway into the feeding area were a bunch of donkeys. I wasn’t quite careful enough at first, and one of the little guys managed to get its mouth right into my cup. Other than that, I was delighted to see how gentle the donkeys were, and it was hard to leave them for the other animals waiting to be fed. The cup of hay pellets was meant to go a long way, however, as there were still deer, goats, ostriches, and mini-goats to be fed. The deer were the most interesting, as I don’t think that I have ever had the chance to get that close to any before, but they were so intent on the treats, that I actually found them a little intimidating at first. Oddly enough, despite being a bird lover, the ducks turned out to be the most frightening animals to try to feed. That being said, I am oddly proud of the fact that I can now say that I have been bitten by ducks (and it didn’t really hurt). My favorite part of the ranch was the lorikeets. They have their own little aviary, and after they cleaned out our nectar containers, we got to watch them cuddling in the trees, and taking little bathes in their fountain.

(c) AB Raschke

(c) AB Raschke

About 45 minutes from the ranch, we passed through Tucson and stopped to get lunch. Of course, Tucson is big enough that it has a bunch of homegrown restaurants that are really great, but after living there for a few years, I have some favorites. First is Guilin, which I love for their veggie potstickers. I was also fond of El Saguarito , which had cheap, tasty Mexican, and it you are looking for something a little more expensive and classy there is Café Poca Cosa, which has a lot of original spins on Mexican recipes. Finally, there is Sushi on Oracle, which is awesome, and while being more expensive than the popular Sushi Garden, the quality of their food is much better.

After grabbing lunch in Tucson, we were back on the road again, this time with our sights set on an Arizona road-side attraction classic- The Thing? Since 1965 this particular stop has been based in the little town of Dragoon, right off of the I-10; it’s pretty impossible to miss with all the billboards. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I will not reveal what The Thing? is (although Google will- so watch out if you want to be surprised), but the $1 price of entry is just right. There is a little eclectic museum that you get to walk through, which I found highly amusing, and after exploring, I was pretty tickled by the place. It is certainly unique, but you definitely get what you pay for. Luckily, there is also a Dairy Queen attached, so we got to top off our encounter with the Mystery of the Desert with some delicious blizzards.

(c) AB Raschke

(c) AB Raschke

Heading into Safford, we just happened to see signs for Roper Lake State Park, and since it was still only 3p, we decided to stop by. Our first stop was the lake itself, and I was actually pretty surprised by the place. Most Arizona lakes have very rocky shores, and while they might be a nice place to hang out and cool off in the summer, they lack the nice sand that we all like to associate with beaches. Roper Lake was different, however, and my travel partner and I couldn’t help but wish that we had come prepared with our bathing suits. Exploring the island in the middle of the lake, and watching all of the different birds there turned out to be fun enough, however. We also found the Mariah Mesa Trail, which looked out on Mt Graham to the west, and the lake to the east, and it was a short, fairly easy trail.

Roper Lake (c) AB Raschke

Roper Lake (c) AB Raschke

The other areas of Safford that we explored while we were in town were the Discovery Park Campus and the downtown area. The Discover Park Campus is maintained by the Eastern Arizona College, and it is free to visit. There is a nice little astronomical museum to visit, as well as a number of trails that weave their way through a restored wetland area, which was spotted with signs commemorating the various eagle scout projects that had helped improve the park. Safford’s downtown area doesn’t have quite as much to offer, as most of the stores seemed to have closed earlier in the day, or they were empty. However, the architecture of the buildings there were varied and interesting, and we were able to pick up a self-guiding walking tour guide from the Chamber of Commerce (another eagle scout project). I really enjoyed learning a bit more about the town through both of these visits, and I found the obvious involvement of the boy scouts in the town to be a very unique community aspect of Safford.

The Story of Water in Arizona: SRP and CAP Canals

HohokamCanals
The story of water in Arizona is something of an epic tale, but despite the feats of engineering that make cities like Phoenix possible, most people take water for granted. But the tale of Phoenix’s water starts in ancient times, when Hohokam people built an irrigation network throughout the Valley of the Sun, and it was this innovation that allowed them to thrive in the midst of the desert for over 1,000 years. Four centuries after their disappearance, American pioneers followed a gold rush into Arizona, and following in the footsteps of a man named Jack Swilling, people started using the old Hohokam canals as a foundation for their own. Private canals thrived in the Phoenix area until a major drought took place in the 1890s, and the Salt River failed to provide enough water on its own for the people of the budding city. At this time, it was determined that a dam needed to be built on the river. However, it was not until the National Reclamation Act was passed that the state could get the project properly funded, and built the Theodore Roosevelt Dam. This project also including a major effort to improve the private canals that had been built over the years, and to bring them under the central control of the Salt River Valley Water User’s Association (currently a part of the Salt River Project or SRP).CanalMap2012 Now, there are 131 miles of main canal in the valley, and the structures are a common sight throughout the city. They not only provide precious water, but recreational activities as well, as many of the city canals have open walkways along them for people out walking, running, or biking.

As much of an engineering feat as the SRP canals are, however, Arizona has an even more magnificent canal system to its name, the CAP or Central Arizona Project canal which is the largest canal system in the United States. Stretching for 336 miles across the state, the CAP canal brings Arizona’s allotment of the Colorado River water down to Phoenix and Tucson. The 3.6 billion dollar project was officially started at Lake Havasu in 1973 and took 20 years to complete. Phoenix now combines the use of SRP, CAP, and ground water as its population grows ever larger. But the CAP has done more than just change the urban landscape, it has altered the ecology of the desert.

(c) A.B. Raschke

(c) A.B. Raschke

Whereas rivers concentrate the flow of water from run off and streams, and then take that water to the sea, canals do just the opposite. They take water away from lakes and rivers, spreading them ever thinner over the landscape until individual people are able to make use of the water. Canals also run across topographic gradients as opposed to rivers which run down them, and this too makes a difference in the desert landscape because canals interrupt natural flows of water, sometimes creating oases and other times cutting of the land from flows of rain water which once supported wash ecosystems.

Whatever way that you look at it, the story of water in Arizona is one of ingenuity and risk, and the evidence of age old, monumental efforts to shape the desert is all around us. The canals are an understated aspect of our city, and our state, but they should remind Arizona’s residents and visitors just what it takes to build cities in the desert.

(c) A.B. Raschke

(c) A.B. Raschke

Links:
SRP Canals
Central Arizona Project

Mission San Xavier del Bac: White Dove of the Desert

From the National Park Service

The San Xavier Mission, located in the Tohono O’odham town of Wa:k, was founded by Father Kino in 1692 and was completed in 1797. It is the oldest intact European structure in Arizona, and was built by the Francisan missionary, Fr. Juan Bautista Velderrain and the O’odham people. From its delicately sculpted exterior to the ornate, painted inner church, the mission is a beautiful place rich in Arizona history.

From Wikipedia

Little is known about the people that supplied the skill and artistic talent to make this place a reality, but much of the physical labor was done by Tohono O’odham people, and it is likely the artisans were O’odham as well. In the art and sculpting, Spanish and Tohono O’odham motifs are joined into a work of art, which belongs to Arizona alone.

The mission is being actively restored, and it continues to function as both a church and a school. It is open everyday for visitors, except during mass, and serves as a gathering place for the community. For those who call Arizona home, visiting the mission is a must in my opinion, as it highlights the history and culture of the state, and for those living in and around Tucson the mission also offers a chance to take part in the St Francis Xavier Festival (held on the Friday after Easter). During which, the Tohono O’odham and Yaqui, as well as many other catholic pilgrims take part in torch lit parades and evening celebrations.

Image Belongs to A.T. Willett

When I attended the festival, it was like stepping into another, sacred world. It was dark, and firelight flickered on the fringes of my vision at all times. English took a back seat to Spanish, but the constant murmur of the crowd was overpowered by the stomped, rattled beats of dancers and the sounds of people singing in worship. The festival, while it takes place no more than 20 minutes from Tucson, is a cultural and spiritual experience, different from anything that I have ever seen in Arizona before and well worth the trip.

Links:
Official San Xavier Mission Website
National Park Service: San Xavier Mission

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén