Tuscon, AZ in December

We spent Christmas 2019 in Tuscon area to visit Grandma and Grandpa’s new place. We can’t wait to go back and spend more time exploring!

A MUST see in Tuscon is the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. It was such a fun place to explore with our girls (ages 3 & 5 then). There are a ton of snakes, scorpions, lizards and other small reptiles. There is a large walking path the meanders through the desert landscape among the cacti. The kids loved the amazing “dig site” and looking for fossils. Plus a larger than life pack rat climbing structure that the kids could spend hours in (and a great way to take a break from the sun). Visiting in December meant it was great weather and you could easily spend several hours outside without getting too hot!

Another fun place to explore is the town of Tubac. It’s a very artsy town filled with fun local made treasures. It would probably be a bit more fun to explore with older kids as we were a bit nervous our kids might break something! There was a chocolate store that was great as you could watch them making chocolates and caramels (plus they were delicious too). The kitchen store was a huge hit for everyone. They had a great play kitchen the the girls loved and the adults loved checking out all the fun kitchen gadgets.

After exploring the town of Tubac we went to the Tubac Golf Resort and Spa for lunch (formerly the Otero Ranch). The ranch was at one time the largest cattle ranch in Arizona. However, it was sold in 1937 and passed among multiple owners and eventually converted to a hotel and golf resort. Over the years it has turned into a premier travel destination and has been part of the Historic Hotels of America since 2008. The restaurant was build in the former stables and features many of the historic details. The resort was also featured in the 1996 movie Tin Cup. The food is delicious, the grounds are beautiful and it’s definitely worth a visit even if you don’t stay at the resort.