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Suggest a Feature →Tucson & the Sonoran Desert
The Boneyard. And Tucson is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.
Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson is home to the 355th Wing (A-10 Warthogs) and the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group — the famous "AMARG" or "Boneyard," where 4,000+ retired military aircraft are stored in the Sonoran Desert. The base is embedded in Tucson's east side, with the Rincon Mountains visible to the east and the Santa Catalina Mountains to the north.
Tucson is legitimately excellent. The city earned UNESCO City of Gastronomy designation in 2015 — the first US city so recognized — built on its extraordinary Sonoran food culture. The Saguaro National Park has two units bookending the city. The University of Arizona gives it a college-town energy. Sky Islands, the Sonoran Desert, and the international border culture make Tucson one of the most culturally rich assignments in the Air Force.
Must Eat
The spots worth eating at before you PCS out.
El Charro Café
"The oldest Mexican restaurant in the US, operated by the same family since 1922."
El Charro in downtown Tucson has operated since 1922 and claims to have invented the chimichanga (a burrito thrown into the fryer by accident). Whether or not that's true, the Sonoran Mexican food — carne seca (air-dried beef, dried on the roof in a basket), green corn tamales, chili verde — is authentic and excellent.
47 Scott (Downtown Tucson)
"One of Tucson's best restaurants. Rotating local menu."
A seasonally-rotating restaurant in the Congress Street arts district downtown that showcases Arizona sourcing in creative preparations. The cocktail program is excellent. This is the benchmark for modern Tucson dining.
Outdoor
Get outside. The land around military installations is usually the best reason to be there.
Saguaro National Park (East & West Units)
"The living Sonoran Desert museum. Saguaros as far as you can see."
Saguaro National Park surrounds Tucson in two units — the Rincon Mountain District (east, with backcountry trails through the wilderness) and the Tucson Mountain District (west, with the best saguaro density). The saguaro cactus only grows in the Sonoran Desert and lives 150–200 years. The density in these units is extraordinary.
The Cactus Forest Drive (8-mile one-way loop) in the east unit at sunrise has otherworldly light.
Culture & History
Places with stories. Most military towns sit on deep history — dig in.
Pima Air & Space Museum
"The largest private air museum in the world. 300+ aircraft."
The Pima Air & Space Museum adjacent to DM has over 300 aircraft from WWI to the Space Age — the most comprehensive private aviation collection in the US. The SR-71 Blackbird, the presidential aircraft collection, and the pre-war biplanes are standouts. The AMARG bus tours depart from here.
Family
Stuff to do with the kids. Rated by people who have brought actual children.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
"The finest nature museum and zoo hybrid in the US."
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is simultaneously a museum, zoo, and botanical garden — all focused on the Sonoran Desert ecosystem. Live animals in naturalistic desert habitats (javelinas, mountain lions, Gila woodpeckers), native plant gardens, mineral exhibits, and a hummingbird aviary. 75% of exhibits are outdoors.
Go at opening (7:30am in summer) or 3–5pm. Midday in summer is too hot.
Day Trips
When you need to remember there's a world outside the gate.
"Cross the border for the real Sonoran cuisine."
Nogales, Sonora is 65 miles south on I-19 — the largest border city in this region. The Mariposa Road crossing is the easiest access. La Roca (the Cave Restaurant) in downtown Nogales is carved into a hillside and has been serving since 1953 — order the carne asada. Bring passport.
"The OK Corral and an art colony in a copper mine. Same road, same day."
US-80 southeast from Tucson reaches Tombstone (OK Corral, Wyatt Earp, Boot Hill) and then Bisbee (abandoned copper mine turned art colony in a canyon). Both are worth visiting — the combination makes an excellent day trip.
Tucson's food scene is genuinely world-class for a mid-sized city. The 4th Avenue and Congress Street areas have the best independent restaurants.
The monsoon (July–September) afternoon storms are spectacular — lightning over the Catalinas and Rincons at dusk is one of the great Southwest experiences.
Mount Lemmon (9,157 feet, Santa Catalina Mountains, 27 miles from base) provides a mountain ecosystem completely different from the desert below — pine forest, rock climbing, a ski area, and a drop of 60°F from the city.
Biosphere 2 (30 miles north in Oracle) is a genuine scientific facility and tours are available — an unusual and interesting day trip.
Tucson Gem and Mineral Show (February) is the world's largest — minerals, fossils, and gems from around the world.
Tucson summer is hot, but it's a dry heat with monsoon relief. The 100°F+ temperatures are manageable if you schedule outdoor activity for early morning and evening. Never hike in the Saguaro desert between 10am and 4pm in summer.
This guide is built by people who've been stationed here. If there's a spot we got wrong or a gem we missed, tell us.