The Multi-faceted Entertainment of Tucson

Tucson may be situated in the middle of a desert, but this does not hamper it from providing rich entertainment to the tourist to Tucson. Various forms of entertainment in the form of parks, casinos and western towns make your visit to Tucson a more informative, fun and productive one.

The Tucson Botanical Gardens are a place of beauty, education and inspiration about the natural world. Here, one finds 16 different gardens with different gardening traditions and botanical themes. The added attraction of the park is the interpretive touch cart on themes like desert birds and ethnobotany. These carts are equipped with hands-on props to help visitors get information and answer questions from docents. Wheelchairs are available on a first come basis for those who may find it difficult walking in the vast garden.

The Karchner Caverns is a stunning limestone cavern system in Tucson. It is a wet living cave where water still percolates from above the surface with growing calcium carbonate features. There are varieties of brilliantly covered cave formations found here, with the Soda Straw stalactite formation being the longest known formation in the world. There is a great contrast between the cave’s natural 99% relative humidity and the dry desert climate above. This makes the cave vulnerable as any unmonitored air exchange can destroy the cave’s delicate ecosystem and thus diminish its natural beauty. There are 22 environmental monitoring stations used for measuring air temperature, evaporation rates, and airflow in the cave, 24 hours a day. Presently, the cave depends on the stewardship and commitment of the best scientists and cave developers of the world.

Taking a look at one of the largest living laboratories in the world is a must. Biosphere 2 is a monumental feat of engineering with an airtight greenhouse covering 3.15 acres of land. There are different biomes here where researchers experiment on different earth systems on a large scale. A rain forest, coastal fog desert and a million-gallon salt-water ocean form the biomes here. You can visit the biomes and take tours viewing the important scientific research it controls. It is indeed an awesome learning experience to the tourist on its peaceful grounds and world-class conference center.

The Tombstone is famous for its 1881 OK Corral shootout, and as you walk through the streets, you feel instantly transported to the days of the Old West. There are narrated horse drawn carriages found here, which give you colorful tours of the town. To learn more about western history, visit the countless museums found here. After this, you visit a saloon or a deli found here; in fact, you can visit one of the many shops found here to satiate all interests a visitor may have!

Those who enjoy going on a hiking trail can find many trails in and around Tucson. To get information on these hiking trails, visit our activities area, where information regarding directions to the trailhead and detailed trail directions are provided. There are also local hiking clubs listed to contact to get more information on these hiking trails.

Those who enjoy gambling should make a visit to one of the many interesting casinos that are found here. Casino of the Sun is a casino complex that is operated by the Pascua Yaqui tribe. It measures 50,000 square feet and has around 410 gaming devices, a bingo hall and three restaurants. Another casino worth visiting here is the Desert Diamond Casino, which offers lots of gambling opportunities to the ardent gambler.

Tucson is considered to be the golf lover’s paradise. There are many golf clubs found here like The Heritage Highlands Golf Club and the Westin La Paloma Resort. The Jack Nicklaus signature course found in Westin La Paloma Resort is recognized as one of the best in the country for both men and women. It has a target-type layout with severe consequences for those golfers who may miss-hit their shots. You can bring your own golf equipment here, or buy new golf equipment from the numerous golf stores found here. Some of the golf clubs also hire out golf equipment.

Those who enjoy spending the night out in the town also have many nightclubs to go to. The Kingfisher Bar and Grill is open to the wee hours of the morning and also provides live musical entertainment on certain nights of a week. The Old Pueblo Grille boasts of its tequila wall that is a must-see (and taste). It serves specialty cocktails, which one can enjoy while listening to the sounds of live entertainment in the lounge.

Whatever type of entertainment you seek, you are bound to find it in one place or the other in Tucson. So the next time you think of making a trip, make one to Tucson, where you are sure to enjoy yourself to the core!