Tuscon Official Destination Guide - Fall/Winter 2008 - (Page 11)

Pima County Pima County was one of Arizona’s four original counties created in 1864. At that time, it included most of Southern Arizona. When gold was discovered in the mid-1700s, fortunehunting prospectors flooded the area, followed shortly by miners and ranchers—and many more people. Tucson has been the county seat from the beginning and was the Arizona Territorial capital from 1867 to 1877. The University of Arizona also is located here. Within Pima County are two cactus forests, Saguaro National Park to the north and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in the western portion. Within close proximity to Tucson are several established communities, each with a distinct character and offerings for travelers. GREEN VALLEY Selected several times as one of the country’s best places to retire by Where to Retire and New Choices for Retirement magazines, Green Valley is located 23 miles south of Tucson, in the historic Santa Cruz Valley. Green Valley appeals to those who enjoy small-town living with the desirable amenities of city life, including cultural activities, shopping, and a wide range of recreational pursuits. GREEN VALLEY-SAHUARITA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 520-625-7575, 800-858-5872, www.greenvalleychamber.com MARANA After starting out as a simple watering hole for the Southern Pacific Railroad, Marana now balances its rural heritage with the amenities of a growing modern city. National golf magazines have rated its Dove Mountain course as one of Arizona’s most picturesque, and the Marana Northwest Regional Airport currently is undergoing improvements to make it a commercial aviation center. MARANA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 682-4314, www.maranachamber.com ORO VALLEY ARTS Oro Valley is an emerging community with a distinctive arts scene and family activities. The Greater Oro Valley Arts Council (GOVAC) brings the community together with seasonal arts festivals and entert a i n m e n t , s u ch a s t h e O r o Valley Festival of the Arts in April and Comcast’s Arts in the Park Celebration in October. Live musical performances are p r e s e n t e d t h r o u g h o u t t h e spring in the open-air amphitheater at Cañada del Oro Riverfront Park. Each winter, Musical Magic for Kids is performed by the Tucson Symphony Orchestra at the Oro Valley Town Hall, along with multiple other string, brass, a n d ch o r a l p e r f o r m a n c e s throughout the town. Public art is exhibited throughout the year at Northwest Medical Center Oro Valley. A number of sculptures, murals, and statues of public art are featured throughout Oro Valley. For more information, contact G O VA C a t 797- 3 9 5 9 o r www.govac.org. See Oro Valley inset map following page 24. BILL BAKER land of Old West legends. In Tombstone—“the town too tough to die”—the infamous gunbattle at the O.K. Corral is reenacted today. Cochise Stronghold, the fabled hideout of the Chiricahua Apache Indians, is a hiking and rock-climbing mecca in the Dragoon Mountains near Benson—the former railroad hub of Southern Arizona and home of Kartchner Caverns State Park. In the mile-high artist colony of Bisbee, history is preserved among the Victorian-era homes and mining-boomtown attractions. At one of the oldest military outposts in the American West, Fort Huachuca, a statue and museums pay tribute to the contributions of 19thcentury America’s African-American troops, the Buffalo Soldiers. Birding is extremely popular in the 36-mile-long San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, where the San Pedro River supports more than 400 species. The Nature Conservancy’s Ramsey Canyon Nature Preserve near Sierra Vista is a peaceful oasis where a rainbow of hummingbirds migrates seasonally, along with more than 150 other bird species. Every winter, huge populations of sandhill cranes visit the produce-farming town of Willcox. Along the international border, Douglas is distinguished for its many National Register of Historic Places buildings and its proximity to Mexico. COCHISE COUNTY TOURISM COUNCIL 520-432-9215, 800-862-5273, www.explorecochise.com BENSON/SAN PEDRO VALLEY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 520-586-2842, www.bensonchamberaz.com BISBEE VISITOR CENTER 520-432-3554, 866-224-7233, www.discoverbisbee.com DOUGLAS VISITOR CENTER 520-364-2478, 888-315-9999, www.douglasaz.gov SIERRA VISTA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 520-417-6960, 800-288-3861, www.visitsierravista.com TOMBSTONE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 888-457-3929, www.tombstonechamber.com WILLCOX CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & AGRICULTURE 520-384-2272, 800-200-2272, www.willcoxchamber.com Santa Cruz County Santa Cruz County is located in the southernmost central area of Arizona, bordering Mexico and serving as the gateway to an important U.S. port of entry, Nogales, Mexico. Santa Cruz County offers an eclectic blend of history, culture, art, and natural beauty—from the artist colony of Tubac to the historic mission ruins at Tumacácori, to the twin border towns of Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, to the mountainous birding town of Patagonia, to Arizona’s wine country in Sonoita and Elgin. The Santa Cruz Valley, which stretches from this region north into Pima County, has been inhabited since prehistoric times and continues to provide a wealth of preserved cultural and natural resources. NOGALES-SANTA CRUZ COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 520-287-3685, www.thenogaleschamber.com PATAGONIA AREA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION 888-794-0060, www.patagoniaaz.com TUBAC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 520-398-2704, www.tubacaz.com TUBAC-SANTA CRUZ VISITOR CENTER 520-398-0007, www.toursantacruz.com Graham County Set against the Gila River and majestic Mount Graham, the land comprising and surrounding the cities of Pima, Thatcher, and Safford is an historical homeland of the Apache Indians. Today, the area’s natural wonders attract city dwellers seeking a d ve n t u r e a n d r e l a x a t i o n — backpacking through Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness, hiking alongside Bonita Creek, floating down the Gila River, fishing on Roper Lake, or relaxing in natural mineral hot springs. Drive the Swift Trail (Hwy. 226) as it climbs up Mount Graham, home to Mount Graham International Observatory, to an elevation of 10,000 feet. Or take the path of history on the Coronado Trail (Hwy. 191). GRAHAM COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 928-428-2511, 888-837-1841, www.graham-chamber.com TUCSON OFFICIAL DESTINATION GUIDE Cochise County Tree of Knowledge by Joe Tyler at the Oro Valley Public Library Situated among the scenic skyisland mountains and desert riparian preserves of southeastern Arizona, Cochise County is a WWW.VISITTUCSON.ORG 11 http://www.thenogaleschamber.com http://www.patagoniaaz.com http://www.tubacaz.com http://www.toursantacruz.com http://www.govac.org http://www.greenvalleychamber.com http://www.explorecochise.com http://www.bensonchamberaz.com http://www.discoverbisbee.com http://www.douglasaz.gov http://www.visitsierravista.com http://www.maranachamber.com http://www.tombstonechamber.com http://www.willcoxchamber.com http://www.graham-chamber.com http://www.visittucson.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Tuscon Official Destination Guide - Fall/Winter 2008

Tuscon Official Destination Guide - Fall/Winter 2008 Contents Welcome to Tucson Maps & Transportation Accommodations Culinary Heritage & Culture Outdoor Adventure & Nature Golf Attractions & the Arts Shopping Newcomers & Services Index

Tuscon Official Destination Guide - Fall/Winter 2008

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