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QUOTE(JimH @ Jan 26, 2005 -> 07:56 PM)
Where was the hotel?  Just like any city, there are good parts and bad parts.

 

It's not as lively as Chicago, or Scottsdale ... no doubt about that.

 

I do not mean this to come out the wrong way at all, but it sounds like you are/were not familiar with the city because you were hunting for the hotel.  We have been there dozens of times and it's like any city ... you have to research it a little bit, and know where to go.  And of course that is sometimes hard to do when you only have a few days, etc.

 

Give it a try again and I'm sure you will come to like it.  It is certainly not a dull place.

Meh, doesn't really matter if there is s*** to do or not, I'm going back.

And trust me, saying I don't know the city of Tuscon is not insulting.

 

The hotel was on Euclid St. or something, who knows.

 

Just seemed kinda like a meh, city.

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Ok, in spite of the fact there are no 4 a.m. booze licenses in Tucson, there is still plenty to do. Here are some choices from the visitor guide along with my commentary if appropriate.

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What To Do In Tucson

 

Other than going to baseball games, there's a variety of things to do in Tucson in March. The average high temperature in March is 73 degrees, but it's often warmer. Tucson is sunny for approximately 350 days per year so there's ample opporunity to get out and enjoy the weather.

 

ASARCO Mineral Discovery Center: One hour tours of an active copper mine, costs about $9. Interesting. www.mineraldiscovery.com

 

Biosphere 2 Center: 20 mins. north of downtown on Rt. 77. The world's largest glass enclosed active laboratory, exploring several of the earth's climates, plant, and animal life.

 

Colossal Cave Mountain Park: www.colossalcave.com Tour a crystal filled cave, museum, picnic area, and trail rides.

 

International Wildlife Museum: www.thewildlifemuseum.org Kind of a zoo without the traditional cages and boundaries, it's a fascinating place. All kinds of unique animals in their natural habitat.

 

Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley: 30 miles up a mountain road, 30 degrees cooler. Skiing in Tucson, it is the southernmost ski area in the country. Open year around for skiing or skyrides.

 

Old Town Artisans: www.oldtownartisans.com In the original area of Tucson, dating back to the 1840's. Shopping for unique stuff, and a couple of good restaurants and bars.

 

Pima Air and Space Museum: 250 aircraft displayed, and the famous aircraft boneyard. Great military history. There are guided tours of the Davis-Monahan Air Force Base.

 

Sabino Canyon Tours: on the far east side, tram tours into a very interesting canyon setting, it will be hard for you to believe you're in Tucson. www.sabinocanyon.com

 

Trail Dust Town: Authentic Old Western town setting with reenactments, shows, restaurants, shops, etc. Good for kids.

 

Titan Missile Museum: the only accessible missile base in the world. This is in Sahuarita, a southern suburb of Tucson.

 

Old Tucson: where a lot of movies and TV shows were filmed, see if you recognize the sets and the scenery. John Wayne fans will love it.

 

Nimbus Brewing Company: a microbrewery and tap room near the ballpark. They don't serve much in the way of food, but we always stop before the ballgame, quaff a few beers and get a big bag of peanuts for $1. They have live music many nights and the crowd is locals. I believe it's www.nimbus.com

 

There are a couple of casinos on the south side near the airport if you're into that.

 

Ample opportunity for outdoor activity like hiking (try a trip up "A Mountain"), of course golf, horseback riding ... and beer drinking on one of the numerous sunny outdoor patios/beer gardens.

 

There is a ton more stuff but you get the drift. Hopefully this is helpful for those looking for other things besides the ball games and late night carousing.

 

One hour away is Tombstone, with the OK Corral, Jesse James, etc. Interesting but I found it very touristy. Another 20 minutes past Tombstone is Bisbee, a very interesting historic town nestled in the Mule Mountains (about 10 degrees cooler than Tucson). Kind of an artist town, a couple bars, look for a beer called Electric Beer by the Electric Brewing Co. - they have a tasting room right outside of Bisbee.

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QUOTE(JimH @ Jan 28, 2005 -> 01:35 AM)
Ok, in spite of the fact there are no 4 a.m. booze licenses in Tucson, there is still plenty to do.  Here are some choices from the visitor guide along with my commentary if appropriate.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

What To Do In Tucson

 

Other than going to baseball games, there's a variety of things to do in Tucson in March.  The average high temperature in March is 73 degrees, but it's often warmer.  Tucson is sunny for approximately 350 days per year so there's ample opporunity to get out and enjoy the weather.

 

ASARCO Mineral Discovery Center:  One hour tours of an active copper mine, costs about $9.  Interesting.  www.mineraldiscovery.com

 

Biosphere 2 Center:  20 mins. north of downtown on Rt. 77.  The world's largest glass enclosed active laboratory, exploring several of the earth's climates, plant, and animal life.

 

When I was 21 I always wanted to go to museums, trail dust towns and canyon tours. Please.... tucson is a mice town. The catalinas are filled with great spa hotels which I prefer and the AZ campus area is surrounded by bars and food joints and plenty of women. Outside hte campus area there are many great resteraunts, golf courses and places to hang out. its a damn college town, if you can't figure something to do in a college town then something is wrong with you. For the older and possibly more wealthier crowd after baseball ahng out in the resort area in the catalina's. Plenty of golf, Tennis, food, upper end bars, health clubs, spa's and mid 30's women.  Have fun

 

Colossal Cave Mountain Park:  www.colossalcave.com  Tour a crystal filled cave, museum, picnic area, and trail rides.

 

International Wildlife Museum:  www.thewildlifemuseum.org  Kind of a zoo without the traditional cages and boundaries, it's a fascinating place.  All kinds of unique animals in their natural habitat.

 

Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley:  30 miles up a mountain road, 30 degrees cooler.  Skiing in Tucson, it is the southernmost ski area in the country.  Open year around for skiing or skyrides. 

 

Old Town Artisans:  www.oldtownartisans.com  In the original area of Tucson, dating back to the 1840's.  Shopping for unique stuff, and a couple of good restaurants and bars.

 

Pima Air and Space Museum:  250 aircraft displayed, and the famous aircraft boneyard.  Great military history.  There are guided tours of the Davis-Monahan Air Force Base.

 

Sabino Canyon Tours:  on the far east side, tram tours into a very interesting canyon setting, it will be hard for you to believe you're in Tucson.  www.sabinocanyon.com

 

Trail Dust Town:  Authentic Old Western town setting with reenactments, shows, restaurants, shops, etc.  Good for kids.

 

Titan Missile Museum:  the only accessible missile base in the world.  This is in Sahuarita, a southern suburb of Tucson.

 

Old Tucson:  where a lot of movies and TV shows were filmed, see if you recognize the sets and the scenery.  John Wayne fans will love it.

 

Nimbus Brewing Company:  a microbrewery and tap room near the ballpark.  They don't serve much in the way of food, but we always stop before the ballgame, quaff a few beers and get a big bag of peanuts for $1.  They have live music many nights and the crowd is locals.  I believe it's www.nimbus.com

 

There are a couple of casinos on the south side near the airport if you're into that.

 

Ample opportunity for outdoor activity like hiking (try a trip up "A Mountain"), of course golf, horseback riding ... and beer drinking on one of the numerous sunny outdoor patios/beer gardens.

 

There is a ton more stuff but you get the drift.  Hopefully this is helpful for those looking for other things besides the ball games and late night carousing.

 

One hour away is Tombstone, with the OK Corral, Jesse James, etc.  Interesting but I found it very touristy.  Another 20 minutes past Tombstone is Bisbee, a very interesting historic town nestled in the Mule Mountains (about 10 degrees cooler than Tucson).  Kind of an artist town, a couple bars, look for a beer called Electric Beer by the Electric Brewing Co. - they have a tasting room right outside of Bisbee.

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The quote function is still baffling quickman ... his input is listed below:

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

When I was 21 I always wanted to go to museums, trail dust towns and canyon tours. Please.... tucson is a mice town. The catalinas are filled with great spa hotels which I prefer and the AZ campus area is surrounded by bars and food joints and plenty of women. Outside hte campus area there are many great resteraunts, golf courses and places to hang out. its a damn college town, if you can't figure something to do in a college town then something is wrong with you. For the older and possibly more wealthier crowd after baseball ahng out in the resort area in the catalina's. Plenty of golf, Tennis, food, upper end bars, health clubs, spa's and mid 30's women. Have fun

 

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A mice town?

 

Seeing as this site is populated by all ages and genders, there's a possibility some here might be interested in some of the attractions listed. Probably not, but it's possible. But if a lack of 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. liquor licenses means dullsville to some, I guess Tucson is dullsville. Like he said though, have fun.

 

Oh and I should mention, two great bars appealing to the around 21 crowd that are not walking distance from campus ... Bob Dobbs where you will see players, and The Trident which is a student hangout. Both highly recommended.

 

But watch out for the "mice" :lolhitting

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QUOTE(JimH @ Jan 28, 2005 -> 09:36 AM)
The quote function is still baffling quickman ... his input is listed below:

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

When I was 21 I always wanted to go to museums, trail dust towns and canyon tours. Please.... tucson is a mice town. The catalinas are filled with great spa hotels which I prefer and the AZ campus area is surrounded by bars and food joints and plenty of women. Outside hte campus area there are many great resteraunts, golf courses and places to hang out. its a damn college town, if you can't figure something to do in a college town then something is wrong with you. For the older and possibly more wealthier crowd after baseball ahng out in the resort area in the catalina's. Plenty of golf, Tennis, food, upper end bars, health clubs, spa's and mid 30's women.  Have fun

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A mice town? 

 

Seeing as this site is populated by all ages and genders, there's a possibility some here might be interested in some of the attractions listed.  Probably not, but it's possible.  But if a lack of 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. liquor licenses means dullsville to some, I guess Tucson is dullsville.  Like he said though, have fun.

 

Oh and I should mention, two great bars appealing to the around 21 crowd that are not walking distance from campus ... Bob Dobbs where you will see players, and The Trident which is a student hangout.  Both highly recommended.

 

But watch out for the "mice"  :lolhitting

Lol, I was wondering what he was quoting. I just thought he wanted to emphasize what you said, but we know that couldn't be the case ;) :P

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I live in Tucson, and I'm a little offended by all this bashing. Tucson's definitely not as exciting as Chicago, but there's also definitely a lot of stuff to do. There are two areas near the U of A with a lot of interesting stuff - University Boulevard and the 4th Avenue district. There are also lots of opportunities for hiking, mountain biking and other outdoor activities. There's not much near the ballpark, if that's where you're getting the impression Tucson sucks, because if that's your only exposure I would totally agree, but explore the town a little bit before you start spreading crap about it. I definitely much prefer it to Phoenix, which is pretty much the definition of concrete jungle. As far as hotels, if you're on a pretty tight budget just check out all the chains that you would normally see. There are a couple cheap ones near the airport, which is not too far from the park, and are good if you're only in town for a couple of days. If you're looking for something more luxurious the Westin La Paloma, Loews Ventana Canyon and Westward Look Resort are all way to hell and gone, but are pretty nice and all have golfing, if you're interested. Closer to the park, you should check out the Arizona Inn, which is just as nice but doesn't have the golfing or the nature, but has other, equal amenities. The last place I'd recommend if you want an "authentic western" experience is the Tanque Verde Guest Ranch, which is also pretty far but also pretty cool.

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Oh, I forgot to mention: if you want to meet any of the Latin players from either the Rockies, Diamondbacks or Sox they all eat a lot at a place called El Cubanito right next to the U of A. I know Jose was a regular and the one who got all the other players hooked, so their numbers might be down a little bit without him, but it's still a good bet.

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I've never stayed at the Loews Bantana, but I've eaten breakfast there before and its damn good. I just remember the chorizo and eggs was freaking delicous. Your definately right about it being a nice hotel. If I remember right its like right in the hills and you can kind of walk these trails into the hills.

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El Cubanito right next to the U of A.

 

What a great place this is. Cheap, filling, and authentic. We have been in there for lunch so we've never seen any players but this is a little gem you won't read about in the guide books.

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I have had a great time in Tucson the last two years, and one thing to remember if you choose to only go to the Phoenix area is that a lot of times the entire team doesn't travel up to the games in Phoenix. Two years ago I went and saw the Sox play the Royals at Surprise and there were only a couple starters there. I prefer seeing most of the team in Tucson, but that's me, if you're more into the prospects and stars of tomorrow, Phoenix games may be better.

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I'm moving to the Phoenix area in 2 weeks and taking a month off before I start work out there. Love to meet any of you that would go to see the Sox in Peoria, Scottsdale, Mesa (against the cubs), Phoenix or Tempe, as I will be hitting most of those games. I know Tucson's not that far, but why drive when you can practically walk?

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:D BoonRob...Welcome to SoxTalk

 

As you can see everyone is very willing to help you out with most any question.

 

I have a Nephew that lives in Tuscon & hope to attend some spring training games someday. I live just 150 miles from Chicago so I guess that's better to see some regular season White Sox games & I can get almost every game on TV. ;)

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America West or Southwest would be the cheapest most likely. America West's hub is Phoenix area so a lot of times they have some deals.

 

If your lucky you should be able to find something for 180-200 roundtrip, but depending on whether the flights or full it may be a little more expensive.

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QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Feb 6, 2005 -> 11:11 PM)
America West or Southwest would be the cheapest most likely.  America West's hub is Phoenix area so a lot of times they have some deals. 

 

If your lucky you should be able to find something for 180-200 roundtrip, but depending on whether the flights or full it may be a little more expensive.

Jas, the cheapest I've seen so far is 336 round trip, if you guys find anything cheaper can you let me know?? I'm going from the 26th to the 31st, can't wait. :)

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QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Feb 8, 2005 -> 03:27 PM)
Were gonna be there the same time. I'm gonna go the 25th when my spring break officially starts.  I can't wait.

Cool, do you know where you're staying?? Have you looked into airfare yet?? Should be fun, like I said it's my first time, I can't wait.

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