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Where to Go, What to See: Tucson and Southern Arizona

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There are all sorts of things to see, do, hear, touch, smell, taste, experience, and absorb that make Tucson and southern Arizona a unique place in the world! ... WhereAZ.com features over 1,000 "SNAPSHOT SKETCHES and SUMMARY SNIPPETS" that highlight the traits of this special area ... For a little STROLL-AROUND, just SCROLL-AROUND below ... Click on a sketch for more details ... Use the QUICK DRAW, SETTLEMENTS, INDEX, or LABELS for more organized explorations ...

Posts

Highlight of the Day ...

Shrimp Plant

Botanical Gardens Flora Funky Gems JimFav TBG Tucson Botanical Gardens

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- The Shrimp Plant (Justicia Brandegeeana) is a tropical evergreen shrub native to Mexico - Favored for its unique, drooping flower spikes that resemble shrimp - It is known for its long blooming season and its ability to attract hummingbirds and butterflies to the garden - Common around southern Arizona

Curved-bill Thrasher

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Tap-changing Transformers

Ajo Amado Bisbee Douglas Dragoon Electricity Elfrida Funky JimFav Marana Oracle Palominas Patagonia Portal Power San Simon Sonoita Technology Tombstone Willcox

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Apache Generating Station

Benson Birding Cochise Cochise County Dragoon Electricity Highway 191 Interstate I-10 JimFav Wildlife Refuges Willcox Playa

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Turkey Vulture Smile

Birds Faces Funky JimFav Smiles

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Tucson Museum of Art

Art Galleries Arts El Presidio District Fall February Funky Gems JimFav Main Avenue March Museums Spring Tucson Tucson-Downtown

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Sonoran Skylines

Arts Broadway Boulevard Funky Gems JimFav Murals Park Place Unique Wilmot Road

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Velvet Elvis at La Misión

Food Funky Gems Highway 82 Historic Patagonia Pizza Restaurants

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San Xavier del Bac Mission

Anza Trail Architecture Christmas Churches Funky Gems Historic Interstate I-19 JimFav LRFP National Historic Sites Old West Religious Seasonal Spirit Stamps Tohono O'odam Tucson World-Class

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Rivoli's x Berylline Hybrid Hummingbird

Birds Funky Gems Madera Canyon Rare Santa Rita Mountains Unique

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Paton Center for Hummingbirds

Birding Highway 82 Hummingbirds JimFav Nature Preserves Patagonia Paton Center

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Dead End? Not so fast ...

Birding Funky Humor JimFav Nature Preserves Tanque Verde Road

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Life Under the Oaks Lavender Farm

April Catalina Foothills Farming Funky Gems Highway 77 JimFav June March May Oracle Relaxing Santa Catalina Mountains Spring

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Summer Tanager

Birds Faces Fall Funky Gems JimFav Red Smiles Spring Summer

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Mountain Lion

Faces Fauna Funky Gems Mount Lemmon Santa Catalina Mountains Santa Rita Mountains

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Lodge on the Desert

Accommodations Alvernon Way Funky Gems Hotels JimFav Lodges Restaurants Tucson

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Amethyst Dancer Damselfly

Agua Caliente Bugs Dragonflies Fauna Funky Gems Insects JimFav Sweetwater Wetlands

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Toucan

Birds Euclid Avenue Humor JimFav Second Street Smiles Traffic Safety

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Tucson Convention Center

Church Avenue Convention Center Entertainment Football Gems Hockey Interstate I-10 JimFav Sports Tucson Tucson-Downtown

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Fox Theater

Broadway Boulevard Congress Street Entertainment Funky Historic JimFav LRFP Music National Historic Sites Theaters Tucson Tucson-Downtown

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Whiskered Screech-owl

Birds Chiricahua Mountains Gems Huachuca Mountains JimFav Mount Lemmon Owls Rare Santa Catalina Mountains Santa Rita Mountains Sky Islands Unique

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Great Horned Owl Grin

Birds Faces Funky Gems JimFav Owls Smiles

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Red Spotted Toad

Faces Fauna Frogs Funky JimFav Smiles Toads

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Evo A DeConcini US Courthouse

Architecture Congress Street Courthouses JimFav Tucson Tucson-Downtown

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Gopher Snake

Faces Fauna Funky JimFav Reptiles Snakes

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Skunk

Faces Fauna JimFav Pests

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Tarantula

Arachnids Bugs Fauna Funky Gems Insects JimFav Spiders Unique

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Ringtail

Faces Fauna Funky Gems JimFav Nightlife Raccoons Rare

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Gila Monster Smile

Faces Fauna JimFav Smiles

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Emerald Jumping Spider

Bugs Fauna Funky JimFav Smiles Spiders

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Wood Duck

Birds Faces Gems Rare Sweetwater Wetlands

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Saguaro National Park - East

Arizona Trail Astro-Trail Birding Broadway Boulevard Funky Gems Hiking JimFav National Parks Parks Picnic Areas Saguaro National Park Sonoran Desert Speedway Boulevard Trails Tucson Unique World-Class

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Sunglasses in the Summer!

Cattle Clothing Faces Fauna Funky Humor JimFav Smiles Wearables Weather

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Mexican Whip-poor-will

Birds Chiricahua Mountains Faces Funky Gems Huachuca Mountains JimFav Rare Santa Catalina Mountains Santa Rita Mountains Spring Summer

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Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum - ASDM

Aquariums Arboretums Art Galleries ASDM Birding Botanical Gardens Children Funky Gems Historic JimFav LRFP Museums Nature Preserves Pima County Sonoran Desert Tucson Unique World-Class Zoos

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Sandhill Cranes

Birds Bisbee Cranes December Douglas Elfrida Faces February Funky Gems January JimFav McNeal Red Snowbirds Whitewater Draw Willcox Willcox Playa Winter World-Class

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Kartchner Caverns State Park

Astro-Trail Benson Caverns Cochise County Dark Sky Parks Funky Gems Highway 90 Interstate I-10 JimFav Kartchner Caverns Parks Scenic Views State Parks World-Class

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Sabino Canyon Recreation Area

Birding Bus Tours Children Coronado National Forest Gems JimFav Picnic Areas Sabino Canyon Sabino Canyon Road Saguaro Cactus Santa Catalina Mountains Scenic Views Trails Wildlife Refuges World-Class

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Kitt Peak National Observatory

Architecture Astro-Trail Astronomy Birding Funky Gems Highway 86 JimFav Museums National Observatory Observatories Scenic Highways Scenic Views Science Sells Space Exploration Stars Tohono O'odam Unique World-Class

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Canyon Ranch

Accommodations Catalina Foothills Funky Gems Historic JimFav Meditation Sabino Canyon Road Spas Sunrise Drive Tanque Verde Tucson World-Class

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Transamerica Building with the Desert Colossus

Architecture Arts Church Avenue Funky Gems Interstate I-10 JimFav Murals Saint Mary's Road Skyscrapers Speedway Boulevard Tucson Tucson-Downtown Unique World-Class

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Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research (LTRR)

Funky Gems JimFav Pima County Research Science Tucson University of Arizona World-Class

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Chiricahua National Monument

Chiricahua Mountains Chiricahua National Monument Cochise County Coronado National Forest Dark Sky Parks Funky Gems Highway 186 Interstate I-10 JimFav Mountains National Monuments Parks Portal Willcox World-Class

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QUICK DRAW ...

Birds
Fauna
Flora
Funky
Gems
Maps
People
Smiles
World-Class

SETTLEMENTS ...

Ajo
Amado
Arivaca
Benson
Bisbee
Catalina
Douglas
Dragoon
Green Valley
Lukeville
Marana
Nogales
Oracle
Oro Valley
Patagonia
Portal
Rio Rico
Sahuarita
San Manuel
Sasabe
Sells
Sierra Vista
Sonoita / Elgin
Summerhaven
Tombstone
Tubac
Tucson
Vail
Willcox

INDEX ...

Click Here

LABELS ...

22nd Street 23 Miles A Mountain Accommodations Activities Adventures Advertising Aerospace Agriculture Agua Caliente

Agua Prieta Aircraft Airports Ajo Ajo Way Alameda Street Allen Street Alvernon Way Amado Amphibians Amphitheater AMTRAK Amusement Park Antennas Ants Anza Trail Apache Apartments April Aquariums Arachnids Aravaipa Canyon Arboretums Arcade Games Archaeological Sites Archery Architecture Arivaca Arivaca Road Arizona Arizona Trail Art Art Galleries Arthouses Artisan Markets Arts Artwork ASDM ASL Astro-Trail Astronomy Atascosa Mountains Attractions August Automobiles Aviation Parkway Baboquivari Mountains Backpacking Bakeries Barrio Barrio Viejo Bars Baseball Basketball Beachs Bear Canyon Beer Benson Benson Highway Best in the USA Biking Biodiversity Birding Birds Bisbee Blimps Blind BLM Boating Bonita Books Boots Borderland Borderlands Botanical Gardens Boutiques Bowie Bowling Box Canyon Brewery Avenue Brewery Gulch Bridges Broadcasting Broadway Boulevard Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge Buffalo Soldiers Bugs Buried Treasures Bus Tours Business Butterflies Cactus California Campbell Avenue Camping Canelo Canoa Ranch Canyons Carmen Carnival Carnivores Cars Casa Adobes Casa Grande Casinos Catalina Catalina Foothills Catalina State Park Cats Cattle Caution Cave Creek Canyon Caverns Celebrations Cemeteries Center of the Universe Chihuahuan Desert Children Chili Chiricahua Mountains Chiricahua National Monument Christmas Church Avenue Churches Cienaga Creek Cienagas Cinema Circus Cities City Halls City Parks Clothing Cochise Cochise College Cochise County Cochise Stronghold Collages Comedy Commercial Communications Companies Concerts Congress Street Conservation Conservation Areas Consulate Controversial Convenience Stores Convention Center Coolidge Corn Maze Coronado National Forest Coumbus Park Country Club Road Court Avenue Courthouses Cowboys Coyotes Crafts Cranes Craters Craycroft Road Creeks Crime Critters Croquet Cuisine Cultural Centers Cycling Dams Dance Dangerous Dark Sky Parks Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Deaf December Deer DeGrazia Deserts Dia de Muertos Diets Discounts Dogs Domesticated Animals Dos Cabezas Mountains Double Adobe Douglas Dragonflies Dragoon Dragoon Mountains Ducks Dude Ranches Economic Development Economy Education Eggs El Presidio District El Rio Preserve Electricity Elfrida Elgin Elm Street Eloy Endangered Species Entertainment Entrepreneurial Environmental Organizations Equestrains Ethnic Euclid Avenue Event Space Faces Fairs Fall Famous People Fantasy Farm Animals Farmers' Markets Farming Fast Food Fauna February Federal Fellowship Festivals Fireworks First Avenue Fish Fishing Fitness Centers Flora Florence Flowers Flowing Wells Folk Arts Folklore Food Football Forests Fort Bowie Fort Huachuca Fort Lowell Road Foundation Fourth Avenue Frogs Fruits Fry Boulevard Funkolicious Bisbee Funky G Avenue Galiuro Mountains Gambling Gangsters Gardening Gardens Gems Geologically Interesting Geronimo Ghost Towns Gifts Gila River Giraffes Glenn Street Golf Golf Links Road Government Graham County Grande Avenue Grant Road Grapes Grasslands Green Valley Halloween Hamburgers Harrison Road Haunted Places Health Clubs Hereford High Schools Highway 181 Highway 186 Highway 191 Highway 286 Highway 77 Highway 79 Highway 80 Highway 82 Highway 83 Highway 85 Highway 86 Highway 90 Highway 92 Hiking Hispanic Historic Historical Markers History Hobbies Hockey Hohokam Holiday Season Horses Hospitals Hot Air Balloons Hot Dogs Hot Springs Hotels Houghton Road Houses Housing Huachuca City Huachuca Mountains Hummingbirds Humor Iconic Ina Road Industry Information Innovation Insects Inspirational Institutions International Interstate I-10 Interstate I-19 Irvington Road Jaguars January Jeep Jewelry JimFav Jogging Journalism July June Kartchner Caverns Kinney Road Kino Kino Parkway Kino Springs Kolb Road La Jolla Lakes Landmark Lawmen Legal Libraries Live Cameras Live Performances Livestock Lizards Lodges Logistics Lottery Lounges Lowell LRFP Lukeville Madera Canyon Main Avenue Malls Mammals Manufacturing Maps Marana March Maricopa County Marketing Mascots Mason Center May McNeal Medical Medicinal Meditation Memorials Mental Relaxation Mercado San Augustin Mexico Mileposts Military Miller Canyon Minerals Mining Monsoon Monuments Mormon Mount Graham Mount Hopkins Mount Lemmon Mount Lemmon Highway Mountain Biking Mountains Movie Sites Movie Stars Murals Museums Music Naco National Conservation Areas National Forests National Historic Sites National Memorials National Monuments National Observatory National Parks National Scenic Trail National Wildlife Refuges Native American Heritage Nature Conservancy Nature Preserves Neighborhoods News Nightlife Nogales November Nursery Observatories Ocean October Oddity Offices Old Bisbee Old Tucson Old West OLLI Optics Oracle Oracle Junction Oracle Road Orchards Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Organizations Oro Valley Ostriches Overviews Owls Pacific Ocean Palominas Pantano Road Park Avenue Park Place Parking Lots Parks Parties Patagonia Patagonia Lake State Park Paton Center Peace Peacock Pecans Peloncillo Mountains Penaleno Mountains Pennington Street People Pests Petroglyphs Pets Petting Zoo Phoenix Photography Photonics Picacho Peak Picnic Picnic Areas Pima Community College Pima County Pinal County Pinaleño Mountains Pizza Plants Playgrounds Poetry Police Ponds Portal Post Offices Pottery Power Prickly Pear Promotions Publications Publicity Puerto Peñasco Pumpkin Patches Pusch Ridge Raccoons Racing Radio Railroad Rainbows Ramsey Canyon Ranching Raptors Rare Reclamation Recreation Red Red Rock Redington Road Refreshments Reid Park Relaxing Religious Renewable Energy Reptiles Research Resorts Resources Restaurants Retirement Communities Rincon Mountains Rio Rico Riparian Areas River Road Rivers Road Trip Roadrunners Rock Climbing Rocky Point Rodents Rodeo Roger Road Romantic Running Ruthrauff Road Sabino Canyon Sabino Canyon Road Safford Saguaro Cactus Saguaro National Park Sahuarita Saint David Saint Mary's Road Salon Saloons San Bernardino Valley San Diego San Manuel San Pedro River San Pedro Valley San Rafael Valley San Simon San Xavier del Bac Sandario Road Santa Catalina Mountains Santa Cruz County Santa Cruz River Valley Santa Rita Mountains Sasabe Scenic Highways Scenic Views Schools Science Scorpions Scott Avenue Sculptures Seasonal Spirit Second Street Sells Sentinel Peak September Serenity Shopping Sierra Vista Silverbell Road Sixth Avenue Sixth Street Skiing Sky Islands Skyline Drive Skyscrapers Smiles Smithsonian Institution Snakes Snowbirds Snyder Road Soccer Solar Sonoita Sonora Sonoran Desert Sounds South Tucson Space Exploration Spanish Spas Special Events Special Services Speedway Boulevard Spices Spiders Sports Spring Squirrels Stamps Stars State Parks Statues Stone Avenue Sulpher Springs Valley Summer Summerhaven Sun Historic District Sunbathing Sunrise Drive Sunset Views Sunsites Swan Road Sweetwater Wetlands Swimming Table Tennis Tacos Tanque Verde Tanque Verde Road TBG Tea Technology Telescopes Television Tennis Theaters Theme Parks Therapeutic Toads Tohono O'odam Tombstone Toole Avenue Tourism Tournaments Tours Towns Toys Traffic Safety Trails Transportation Travel Trees Trivia Tubac Tucson Tucson Botanical Gardens Tucson Mountain Park Tucson Mountains Tucson-Downtown Tumacacori Turtles Twin Peaks UA Banner Medical Center UFO Ugly UNESCO Biosphere Preserve Union Pacific Railroad Unique University Boulevard University of Arizona Upscale Utilities Vacation Spots Vail Valencia Road Valleys Vegetation Venues Videos Visitor Centers Volcanic Volunteers Walking Warren Wasps Water Water Parks Waterfalls Wearables Weather Western Image Whetstone Whitewater Draw Why Wild West Wilderness Wildlife Refuges Willcox Willcox Playa Wilmot Road Wine Winter Wolves Women-Owned World-Class Yaqui Zoos

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POPULAR POSTS ...

Toucan

- Sorry, no wild toucans in southern Arizona ... they are native to the tropical forests of Central and South America ... wild toucans eat large amounts of tropical fruit and forest insects that do not exist in the Sonoran Desert or Chihuahua Desert - But ... if you are looking for a toucan in southern Arizona, there are "Toucan" traffic signals in the city of Tucson ... The City of Tucson features a unique pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure asset known as a Toucan signal, named because "two can" cross at the same time (both walkers and cyclists) ... a new version of this signal was activated near the University of Arizona campus at the intersection of North Euclid Avenue and East Second Street ... it provides a controlled, red-light crossing environment to protect pedestrians and cyclists in high-risk areas

Wood Duck

- In southern Arizona, the Wood Duck (Aix Sponsa) is classified as a rare breeding bird that is most frequently encountered as a seasonal visitor - Celebrated as one of the most stunningly colorful waterfowl species in North America, these medium-sized perching ducks bring a vibrant burst of color to the desert state's specialized wetland habitats - Wood ducks are much more common across Arizona during the winter migration months ... small flocks regularly arrive to seek refuge at local ponds, marshes, and urban parks == Quiz Time: "How much wood would a Wood Duck duck if a Wood Duck could duck wood?

Gila Monster Smile

- When a Gila Monster appears to be "smiling", it is usually an illusion created by its wide, naturally curved jawline

Rivoli's x Berylline Hybrid Hummingbird

- The Rivoli's x Berylline Hummingbird is an exceedingly rare hybrid bird resulting from the cross-breeding of a Rivoli's Hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) and a Berylline Hummingbird (Saucerottia beryllina) - In 2026, this unique hybrid generated significant excitement among birdwatchers after notable sightings in Madera Canyon

Mountain Lion

- Also known as cougars or pumas - Can weigh 100-150 pounds - Elusive but not uncommon in southern Arizona mountain areas and foothills - In 2024, a mountain lion found its way down to the Tucson Medical Center (Grant Road and Craycroft Road), and then into a walled courtyard!! Wow!! Long way from the mountains and giant leap to get into the courtyard. It was captured and released back into the wild!

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