History of Tucson

Tuk'son at the base of a black mountain

Located in the southwest USA, Tucson is one of the oldest continually inhabited areas in North America.  Throughout it's history there have been first, Native Americans then in the late 1600s the Spanish and after the Mexican revolution in 1821 Tucson became part of Mexico for 30 years.  In 1848 California gold brought folks passing through on their way to the gold fields and  some of those travelers saw opportunity in this rough frontier and stayed on.  During that time the US government was looking for a southern rail route and they  negotiated with Mexico and in 1854 Arizona became a US territory.  Arizona became the 48th state of the union.  Those were the days of the WILD WILD WEST.  Battles raged between the settlers and the Apaches for many decades making Tucson a rough and dangerous place.

Why Choose Tucson Vacation Rentals?

Around the turn of the century Tucson started marketing itself as a sunshine city, attracting tuberculosis victims to the dry climate.  Boasting an average of 350  sunny days Tucson is ideal for just about any kind of recreation.  This is only one reason why you should choose vacation rentals in the Tucson area. Read on.

If you are a baseball fan you will be interested to know that Tucson is part of the cactus league spring training program for professional baseball teams (MLB).  You can attend the games for a fraction of the price of going to a major league game and you still get to see the star players plus the up and commers. It's a great thing to do with the family on a sunny afternoon.

Tucson ranks #2 in Arizona in number of golf courses.  The wonderful weather and varied kinds of courses make it kind of a golfers paradise. The WGC Accenture Match Play golf tournament is held here every year so it is a good chance to get "up close and personal" with some of golf's super stars. Check out the internet booking sites such as www.golfnow.com where many courses have discounted tee times available..

With a number of state parks in the Tucson vicinity, hiking ranks right up there in the" things to do list".  Pick any of the multitude of trails and you will find a hike perfectly suited for you and your hiking ability.  There are hikes available for any level of fitness . The expansive vistas  will keep you coming back for more.

Biking- Tucson is a bike friendly city with bike  trails winding their way throughout the city and parks. Every year in November  Tucson hosts the tour de Tucson.  This is a huge fund raising road race with rides starting from 4 miles to 108 miles so almost anyone can join in. This race attracts riders from all across the USA. and in 2009 there were 11,000 participants.

   
One of the great things about being in Tucson is its close proximity to other interesting places that you can visit easily from your Tucson vacation home:
-  Just 45 minutes south is the artist village of Tubac.  Jam packed with all things" art ful" one can  while away a couple of pleasant hours browsing around it's many stores and galleries. 

- An hour and a half south east of Tucson is the historic mining town of Bisbee.  In the late 1800s  Bisbee was in it's hey day.  Wander around the charming restored Victorian neighbourhoods, and grab some lunch before  checking out the town's small but interesting museum. 

- Not far from Tucson is the colorful western town of TOMBSTONE :The town too tough to die".  I'm sure many of you remember the story of Wyatt Earp and the gunfight at the ok corral, boot hill and big nose Kate's saloon. Today the epitaph building in Tombstone is where the oldest continuously published paper in Arizona is still being printed. It's a delightful place that still resonates with the sounds and feel of the old west.

FUN NOTE

Did you know that the gangster John Dillinger along with 5 members of his gang was arrested in Tucson at the Hotel Congress. ( They were on the FBI's 10 most wanted list)  Every year Tucson celebrates the historic arrest with a "Dillinger Days" festival and the highlight is a re-enactment of the arrest.

ART AND CULTURE AND SHOPPING

Tucson has  wealth of art and culture.  From it's many art galleries to live theater, Mariachi festivals, concerts, parades there is much to keep you entertained.
Festivals such as the Mexican Dia de los Muertos (Day of the dead) and the Mariachi Festival are just two of the many things to see in this diverse and interesting city.

Shopping in Tucson is multi  leveled.  There is an Hispanic influence that adds some wonderful flavor to your shopping experience.  There are also many street fairs, upscale outdoor malls, indoor malls, outlet malls, galleries, enough  to make even the most avid of shoppers satisfied. In addition Tucson hosts one of the largest gem mineral and fossil shows in the world.  There are thousands of participants at 0ver 40 sites selling everything from diamonds to granite bookends , to dinosaur fossils to opals from Australia.  This is a truly unique event.

As you can see there are a multitude of reasons why you should choose Tucson Vacation Rentals during your holiday or winter get-a-way in Arizona.