Arizona Adventures: Two Days in Tucson

In the middle of the Sonoran Desert, and less than two hours from Phoenix, sits Tucson, the second largest city in Arizona with more sunshine than you can imagine! With more than 340 days of sun each year, you are almost guaranteed a sunny vacation any time of year! Our trip in January allowed us to experience a wide range of temperature and climates of Arizona, including the cool northern temperatures below freezing in Page so we welcomed the contrast in temperatures when we arrived in Tucson with clear blue skies and sunny hot temperatures!

Where to Stay

​We spent two nights in Tucson at stayed at the Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort & Spa. It is a large resort with hacienda-style homes with an upscale Southwestern experience in the Sonoran Desert. With suites starting at 605 sq ft in size, the room was larger than my first apartment!  

 The resort is set among the desert mountains with onsite hiking, biking and horseback trails where you can experience the desert scenery among the cityscape.

Bonus: Pets are permitted! With all the trails onsite for guests to enjoy, the resort is pet friendly and encourages families and their pets to explore nature among the privacy of the property.

With attention to comfort and privacy, your stay is complete with modern conveniences with service that matches your vacation style.   

Westward Look Hotel & Spa, Tucson, Arizona

Westward Look Hotel & Spa, Tucson, Arizona

What to Do

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

“The mission of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is to inspire people to live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love, appreciation, and understanding of the Sonoran Desert.”  

Arizona- Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is not really a “museum” in the traditional sense that we are used to. It is the #1 attraction in Tucson and one of the top 10 museums in the country. Most of the museum is outdoors and you get to experience the wildlife, botanicals and vegetation of the desert. The exhibits highlight the living animal, reptile and botanical collection co-existing other in their natural habits of the desert. The research programs onsite help conserve the desert and educate those who are not familiar with the unique conditions of the desert.

Walking through the outdoor collection, especially the cactus-filled botanical gardens gives you a first hand experience of the desert climate.  

Old Tucson

A fan and unique attraction – where Hollywood and the Wild Wild West converge. Originally built in 1939 as a set for the movie Arizona, the mock Wild West town setup has been used for more than 400 film, television and commercial productions since then. As a fully operational film studio, it is the premier film location for Western-themed productions and has become America’s “Hollywood in the Desert”.

When not in film production, the set becomes an amusement park for guests to step back in time to explore the Wild Wild West, enjoy live action-packed stunt shows, comedy entertainment, musicals and vintage rides and guided tour experiences “where the spirits of the Old West comes alive!”.  

Both Old Tucson and The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is perfect to experience on the same day as they are located about 10 minutes from each other. Bring lots of water ensure you are well hydrated. Walking outside in the hot sun, feeling the dry heat (even in January) is hot! Watching the stunt guys in full Western gear out in the sun made me appreciate what they do and cannot even imagine what it would be like in the hot desert sun during the summer!  


Pima Air Space Museum

From the Wild West or the desert, you can deep dive into airspace at the Pima Air Space Museum. The large air space museum is the third largest in the world and features over 350 historical aircraft ranging from commercial aircraft to ones of historical significance. Learn the history of flight and aviation as you explore the inside hangars and outdoor exhibits as well as the memorials dedicated to aircraft used in World War II. 

You can easily spend a couple of hours here wandering through all exhibits and marvel at the different aircraft. There is even a tram tour that departs on the hour daily, where you can listen to the guides share stories and history of all the aircraft.

Air Force One

Aviation enthusiasts and World War II historians will appreciate the memorials with the information and history of air and spacecraft showcasing each of their important contributions to aviation history. 

Three different and unique experiences that are fun for all ages made our two days in Tucson fly by! The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum gave us first hand experience and background to the unique conditions of the desert and the plants, animals and reptiles that inhabit the desert. We walked back in time to the Wild Wild West of Old Tucson and experienced the Hollywood of the Desert! And the Pima Air Space Museum was truly an enjoyable and education experience into aviation history. 

Thank you to Visit Tucson, the tourism board that hosted us and helped me plan our trip with lots of great ideas to experience Tucson! Their website is the perfect place to start your trip planning and reaching out to a travel agent (like me!) will help you easily plan your trip! Let me know how I can help!