When I was studying at the University of Arizona, I spent 4 fantastic years living in Tucson. I loved living in Tucson and that city will always have a special place in my heart. Everyone around me knows how much I enjoyed Tucson which explains why people are constantly asking me for ideas of things to do and places to eat there.
Check out The Ultimate Tucson Bucket List and let me know if there’s anything I’m missing.
Food & Drink
My favorite restaurant in Tucson is Guero Canelo because it’s delicious and reminds me of college. It’s very difficult to find someone who doesn’t like Guero Canelo. The meat that they use is just super delicious and tender and always perfect, their tortillas are on point, the salsa is on fire every time and I just cannot say enough good things about this place. This was my family’s spot whenever they would go visit me in Tucson and everytime I go to Tucson, I stop here. Check out more food and drink recommendations in The Ultimate Tucson Food and Drink Bucket List!
Hiking
There are so many good hikes in Tucson. Tanque Verde is a great workout, the views are beautiful, and it’s not overly crowded. It is 1.8 miles long and rated as moderate, so it’s a great hike to go on if you want a workout but you don’t have a lot of time. Check out the Ultimate Tucson Hiking Bucket List for everything you need to know about hikes in Tucson!
Nightlife
- Harry potter shot! It is magical (The Dubliner: bar on University)
- Wildcat Shot
- Gentle Ben’s or Maloney’s for dancing
- Fuku on Friday for $5 sake (if you want to check out bars near campus on University)
- Downtown Tucson for hotel congress (cool, hipster bar/hotel/dance floor)
- Geeks Who Drink trivia night at Congress
- 4th Ave
What to See & Do
Now here is the main part of this bucket list, what to see/do! Enjoy the list and let me know what else needs to be added!
UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA FOOTBALL GAME IN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING SUITE
I always say that my life is amazing because the people that I surround myself with are amazing. Tonight, my friend Dana is the amazing one and the real MVP. Thank you so much for inviting me and helping me cross off bucket list item #23: see a U of A football game in the VIP suite!!! Thank you Dana and the College of Engineering for making this possible. Everything is amazing right now. Let’s go cats!! Bear down!!
CHECK OUT THE STREET ART
I ran across this article that outlines 45 amazing Tucson murals and where to find them, chose my favorites, and we set off to find them! There is so much artistic talent in Tucson and I know I will be back to check out the rest of the murals. Let me know if my favorites align with your favorites! Check out my favorite murals.
EXPLORE THE BEAUTIFUL U OF A CAMPUS
If you know me even a little bit, you should have known that I would include this item. I love the University of Arizona and it is one of my favorite places in the world (AND I’VE BEEN TO EUROPE!! haha). It really is a beautiful campus and you should do yourself a favor and explore. Check out the mall where there is something always happening (people playing frisbee, life sized chess, soccer games, etc.). Check out some of the buildings that are on the National Registrar of Historic Places (like my old residence hall Gila). Just do yourself a favor and enjoy the U of A on a beautiful and sunny day.
ENJOY A U OF A SPORTS GAME
This item is a stereotypical graduation bucket list item and I hope you get the opportunity to cross this one off. You have to run like crazy and rush the football field after an epic win. During my senior year of college, I got the opportunity to rush the field when we beat Oregon and it was EPIC. I was a little too excited and tripped and fell but I still rushed the field!
TRY EEGEES
When I first got to Tucson, a ton of people would always ask me ‘do you want to go get an eegee’s? have you had eegee’s? don’t you love eegee’s?’ And I had no idea what they were talking about but one day I finally tried Eegee’s and my life was changed. According to the Eegee’s website, an eegee’s is a cup of ice cold frozen fruit perfection packed with flavor and chunks of real fruit. And it really is perfection. I used to work at Sonic so I know all about slushies and frozen drinks, but eegee’s are just on a whole other level. Definitely get one, it is such a Tucson experience.
EL TIRADITO WISHING WELL
The Tiradito Wishing shrine is located in Tucson’s Barrio Viejo and is full of history. Pretty cool! I learned that El Tiradito is the only Catholic shrine in the US dedicated to a sinner buried in unconsecrated ground.
WINTER HAVEN
Winter Haven is an awesome addition to your graduation bucket list because it feels so magical! Every year, a whole neighborhood decorates all of the houses in beautiful lights and other decorations. They also collect cans to give to those in need. It’s beautiful and it is for a good cause.
MISSION SAN XAVIER DEL BAC
I took my friend Maggie (pictured above) to Tucson during our summer internships in 2012 and showed her the San Xavier del Bac Mission. Whenever someone asks me what unique things there are to do in Tucson, I always make sure to mention the mission San Xavier del Bac. The first time I visited the mission, I knew it was a special place. I literally got goosebumps walking inside because it felt like a very spiritual experience. Not only is it a beautiful building, it also has a beautiful history.
EXPLORE STUDENT RUN MINE AT SAN XAVIER
In Tucson, there is an underground mine called the San Xavier Underground Student Run Mine and it is awesome. Add it to your bucket list!!! It’s epic and they show you explosives and the tools they use down there and how often can you say that you’ve been in an underground mine?!
PIMA AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM
The Pima Air and Space museum is one of the coolest places in Tucson, but that’s coming from an aerospace engineer so take that with a grain of salt haha. This museum is super cool because it has a ton of really awesome and unique airplanes so whether you like airplanes or you don’t…stop by because there’s a ton of cool history, sleek looking planes, and great photo opportunities for all of us instagrammers.
PLAY PICKLEBALL
If you love Pickleball, you definitely need to play at one of the University of Arizona’s amazing courts!
Other things I recommend:
STAY AT A NICE RESORT LIKE LOEWS CANYON
TUCSON GEM AND MINERAL SHOW
TITAN MISSILE MUSEUM
HIKE ‘A’ MOUNTAIN
BIOSPHERE 2
TERROR IN THE CORN DURING HALLOWEEN
HIKE MOUNT LEMMON
Mt. Lemmon has snow in the winter and you can sled and there’s a really cute cafe at the top that sells hot chocolate and DELICIOUS cookies
I hope you all enjoyed the list! Stay tuned for an Arizona Bucket List coming soon that will include other cities. Thank you all for reading, and stay enthusiastic! Please comment and let me know what other items I need to add.
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-Maira