6 Tucson Bed and Breakfast Inns & Checklist for a Perfect Visit

 

Six Tucson bed and breakfast inns offer the best way to take in the true flavor of Tucson and to make your experience richer. As always, I suggest staying 4 days in two different inns to give you a deeper knowledge of Tucson. Our favorite librarian has suggested these Tucson-based novels before or during your visit – The Bean Trees, The Glassblower Mysteries or Deep Cover.

 

Where to Stay

1.   Adobe Rose B&B, Tucson

• The inn follows many ecofriendly practices including lighting the living room with solar tubes during the day and collecting rain water.
• Adobe Rose Inn Buttermilk Scone Mix is available for online purchase.
• The Atanacia Room highlight is an eight-foot tall green, gold, and blue stained glass window.

2.  Casa Tierra Adobe B&B Inn, Tucson

• Casa Tierra translates to Earth House
• More than 50 arches are featured in the architecture of the all-adobe inn.
• The complimentary gourmet breakfast is vegetarian.

3.   Inn at Civano, Tucson

• The inn is located within a resort-style, ecofriendly community that includes two swimming pools, walking paths, and a community center with activities for residents and guests.
• The kitchen has everything guests need to cook for a party of 12.
• The community is named for the Civano Phase of the Hohokam Indian civilization that once inhabited the area.

4.   The Inns at El Rancho Merlita, Tucson

• The ranch once belonged to cosmetic queen Merle Norman and she hosted many employee getaways on the property.
• A riddle is engraved on a bench on the stargazing patio.
• The inn has an extensive collection of Western movies.

5.   Mon Ami Bed & Breakfast, Tucson

• The location is perfect – close enough to everything in town.
• Perfect destination for a relaxing get-away or for taking in the many sites and activities in town.
• Sumptuous breakfasts and tranquil gardens.

6.    White Stallion Ranch, Tucson

• Stroll amid extensive cactus gardens, swim in the heated in-ground pool and soak in the redwood hot tub.
• Hiking and biking trails are onsite and the fitness center boasts a gym, sauna and massage.
• Pendleton bed covers accent the air-conditioned guest rooms and suites that boast a southwest décor.

 

Outdoor Sites and Natural Attractions

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

• There are 1,200 native plant species on the grounds.
• The Earth Sciences Center has a moon rock on loan from NASA.
• The museum features two live animal shows: a showcase of misunderstood venomous reptiles and a seasonal avian demonstration.

Saguaro National Park

• The park encompasses 91,327 acres and boasts 128 miles of trails.
• The most popular month for visitors is March.
• The park is home to the nation’s largest cacti. The Saguaro Cactus lives an average of 150 years.

Tohono Chul Park

• Home of the largest collection of Night Blooming Cereus. The flowers bloom en masse on one evening between late-May and mid-July.
• Travel and Leisure Magazine named it “One of the World’s Ten Best Botanical Gardens.”
• The galleries showcase art influenced by Native American, Spanish, and Mexican culture alongside stories of the American Cowboy.

 

Museums and Attractions

Arizona State Museum

• The oldest and largest anthropology museum in the Southwest.
• Houses 25,000 pieces of American Indian Basketry including baskets, sandals, and mats.
• Native Goods, the museums nationally acclaimed store, offers authentic, unique, and educational arts and crafts.

Gaslight Theatre

• The theatre presents five comedy melodramas each year. Shows are performed six nights a week.
• Guests can enjoy mountains of free popcorn.
• Past shows include The Two Amigos, The Long Stranger, and Back to the Past.

The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures

• The 15,560 square foot museum displays more than 275 miniature houses, room boxes, and collectibles.
• The founders were members of the National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts and the International Guild of Miniature Artisans.
• The permanent collection is organized into three galleries: Enchanted Realm, History and Antiques, and Exploring the World.

Mission San Xavier del Bac

• Completed in 1797, the church is the oldest intact European structure in the state.
• 200,000 people visit each year to see the Spanish Colonial architecture.
• The mission is open to the public every day and all are welcome to attend mass.

Pima Air & Space Museum

• Visitors can see more than 300 airplanes and 125,000 artifacts.
• Home of the Starr Bumble Bee, the world’s smallest bi-plane.
• There is an exhibit devoted to giant paper airplanes.

 

3 Best Books Set in Tucson to Read Before Your Visit

 

1. The Bean Trees: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver – This debut novel by Kingsolver (The Poisonwood Bible) is a story of a woman who unexpectedly becomes a mother to an abandoned infant while navigating her new life in Tucson.

2. Deep Cover by Brian Garfield – Published in the 1970s, this title is good for those that like espionage stories related to Soviet and American relations.

3. The Glassblowing Mystery series by Sarah Atwell – Emmeline Dowell’s glassblowing studio sets the scene as Em solves Tucson murders.