Tucson is quite a small city which is found in the southern Arizona. The city lies approximately some 60 miles to the north of the Mexican border and 100 miles to the south of Phoenix. Tucson has found a place in the retirees’ hearts just like Phoenix, and they come here not just to visit but to settle. Its weather conditions are warm throughout the year and the cost of living here is quite low as compared to other cities like California and Las Vegas. However, despite being smaller, Tucson is not as congested as Phoenix, and is less endowed with tourist attractions.

Tucson has dry climatic conditions throughout the whole year. Summer temperatures can sometimes go past the 45 deg. C level during the day, but winter temperatures range between 20 to 25 deg. C, thereby providing a more pleasant environment, especially for touring the city. Annual rainfall averages at 25cm. The months with the highest tourist activity are between November all the way to match, which is normally the winter season. Spring and fall area also good times to visit especially if one does not like the tourist traffic of the winter.

Tucson is located in a desert and the city outskirts are surrounded by natural desert vegetation that includes mainly the gigantic Saguaro cactuses. These plants grow to heights of up to ten meters. There are forests of these cactuses and one can enjoy a ride through them or simply make good use of the Saguaro National Park trails by hiking. The park is found just on the city’s outskirts. After the ride or the hike, one can also visit the Sanoran Desert Museum which is found near Old Tucson. The Old Tucson town was originally built as a film set for movies, especially cow boy movies. However, the town is currently a theme park. Attractions found in the town include gift shops, actors who are dressed in western regalia, entertainment venues, restaurants and so on.

Driving across the desert for one and a half hours and into the rangelands which are usually thinly populated, one comes across the Tombstone, town. It is an old-west town that is known for its authenticity and for gold mining. Its main street has been reverted back to what it looked like in 1881. The town is sometimes called the “Gunfight at OK Corral.” Restaurants, shops, entertainment venues and other attractions are now found on many of the old buildings. Moreover, the Ok Coral has been elevated into a museum status and is now well enclosed.

The Old Spanish Missions are other attractions that one can opt to visit in Tucson. They include the San Xavier del Bac mission and the San Jose de Tumacacori mission. They are found to the south of Tucson, 9 and 40 miles respectively and are all well preserved. The Pima Air Museum is also found to the south of the city. It offers collections of both military and civilian aircrafts and tourists can also have a chance to enjoy the “Boneyards” guided tours, which are found at the nearby Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.