Not everyone is as lucky as I am to have a sister and brother-in-law, Bev and Ray, who have visited Tucson, Arizona before and know its prime attractions. Here, are some of the interesting sights they shared with my hubby and me. Thank you, Bev and Ray!

One “must” while visiting Tucson, is the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. It’s not a traditional museum, but rather an extensive network of well-manicured outdoor walking trails. The Desert Museum interprets the Sonoran Desert, which is one of the most diverse deserts on earth. The two miles of numerous interconnecting trails showcase Arizona cacti and several animals: javelinas, mountain lions, coyote, rattlesnakes, and hummingbirds. A highlight is the daily raptor flight which features several birds of prey trained to fly overhead to a ranger’s narration. If you feel brave, you can touch and feed the cownose stingrays there.

“A few miles down the road,” is Seguaro National Park with its over two million saguaro cacti growing along the desert floor and mountainsides. The packed gravel trails are perfect for novice hikers. Don’t skip the volunteer ranger talks; I listened to one about challo, a segmented cactus and

was shown six varieties: buckhorn, teddy bear, chain fruit, pencil, desert Christmas, and cane.

Another must-see is Kartchner Cavern’s State Park near Benson, Arizona. Hikers can navigate through the Foothills Loop Trail, some two miles in length and see some of the unique plants, animals, and landscape features in the area. The main features of the park, however, are guided tours of the world-famous Kartchner Caves. Motorized trams take tourists to the cave entrance where a knowledgeable guide leads you through pressurized doors to view the magnificent cave wonders created from water seeping, dripping, flowing, condensing, or pooling into the cave. Stalactites, stalagmtes, columns, fried eggs, bacon, popcorn, soda straw stalactites, and helictites are some of the many cave formations. Engineers have constructed concrete walkways through the cave rooms and visitors must be respectful by keeping cameras and cellphones in provided lockers at the guest center. For many years, the cave was kept secret on the Kartchner family property. Once sold to the state, it has been carefully maintained and regulated. Tours are usually prearranged online and limited in size. You’ll never forget the majesty of this cave once you see it. (We took the Big Room Tour which is open from mid-October to mid-April).

Arizona is rich in history, and this is well-evident when visiting the historic Mission San Xavier, a short distance southwest of Tucson. This mission church was founded in 1692, as part of a chain of twenty-four missions established by the Jesuit missionary whose purpose was to bring Catholicism to the indigenous peoples–Tohono O’odham Nation–of the area. The current church was built from money borrowed from a local rancher and features Spanish baroque architecture. One is awestruck at the beautiful murals, carvings, and carved figures inside the church as well as its beautiful facade. Well-worth a visit.

If your wallet is weighing you down, plan to stop at a shopping district south of Tucson: Tubac. Dozens of aft galleries and shops will help you lighten it up. Area artists’ works are featured in the galleries and include exquisite turquoise jewelry, realistic carvings of animals, hand-woven rugs, and artistic paintings. The town’s galleries and shops are nestled side-by-side and dotted with good eateries.

Speaking of food, you’ll enjoy Tucson’s cuisine. One of our favorites, Delicias, offers authentic Mexican-Southwest American menu options. I couldn’t get enough of that tasty Mexican rice there. Singing mariachi bands add to the festivities.

One of our trip’s highlights was an afternoon visit to the Tucson Book Festival. This well-organized annual event features area authors, book signings, and books for sale. The festival is held on the campus of Arizona State University and its organizers provide plenty of volunteers to guide interested visitors through the fair. The festival is offered free-of-charge; its purpose is to improve literacy rate among children and adults and proceeds from the fair are donated to area literacy groups. Why not also take the electric tram that stops at Cherry and University Streets? You can catch a glimpse of the downtown shops and eateries while enjoying this free travel loop. Also located on the campus, is the Arizona State Museum. Its current displays include photography by indigenous photographers, woven items, and pottery. Dozens of shelves in humidity-controlled rooms preserve pottery formed by area indigenous peoples thousands of years ago.

Most people visit the Tucson area to golf, bike, and hike. While I achieved only the latter, I found my trip there quite rewarding. If you are from the Midwest, you, too, will enjoy the unique beauty of this region. Try Tucson.