Things to do and see in and around Tucson.

Listed in order of shortest to longest drive time from the casita.

Medicine Man Gallery. Less than five minutes, this is a world-class art gallery located, of all places, in a strip mall. The strip mall itself is not world class but the gallery is. Trust us.
DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun: Ten minutes. The DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun celebrates both the life of Ettore “Ted” DeGrazia and his art.
Pima Air and Space Museum. 25 minutes. Featuring about 400 historic aircraft, from a Wright Flyer to a 787 Dreamliner, it is second only to the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.
The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. 30 minutes. February 9-11, 2023. This is the largest, oldest and most prestigious gem and mineral show in the world. It is absolutely epic and if you have not experienced it, get yourself there.
Mirror Lab tour. 25 minutes. Have you ever seen a telescope mirror that is three-stories in diameter? You can here. This is the most advanced optical telescope mirror lab in the world.
Biosphere 2. 45 minutes. Remember that crazy experiment in the 90’s, when they locked people in a massive “self-sustaining” structure? Biosphere 2 is epic, with 7,200,000 cubic feet under sealed glass; 6,500 windows!
Colossal Cave. 45 minutes. It’s a cave with guided tours of varying lengths and adventure levels.
Titan Missile Museum. 50 minutes. Visit the launch control room and silo of a retired nuke! This preserved Titan II missile site, officially known as complex 571-7, is all that remains of the 54 Titan II missile sites that were on alert across the United States from 1963 to 1987.
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. 50 minutes. Located adjacent to Saguaro National Park West (there is an East park as well, over an hour to the east). Want to learn about the flora and fauna of the desert, this is your place. It’s a beautiful drive to a beautiful place.
Kartchner Caverns. 60 minutes. Another cave; guided tours.
Drive up Mount Lemmon. Two hours out and back drive time. Go up there for lunch and a hike, or just for the views. You gain 6000 vertical feet in 25 miles, going from desert to an ecosystem that is more like northern Minnesota on top, which lots of change in between.