Wanting to plan a vacation to Arizona but not quite sure where to visit? Tucson & Bisbee are two spots you can knock out with a 3-4 day weekend that is packed with a ton of fun and great food. Keep reading!
I flew out to Tucson, Arizona for my labor day weekend adventure to visit my college friend and her boyfriend. They showed me all around their new town and I can't wait to already go back! My favorite parts about Tucson and Bisbee:
Seeing beautiful cacti everywhere you look (I repeatedly kept saying: "I wish I could just give that cactus a big hug!"....because they look so soft and huggable...from afar!
I went while the the butterflies were migrating. Both Tucson and Bisbee were covered in colorful butterflies exploring the wilderness.
And of course...I can't forget to add that seeing my college friend was heartwarming. As time goes on, some of your friends may move away or leave town and that can be bittersweet...but on the bright side...you get to go visit them in their new home and explore it with them!
Depending on your travel time, you may have more or less availability to explore Tucson and Bisbee. I would highly recommend visiting both of these towns while you are in Arizona.
Day 1 – Explore Tucson Day
The Pima Air & Space Museum should be at the top of your Tucson Bucket List! Imagine this: walking around an entire aircraft boneyard spread out over 80 acres. How cool does that sound?? There are nearly three HUNDRED aircrafts to look at.
We were here for an hour and a half before the museum closed, but we could have spent SO much more time there!
Mount Lemmon
Mount Lemmon is the perfect spot to watch the sunset. We packed a cooler with sandwiches & cherry tomatoes with hummus (YUMMMMMAY!)
This may seem like your typical "greenery" or "green house", but there is a TON to look at. I enjoyed walking around Green Things seeing butterflies floating around while I was learning the different types of cacti that encompasses the dry land.
P.S. Check out the section below to read where to eat or grab a drink!
Day 2 – Bisbee Event Day
Travel from Tucson to Bisbee - We drove into Bisbee from Arizona and already had our tours booked. Here are some options:
Strap on your hard helmet, turn on your light, hop on board the mine coaster, and enjoy the tour! For less than $15, we were able to go into the heart of the Queen’s Mine.
The Lavender Pit
We only looked at the Lavender Pit from the lookout, but you can book a tour. One company will take you on a Lavender Pit tour in a jeep!
Day 3 – Bisbee Explore Day
There are a ton of shops to go in and check out: museums, antique shops, thrift shops, ice cream shops, and more! We spent a lot of time just driving through Bisbee because the winding, hilly streets made us feel like we were cruising around in Europe.
We went on our own version of a Bisbee bar crawl this day. Below are some spots we checked out:
Chuckleheads - Social Bar & Comedy Club
Copper Queen Hotel - Restaurant & Bar
Bisbee Social Club - We ended the night here! It's in a basement (which is a fun spin), a "hidden" bathroom and karaoke nights!
Graffiti Wall & the Walkway of Art - both right next to each other!
Day 4 – Explore Tucson Day 2
Saguaro National Park – "Icon of the Southwest"
There are many trails you can take within Saguaro National Park. We didn’t have a ton of time, so we did a portion of the South Trail.
Tips for Visiting Saguaro National Park:
LATHER UP IN SUNSCREEN! The dry heat may give a misconception that it is not "that" hot out, but the sun can do some serious damage.
Bring two water bottles per person or a large camelback. The dry heat will make you super thirsty and the last thing that you would want to happen is to end up with no water in the middle of a desert... (p.s. - Locals may also add Liquid I.V. to their water which is a hydration multiplier)
Spray yourself with bug spray! You may not notice the little buggies flying around, but they sure love the way you taste! Don't leave the National Park with bug bites covering your body.
Depending on how long you plan on being in the Park, pack a couple granola bars or trail mixes to keep yourself full of energy.
Looking for where to eat in Arizona? Read some of my recommendations here! Below are some recommendations from my good friend and local, Libby!
Paco’s – hands down top fave Mexican fast food (first photo)
Filiberto’s – second fave fast Mexican food
Nico’s Taco Shop – third fave Mexican fast food (third photo)
Zinburger – fun & flirty place to go for happy hour & get a half-price burger
Solid Grindz – Hawaiian BBQ
Pastiche Modern Eatery – delicious drinks & good food to try!
The Screamery Handcrafted Ice Cream - they will stack your waffle cone high with sweetness and unique flavors (see below). I got a double scoop of Sweet Sonoran Desert (Honey ice cream with a peanut butter swirl & homemade toffee pieces) and Cowboy Cookie (Salted caramel base with oatmeal, walnuts & chocolate chip cookies) on a waffle cone! Their Sweet Cream Honeycomb flavor is a local favorite - Sweet cream base with handmade honeycomb pieces from local raw honey.
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