Anyone looking for the essence of the Southwest need look no further than Tucson. Here is where the skyline is dominated not by glass boxes, but by rugged peaks, saguaro forests and low-rise architecture reflecting southern Arizona’s blend of Native American, Hispanic and territorial-era heritage.
“Although we have a population of almost 1 million, there is still a quaintness about Tucson,” says Toby Parks, director of convention sales for the Metropolitan Tucson CVB. “If you close your eyes and picture a place that is the real, natural Arizona, what you’re picturing is Tucson.”
That being said, Tucson has no shortage of sophisticated accommodations, meeting facilities, off-site venues, and activities that lend sparkle to any meeting or incentive program. High-quality resort properties abound, ranging from the historic Westward Look Resort & Spa, which grew out of a 1912 homestead and is scheduled for a renovation by its new owners, to the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort, & Spa, which made its debut on a stunning mountainside location in December 2004.
In downtown Tucson’s El Presidio District it is evident that the city is proud of its heritage and has taken care to preserve it. Old Town Artisans, once a rest stop for stagecoaches, is still a welcoming spot for visitors, who come to browse for handcrafted items in galleries housed in an 1850s adobe. Nearby, the Tucson Museum of Art & Historic Block, which features both restored homes and galleries devoted to works by Southwest artists, is a popular site for elegant dinners and receptions.
Local culture is also showcased at the Arizona Historical Society, which has vivid displays illustrating daily life in Tucson from Spanish colonial times until statehood.
Just beyond the city limits, there are plenty of ways to enjoy a taste of the still-Wild West.
“Groups can have a variety of outdoor adventures without venturing far from the city at all,” Parks says.
One of these adventures is cattle penning, offered by several guest ranches located a half hour or so outside the city.
“While on horseback, teams separate the cattle and herd them into pens,” Parks says. “It’s a very popular team-building option.”
When it comes to experiencing Tucson’s magical desert environs, the group-friendly Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, the second-most-visited attraction in the state after the Grand Canyon, is a great way to begin. Paths wind around naturalistic habitats where visitors can observe the vast array of plants and animals native to the Sonoran Desert.
