Tucson, Arizona
Not only the stars over Tucson shine so brightly and uninhibitedly as over no other city with half a million inhabitants in the USA – the sun is also regularly in top form here in the middle of the Sonoran Desert in the deep south of Arizona. The picturesque Tucson, whose Indian name “Chuk Son” means something like “at the foot of the black mountain“, is not only on the “black mountain”, Sentinel Peak, but is framed in all directions by five huge mountain ranges. In this unique scenery you will find Tucson, a diverse, liberal city, in which the dream of the boundless freedom of the Wild West still shines.
- Timedictionary: Offers a list of largest cities in Arizona.
“The Sky is the Limit”
The fact that the sky in Tucson shines a little brighter is mainly due to the almost non-existent light pollution, which ensures that the scientists in the world-famous Kitt Peak National Observatory can work under ideal conditions. The astronomical observatory on the 2,095 m high summit of Kitt Peak, which is home to the world’s largest solar telescope, is of course also open to non-scientists. Otherwise, you walk in Tucson mostly in the footsteps of John Wayne and many other western heroes, who filmed numerous western classics out here in the picture-perfect setting of the Saguaro National Park with the distinctive Saguaro cacti. The prominent and strictly protected cactus plant can, by the way, grow up to 20 m high, weigh several tons and can be well over 200 years old.
Between ranches and parallel worlds
Tucson is home to four excellent guest ranches. With the unique tombstone you will find an entire Wild West town just outside Tucson. Many will be familiar with the Western name, because this was where the famous OK Corall shootout with Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday and the Clanton brothers took place in 1881. Around 30 km west of Tucson, you should visit the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. The museum is a combination of a zoo, museum and botanical garden. Other highlights include the Biosphere-2, a project by billionaire Ed Bass who wanted to prove in 1991 that living in a closed ecosystem is possible (and failed) in the long term – and the San Xavier del Bac mission thatwhite dove of the desert, which stands in its secular splendor like a mirage in the middle of the desert.
Tucson is also the first American city to be recognized as a “City of Gastronomy“by UNESCO!
- Transporthint: Overview of Arizona, including population, history, geography and major industries.
Highlights in and around Tucson
- Pima Air & Space Museum
Tucson’s Pima Air & Space Museum houses an impressive collection of historic civil and military aircraft. In addition to the spectacular exhibits, you can learn everything about the last 100 years of aviation here. - Mission San Xavier del Bac
The Mission San Xavier del Bac, an old Spanish mission church about 16 km south of Tucson, which is also known as the “White Dove of the Desert”, stands almost unreal like a mirage in the barren and endless desert Southern Arizona – a dream! - DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun
In the gallery under the sun, the pictures of the world-famous painter Ettore “TED” DeGrazia are exhibited in a unique setting. DeGrazia always managed to capture the spirit of the Southwest for a moment in his pictures.
Information about Tucson
Foundation: 1775
Population: approx.520,000
Area: 505.3 km²
Height: 728 m above sea level
Tallest building: 218 m
Time zone: Mountain Standard Time (CET -8 hours)
Airport: Tucson International Airport
Glen Canyon Dam
Glen Canyon Dam, dam on the Colorado River in Arizona, USA, near the border with Utah; it was built in 1956-64 despite violent environmental protests. The dam lake, the 300 km long Lake Powell, is a very popular holiday destination. See also dam.
Lake Mead
Lake Mead, artificial lake in the United States on the Arizona – Nevada border; 593 km2. The lake is formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, and with a volume of 37 km 3, it is among the world’s largest dam lakes. In the early 2000-t. the water level has dropped significantly and in 2010 the lake contains less than half of its capacity.
Lake Havasu
Lake Havasu, 72 km long dam lake in the Colorado River between California and Arizona, USA. The lake has become a popular excursion destination, especially since the founding in 1964 of the resort town of Lake Havasu City (52,500 inhabitants 2010). The city’s sights include a credible replica of an English village as well as the original London Bridge (1831), which in 1967 was purchased and shipped to Arizona by the city’s founder.
