Becoming a Tucsonan
Everything You Need To Know About Becoming a “Real Tucsonan”
The Old Pueblo is a big community and has hundreds of years of history. It is easy to feel lost when arriving in a new town. The following information has been assembled to provide you with essential information on what to say, see, do, wear and eat along with detailed information on the critters you are likely to encounter in the Sonoran Desert.
Terminology of Tucson & the Southwest
If you are new to the Southwest, alot of the words you will hear around here may sound foreign to you. Many of them are derived from Spanish and Native American words.
Click here for a sampling of some you’ll need to know.
Exploring The Southwest
A Guide to the American Southwest & Desert Region
Tips on Living in the Sonoran Desert
Foods of Tucson & the Southwest
Tucson has a plethora of Mexican restaurants. Mexican eateries are located all over town, with some of the best in South Tucson, which has deep Hispanic/Latino roots. Once upon a time, Tucson was a part of Sonora, Mexico, and many local restaurants offer dishes based upon traditional Sonoran cooking. Tamales, burritos and enchiladas are some of the more popular staples of Sonoran fare.
Some of these restaurants are influenced by the Native American culture where you will find fry bread, blue corn tortillas and other Native American dishes. The city has more to offer than just Mexican cuisine, such as seafood meals you might find in Baja, California. Plus, Ethnic cuisine ranges from Ethiopian to East Indian to Vietnamese. Surely, you will find your favorite among the vast variety!
Dress: Southwestern Fashions
Just about anything goes in this town. At Tucson’s theaters and concert halls, you will see everything from sequined dresses to shorts. Unless you are going to a very fancy restaurant or social event, you can usually leave your tie at home. Year-round at the University of Arizona, shorts and T-shirts rule, but one note of caution-if you go to a U of A football or basketball game and you are not wearing red, you might feel as out of place as a polar bear in a palm tree
Places to visit in Tucson, Pima County, and Arizona
As you will see from visiting my site, I offer a number of recommendations for day trips and tours, outdoor activities and attractions available in and around Tucson. I personally enjoy hiking in the surrounding mountains. They are all around us. Please continue perusing my site for more information on all the wonderful places to see and do in the Old Pueblo!
Ready to discover Arizona? Take your choice of great hikes, helpful links and online information about our state. Arizona is a land of many extremes … from expansive deserts to lofty mountains. With our stunning variety of climates, Arizona is home to many diverse groups of wildlife and plants. We hope you find Arizona Highways interesting and informative!
Weather/Monsoons
You will often hear the phrase, “But it’s a dry heat!”. That is exactly right, there is very little humidity here except, of course, in July and August. Do not let the lack of sweat fool you though. Dry heat can cause problems too, so here are some friendly summertime tips: Always wear a hat and sunscreen, drink lots of fluids and try to be near a swimming pool at all times! You may have to adjust your time tables as outdoor activities you used to do at 9 a.m. in another part of the country, you may need to do here at 6 a.m. Alot of joggers and bikers take advantage of the early morning cool time.
Even the animals at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum opens at 7:30 am if you want to see them. If you are going to be doing any hiking, walking or jogging, you might want to freeze a plastic bottle of water the night before. As a rule of thumb, you should drink at least one liter of water per hour to avoid dehydration.
Tucson has some spectacular thunderstorms during July and August. During our monsoon season, and at other times as well, flash floods sometimes occur. Washes, underpasses, bridges and even level streets can become impassable in a matter of minutes. Many areas post warning signs for flood danger, yet every hear motorists get stranded in futile and dangerous attempts to drive through submerged terrain. Often times, dips are much deeper than they appear. A good piece of advice is if it looks like a street or wash has running water or a pool the size of your car, find an alternate route.
What is a monsoon?? Click here for Monsoon Details
Click here for a Current Forecast.