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Destination: Tucson

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 08.03.2008
Don't let the cost of gas or the price of a plane ticket keep you from enjoying what distant exotic locales have to offer. • With a little ingenuity, find yourself seated at a dinner table in Italy (waiter in a tux not included). Or take a short drive and discover the other-worldliness of Tucson spots. • Still not feeling it? Rent a scenic movie or try one of the video games discussed below in the cool comfort of your living room and escape into a digital vacation. — Jennifer Sterba
You don't need a travel agent to visit the African plains or swim with dolphins, but having an Xbox 360 and a DVD player won't hurt. • Through the wonders of home electronics you can (at least pretend to) visit places all over the world right from your own living room. You can pop in a movie to revisit gorgeous landmarks and take in foreign culture, and by playing a video game you can actually interact with distant and often dangerous sights and sounds. And you don't have to give up your favorite spot on the couch.
"Out of Africa" (1985)
Plot: A Danish noblewoman (Meryl Streep) lives in Kenya with her distant husband, overcomes sickness and wartime difficulties and takes up with a big-game hunter (Robert Redford). Big set pieces include a lion encounter and a tragic barn fire.
Sights: The lush Kenyan countryside and vast, rolling plains. A coffee plantation and plenty of local color when Streep's character educates members of the Kikuyu tribe. The film was shot on location at Kenya's Shaba National Game Reserve, and the animal and plant life boast authenticity a soundstage couldn't replicate. The lions, though, were imported from California for the shoot.
Did you know? The film gestated for decades and was originally planned as a vehicle for Greta Garbo.
"March of the Penguins" (2005)
Plot: The documentary follows the winter migration of emperor penguins as they move between the ocean and breeding grounds to mate and care for their young.
Sights: Filmed over the course of the year by French filmmakers, the movie captures the sprawling ice shelves. You feel frigid just looking at the indomitable little birds as they waddle their way to survival. Getting such an up-close look at the strangely humanlike rituals of the animals can be a cathartic experience the zoo can't come close to matching. The film makes you feel as though you're an intrepid explorer, braving horrendous conditions to see an all-but-uninhabitable part of the world.
Did you know? The French version features dubbed dialogue that gives humorous voice to the penguins.
"Forget Paris" (1995)
Plot: An NBA referee (Billy Crystal) falls in love with an American (Debra Winger) living in Paris. The romantic comedy makes a strong effort to appeal to men by including a ton of basketball cameos, including Charles Barkley and Bill Walton.
Sights: Much of the film takes place in the United States, but the Paris scenes were filmed on location and hit the main landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and gorgeous shots of the cafe-laden streets. You get the feeling that the cast and filmmakers treated the shoot as a vacation, so why not do the same as a viewer?
Did you know? Winger did not make another film for six years after this one.
The video game "Endless Ocean" for Wii, $29.99
Plot: Set in the fictional Manauri Sea, the game truly aims to be more of an interactive travel simulator than a standard game. You dive off a boat, swim around, shoot photographs and even pet creatures of the sea. There is no dying, no time limit, no monsters to slay.
Sights: Dolphins, sea turtles, fish of all different stripes — pretty much whatever you can imagine the tropical ocean holds you'll be able to find in the game. You can peek around coral reefs and coax a dolphin into letting you tag along on a joy-swim. "Endless Ocean" may not be all that thrilling, but it sure beats the heck out of an aquarium screen saver.
Did you know? If you've got a friend who also owns the game, you can go on expeditions together online.
— Phil Villarreall
The video game "Grand Theft Auto IV" for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, $59.99
Plot: Taking control of Bosnian immigrant Niko Bellic, you make your way through Liberty City, which is the Big Apple in a funhouse mirror. You make friends, date women and do odd jobs (some of them involving robbery and killing) to gather enough cash to make a living.
Sights: If you love New York but don't want to leave your couch and would still like to get randomly shot at while walking down the street, visit lovely Liberty City. The "Grand Theft Auto" series is known for its violence, but the rap is a false one. Many of the game's pleasures can be had with pure exploration. The game's city is a living, breathing satire of pop culture, and features twisted takes on New York's well-known features, including the Statue of Happiness, Middle Park and advertising-plagued Star Junction (the game's version of Times Square). Helicopter tours over the city at night provide breathtaking views. You can also take in comedy and cabaret shows or even watch TV at Niko's apartment.
Did you know? The "Grand Theft Auto" series makes its first appearance on the Nintendo DS later this year with a game subtitled "Chinatown Wars."
Sweetwater Wetlands
Hey, let's head out to the local wastewater treatment facility for some fun!
OK, we know that might sound more like a sick joke than a serious recommendation for hometown recreation.
But this water-treatment facility — known as Sweetwater Wetlands — doubles as an urban wildlife habitat, bird-watching mecca and outdoor classroom.
An easily accessible spot near Interstate 10 and West Prince Road, the 60-acre site "attracts bird-watchers from all over the world," says Joaquim Delgado, a spokesman for Tucson Water.
"It's a very good spot for migratory birds," Delgado says of the wetlands, where broad walkways lead past tranquil lagoons shaded by tall trees and other water-loving vegetation.
Visitors to the site, which is free and open to the public daily, are likely to see many birds — ranging from great blue herons and mallard ducks to red-winged blackbirds, Anna's hummingbirds, Cooper's hawks and dozens of other species, depending on the season.
Other critters sometimes seen in the area include bats, jack rabbits, lizards and javelinas.
Get there: Go west on Prince Road, under I-10, and turn right on Business Center Drive. Then turn left on River Park Drive and follow it as it becomes Commerce Drive. Take a left off Commerce Drive and continue to Sweetwater Drive and the Wetlands, at 2667 W. Sweetwater Drive.
Hours: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays.
Cost: Free.
— Doug Kreutz
Green Mountain Trail
You'd love to take a summer hike in green, forested high country — but you don't want to pay for travel to Colorado, the White Mountains or even the top of our own Catalina range.
Here's a soothingly woodsy alternative that's only a short drive from Tucson: the Green Mountain Trail.
The trail, about four miles in length, links two points midway up the Catalina Highway northeast of Tucson. The lower trailhead is only 11.5 miles up the highway — not a distance that will drain your gas tank.
Winding through oak and pine forests, the trail climbs about 1,300 vertical feet from the lower trailhead to the upper one — at the 17.5 mile point on the highway.
You could hike part of the trail, trek the whole route out and back, or arrange a vehicle shuttle between trailheads for a one-way hike.
At altitudes between about 6,000 and 7,300 feet, the trail offers a strong sense of being above the desert and in a mountain environment. Wildflowers, soaring hawks, other wildlife and rock outcrops near the upper trailhead add to the scenic mix.
Get there: Take Tanque Verde Road to the Catalina Highway and follow the highway 4.5 miles to the base of the mountains. Mile markers begin there. Drive up the highway to the lower trailhead, shortly before a turnoff for the General Hitchcock Campground, or the upper trailhead, near San Pedro Vista.
Hours: The trail is open all day, but an early morning hike increases chances of seeing wildlife and avoiding afternoon thunderstorms.
Cost: The U.S. Forest Service charges a $5 fee on the Catalina Highway.
— Doug Kreutz
Colossal Cave
If you're weary of the heat and humidity of the desert summer, one nearby option is to go underground.
Colossal Cave Mountain Park, a short drive southeast of Tucson, offers a tour amid compelling cave formations — in a dry, 70-degree environment.
The half-mile tour, 45 to 50 minutes long, takes visitors down and back up more than six stories. Sights include stalagmites, stalactites and flowstone formations.
Along the way, guides provide information on geology, history and legends associated with the cave.
Get there: Take 22nd Street east to Old Spanish Trail and follow Old Spanish Trail southeast about 17 miles to Colossal Cave Mountain Park.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
Cost: Admission to the park is $5 per vehicle. Standard cave tours cost $8.50 for visitors 13 or older and $5 for children 6 to 12. Kids 5 or younger get in free.
— Doug Kreutz
Cuisine sets the scene
Who said you had to be a child to visit the Imagi-Nation?
Invite some friends over for a dinner in Italy — aka your dining room or patio if the weather cooperates.
Make it easy on yourself with ready-made dinner options. Or, if you enjoy slaving over a hot kitchen stove (and insisting to your guests, "Really, it's no big deal!"), stopping at our own Italian shops for ingredients can add to the Continental experience.
Roma Imports offers a recipe of the month and oodles of ingredients you'll need. Roma also stocks ready-made entrees, desserts, pastas and bread. You can't go wrong with the antipasti, $8 per pound, or pan of beef lasagna that serves 4-6, $12.
The store is a little hard to find at 627 S. Vine Ave. (It's behind the Cox Communications building, off East 15th Street and Kino Parkway).
Or take a spin by Viro's Real Italian Bakery, 8301 E. 22nd St., to pick up the spaghetti dinner for four on Thursdays. This deal includes meatballs, salad and bread for $25. Finish off the meal with a home-brewed Lavazza Espresso (8.8-ounce bag for $6.79) and, of course, one of 20 or more flavors of homemade gelato ($11 per quart) that "tastes like Italy but doesn't cost as much," according to Vito Croce, who owns Viro's with his wife. Then there's that plane-ticket savings, too.
Use a white tablecloth or bed sheet and buy a bouquet of freshly cut flowers for the centerpiece.
If you really want to create an Italian garden feel, drape white Christmas lights from the walls or light fixtures. This trick works very well outside. After all, when in Rome, dining on the sidewalks is what Romans do.
Ask guests to contribute a little something to the meal. Have one person or couple bring a garden salad and dressing to share. Someone else can bring a bottle of vino.
Roma Imports assistant manager Jackie Lyle recommends a dark red wine — a Merlot or a Cabernet will work.
And before you greet your guests with the traditional kiss on each cheek, put on that old Italian record or CD. Online you'll find "Drew's Famous Italian Dinner Party Music," available at barnesandnoble.com for $10.99, for hits like "Mambo Italiano," "Buono Sera" and "That's Amore!"
Ciao.
— Jennifer Sterba
Star Savers Spend less for what you want.
Glamour and glitz in the Old Pueblo
Women, dust off your four-inch heels. Men, throw some gel in your hair.
Experience the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas right here in Tucson. Spend an evening at Pearl, 445 W. Wetmore Road, one of Tucson's poshest nightspots.
Pearl is a 20,000-square-foot club that is divided into four different areas: Touch, a semi-private ultra lounge; Element, an outdoor bar and lounge; Mantra, a metropolitan dance chamber with an oxygen bar; and Orchid, a restaurant that serves tapas-style fare with Asian and equatorial flair.
On Friday and Saturday nights, cozy up to a VIP table ($100-$300, depending on your proximity to the dance floor and the size of your group). These choice tables come with a bottle of champagne and optional bottle service. VIPs also get to skip the line in front, though they still have to pay the cover.
Because there's no sense getting all gussied up only to arrive in your 2000 Geo Metro, Pearl offers a limo service, which costs $50 per hour, plus a 20 percent gratuity, with a three-hour minimum.
Once at the club, dance to remixed Top 40 songs. DJ Aspen spins R&B and neo-soul on Fridays.
There's no Siegfried and Roy, but if you're looking for an excuse to dress sharp and dance, dance, dance, Pearl has got you covered.
— Coley Ward
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