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Rialto Theatre

A gorgeous 1920 vaudeville and movie theater reborn as a top venue for live touring acts. 520-740-1000; www.rialtotheatre.com; 318 E Congress St, Tucson; tickets $10-35

EAT & DRINK

Rhythm Room

Cover charges range from a few dollars for local bands (usually early in the week) to about $30 for big-name touring acts on weekends. 602-265-4842; 1019 E Indian School Rd, Phoenix; Tue-Sun

SLEEP

Flamingo Hotel

Elvis stayed at this affectionate homage to Tucson’s movie history full of posters from old flicks. Relatively quiet. 520-770-1910; www.flamingohoteltucson.com; 1300 N Stone Ave, Tucson; r incl breakfast $50-70

Hotel Congress

A historic property where old-fashioned radios are the in-room entertainment. Opt for a room at the hotel’s far end if you’re noise sensitive. 520-622-8848; www.hotelcongress.com; 311 E Congress St, Tucson; r $70-120;

Hotel Monte Vista

Strong spirits at the bar, friendly spirits in some of the 50 rooms. The onsite lounge hosts live music. 928-779-6971; www.hotelmontevista.com; 100 N San Francisco St, Flagstaff; r $75-140

USEFUL WEBSITES

www.arizonaguide.com

www.myspace.com/arizonamusicproject

LINK YOUR TRIP www.lonelyplanet.com/trip-planner

TRIP

11 48 Hours in Greater Phoenix

22 Grapes & Hops in the Desert

26 Flagstaff’s Northern Playground

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Return to beginning of chapter

Southern Desert Wanderings

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WHY GO Imagine walking through the desert, parched, looking for an oasis. In the distance you see a city guarded by prickly saguaros. You stumble into Tucson, and discover that this is the crossroads of Southern Arizona – the perfect base to visit the region’s natural, ancient and scientific wonders. Thirst quenched, the adventure begins.

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TIME

2 – 4 days

DISTANCE

350 miles

BEST TIME TO GO

Oct – Mar

START

Tucson, AZ

END

Tucson, AZ

ALSO GOOD FOR

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Tucson doesn’t make a great first impression – there are the strip malls here of many other modern cities, and under the harsh light of the sun it feels like a small maze of concrete and high-speed boulevards. But, look a little deeper and the ugly duckling transforms into a swan. Historic neighborhoods thrive between the freeways, live music joints and gourmet venues have been going strong for decades, and there’s a whole street devoted to groovy shopping and good eats. Use it as a base for sorties to the best that Southern Arizona has to offer, and liking Tucson will slowly turn to loving it.

Outside of the city center, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum enchants with nearly 2 miles of walking paths between animal and plant habitats. The number of things to see is dizzying so allot plenty of time. The hummingbird aviary is a buzzy blur of wings and watching road runners dart between prairie dogs makes you want to yell “beep-beep!” The museum sits off Hwy 86, about 12 miles west of Tucson.

On the way there you’ll pass through the western section of Saguaro National Park, which is actually divided in half by Tucson. True lovers of those wacky cacti in their crazy poses should pay the entrance fee for the park, but just driving along the outskirts you’ll see more saguaro than you can shake a spiny stick at.

After a day of desert appreciation, enjoy a homemade microbrew and some good Southwestern-style food at Barrio Brewery. Set across from the railroad tracks, when a freight train rolls by the beers are only $3. Keep on rollin’, freight train. For something more upscale, make reservations at Café Poca Cosa, an award-winning Nuevo-Mexican bistro. Take the plunge and order the Poca Cosa plate to let the chef do the deciding. Muy buenas margaritas, too.

To get the full Tucson experience (and more trains) spend at least one night at Hotel Congress. It’s especially loud on weekends thanks to the bar and live music downstairs, and you’ll hear train horns all night long. With nicely restored but simple rooms that sport rotary