Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [366]
Smuggler's Inn
6350 E. Speedway Blvd. (at Wilmot), Tucson, AZ 85710. ☎ 800/525-8852. Fax 520/722-3713. www.smugglersinn.com. 149 units. A/C TV TEL. Jan–Mar $109 double, $129 suite; Apr–Sept $79 double, $99 suite; Oct–Dec $89 double, $109 suite. Rates include breakfast buffet and welcome cocktail. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V.
Built around an attractive garden and pond, the Smuggler's Inn is a comfortable and economical hotel, with neatly trimmed lawns and tall palm trees that lend a tropical look. Guest rooms are spacious and beautifully appointed, with modern furnishings and a balcony or patio. The rooms have coffeemakers, hair dryers, dataports, and video games on the TVs. The property has an outdoor heated pool and a whirlpool, and golf club privileges are available.
SunCatcher Bed & Breakfast
105 N. Avenida Javelina, Tucson, AZ 85748. ☎ 877/775-8355 or 520/885-0883. www.thesuncatcher.com. 4 units. A/C TV TEL. Sept–May $155–$185 double; June–Aug $105–$125 double. Rates include full breakfast. AE, MC, V. From Houghton Rd., take Broadway miles east.
Located on the east side of Tucson, about 3 miles from the entrance to the Rincon Mountain District of Saguaro
National Park, this stylish, sunny home is set amid 5 acres of picturesque desert that's just a short walk from a trail into the park. Innkeepers Janos Siess and Nicola Young provide lodging that balances modern convenience with refreshing tranquillity. The units have queen or king beds, refrigerators, hair dryers, and DVD players (guests can borrow from a large video library). The rooms are named after and decorated in the style of the various groups that settled this area, including cowboys, American Indians, the Spanish, and travelers from the Orient. There's a heated outdoor pool.
Where to Dine
There are no restaurants inside the park.
NEAR THE PARK
Anthony's in the Catalinas
6440 N. Campbell Ave. ☎ 520/299-1771. www.anthonyscatalinas.com. Reservations highly recommended. Main courses $24–$41. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Daily 5:30–10pm. CONTINENTAL.
If you head north on Campbell Avenue up into the foothills of the Catalinas, you'll come to this excellent fine-dining restaurant. In a modern hacienda-style building overlooking the city, Anthony's exudes Southwestern elegance from the moment you drive under the portico and let the valet park your car. The waiters are smartly attired in tuxedos, and the guests are almost as well dressed. Quiet classical music plays in the background. In such a rarefied atmosphere, you'd expect only the finest meal, and that's what you get. Smoked salmon is a fitting beginning, followed by lamb Wellington, baked in puff pastry with pâté and prosciutto. The wine list is quite likely the most extensive in the city. The pastry selection may tempt you, but if it's available, don't miss out on the day's soufflé.
El Charro Café
311 N. Court Ave. ☎ 520/622-1922. www.elcharrocafe.com. Reservations recommended for dinner. Main courses $5.95–$18. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Daily 11am–9pm. MEXICAN.
In an old stone building in El Presidio Historic District, El Charro claims to be the nation's oldest continuously open family-operated Mexican restaurant— it's been serving authentic Tucson-style Mexican food since 1922. A glassed-in porch makes for a greenhouse-like dining area overlooking the street, and there's also dining downstairs. Look at the roof of El Charro as you approach, and you might see a large metal cage containing beef drying in the sun. This is the main ingredient in carne seca, El Charro's well-known specialty, rarely found outside the Tucson