A day and half in lower AZ
 

I will be finished with work in Tucson on a Friday. I plan to stay the WE in AZ. I will be in Phoenix on Saturday evening to catch a Diamondbacks game and will probably stay DT within walking distance. A few questions.

What should I do on Saturday? I was thinking about staying in Scottsdale Friday night but not sure what to do. I like the natural wonders of AZ but do not want to drive up to Flagstaff/Sedona or GC. Any kind of world wonders between Tucson and Phoenix or something interesting in seeing around there? I would like to be back in Phoenix by 4:30. Or the "Don't miss" thing in the Phoenix area. I am open to about anything except sitting in a SPA or Golf.

Also, if I stay DT like at the San Carlos, is that walking distance to Chase Park? Are there bars between there and the hotel? And I guess it is safe?

Many thanks for the help.

You might want to go the the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum great museum to learn about flora and fauna of desert lands and Saguaro National Monument both west of Tucson. To southwest of Tucson is the Pima Air & Space Museum.

There really isn't much of anything between Tucson and Phoenix.

Sounds like you have Friday afternoon and most of Saturday for Tucson. If it will still be Summer, the afternoons will be warm. Friday afternoon, you might think about a drive up to Mt. Lemmon, just for the cool, and/or Sabino Canyon.

For Saturday, I would suggest the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (it opens at 7:30AM http://www.desertmuseum.org/

Then maybe a drive around Saguaro National Park West Branch http://www.americansouthwest.net/ari...uaro/west.html

Old Tucson Movie set has had numerous western films made there, if you like that sort of thing. http://www.oldtucson.com/

Or you could go see the International Wildlife Museum. http://www.thewildlifemuseum.org/index.php

Afterwards, go see our White Dove of the Desert, the mission San Xavier del Bac http://emol.org/tucson/sanxavier/

And, if you like aircraft, go see the Pima Air and Space Museum. Or you could do this on Friday afternoon.
http://www.pimaair.org/index.php

There's also a unit of Saguaro NP east of Tucson.

Head for the Catalina Mtns northeast of Tucson and hike in Catalina State Park or Sabino Canyon. Drive up the highway to Mt. Lemmon. Or head back to Phoenix, and spend Saturday driving the Apache Trail (loop starting @ Apache Jct., NE on Hwy 88, then SE to Hwy 60, and east on 60 back to Phoenix). You can stop and hike in Lost Dutchman State Park, or in the national forest, or can take a look at Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park. All are on the loop drive. Tonto National Monument is also on the way.

There are also several large regional parks scattered on the outskirts of the Phoenix metro (McDowell Mountain, White Tank Mountain, Usery Mountain, Estrella Mountain, and Phoenix South Mountain) as well as some smaller parks within the metro.

I don't think any of these qualify as "world wonders" like the Grand Canyon, but they're still nice. If it were me, I'd go to the Catalinas.

How about the Apache Trail and the Superstitious Mountains? I di dthat as a nice day trip from Scottsdale. I was by mysled when I did that.

http://www.arizona-leisure.com/apache-trail.html

I really do prefer the East branch of Saguaro National Park over the west branch. Unfortunately, most of the east branch, including the loop road, the picnic area and many of the trails are closed all sumer until sometime in September.

See this announcement.
http://www.nps.gov/sagu/pphtml/newsdetail22155.html