Heading to Tucson in October for work-related meeting. Am taking a little extra time and dragging hubby and kiddo along for the ride (neither have been to Arizona). Have one full day and one half day to entertain ourselves away from the resort at which we are staying. Thanks to Mikepintucson (sorry if I got the name a bit off!), I have many ideas of things to do and think we will have no trouble entertaining ourselves. His list of activites and sights to see was tremendous!

My colleague, who will also be going to the same conference, has never been to Mexico and really wants to go. I thought Nogales might be a good choice. Have looked at previous posts here regarding Nogales, and am having a hard time sorting things out, as most posts are somewhat old and from names I don't recognize (I'm still a newbie here!).

I have been to Mexico before. Would like to get my colleague down for a visit, but am worried that he may be frightened away never to return based on some of the things I have read, but not 100% sure of this. Many previous posts say "skip it" or complain that the place is "run down" or depressing. He is a city person who is used to stepping over/around homeless people on the way to and from work, so I doubt he will be shocked/intimidated/frightened by people begging on the streets.

I believe there are people who may call a more "rustic" place "run-down". Perhaps such people don't get out of the U.S. much. I don't know. Some people may not enjoy the experience of a foreign marketplace where people bargain/haggle over merchandise (like my mother who went home from Italy without a single souvenir in her suitcase - found out later from my sister that she thought she had to bargain with everybody!). It's hard to assess the "don't go there, just stay away" posts when they don't have specific, concrete facts to permit one to analyze the situation.

Anybody have some recent experiences with Nogales that they could share? Specific impressions of the place? Explanations as to what "run down" may mean?

Thanks!

I was in the Tucson area in late February and if you decide not to go to Mexico I have a few suggestions you might want to try.

The Arizona Desert Museum was very interesting. Having both animal and plant exhibits. We spent probably about 4 hours there and really enjoyed it.

Also the Titan Museum was interesting. A little history that I don't remember much of but the tour of the silo was very interesting and a little scary to think what might have happened.

There is also a really nice National Park in the area. I can't remember the name but we spent most of a day hiking in the park. A lot of neat rock formations. Kind of like the hoodoos at Bryce National Park.

thanks, crundel, appreciate the thoughts - it's going to be hard to decide what to do, no matter what!

Many people feel that if a place does not look like Beverly Hills it is "run down" and "depressing". Mexico is another country and another culture. It does not look just like the U.S. but that does not mean it is a place to avoid. Yes, many parts of Nogales are poor, bldgs. look "shabby" by some U.S. standards, there are beggars and you can bargain for merchandise.

I live in the Tucson area, there are places in Tucson that are not so great looking, as there are in EVERY city in the U.S. Nogales is a border town, border towns are generally speaking not very pretty, however it can be a good cultural experience if you keep an open mind. (same thing with Tijuana, we used to live in So. CA and it irks me to have people think TJ is all slums -- there are some really nice neighbors there). Anyway, if you want to visit Nogales then go. You can park on the US side and walk across. I have met people that thought Puerto Vallarta was run down and depressing, we enjoyed it completely.

Just go with the knowledge that it is not exactly like home .. thousands of tourists go across the border on a daily basis, in fact many Americans buy their medicine across the border.

As for other things to see in Tucson, the Desert Museum is nice and of course a visit to St. Xavier Mission (White Dove of the Desert) is also worthwhile. Sabino Canyon was very hard hit by our recent monsoon rains and parts of the canyon are closed right now so you may want to check when it gets closer to see if you can go up there. There is a tram that runs up the canyon but with the road washed out it's touch and go as to what you will be able to see there.

If you do go to Nogales there is a mission along the way called Tumacacori that is well worth a visit. Also the "artsy" town of Tubac is full of shops selling art, Mexican crafts (no bargaining on prices tho !!), etc.

Go and enjoy youselves.

Thanks, Lori. That was my gut instinct about the town. Hubby and I stayed in town in Cancun when we went on a silly spring break jaunt many years ago and everyone we knew thought we were crazy for staying there and not in the resort area. Of course, we paid about 1/5 of what our friends did for our hotel room!

I suspect we'll be fine! Sounds like Tubac is a good stop for the way home.

Hi cantstayhome,

I am glad you enjoyed my list. Actually, I have updated it a bit and started a blog with all of the info in clickable links. Let me know what you think of it. My "Things to See and Do" list is right after my post of "Summer Monsoons -- the Desert Reborn"

http://mikepintucson.blogspot.com/

I think you friend will enjoy Nogales. There is good, cheap parking within about 1/4 mile of the border crossing. He can just follow the crowds to the market and haggle away. It is fun seeing all of the things for sale, some pretty junky, and some quite nice. We took a friend from Connecticut in March and she really enjoyed it. And I was able to buy myself a very nice cowboy hat made of cactus fibers for $20 (from the $35 asking price).

Looks good, Mike. We're coming for ribs - just let us know which night and which beer to bring!

You're on. Let me know what days you are in Tucson. Just remember, bring lots of beer, because those ribs take 4 to 5 hours to cook.

If you are into cooking or have friends who do you must visit the Santa Cruz spice factory. It is just south of Tubac almost across from the Tumacacori mission. They specialize in smoked chilis of all kinds. The smell is heavenly and the place itself is worth a visit. The real old fashioned way of doing business. They have every spice and then some - all sorts of blends etc and the prices are incredible. I take all my friends there when they visit and everyone goes home loaded with spices. Even if you don't want any it is worth dropping in to see.

Also, don't be afraid of Nogales. It is so easy. We just park our car and walk across. However things have changed. We used to go to Tijuana to buy cheap booze etc. Well, its now all pharmacies. If you want a buy on liquor stop at the duty free store on your way in and bring it back with you.

Dove of the Dessert:
http://tinyurl.com/rh96g

A must see!

And I won't bore you with how much I DID NOT enjoy Nogales; how unsafe I felt; how I would never drag a child there, etc, because, obviously, it is a matter of taste.

That aside, there are just so many things in Tucson to enjoy. I don't think anyone has mentioned one of my favorites! The University of Arizona is beneficiary of Ansel Adams archives. You can find directions and hours on their website.

You are absolutely right, pollyvw. the Ansel Adams photos are in the Center for Creative Photography (included in my list of things to see and do). The UA website does have a nice list of the various Arts and Performances/exhibits on their website.

http://www.arizona.edu/home/arts.php

Nogales IS seedy and avoidable, and I have been there a number of times. I no longer encourage out of town visitors to go. If there's time and they really want to go to Mexico, we will take them further into Mexico or down to Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point -- the closest beach). Yes, I imagine there still are some bargains and just being there is a bit of a hoot. But it is not a colorful marketplace and every time I go I am only reminded of the border tensions that exist and of the wide have and have not gap. The relationship is entirely based on haggling and this does not breed respect. If anything, a visit to Nogales is a healthy educational experience and, I suppose, in that regard should be undertaken. It's unfair to assume that those who don't like Nogales are inexperienced travelers. I've lived in other countries and in inner cities and have bargained (and had fun) at many markets. So go -- it's safe and it's convenient to Tucson and you can probably pick up some neat junk. But it's not Tijuana (thankfully, I guess), believe me. As suggested, the missions along the way are well worth it, as is a stop at Madera Canyon.

There's so much to see and do in the desert and mountains near Tucson, I wouldn't suggest going to Nogales, especially with your child. It's really not all that interesting. Could even be a bit scary for a child, depending on his/her age. I'd stay near Tucson and enjoy the beautiful desert scenery.

Are they still doing outside resoration work on San Xavier? They were working on it Jan. 05, and I must say it wasn't so impressive seeing parts of it surrounded with scaffolding. All in all I didn't find it as interesting as I had expected - not sure if it was because of the resoration or not.

As for Nogales, I guess if your colleague just wants to say he/she's been in Mexico, then go. I would say there are better places that are more representative of Mexico than Nogales. There certainly are enough things to do and see on the way there and back.

My personal choice would be to explore more of the Tucson area. A day and a half isn't much time for all of the activities it has to offer, and taking time away from Tucson to visit Nogales isn't worth it, IMHO.