My husband and I definitely need some R&R in January or February. We need a short trip to a sort of warm place and we live in Utah. We were thinking Vegas and are now wondering about Tucson. I need quiet to unwind and I really like Tucson but have been there several times and it can be a bit boring in terms of restaurants. Vegas would not have the same kind of quiet but I have never been and I would enjoy just looking at what's there and eating good food. And maybe we could even rent a car and do some hiking during the day. Vegas has cheaper flights but nicer hotels. Tucson flights are double but their nice hotels aren't too expensive. (we don't want to do a Canyon Ranch Resort type of thing) We would fly into the town on Monday and leave Weds afternoon.

Thoughts? Other ideas?

They are so different! I would go for Vegas - stay in a place like Venetian (Vennezia tower) where there was plenty of quiet and private areas and do the spa thing. The food and shows and shopping are great. It will be cold at night, but so will Tucson.

Hotels are usually cheap in Las Vegas on Monday and Tuesday. You could rent a car and go to Red Rock Canyon for a hike on day. I think it's an easy decision, considering that you've never been to LV. You don't need to gamble. Just wonder around and gawk at the sights and people. Pick a hotel located "mid-Strip," such as Bally's.

HTTY

Do rent a car and get out of town during the day. Go to Red Rock Canyon (about a half hour away), Valley of Fire State Park go north on 15 then east into and through the park with stops for hiking etc. then out to the east and south along lake Meade, if there is time, head to Hoover Dam and then back to Vegas, or for a great day, go to Death Valley.

Save walking the strip, going to great eats, and looking at the free shows for the evening. You don't need to gamble at all.

If you go to the hotel sites, you can pull up a calendar with rates for each day. Sometimes there is a great rate when there are no big conventions etc. booked at a property and you can look at special deals there too.

I was talking about Vegas of course.

I suggest Santa Fe. Fly to Albuquerque and rent a car for the short drive to SF. Dining in SF is world class and the food is outstanding. I love the Tex Mex cuisine there and the city is fascinating. There are some very fine hotels there including Inn of the Anasazi.

"A sort of warm place" could be Palm Springs, for decades the winter escape for the famous, and even the not so famous. I suggest you give it serious consideration.

Vegas will likely only be sorta warm, but it sounds like the perfect storm for you. That time of year early weekdays can be a quarter of the weekend rates so I'd take advantage of that schedule and see vegas. And I'm not a big vegas fan, been 3 times, but is is surely a sight to be seen. Why not go when it will likely be at bargain rates.

I can't imagine where you got the impression that the restaurants in Tucson are boring. It has a well established restaurant scene and several excellent new places opened this past fall.
Look at www.tucsonoriginals.com
Tavolino,Jax Kitchen, Contigo, Vivace, Acacia, Grill at Hacienda de Sol, Le Rendez-Vous, Poca Cosa are all excellent
Fox restaurants.North, Blanco, Montana Ave, Wildflower www.foxrc.com are very popular.
And nationally acclaimed Janos Wilder is in Tucson:Janos, JBar and Downtown Kitchen and Cocktails.
Plus there are a multitude of good ethnic spots including Mexican, Vietnamese, Thai, middle eastern, Indian.

I thik you've already made the call, if you require warmth & quiet, Tucson is the obvious choice.

If you decide on Tucson (which I would heartily recommend), check my online list of things to see and do. You may find lots that you don't already know about:

http://www.mikepintucson.blogspot.com/

>>I suggest Santa Fe. Fly to Albuquerque and rent a car for the short drive to SF. Dining in SF is world class and the food is outstanding. I love the Tex Mex cuisine there and the city is fascinating. There are some very fine hotels there including Inn of the Anasazi.

Yes, with an elevation at well over 7000 feet, Santa Fe will not be the warm spot you're seeking. Tucson is your best option for meeting your requirements.

Just got back from Tucson and the weather was great - a bit warmer than usual with temps up to about 80 or so. Sunny and clear.

I'm surprised that you're not that big on the restaurants in Tucson. I think it's a fun place to eat. Especially with only a couple days, you should be able to find plenty of good places to eat.

Santa Fe is also great, but it certainly isn't warm in the winter. I've only been to Las Vegas once and didn't like it so can't really help there except to say that we had lovely weather when we visited in February quite a few years ago.

Thanks for all the ideas! Husband is from ABQ, we have spent plenty of time in Santa Fe. I have access to some awesome Mexican food so that's not necessarily a draw. I guess I want some glitz with my quiet (split personality??) I like the idea of hiking in Vegas and seeing the strip in the afternoon. That I could handle. (I don't gamble)

Warm is relative--I just need 60s and I will be happy.

I have been cold in Vegas in March. Especially at night if the wind kicks up.
But there is so much more to do there, not just in town but the Red Rock Canyon, places to sightsee and then of course, it is a great place to just be lazy and eat good food.

I was born in Tucson and have family there, I love it there but since we are not golfers or spa people, I find it more boring for longer stretches of time ..
I have a great aunt/family who have a ranch and that used to be fun but now I am not so eager to be thrown off a horse

I'd go to Vegas, shop , eat, lie around, take a hike, shop, eat ....

I missed the amount of time you would be there but Vegas still gets my vote .

I vote for Vegas. I went last January and while it was a little cold at night during the day the weather was fairly nice. Also a plus was that it was not as crowded as other times during the year and we were there on a weekend. Since you have been to Tuscon already it would be great for you to try something new.

http://www.weather2travel.com/climat...n=las-vegas-nv ·

Tucson or San Diego for warmer Jan temps for me

or warmer mexico packages on www.bookit.com like Cabo or PV

probably would not cost much more...

Happy Journey,

I wouldn't vacation in Tucson there's nothing to do unless you are the hiking biking nature type. The restaurants are either uber upscale or one of 10,000 Mexican restaurants. The shopping is terrible and unless you're in the Foothills I feel like the town is pretty dumpy. I'm an Arizona native and my father lived in Tucson for years, I dreaded going down there. Go to Vegas, better restaurants, better shopping, better everything!