A short drive from where I’m staying is Sabino Canyon. Eight dollars gets you all day admission and you could easily spend that time on the paved path, the numerous trails and the open-air tram, if walking isn’t your thing.
Mountains littered with cacti, a stream and dry bed river areas make this area beautiful with a desert existence. There is so much beauty in Tucson and it’s so different from Portland!
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Similar to running into an old friend that I didn’t realize I missed, Tucson continues to surprise me. A few years ago after Tucson came onto my radar, I joined a few Facebook groups focused on the city. I figured it would give me a little insight into the culture, pluses and minuses and some secrets, too. I do this for any city I’m visiting if it is remotely a possibility as “the place”. As expected, some comments are negative but mostly the tidbits have been positive. As I am exploring, I find Tucson has a lot to love about it and I am enjoying discovering its nooks and crannies.
Tucson is clean. There is no garbage littering the downtown area or any other place I’ve explored so far. I found a dog park last night and even that was spotless. It is impressive.
Food is important here and I sense a certain amount of pride with the offerings at the various restaurants I’ve visited. I found a fantastic market called Time Market. It has fresh grocery items but also an attached cafe and bakery offering morning pastries, pizzas, salads and sandwiches. Artisan bread comes out of the oven at 7 a.m. and I suspect it is worth getting up for! My croissant was delicious.
Next to the Tucson Museum of Art is the Presidio neighborhood. Since the museum was not open when I arrived, I walked the hood. It was another charming, historical area with some stunning homes – not ostentatious or large – but instead with character and details worth observing.
I visited the Tucson Museum of Art, which although is small, has an impressive collection of varied art. The collections include ancient Americas, contemporary Latin American, Indigenous, Latin American Folk Art and Modern Art. The size of the museum makes all of this digestible and three other buildings outside the courtyard add more to see.
I then walked about 13 minutes to Barrio Viejo and along the way this beautiful plaza appeared! I also landed on an ice skating rink with holiday music and kids skating and smiling. Wandering is the best way to be surprised.
As I headed to my short-term rental I stopped at University of Arizona to check out the turtle pond. I found it, but no turtles, just large goldfish.
Tucson offers so much variety and beauty. Tonight I will attend an opening at the Etherton Gallery. Today is my fifth day in Tucson and she has been generous with her gifts of warmth, beauty and accessibility.
This afternoon after my morning workout I decided to take a field trip to the Mission District. Of course, I had to visit the beautiful Mission Dolores Park. The day was sunny and clear which meant that the park was in full throttle with tennis players, sun worshipers, volleyball players, lunchtime goers and everything in between. It’s a beautiful park with the city in the background.
I then wandered to the Mission Dolores Basilica and Clarion Avenue to check out the murals with political action statements. This is a super interesting area with all kinds of markets, shops and restaurants owned by minorities and focused on a diverse offering.
It seems anything worth reaching in San Francisco requires an uphill climb and Coit Tower is in line with that requirement. But as in most places, I was rewarded with 360 degree views of the city and spectacular murals depicting California life during the Great Depression.
Today I ventured out to visit the Legion of Honor (in Lincoln Park) and de Young (in Golden Gate Park) art museums. The Legion of Honor Museum is situated high on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The entry is stunning and the museum holds the largest collection of Rodin sculptures outside of Paris. It also has an impressive collection of European painters and contemporary art. This is the perfect-sized museum with just two floors and a digestible amount of art.
After leaving the museum I drove the Sea Cliff neighborhood (stunning!) to the Lands End hiking trail. The trail is easy and the views are spectacular.
I then drove to the de Young Art Museum. It is another two-level museum (so perfect-sized). It focuses on American art from the 17th century to present day. There was a special exhibit on Japanese comic art that I think Pearl would have loved. They also had some African art. Overall, I preferred the Legion of Honor museum but both are worth a stop.
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I am fortunate to have completed several solo trips oversees and I often get asked, “What is your favorite trip?” Solo travel has been empowering and liberating for me. Traveling solo allows for the ultimate flexibility. If I like a place I stay longer and if I don’t, I can quickly move on. I think back to my first solo trip and stressing about not having anyone to travel with me. I had a close friend dying of cancer and she told me, “Seniye if I could travel, I would do it in a minute! Go travel…it will all work out.” And she was 100% correct.
My favorite trip so far has been Morocco. It was my first time on the African continent and it did not disappoint. The Sahara Desert was so beautiful…the sand a brilliant orange and the night sky littered with millions of stars that you just cannot see anywhere else because of the light pollution. I loved the food, the artisanal crafts and the dizzying mazes that formed the souks. The riads were charming hotels with sparkling clean rooms, amazing tile work and hearty quintessential Moroccan breakfasts. I could go on and on. If I had been too scared to travel alone, I would have missed all of it!
So how can you solo travel? I have a few tips:
So, what are your solo travel suggestions? And where do you want to go next?
seniyegroff 