36 Hours in Tucson, Ariz.

36 Hours

Tucson, Ariz. After triple-digit summer temperatures and 90-degree days that linger well into October, late fall restores an ultra-outdoorsy vibe to this mountain-ringed college town in the Sonoran Desert, an hour north of Mexico. A sure sign of the sweet season in Arizona's second-largest city: thousands of cyclists flocking to El Tour de Tucson (Nov. 23), one of the nation's biggest road races and a Technicolor Lycra-clad reminder of the joys of exploring on two wheels when the weather turns reliably, ridiculously pleasant. Between your own adventures on the local trails, try a new spin on traditional Sonoran spirits, stargaze from a sky island, take in a juried exhibition of local artwork at the Arizona Biennial (through Feb. 9) and devour as many stuffed, steaming tortillas as possible.

Barrio Viejo — also known as Barrio Historico or Barrio Libre — is one of the oldest parts of Tucson, where you'll find Sonoran rowhouses, beloved cultural institutions and a shrine to a sinner who unwittingly saved the neighborhood. Sabino Canyon 's soaring, saguaro-studded walls and frequently rushing creek make for some of Tucson's most dramatic hikes and shuttle rides. Hotel Congress , a downtown institution, dishes out great food, all manner of live entertainment and 105 years' worth of colorful history under one roof. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum — part botanical garden, part gallery space, part aquarium — is also a zoo with naturalistic habitats where you can spot wildlife from pathways that often feel more like hiking trails. Gates Pass , one of the main stretches leading to and from the Desert Museum, makes for transcendent sunset viewing. Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium has exhibits that illuminate the University of Arizona's role in space exploration and live-narrated shows that immerse you in the cosmos. There are also " moon trees " sprouted from seeds that orbited in outer space. Mount Lemmon SkyCenter is an extension of the University of Arizona's Department of Astronomy at the 9,157-foot summit of Mount Lemmon, where you can spend time inside a dome that houses one of its several large telescopes. Kitt Peak National Observatory sits at around 7,000 feet up a mountain southwest of town, where the U.S. Department of Energy and NASA, among other institutions, have stakes in 22 telescopes — one of which will be your home base during a stargazing experience. Tucson Bike Tours ' Historic City Bike Tour takes you through several neighborhoods and eras on a nine-mile, mostly flat route. Presidio San Agustín del Tucson Museum 's Barrio Viejo walking tour — a deeper historical dive than the bike tour— focuses on one of Tucson's oldest neighborhoods. Tucson Museum of Art , celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, is home to the Arizona Biennial, in addition to an impressive permanent collection and a cluster of adobe buildings. Cup Café in the lobby of Hotel Congress, serves neighborhood favorites such as mesquite-smoked ribs and a country-fried-tofu sandwich. Sonora Moonshine Co . and Prohibición , new additions downtown, serve creative agave-based drinks from the street and basement levels of an old Veterans of Foreign Wars building. Paco's Mexican Food dishes out some of Tucson's best breakfast burritos, in a town full of worthy contenders. Amelia's Mexican Kitchen , a few paces from Paco's, is home to rival breakfast burritos — and holds the advantage for vegans. Old Pueblo Coffee serves lattes, matcha, chai and treats from a little pink trailer that's perfectly positioned at the bottom of Sabino Canyon. is the home base for Maria Mazon, of "Top Chef" fame. Her encyclopedic array of salsas — served in flights — are as much of a draw as the signature tacos. Sky Bar Tucson is an astronomy-themed bar where you can sip a Cosmic Mule or Lunar Lemonade while gazing through the telescope on the patio with expert guidance. Brooklyn Pizza Company is the solar-powered sister pizzeria (and next-door neighbor) to Sky Bar, where the hand-tossed pies taste particularly Tucsonan if you get the shredded jalapeño on top. Owls Club is a dimly lit warren of a bar that's lively by any standards, but especially if you consider that it was once a funeral home. Barista del Barrio , with the sweetest family-run window you'll find anywhere, is home to outstanding breakfast burritos and all manner of caffeinated goodness (horchata lattes and Mexican chocolate frappes, for starters). JoJo's has a leafy patio with a pond at the center that makes a brunch of orange-and-cardamom sticky buns or tomato tarts even lovelier. Tucson Herb Store sells floral essences, organic body care and bundles of fragrant dried creosote branches out of a tiny adobe that's as beautiful as the botanicals inside. Antigone Books began in the 1970s with a mostly feminist focus (thus the name) and has since expanded to include great collections of Southwestern and Tucsonan literature. sells understatedly elegant local gifts, with standouts that include saguaro bloom candles hand-poured into reusable ceramics. Pop Cycle is the best Fourth Avenue stop for bolo ties, creatively detailed Western shirts and playful local art. Old Town Artisans , also known as Telles Block, is a series of shops and restaurants in old Sonoran rowhouses. Shop for jewelry and pottery at La Zia Native Arts or vinyl at Old Paint Record Shop , and — if you want a bodily souvenir — get a little something at Church Ink Tattoo Parlor . Arizona Inn is a sprawling 1930 Spanish Colonial Revival landmark on a quiet strip in the city center. Founded by Isabella Greenway, Arizona's first congresswoman — and still owned and operated by her family — this is the kind of place that runs wooden dowels through the broadsheets you may want to read with your afternoon tea by a roaring fire in the vaulted library. The genteel and old-timey rooms start at $239 in late fall. Graduate by Hilton Tucson , on the University of Arizona's campus, has in-room nods to neighborhood legends, such as the black-and-white portrait of Elizabeth Roemer , the first female astronomer on faculty here. Gorgeous campus, city and mountain views abound from the higher floors, and particularly from the rooftop, where you'll want to claim a spot by one of the fire pits at night. Rooms start at $125 in late fall. Voco the Tuxon , a retro-feeling motel complex splashed with murals by a local artist, sits below the city's signature Sentinel Peak (also known as A Mountain). You may find live music (which goes quiet by 9 p.m.) in the lobby, a D.J. by the pool and telescope-aided stargazing sessions in the garden. The cute and comfortable rooms start at $108 in late fall.short-term-rental neighborhoods include the Barrio Viejo, where you can stay in beautifully restored adobe rowhouses, and Blenman-Elm , also historic and centrally located but with a wider variety of architectural styles. For more nature and wider vistas, look in the foothills of the Santa Catalina or Tucson Mountains. You'll want a if you're heading to the outskirts of town to hike, see animals or stargaze. The free, electric Sun Link Streetcar grants access to downtown, the University of Arizona and Fourth Avenue, and the 30-minute ride is helpful for getting your bearings. Tugo , the city's bike-sharing service, is offering a new pay-as-you-go pass ($1 to start, 25 cents per minute thereafter). All three of the recommended hotels have free available for guest use. Uber and Lyft work fine around town, but you may wind up waiting a long while if you're using a ride-hailing service from the foothills or other areas outside the city center. Meet some four-legged locals Get to know some of Tucson's most fascinating creatures at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum — more of a zoo than the name would suggest — about a 30-minute drive west of town (general admission, $29.95). From a series of winding pathways (most of the exhibits are outdoors and designed to blend into the surrounding wilderness), look out for javelinas (picture shrunken wild boar impersonators), bighorn sheep, various wildcats and — yes, in the same area as the resident coyote — a roadrunner. Perhaps most surprising to visitors who've never contemplated desert waterways ( Tucson has a few ): the absurdly adorable otter and beaver. The museum's mountain and valley views at golden hour also make the visit worthwhile.

Chase the setting sun Gates Pass — a main artery to the Desert Museum — is a renowned sunset lookout. Locals debate the best spots to pull over along the twists and turns, but one pairing that works especially well for its diversity of landscapes and views is, first, the parking area for the David Yetman West Trailhead , then the Gates Pass Overlook Trailhead . Wherever you stop, take the occasional break from the setting sun to turn and watch the mountains and valleys glow pink, orange and gold around you. Once the color fades, drive back to town flanked by an army of saguaros in dreamy silhouette.

Book dinner and a show (or two) While the drama has died down a bit at Hotel Congress since a 1934 fire led police to John Dillinger — the F.B.I.'s first public enemy No. 1 — the downtown institution remains one of Tucson's liveliest scenes. Three stages host performers of all kinds, from metal to mariachi — and sometimes, Metalachi (many shows are free; tickets rarely exceed $35). A typical Friday-night lineup includes multiple performances between 6:30 and 11:30 p.m., so you can easily grab dinner before or after at the on-site Cup Café , where wine bottle chandeliers light up the cozy jumble of tables, banquettes and barstools. Start with the Barrio Heartbreaker: sliced baguette from the beloved Barrio Bread bakery with warm Brie, marmalade, roasted garlic and sliced apples, among other accompaniments ($19).

Get in the Sonoran spirit Hidden inside an old Veterans of Foreign Wars building, a quick walk from Hotel Congress, are two new sister bars: the street-level Sonora Moonshine Co . and — through a mural-covered roll-up door toward the back — the underground Prohibición . The duo is the brainchild of Es Teran, who also owns Borderlands Brewing Co ., a craft beer brand known for cactus-infused I.P.A., horchata cream ale and other local brews. Now he hopes to expand Tucson's appreciation of agave, a plant his family farms and distills in Mexico. Both bars stock various bacanoras — a Sonoran moonshine that went from prohibition in 1915 to denomination of origin in 2000 — and a library of other agave spirits. Try the Oaxacan Old Fashioned: mezcal añejo (aged at least a year) with mesquite-smoked mole and piloncillo, a raw cane sugar ($14, or $12 once the 10 p.m. happy hour starts).

Weigh in on the battle of the breakfast burritos Steaming, stretchy flour tortillas — another Sonoran staple — are used to particularly decadent effect in Tucson's beloved breakfast burritos. Conveniently, two favorite purveyors are a 30-second walk from each other on the east side of town: Paco's Mexican Food and Amelia's Mexican Kitchen . Whether your travel party decides to divide and conquer or commit to one, know that the conjoined parking lots will be jammed on a Saturday morning, as will the line at Paco's drive-through, where the most popular breakfast burritos with chorizo or bacon and cheese are $5.45. At Amelia's, the best seller is the machaca (beef) burrito with eggs, pico de gallo, potatoes and cheese ($11.99), but vegans and vegetarians do well here, too, given the build-your-own menu.

Hit the trails Tucked into the Santa Catalina Mountains on Tucson's northeast side, Sabino Canyon dazzles even the annual-pass holders who hike or run here regularly (daily fee, $8 per car). Stop into the visitors' center for info on the short nature loops and half-day hikes, or if you find yourself so overcome by the saguaro-studded canyon walls and cottonwood-lined creek that you're tempted to scrap the rest of today's docket, consider a full-day hike, such as the aptly named Seven Falls (about eight miles round-trip). The easiest way to explore the canyon, however, is to stick to the paved road — an approximately two-hour walk round-trip, or a 60-minute narrated ride on an electric shuttle that departs hourly from 9 a.m. ($15 for adults). Back near the visitors' center, refresh with an iced latte from Old Pueblo Coffee's tiny pink trailer.

Shop and nosh Eminently strollable, the downtown-adjacent Fourth Avenue is indie shop central. Visit the Tucson Herb Store for creosote branch bundles that will make your shower smell like a desert rain, Antigone Books for an expertly curated intro to the Southwestern literary scene, 440 & Co . for saguaro-bloom-scented candles in minimalist ceramics, and Pop Cycle for maximalist Western wear and art. When you need to refuel, hit Boca for tacos and as many of the chef Maria Mazon's ever-evolving array of house-made salsas as you can manage. And if you stay on Fourth Avenue into the night, head to Sky Bar Tucson for bubbling slices from the Brooklyn Pizza Company 's solar-powered oven next door (from $3.45) and stargazing on the patio with the "startender" Kirk, a passionate amateur astronomer who mans the house telescope on Saturdays.

Choose your own astronomy adventure Famed for its night skies, Tucson is surrounded by mountaintop observatories, where the Smithsonian , the Vatican and the National Science Foundation , among others, operate telescopes. For a 101-level intro to the cosmos, watch the 45-minute " Touring the Solar System " or "Tucson Sky & Beyond" at the University of Arizona's Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium 's theater ($14 for show-only ticket; $26.95 includes entry to exhibits). More dedicated stargazers, including kids, will enjoy the afternoon-into-evening, dinner-included programming at nearby observatories on sky islands (isolated high-elevation peaks; you'll want to wear your winter layers): Mount Lemmon SkyCenter from ($60), a little more than an hour's drive northeast of town, and Kitt Peak National Observatory (from $71) slightly farther to the southwest. At both sites, scientists lead generally staggering viewings through giant telescopes.

Revive your spirits with a nightcap One of the coziest spots for a late-night drink occupies — of all places — a former funeral home in the Armory Park neighborhood. Sure, the Owls Club is said to house a few lingering spirits, but there are so many live souls milling about the dimly lit succession of nooks and crannies that you'd never know. Order a Besito Rojo (chamomile-infused mezcal, charred-mesquite-flavored Angostura bitters, lemon-lime juice and honey; $16) from the bar, then pick your favorite perch — perhaps on an old chapel pew or by a fire pit out back.

Fuel up and ride Stop by Barista del Barrio to fortify yourself with a breakfast burrito — another contender for Tucson's best — then time-travel on Tucson Bike Tours' 9 a.m. historic city tour — an approximately two-hour, nine-mile route through several storied neighborhoods and landmarks ($55). See the Barrio Viejo , with its Sonoran rowhouses and candle-filled El Tiradito ( a two-timing folk hero's shrine that kept a highway from being built through the neighborhood); the old Southern Pacific train depot , where the gunfighters Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday still stand (in bronze) at the scene of a shootout; and Armory Park , where a former gentlemen's club that hosted John Wayne and Buffalo Bill sits down the street from Tucson's main cathedral. If you prefer exploring on foot, consider the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson Museum's 10 a.m., 90-minute Barrio Viejo walking tour ($30).

Commune with art and artisans At the Tucson Museum of Art's Arizona Biennial galleries, 42 jury-selected works such as Shaunté Glover 's "Deliver Us From Eva" — an eerily humanoid earring-encrusted basketball — are captivating viewers (through Feb. 9; general admission, $15). The museum, which is celebrating its 100th birthday, has gone especially big on the biennial with the exhibition's first expansion into the 19th-century Edward Nye Fish House, one of a few surrounding adobes. La Casa Cordova — another museum-owned adobe and one of the oldest houses in town — has just reopened after a yearslong renovation in time to display a local festive-season favorite: " El Nacimiento ," a Nativity scene that fills an entire room (until March). From the museum complex, head to the neighboring Old Town Artisans , a series of shops and restaurants in Sonoran rowhouses. JoJo's leafy courtyard is Sunday-brunch perfection.