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The forecast was dire. Thunderstorms were headed towards Tucson on the day of our planned bike tour. With a bit of juggling, Tucson Bike Tour guide, Jimmy Bultman, quickly switched gears and arranged for us to meet a few hours early. By the end of the ride, we were stuffed with new stories, pictures and made new friends. The sky burst open a few minutes after we rolled into tour headquarters. Lucky break!
In the office courtyard, we met our chariots and adjusted each seat. A few minutes later we were going over the route of historical downtown Tucson.
Ride along in my short YouTube video:
Each of us had a basket or gear bag to store our cameras and a water bottle was attached to each frame. With a self-deprecating sense of humor, Jim gave us an outline and we were off. The city is fairly flat, so riding for hours was easy and I’m no jock.
The Buffet Bar in the Iron Horse neighborhood of Tucson
Central Tucson isn’t that large but encompasses several distinct neighborhoods. Each has its own personality and history. With showers threatening, we kept moving but still had time for questions as Jim shared his expertise and passion for the city. I made mental notes on which spots I wanted to return to – a good bike tour is like that. For one, The Buffet Bar and Crock Pot seemed like a great dive bar. It’s notorious as “The oldest bar in Tucson – since 1934!”
The Iron Horse that connected Tucson to the world. Engine 1673 hauled a million miles of freight and appeared in the 1954 movie ‘Oklahoma.’
The ‘El Jefe’ mural is new in Tucson. It honors one of the two, wild Jaguars that remain in the United States. This one lives in the desert mountains outside of the city.
Just one of the personalized adobe houses in the Barrio Viejo neighborhood.
The entry of Hotel Congress where outlaw Dillinger and gang were arrested. Today, the hip interior hosts great food, reasonable room rates, and performances.
The Tucson Museum of Art
Soldier from Living History day (once a month) in Tucson’s El Presidio de San Agustin
Detail of the Tucson Barrio Viejo Mural on the former site of Lee Ho’s store, which was one of the most important of the local Chinese markets.
Cathedral San Agustin
Congregants pose at the doors of the Cathedral San Agustin
We stopped our bikes at El Tiradito, a little shrine in memory of a ranch hand who was killed due to a romantic involvement with his mother in law!
Tucson has a drive-through liquor store. Nice stop for thirsty bicyclists and our Tucson bike tour host treated us to little bottles of tequila!
Why a bike tour?
Tucson is laid out in the flat basin area above river plains. It makes for an easy bike ride that most anyone can manage. Another reason I’d recommend it is how simple it is to stop whenever you want. There’s no need to search for a parking place, get in and out of the car and traffic in Tucson is light enough to make a bike tour safe.
My favorite destinations make me want to stay longer. Visiting Tucson is like that. One day I’ll return to attend one of the many celebrations, like Dillinger Days and the Jazz Festival. I’ll set up base camp in town then explore the outlying regions; go wine tasting in the prodigious vineyards, to see the old movie sets in Tombstone, hike through the Saguaro National Park and explore nearby Kartchner Caverns.
If you go on a Tucson Bike Tour:
- Make a reservation with the office of Tucson Bike Tours. Curated tours and seasonal specials are available.
- Adventure, golf, food, and more – flesh out your personalized itinerary with Visit Tucson.
- Explore more of the region with the Southern Arizona Passport and mobile App
Many thanks to Tucson Bike Tours, Visit Tucson and the luxurious Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch for making the bike tour and adventure possible.
Proud to be a member of these blog networks with all their travel expertise:
I don’t think I’ve ever been to Tucson. If I have, it was a lifetime ago and it is definitely time to return. Thx for the great post, Elaine. It has certainly piqued my interest.
With their deep culinary traditions, I just bet there’s a chocolate destination waiting to be discovered in Tucson.
What fun! Your photos are inspiration enough to get to Tucson and spend a few days. I’ll plan on surveying the situation by bike first.
Thanks, Kristin. Lots to check out in Tucson especially when the temperatures are mild.
I couldn’t count the number of times we have made it back to base just as a storm hits – many more times than we have actually been caught in the rain. I think the cycling gods are kind.
That’s been my experience too, Lyn!
I love biking around a neighborhood, there is so much to see and to explore. I love your photo of that blue house in the neighborhood.
Thanks Karla, Definitely lots to see in Tucson.
I just went on my first bike tour last month and really enjoyed it! It’s a great way to get to know a city. I love that your bikes had baskets on them for all your gear. And how awesome that your guide was able to get you guys in early! Riding around in the rain would have been awful!
It was a fun day even with a few raindrops. Cool that you went on a bike tour recently too.
Tucson is a great, bike-friendly destination! Worth noting, for the adventurous cyclists, there are some challenging rides in the foothills and mountains surrounding Tucson. This looks like a great tour, though, and hits some of my favorite hometown highlights!
Tucson is your hometown! Adventurous cyclists should definitely venture to the foothills for more of a work-out.
Such an interesting post and lovely photos. Thanks for sharing us
You are most welcome. Thanks for stopping by!
A bike tour is great to explore around in many places. I am glad that rain stopped and you could go as your plan. great video and photos
So glad you enjoyed taking the virtual bike tour.
A bike tour around Tucson sounds like a great idea! I would appreciate that it is a flat city too–would be nice to have a more relaxing ride, and the drive through liquor store on bikes sounds pretty awesome, lol! Glad you were able to dodge the rain!
Thanks, Jenna, it was a great day and yes, we dodged that storm!
Sounds like a fun and easy ride. Definitely a great was to see Tucson. I am a sucker for a basket, so give me a basket of a gear bag any day!!
That classic woven basket is timeless.
What a great way to see a neighbourhood and get fit at the same time ! Really love the house you’ve photographed in the Barrio Viejo area. The baskets are a really great idea. I remember when we were riding bikes in Europe we wished we had baskets.
I imagine that bicycling around Europe is a great way to get to know your destinations. Sounds romantic too!
What a fun way to see the highlights of a city! You can see so much more than a walking tour. Nice that you can customize it a bit to your interests as well. I would take one of these tours at the beginning of my stay to get the lay of the land and find places I would like to visit again during my trip.
Tracey thanks. You and I think alike. I went back to see some of the places we passed on the bike tour.
This made me so happy to read. We are from Tucson but moved to California two years ago. We still go often because all our family is there and I can’t believe I haven’t seen some of this new art pictured here. How awesome you did the bike tour. We’ve never experienced the city in that form of transportation. I hope you get to go back to Tucson again to see more places and to enjoy more sunsets! Happy traveling. #weekendwanderlust
Tucson seems like a great city to live in (except perhaps the extremes of summer heat.) I hope that California’s been good to you.
I think that bike tours are a stellar way to see a city — perhaps the best way actually. You’re not stuck on a tour bus, and you’re getting some good exercise, plus you cover a heckuva lot more ground than on foot.
While I’ve never been to Tucson, your pics certainly make it look like the type of place I would enjoy — so colourful! 🙂
Thanks, Raymond. Tucson’s definitely colorful and you’re right about covering ground on a bike tour.
The Bike tour sounds fascinating. Your pictures tell quite a story and have frozen some valuable moments. I really loved the concept of live history. What a way to get an experiential feel of times gone by. Great that you guys were able to beat the rains.
Thanks, Sandy. The tour was definitely a cool way to get a glimpse into the past and see some of the more recent innovations around town too.
I really love Tucson! We went about a year ago and had a blast. I recognize a lot of the places you have highlighted idea. The city surprised me because of its history, food and surrounding attractions. Friends told me there was nothing to do there but I proved them wrong. #WeekendWanderlust
So glad that you didn’t listen to your friends! There’s so much to do in Tucson.
Oh my goodness, I love the colours and imagery you have depicted. The bikes so remind me of those in the Netherlands too. I love hiring bikes while I’m away so think this would be great fun
The Netherlands is fairly flat too so I can imagine exploring on two wheels there one day.
Your bike tour showed you around some amazing street art and cute places! #TheWeeklyPostcard
I had no idea of what we were in for and was completely charmed by the tour.
I’m really into bike tours. I really loved the mural with the jaguar and the architecture of the buildings in Barrio Viejo. Gorgeous!
This was my first, and hopefully not last, bike tour. Loved seeing the city this way.
I’ve never visited Tucson but this looks like a fun way to explore the city. I really love the wall art. It’s something I look for on my own travels. It’s interesting how it varies from place to place.
Just ten years ago there were few public murals and now it’s more of a surprise to not see them! I left many out in Tucson.
i love bike tours 🙂 I haven’t done before but its on my bucket list for sure!! Awesome post and lovely shots 🙂
Thanks, Hra, I bet you’d love a bike tour like this too. It was my first and so much fun.
We loved Tucson – we drove ourselves around, but it’s such a flat city as you’ve said that it would be so much nicer to explore by bike. We spent more of our time in the National Park than the city itself, so definitely need to get back. Maybe we’ll bump into you at either the Dillinger Days or the Jazz Festival!
I hope to return to see more of the National Park area one day. Perhaps we’ll pass on the road!
Oh I love this – it looks like so much fun! We are going to be in Colorado and Vegas this summer we might have to take a detour! Looks amazing!
If you’ll be in Vegas you’re not that far from Tucson!
That looks such a great day. I love the fact that bikes give you a way to do your own thing and discover many hidden corners of a city. And they don’t need money for gas, are eco-friendly and help you get a bit of exercise.
The pictures are beautiful. I loved teh Tucson Barrio Viejo Mural mural and personalized adobe houses
You hit on so many reasons bicycle tours are so great – especially with so much to investigate.
I love cycling around cities and is a great way to keep fit whilst traveling. Tuscon looks like there is so much to do and see which I never knew and will hope to do a bike tour when I hit that area…hopefully soon. Great write up and loving the photos
Danik, I so appreciate your comments and hope you get a chance to explore the American West one day.
What a great way to get a feel for the city. Lovely photos, especially that personalised blue adobe house. Just gorgeous.
So glad that you liked the pictures too. I have so many more!
Tucson looks like a very colorful city and I am sure those who like biking would enjoy this tour. However, I was never a great fan of biking. I’d rather drive, even if I have to deal with the parking problems. #TheWeeklyPostcard
Anda, I wasn’t sure how I’d keep up either but it was great, easy and just enough exercise to make having dessert later guilt free. You should try one day!
A bike tour that ends with tequila – I’m sold! And, it looks like a great way to learn about Tuscon and its landmarks. Will keep in mind if I am down that way. Thanks for sharing. #TheWeeklyPostcard
The tequila stop just cracked me up but our guide, Jim, was like that – lots of fun, full of information and surprises.
This sounds like a lot of fun! I love your photo of the blue painted adobe house! So unique!
Thanks, Katie, you’d love that neighborhood with the painted adobe houses. So artistic.
You know I have been to Tucson but have not really explored it much. Just mostly stayed at the resort. The bike tour is a great idea. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard.
It’s a common experience with visitors never leaving their resorts. There’s good reason – you’re pampered and in gorgeous surroundings. As you can see though there’s much more to visiting Tucson.