What’s New in Tucson Arizona in July 2009

Discover Buffalo Soldiers” Heritage. Discover the legacy of America’s Buffalo Soldiers on a tour of Southern Arizona historical sites. The Southwest Association of Buffalo Soldiers conducts monthly tours at Ft. Huachuca military base, home to the U.S. Army’s all-black regiments for more than 50 years. Visit the Mountain View Colored [sic] Officer’s Club, the only club built expressly for black officers during the days of segregation in the military, and learn about efforts to convert the 1940s-era building into a historical research center.

View photos of top entertainers and dignitaries who visited the soldiers at the club, tour a cemetery, and take photos next to the Buffalo Soldier statue. Tours leave from the Sierra Vista Visitor Center, 75 miles southeast of Tucson, on the third Saturday of every month. Future dates are July 18, August 5, September 19, and October 17. To make reservations, call 1-800-288-3861 or go to www.visitSierraVista.com.

Browse Bisbee’s Art Walk. For a unique shopping experience, explore Old Town Bisbee’s art galleries, studios, shops, and restaurants during “Bisbee After 5″ every second Saturday, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. More than 20 businesses participate in this monthly, town-wide art walk featuring sidewalk exhibits with live musical entertainment and refreshments, alongside fine art, photography, handmade clothing and jewelry, pottery, and more. Upcoming dates include August 8, Sept. 12, and Oct. 10. With its San Francisco-like hilly terrain and Victorian-style homes, Bisbee is a haven for artists, retirees, and history buffs, located 82 miles southeast of Tucson. Take a day trip from Tucson; or spend the night at one of Bisbee’s historic properties, such as the Copper Queen Hotel, an architectural gem from the town’s 1880s mining heyday. Find out more at www.DiscoverBisbee.com.

Uncover WW2’s Navajo Code Talkers. Learn how Navajos of the American Southwest used their unwritten language to transmit secret tactical messages during World War II. A new, temporary exhibit honoring the famed Navajo Code Talkers runs July 17-August 15 at Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona campus. The exhibit, “Our Fathers, Our Grandfathers, Our Heroes,” traces the history of and is a tribute to the U.S. Marine Corps communications specialists who developed the complex code that helped thwart America’s former enemies. Included are more than 30 photographs, a 1940s-era map of the Navajo Reservation, the now-declassified Navajo Code, and other memorabilia. Arizona State Museum is open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. More details are at www.statemuseum.arizona.edu.

Look to Southern Arizona Skies. Groups looking for an entertaining and educational experience need only look to Southern Arizona’s skies. Flandrau: The UA Science Center now offers five, new portable-planetarium shows designed to inspire, teach, and entertain. The shows are based on the Arizona state science standards, and provide an enriching and entertaining astronomy experience. A skilled planetarium astronomer at the University of Arizona conducts each show, using the Digitarium Digitalis, a virtual flat-screen planetarium with especially amazing capabilities that is suitable for both small and large groups, including those convening in an auditorium or conference room or classroom of 30 or more students. The portable planetarium programs can include a variety of content and imagery to suit a school’s or organization’s programming needs; they work especially well with question-and-answer sessions. For more information, visit http://www.uasciencecenter.org/portable-planetarium-shows, or contact Mike Terenzoni at (520) 621-3646 or miket@ns.arizona.edu.

Take a Gold Prospecting Vacation. Being a successful prospector takes a lot of experience and a real knowledge of how and where to look for gold. Vacationers with gold fever can now learn tips from the experienced prospectors at Arizona Gold Adventures. The company offers personalized, guided trips to mining claims in Arizona ghost towns, including one near Arivaca, 50 miles southwest of Tucson. Instructors lead sessions in how to find gold and recover it using techniques such as panning, sluicing, and the use of metal detectors. Trip packages for both day trips and extended vacations with overnight lodging include transportation to the claim site. For further information, including trip dates, call 1-914-589-3985, or visit www.ArizonaGoldAdventures.com.

Explore Museum of Miniatures. Take a trip to Tucson’s newest museum: the Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, slated to open in August on E. Camp Lowell Dr. Browse a unique collection of tiny houses and room settings. Among the collection is one of the oldest miniature houses in the United States: a Brooke Tucker house, a masterpiece of minuscule manufacturing, created in 1775. This museum is meant to appeal to visitors of all ages, although those with a “wee sense of wonder” and an appreciation for intricate details will especially enjoy the magical environment. Self-guided tours take visitors through collections depicting different lands and time periods, both real and imagined. More details are at www.gentrys@theminitimemachine.org.

When it Comes to Spices, Some Like it Hot. If your recipe calls for chili spice or hot sauce, why not get it from the source? The Segura family of Tucson has been bottling and distributing variety of homemade Mexican-style hot sauces at its Poblano Mexican Hot Sauce plant since 1924. The Segura family’s hot sauces are made from the freshest habaneros and jalapeno chili peppers. Shoppers can purchase six packs and mixed 12 packs of red and/or green sauce. For more information, call (520) 519-1330 or go to http://www.acaciart.com/galleries/poblano. The Santa Cruz Chili and Spice Company is known for its large selection of spices and herbs as well as variety of Southwestern gourmet foods and cookbooks. Located in Tumacacori, Ariz., about 45 miles south of Tucson, the Santa Cruz Chile Company operates a retail store, a museum, and a distribution plant. Be sure to stop in and get some Santa Cruz “Chile de Ristra” chili paste or other condiments to add a fresh, spicy flavor to your Southwest and Mexican cooking. Find out more at http://www.santacruzchili.com

July 15, 2009   Posted in: United States SouthWest