Not nearly as large and spread out as Phoenix and the Valley of the Sun, Tucson is small enough to be convenient, yet large enough to be sophisticated. The mountains ringing Tucson are bigger and closer to town than those in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area, which gives Tucson a more dramatic skyline. The desert is also closer and more easily accessed here than in Phoenix.

Visitor Information -- The Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau (MTCVB), 100 S. Church Ave. (at Broadway), Suite 7199 (tel. 800/638-8350 or 520/624-1817), is an excellent source of information on Tucson and environs. The visitor center is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 4pm.