When you
think of visiting a small town in Arizona, Tubac (pronounced Tu-back) will not be first on your list,
but should be or near the top. I just
spent a weekend in this interesting place and had a wonderful time. Why doesn’t more people stop to visit and why
isn’t Tubac on the road signs? I am not
sure about the signs, but I can give you reasons to visit. I will put in this post some general reasons,
and in posts to follow (here or on my Julie Ferguson Designs blog), I will
break down the various B&B’s, restaurants, shops, and must see historic
sites nearby.
Tubac can be
found along Highway 19, between Tucson and Nogalas. It is only 40 minutes south from Tucson, and 20
minutes from Green Valley. It is also a
short drive west from Patagonia. Many
people pass it by because they may think it is just a resort and golf course,
or they just don’t see it because it is not right on the highway. In other words, those who have plans of
visiting know exactly where to look. The
one thing Tubac can boast is the largest artist festival in February. The Tubac Festival of the Arts draws thousands
of people from all over who pack this tiny town to enjoy all the activities and
various arts. I hear it is something not
to be missed.
Only 9 miles
south of Tucson, and on your way to Tubac on highway 19, you can’t miss the imposing
white figure of the San Xavier Mission.
It was built in the late 1700’s and stands as “the oldest intact European structure in Arizona”. Another historic mission you must see is only
4 miles south of Tubac. The Tumacacori
(pronounced tuma-cock-cori) mission was built in the 1700’s by Father Kino. These missions have amazing art and carvings
found on the walls and ceilings of these massive structures. I will do posts on each of these historic
sites. Another historic site in Tubac is
the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park.
Inside the visitor’s center is a 7 minute video of the history of this
location and on the grounds is ruins, other structures, and a museum. Another worthy place I will do an individual
post on. Also, about an hour and 15
minutes south of Tubac is the ghost/mining town of Ruby. Many of the old mining structures are still
standing. I wanted to visit Ruby, but we
were told that we had to have an appointment.
They let you wander through the town, but you must do volunteer work in
order to do so. For every hour you work,
you have that much time to check out Ruby.
I was willing to pay money to see the town, but not work for it. It was 95 degrees that day, so I am sure you
can understand why. Maybe, someday a
group of us will do the work and be able to have a ghost investigation in this well-known
haunted location.
What an amazing place! I had not heard of it before, so thank you for posting about it Julie! The photos are ecellent, as usual. -John Newbury
ReplyDeleteI felt this town needed a shout out because there is more to Tubac than many people think. The people working and living there were wonderful and we enjoyed talking with them. Many would give us a history lesson on each place we went to. Lots of interesting stories.
ReplyDeleteI've lived in AZ since 1977 and don't think I've ever heard of it. I'm sure the citizens like that. Sounds historic and charming.
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