Some restaurants are built around a concept. Amelia's Mexican Kitchen is built around a grandmother. Chef Jose Contreras named the restaurant after his grandmother, Amelia, and built the menu around the dishes she taught him growing up. It started on East Grant Road in Tucson. Now there'
Arizona is more than just saguaros, canyons, and relentless sunshine. If you look past the postcard views, you’ll find a state where the jobs are just as rugged and unusual as the landscape itself. A specialized workforce that operates on the fringes of science and tradition has developed. From
Rising from the desert floor just northeast of Tucson, Sabino Canyon serves as an oasis within the Sonoran Desert. Carved into the southern slopes of the Santa Catalina Mountains, this beloved recreation area attracts hikers, birdwatchers, photographers, and nature lovers throughout the year. Towering saguaro cacti cover the exposed canyon
Arizona State Parks
In the foothills of the Rincon Mountains, east of Tucson, there once stood a monarch. For over three centuries, a single Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) known as Old Granddaddy witnessed the arrival of Spanish explorers, the birth of the United States, and the paving of the modern Southwest. While the desert
Tombstone earned its reputation as the "Town Too Tough to Die" through grit and gunpowder, but for those who walk its dusty streets today, that name takes on a more literal meaning. The past lingers in a more stubborn way here. Gunfights, disease, fires, and sudden deaths were
Cultural Eats
While many people associate the Tequila Sunrise with the rock-and-roll era of the 1970s, its true origins are rooted in the golden age of Hollywood glamour and the rugged elegance of the Sonoran Desert. Somewhere along the way, the Tequila Sunrise became shorthand for beach bars and vacation
When the heat finally breaks, Arizona's event calendar fills up. From late September through early November, you can drink German beer in the pines above Tucson, watch hot air balloons rise over Lake Powell, see gunfight reenactments on Tombstone's Allen Street, and walk in one of
Arizona is famous for its dramatic landscapes, towering saguaros, and rich mining history. Beneath those scenic vistas lies another treasure that attracts outdoor enthusiasts from around the world. The state is one of the premier destinations in the United States for the hobby of hunting for rockhounding. From colorful agates
Arizona Cuisine
If Mel's Diner looks familiar, it is not just because it is a classic roadside diner. This place is tied directly to one of the most recognizable TV diners of all time. If you are a fan of 1970s television, the sight of the Mel’s Diner sign
When people discuss true, traditional college towns in Arizona, the conversation typically begins and ends with three locations. These are the cities where the local economy, the neighborhood culture, and the very identity of the community are deeply intertwined with a massive state university. However, looking closer at the map
Desert Life
Arizona has never needed much help turning football into a spectacle. Still, some of the state’s fastest and most chaotic football is not played beneath an open sky. It unfolds inside arenas in Glendale, Tucson, and Prescott Valley, where the field is half the usual length, the sidelines are
History & Culture
Long before Arizona became a state, hundreds of generations of Native people lived across its deserts, mountains, canyons, and forests. Along with their unique traditions and cultures came a rich variety of languages, many of which are still spoken today. Arizona remains one of the most linguistically diverse states in