Enrich your Arizona vacation with Museums Parks and Historical Destinations

Discover the ideal destination to relax while on your vacation. Arizona offers a variety of unique vacation experiences. From Museums to natural parks and historic destinations, you will find a great vacation getaway. Or for a little history, check out the Titan Missile Museum or any of the urban museums such as the Arizona State Museum and For Huachuca Historical Museum. Here are but a few of the destinations awaiting you: Arizona State Museum - Tucson, Arizona. This museum is the oldest - - and largest - - anthropology museum in the Southwest and established in 1893 has given it a long history of collecting valuable pieces from the region. The museum houses the only museum conservation laboratory in the state. The museum holds the world’s largest whole-vessel collection of Southwest Indian pottery with 20,000 specimens. The top Navajo textile collection in the nation is at the museum. Closed state and national holidays. Street Address: 1013 E. University Blvd., Tucson, Arizona 85721. Directions to the museum: Arizona State Museum is located in two historic buildings on the U of A campus. Tubac Presidio State Historic Park - Tubac, Arizona. In 1776 the garrison from Tubac was moved to Tucson and the unprotected settlers in Tubac abandoned their homes. In 1860 Tubac was the largest town in Arizona. The American Civil War, however, drained the region of troops, leaving it unprotected from Apaches, and Tubac was again deserted. In 1976 an underground archaeological display was finished and visitors can now view portions of the original foundation, walls and plaza floor of the 1752 Commandant’s quarters, as well as artifacts representing the various periods of Tubac’s unique history. Tumacacori, Guevavi and Calabazas are three Spanish colonial mission ruins in southern Arizona. It can be visited only as part of a reserved ranger guided tour during the fall and winter months. San Cayetano de Calabazas was established i November 1756. Tubac Presidio State Historic Park. Park Facilities: Old School House and Otero Community Hall both on the National Register of Historic Places; Museum, underground archaeology display and picnic area; Anza Trailhead. Phone: 520-398-2252. Kartchner Caverns State Park - Benson, Arizona. Warm, moist air flowed out which signaled the existence of a cave. The Kartchner Caverns State Park cave’s existence became public knowledge in 1988 when its purchase was approved as an Arizona State Park. There are, of course, bates and other cave creatures in the cave. During the summer months the cave’s Big Room serves as a nursery roost for over 1,000 female cave myotis bats. After returning to the bat roost for the night the bats excrete waste, forming large guano piles. While visiting the cave, keep your hands to yourself! Fee: from $3 to $10 State Park Fees. All tours are guided by a trained tour guide. The cave averages 68 degrees F and 98% humidly year around. All cave trails are barrier free. Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park - Yuma, Arizona. This prison was built by the prisoners themselves in 1876. The last prisoner left Yuma in 1909. By 1907, the prison was severely overcrowded, and there was no room on Prison Hill for expansion. Coming up January 10th & 11th, 2009: 11th Annual Gathering of the Gunfighters: Relive the legend of the west when old west reenactment groups from California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and Arizona ride into Yuma Prison for two days of wild west fun and mayhem. A two day skit competition event at the Yuma Territorial Prison. Closed Christmas Day. Location: 1 Prison Hill Rd, Yuma, Arizona 85364. San Xavier del Bac Mission - Tucson, Arizona. When the church was built it was part of New Spain’s Province of Sonora. In 1854 San Xavier became part of the United States. The church was built by the O’odham (Piman Indians) whose village of Wa:ak (Bac) the church was built were the paid laborers who dug the clay for the bricks, shaped them, fired them, and laid them in lime mortar to form the walls and multi-domed ceiling. In 1912, the church was turned back to Franciscan administration and the mission has had resident occupants ever since. The floor plan of the mission resembles the Latin cross. The dome above the transept is 52 feet high supported by arches and squinches. Location: The mission is 9 miles south of Tucson off I-19, Exit 92 on San Xavier Rd. in the Tohano O’odham Nation. Phone: 520-294-2624. Titan Missile Museum - Sahuarita, Arizona. The Titan Missile Museum is the home of the only Titan II missile not dismantled and destroyed. Visitors can go 35 feet under ground to see an actual Titan II missile, tour the deactivated Launch Control Center, and be photographed by the re-entry vehicle or 430,000 lb thrust first stage rocket engine all found at this National Historic Landmark. This missile museum is the only publicly accessible Titan II missile site in the nation and well worth the trip to see! Tours include a six-story view of the silo, and a simulated missile launch. The Titan Missile Museum is an ADA compliant facility. Tours are limited to 25 visitors per hour. Exit I-19 at Duval Mine Road (exit 69). Fort Huachuca Historical Museum - Sierra Vista, Arizona. The fort was constructed in 1877 as one of a chain of forts established to guard southern Arizona against the Chiricahua Apaches, led by Geronimo. The fort was also home to the Buffalo Soldiers (the elite black cavalry corps). Fort Huachuca is still active today as a military post. In 1954 the fort became the site for advanced testing of electronics and communications equipment and today is the Army Intelligence Center and School and the army’s Information Systems Command. Carleton House is the oldest building on the base. Location: 3 miles northwest of the fort’s main gate at Boyd and Grierson Ave. in Sierra Vista is the Museum.

Penelope SanMateo is a travel writer and often explores the wonders that travel brings. On her Arizona vacation getaway she recently explored the beauty of the Arizona opera and such discordent sounds of the beauty and sleek strides of the greyhounds at the Tucson Greyhound Park located in Tucson Arizona.

Arizona vacations