To the Tucson AZ Loungers ( and anyone else that knows), what is the best way to travel in the city?

[Lady Freedom Returns]

I have looked at the bike map and the bus routes. It looks like bike may be the best, but can you rent bikes there? What are your opinions and or experiences?

[Ptah]

1. What part of Tucson are you staying in?

[Capn Sunshine]

2. not a Tucsonian, but I think I have the answer

[ellisonz]

10. Holy Christ!

I need one of those for cruising downtown LA

[OffWithTheirHeads]

3. Tucson is REALLY spread out. I'd bring your bike to the area you want to explore

using a car to get the bike there. Also, very important, if you plan on doing this from June through Sept, make sure your bike has air conditioning.

[Lady Freedom Returns]

4. Looking at mid feb.

Southern Tucson.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

7. Dress in layers. Temps can range from high 70's to a hard freeze

and can change RAPIDLY. I mean it. You can go out in shorts and a tank top in the morning and need a down jacket and thermals a few hours later. Been there, done that, except I forgot the down jacket and damn near froze on a trip to the desert museum.
,

[Kali]

5. you CAN live without one

but you pretty much need a vehicle

[OffWithTheirHeads]

8. i agree with Cali. I grew up in San Francisco. a city 7 miles by 7 miles

If you were in good shape considering the hills and all, you could traverse the city by bike.

Here in Tucson, a trip to Trader Joe's is an hour and a half adventure. My guitar teacher is 30 to 40 minutes away as is Drinking liberally. If you just plan to hang downtown a bike would work but if you really want to see Tucson, you're gonna need a car.

I still don't know what your interests are so I can't tell you what not to miss. If you have kids, Rooster Kogburns Ostrich ranch is the best $5.00 you will ever spend. Even if you don't have kids it's pretty cool but if you have kids you will spend a week wiping the smiles off their faces. If you don't do anything else, spend a day at the desert Museum. You look around and see desert. The desert museum will show you most everything else that lives out here and you will walk away a changed person. This place is amazing and truly a wonder.

As a person who spent much of their youth back packing in the Sierras and Yosemite, I know natural wonder and Arizona is right up at the top.

[Xipe Totec]

6. Outwards, towards the state border, and speedily... nt

[MiddleFingerMom]

9. I live without a car (because I must). The buses are CHEAP ($1.50 with a two-time transfer), but...

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... not very convenient (kinda sticking to East-West and North-South arteries and
ranging from 15 mins to one hour beween buses. They have bike racks, but as you
can see in the OP's pic, only two racks per bus -- I've seen people have to wait a
coupla buses. $3.50 for an all-day every-way daypass for the bus.
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Rent a car and BRING a bike, if you can. Bike rentals are EXPENSIVE (to me, anyways)...
anywhere from $45/day on up. If you have a radio, tune to 91.3 FM (I tell people,
"Don't dial 911 -- dial 91.3). It's a community radio station -- a refreshing and
radical change-of-pace from any radio you might be used to -- volunteers who play
the music THEY want to -- the music THEY love (except for weekdays from drivetime
to drivetime). Democracy Now is on at noon now, I think.
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http://www.kxci.org/
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http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en&tab=iw#hl=en&sugexp=pfwl&cp=22&gs_id=3a&xhr=t&q=tucson+bicycle+rentals&pf=p&sclient=psy-ab&site=webhp&source=hp&pbx=1&oq=tucson+bicycle+rentals&aq=0&aqi=g1g-b2&aql=&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=1d93bd05e8ae2937&biw=1680&bih=925
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The Sonoran Desert Museum -- called a museum, it is really a fascinating desert wildlife
zoo (don't go to the other one -- it's a collection of taxidermist stuff).
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http://www.desertmuseum.org/
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Most folks go to Sabino Canyon... I've always opted for Bear Canyon (a tram from
Sabino will take you to the beginning of the actual canyon and it's an EASY 2-3 mile
hike -- bring fluids as none are available along the way). Along with the river country
in northern Michigan, the mountains in Germany bordering Austria, this is my favorite
place on Earth. February is fantastic -- you'll find 60-70 degree sunny daytime temps
(though upper 20's to lower 40's at night) AND the snowmelt keeps the river and the
falls running -- summertime, you're lucky to find a trickle. Pools to swim in, but the
absolute coldest water I've felt (and I've bathed in northern Michigan rivers in the
Springtime). The one time I slipped totally and suddenly underwater on a mossy
rock -- I'm pretty sure the water hid my unmanly screams.
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http://arizona.sierraclub.org/trail_guide/hike8.htm
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Mission San Xavier del Bac:
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Pretty incredible and fairly recently totally restored mission. It is a functioning
church (used mostly by the Tohono O'Odham people, so if you go inside, be
respectful if they have a Mass or other ceremony going on. There's a bazaar
across the street with Indian fry bread and crafts (including silver and turquoise
jewelry -- others might know if there are better spots to look for deals on the
jewelry).
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http://www.sanxaviermission.org/
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4th Avenue:
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Philly has its South Street, San Francisco Haight-Ashbury -- Tucson's laidback
cool area is 4th Avenue (I had been visiting for 15 years or more before
MiddleFingerMomDad (who could be a real jerk) told me about this place --
and I immediately felt at home there.
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http://www.azcentral.com/travel/articles/2010/01/22/20100122tucson0124.html
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Day trip? Bisbee (90 miles from Tucson) -- what I've always considered the
Little San Francisco of Arizona -- built into the mountains, quirky art galleries,
craft shops and bistros and quirky residents.
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http://bisbeearizona.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=25&Itemid=36
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If you go to Bisbee, try to stay in the ABSOLUTE COOLEST "motel room" you'll
ever stay in -- one of the 1950's vintage travel trailers (stationary and for rent
as "rooms&quot in The Shady Dell. I've stayed in 3 of them and LOVED it. The diner
(when I was there) was a transplanted (from California) 10-seat aluminum
burger joint and run by a retired gourmet chef (he and his wife got their EARLY
start cooking up meals while touring with The Dead -- they may be gone by
now).
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http://www.theshadydell.com/
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There's lots of other things nearby, including Mexico (under two hours),
Tombstone and Sedona.
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http://www.tubacaz.com/
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http://www.nps.gov/tuma/index.htm
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AND (along the way to Tubac) the GIGANTIC LONGHORN STEER SKULL restaurant
in Amado (this website is part of RoadsideAmerica.com -- the coolest roadtrip
planning site in the world -- you wanna see odd n' quirky, plan your trip here.
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http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/8417
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