Tucson International Airport, eight miles south of downtown, receives far fewer long distance flights than Phoenix. Its connected to the city by the slow Sun Tran bus.

It has been continuously settled for over 12,000 years. It celebrates a diversity of cultures, architecture, and peoples. Over the past 20 years, expanding from a mid size Western town into a metropolitan area of more than 800,000 people.

Proud of a multicultural heritage composed of Native American, Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo influences, residents call their hometown Old Pueblo a name hearkening back to rough and exciting pioneer days.

Known for its dry and sunny climate. The climate varies from the 2400 foot desert basin to the 9100 foot forests of the Santa Catalina Mountains. The Cities dry desert air and winter sunshine make it a popular health and winter resort.

Tucson has managed to support both an opera and a symphony orchestra for several decades now without interruption. Both the Arizona Opera and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra usually perform at the Tucson Convention Centre Music Hall, the main venue for high culture downtown.

The only Titan II Inter Continental Ballistic Missile launch silo left intact in the US is a must. The nuclear warhead was dismantled and the site decommissioned in the early 1980s and with few modifications it became a very unique museum.

President Kennedys Air Force, experimental NASA planes, missiles and all eras of US war planes can be seen in the Pima Air and Space Museum. There are over 250 aircraft on 80 acres.

Tucson is the gateway to Saguaro National Park, which is located on both sides of the city.

There are hotels and motels in Tucson, with something for every taste and price range.

The area is famous for its many species of bird life, with at least 14 varieties of hummingbirds alone.

One of the youngest big cities in the nation it has a median age of just 32. A huge student population and a recent influx of young professionals to fill the booming high tech job market have. It is one of the hippest cities in the nation, with upscale nightlife options more typical of larger cities, but without the big city hassles.

Clean air, warm temperatures, perennial sunshine and great views make Tucson a great place for outdoor recreation. The city is surrounded by mountains, with hiking and camping available in the Mountains to the west and the Catalina Mountains to the north. Mt Lemmon in the Catalinas is a 9,157 foot peak perfect for climbing uphill in the summer and skiing downhill in the winter.