Known for its superb winter climate, Western cordiality, and university achievements, Tucson attracts visitors from across the country and globe.  The Tucson Rodeo, also known as the Celebration of the Cowboys or La Fiesta de los Vaqueros,  will be held February 18th through 26th.  The annual event features dynamic rodeo events, an extensive parade, and other cultural activities reviving the Old Frontier.  The official website for the Tucson Rodeo can be found at www.tucsonrodeo.com. The several-day event serves as a major celebration in the 2012 Centennial Anniversary of Arizona. 

Tucson also features the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, which offers numerous presentations and tours regarding the local wildlife and ecosystem. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum provides courses through its Center for Sonoran Desert Studies and Art Institute.  The official website for the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum can be accessed at www.desertmuseum.org. 

The University of Arizona, Tucson, a public research university, has been the source of major scientific and technological breakthroughs and attracts each year thousands of visitors and potential students.  In February 2012 visitor tours of the campus will resume.  For further information on the university, with its several outstanding degree programs, refer to its official website at www.arizona.edu.

The Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson serves as one of the world's major air and space museums.  At this top-notch facility the public can view more than 300 aircraft and spacecraft, many representing significant technological and aviation achievements.  The remarkable aircraft housed in the Museum's hangars include a Lockheed SR 71-A Blackbird.  The Museum provides bus tours of the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center (AMARG).  Also termed the "Boneyard,"  this specialized facility is located adjacent to the Pima Air & Space Museum at the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.  For full details on the Pima Air & Space Museum and the AMARG, visit the official website at www.pimaair.org.

Hotel accommodations in Tucson run the spectrum from mid-city hotels to resorts in the magnificent Tucson desert with its backdrop of the Catalina, Santa Rita, Tucson and Rincon Mountains.  For details on hiking, climbing and mountaineering opportunities in the Tucson area, check this informative site:  www.summitpost.org/tucson-mountain-ranges/177796.  Also, don't forget that Mt. Lemmon in the Catalinas above Tucson boasts excellent skiing and a highway extends to the mountain's summit.  A great site for obtaining information on Mt. Lemmon skiing and other winter activities can be found at www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado/forest/recreation/winter_activities/winter.shtml.



                                     
Tucson mountain and desert photos courtesy of the FreeRangeStock.Com website at www.freerangestock.com.