I have been visiting Tucson, Arizona for over 20 years and have always adored her gorgeous desert landscape, rugged mountains, and lovely southwestern charm. It is no wonder that Tucson is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts who come to play golf, bike, hike, and explore nature. The sun shines down across the city for over 350 days a year making Tucson a gorgeous place to visit especially in the heart of a Minnesota winter.

For years I’ve been enjoying Tucson’s many hiking trails, restaurants and shopping areas surrounding the luxurious Foothills part of town yet during a recent visit I decided it was time to branch out and explore. A local art store provided my inspiration. There I saw a painting of one of Tucson’s many barrios (neighborhoods) and realized that there was an entire part of Tucson that I had never seen before and it looked fascinating.

On a beautiful Saturday morning instead of putting on my hiking shoes, I grabbed my camera, a map and launched off in pursuit of my curiosity and wanderlust. I headed down the valley to the heart of Tucson’s past, to the old, historic Downtown Tucson and her neighboring barrios (neighborhoods) which in recent years have been undergoing a major regentrification and rebirth of their own right. A few hours exploring and I was convinced that during my next trip to Tucson I’m headed back to the barrios.