Best Way To Walk 1,000 Years In One Day

The Desert Archaeology Downtown Tour

STAFF PICK: Did you know the first commander of the Spanish garrison who established the Tucson Presidio was an Irishman? Have you followed the line of the old adobe wall through downtown? Did you know the Edward Nye Fish House on the corner of Alameda Street and Main Avenue was part of the gate to the old city? More historic anecdotes are in store on the Desert Archaeology Center's Downtown Tucson Tour. Center director Connie Allen-Bacon leads a walking tour through and around downtown Tucson, revealing the disappeared neighborhoods of Tucson's past. The tour offers a terrific overview of local history, from pre-historic times through the devastating urban renewal of the '60s. Call 881-2244 to book a tour. (Recommended reading for history buffs who like to hoof it: Harry and Mary Cuming's walking guide, Yesterday's Tucson Today--full of illustrations, maps and historical anecdotes, it'll guide you through the different eras of Tucson's architecture. It's available at Tucson Map & Flag, and other area bookstores.)