We hit the road at 8am to start our drive from the La Quinta Resort & Club in California to our next night stop in Tucson, Arizona. Our idea for the road trip was to take our time and try to enjoy attractions on our drive. This was the first time that either of us had visited Tucson and my vague idea about the area was from reading Barbara Kingsolver novels decades ago.
Also adding an element of difficulty was things being closed due to the pandemic. Luckily, we were able to visit the Pima Air and Space Museum. It is one of the world’s largest air and space museums. We visited on Veteran’s Day, which made for a great tie-in, as many of the exhibits are related to the armed forces. My father, uncle, both grandfathers…were all veterans, and I thought of them as I saw exhibits relating to the wars in which they served.
Covid safety was a top priority, and although at the time Arizona didn’t have a state mask mandate, masks were required at the museum. The museum is enormous with exhibits both outdoors and in multiple hangars. It wasn’t crowded and I felt very safe.
Adult admission was 16.50 each and we spent about two hours exploring. We were rushed, as we had arrived late in the day. I think four hours is probably a more reasonable time to allot for experiencing Pima.
We started in the first hangar, where my husband wowed me with his aircraft knowledge. His father was a British Airways flight engineer, and besides that, my husband is both interested and knowledgable. Mostly, I had no idea what I was looking at, but marveled at it just the same. In particular, I like reading about the history of the planes.
Next, we headed to the hangar with the space exhibits. Although this is the Pima Air and Space Museum, it is about 85% air and 15% space exhibits.
One of the more unexpected exhibits was located outside. It was an art project using old planes, called “The Boneyard Project.” There was no signage to explain the project, but I love art and found it very interesting.
There were so many planes and helicopters outside!
Kennedy and Johnson’s Airforce One: This is not the plane that carried Kennedy’s body after his assassination, but still a significant piece of history.
In the middle of the Pima Air and Space Museum, there is the 390th Memorial Museum, a separate museum that is dedicated to the bombing group active during WW2. It had a separate suggested donation and was actually quite interesting. However, because we were short on time, we rushed through the building. Quite honestly, if we had known that it was a separate museum, we would have skipped it. We felt guilty talking to the volunteer at the entrance and then leaving so quickly. I would have liked to have spent a good hour or so exploring, but it was getting late.
We spotted the wildlife warning sign as we were entering the last hangar. I’m glad we didn’t spot a snake while we were exploring.
Shots from the last hangar.
Homefront items from World War Two.
If you’re in the area the Pima Air and Space Museum is definitely worth a visit. It’s a must-see for aviation and history buffs. We both commented that we wished that Dan’s father could have been with us. He would have loved it.
We stayed at a local Double Tree by Hilton, which was consistent with the brand offering good quality and comfort…plus their signature warm chocolate chip walnut cookies. The friendly employee manning the reservation desk recommended that we eat dinner at a local Mexican restaurant called Guadalajara Original Grill.
Guadalajara Original Grill was excellent with theming, food, and service. They have a complimentary salsa cart, which an attendant brings to your table for fresh, custom blended salsa. We splurged on top shelf margaritas, mega fajita platters, and flan. We were stuffed.
We had a great experience in Tuscon and I wish that we had more time to explore the local attractions. I’d definitely consider a future vacation here.