Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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towhees. The visitor center is open daily from 7:30am to 4pm (closed Thanksgiving,
Christmas, New Year's Day, and summer weekends).
Other wildlife in the refuge includes pronghorn antelopes, javelinas, coatimundis,
white-tailed deer, mule deer, and coyotes. Guided birding and other tours are offered
weekends November through April. Call for details; some walks require reservations.
These roads also offer good mountain biking. If you're looking for a strenuous hike,
try the
Mustang Trail,
which has its trail head 2 miles west of Arivaca. The trail climbs
from Arivaca Creek into the surrounding dry hills and makes for a 5-mile round-trip
hike.
GETTING OUTSIDE
Linking Tubac with Tumacácori is the 8-mile
de Anza Trail,
which follows the Santa
Cruz River for much of its route and passes through forests and grasslands. This trail is
part of the
Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail,
which stretches from
Nogales to San Francisco and commemorates the overland journey of the Spanish captain
who, in 1775 and 1776, led a small band of colonists overland to California. These set-
tlers founded what is now the city of San Francisco. Today, bird-watching is the most
popular activity along the trail. The most convenient trail head is beside Tubac Presidio
State Historic Park.
Rex Ranch
(
&
520/398-2914;
www.rexranch.com) offers horse-
back rides starting at $40 per hour.
If golf is more your speed, you can play a round at the
Tubac Golf Resort & Spa
(
&
520/398-2211;
www.tubacgolfresort.com), just north of Tubac off East Frontage
Road. Greens fees range from $45 to $109 in the winter.
WHERE TO STAY
In Amado
The Inn at Amado Territory Ranch
This modern inn just off I-19 at the cross-
roads of Amado is built in the territorial style and has a bit of the feel of an old Arizona
ranch house. Guest rooms are outfitted in a mix of Mexican rustic furnishings and repro-
duction East Coast antiques, much in the style in which homes would have been fur-
nished in Arizona 100 years ago. Rooms on the second floor feature balconies with views
across the farm fields of the Santa Cruz Valley, while those on the ground floor have
patios.
3001 E. Frontage Rd. (P.O. Box 81), Amado, AZ 85645.
&
888/398-8684
or 520/398-8684. Fax 520/398-
8186. www.amado-territory-inn.com. 9 units. Nov-June $130-$145 double, $250 suite; July-Oct $105-
$115 double, $220 suite. Rates include full breakfast. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Children 13 and over welcome.
Pets accepted.
Amenities:
Restaurant.
In room:
A/C, hair dryer, Wi-Fi, no phone.
14
The Rex Ranch
Finds
With its classic Southwestern styling and location adjacent
to the de Anza Trail, this place is truly a hidden getaway. Just getting to the remote prop-
erty is something of an adventure, because you have to drive
through
the Santa Cruz River
to reach the ranch. When you see the pink-walled mission-revival building in the middle
of the desert, you'll know you've arrived someplace distinctly different. Although not all
of the guest rooms are as attractively decorated as the public areas, the new rooms and
the more recently renovated rooms are quite comfortable. The ranch offers horseback
riding and a wide variety of spa treatments and massages.
131 Amado Montosa Rd. (P.O. Box 636), Amado, AZ 85645.
&
800/547-2696
or 520/398-2914. Fax
520/398-8229. www.rexranch.com. 30 units. $105-$125 double, $135-$165 suite, $205-$225 casita
(lower rates July-Aug). AE, DISC, MC, V. 2-night minimum stay.
Amenities:
Restaurant; bikes; concierge;
Jacuzzi; outdoor pool; spa; Wi-Fi.
In room:
A/C, fridge, no phone.
