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The Barrio Viejo
One neighborhood in downtown Tucson, the Barrio Viejo (or Barrio Historico),
is so unique and beautiful that it has become an attraction unto
itself. Situated just south of the Convention Center and government
buildings, these quiet residential grounds make an ideal morning
or late afternoon walking tour. Incorporating one of Tucson’s
inimitable sunrises or sunsets can only make the tour more memorable.
Walking south on Meyer or Convent Street, you’ll take in the
many eccentric adobe houses, with bright murals on their walls and
xeriscaped desert gardens in their yards. Pay special attention
to the details of these homes as many feature artistic touches in
wrought iron or tile. Walk east to Stone Avenue to visit the grand
St. Augustine Cathedral in classic Spanish Mission style and the
historic Stone Avenue Synagogue, newly restored and open for visits.
As you walk back north, your camera almost out of film, visit the
altar to El Tiradito (the Castaway) on Main Street, the only Catholic
shrine to a person who was not a saint. After the walk, cap your
tour with a drink and a meal in the patios of El Minuto Café
or the Cushing Street Bar and Grill. The cooing of doves from the
palms and mesquite trees will still be clear in the air. It’s
these unchanged charms of the Barrio Viejo that are the true essence
of Tucson.
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