Highway Travelers Ahoy!

MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC
Zinman’s Food Shop hosts occasional live music on the Plaza, and is close to many of Tucson’s best live music venues:
The Berger Performing Arts Center on the grounds of the Arizona Schools for the Deaf and Blind [on the north side of speedway west of the river] has excellent acoustics and the occasional concerts by touring acts here are always great. [link to website events page]
The Proscenium Theater on the campus of Pima Community College West [south on Greasewood off Speedway on your way up to Gates Pass] is another smallish venue with outstanding acoustics.
You are also close to downtown Tucson – with the beautifully restored Fax theatre, the Rialto theatre, Club Congress, and venues associated with Tucson Convention Center – where you can find live music every night.   

Head west on University Blvd. to many live music venues on the University of Arizona campus.  About halfway there at fourth avenue, only about a 10 minute walk from Zinman’s Food Shop, you can hop on the streetcar which can take you all the way through campus and back through downtown and to the vicinity of Tucson’s origins, on the west side of the Santa Cruz River.   
[Click here for the Tucson Weekly’s listing of live music for this week]

HIKING TUMAMOC HILL
If you want to stretch your legs, the trailhead for Tumamoc Hill is only a 6 minute drive from Zinman’s Food Shop. With a 600 foot gain in 1.5 miles, the way up is an intense workout. Tumamoc Hill hosts the oldest ecological research site in the world.[link to lab website]. The road is closed to public drivers, and there is no hiking between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. weekdays because of research traffic. Go back to the corner of University and Main and turn south [left] on Main and go to 6th street Turn west [right] on 6th street and take it under the highway and over the river [it will change names to Saint Mary’s Road] and go all the way to Silverbell Road Turn south [left] on Silverbell and go to Anklam Road Turn west [right] on Anklam road and see the trail head [Tumomoc Hill Road] on the south side of Anklam. Parking is along Anklam, and it can get crowded for this popular hiking destination.

THE LOOP BICYCLE PATH

Traveling with a bicycle? One of the best bicycle paths anywhere is only about a four minute drive away. The paved path runs along both sides of the Santa Cruz River and eventually connects with other linear parks to create a giant loop around Tucson, nearly carless, with only a few places where you have to cross a road. If you are traveling ON a bicycle, relax. Go back to the corner of University and Main and turn south [left] on Main and go to 6th street Turn west [right] on 6th street and take it under the highway and over the river [it will change names to Saint Mary’s Road] directly after crossing the river [don’t be surprised if you don’t see water!] turn north [right] on Riverside Drive. Take that five blocks to a parking lot on your right. You will see the paved bike path from here.
There is also a great play area for kids south of the parking lot. If you are getting right back on the highway after your ride, just keep going north for two blocks on Riverside and turn west [right] on Speedway. Highway entrances are directly ahead of you. Just a short distance from Zinman’s Food Shop is BICAS – bicycle inter-community art & salvage – [link to website] where you can get help with bicycle repairs and a deep look into Tucson bicycle culture.

ZINMAN’S GARDENS
With advance notice, and some flexibility in your schedule, we can give you a tour of some of Zinman Food Shop’s own gardens in nearby historic Barrio Hollywood [where everybody is a star!].

MISSION GARDENS
Farmlands along the Santa Cruz River were the first places in all the Americas to practice irrigated farming, about 4,000 years ago! Near the western terminus of the streetcar is a large walled garden with examples of past and present gardening traditions of Tucson. You can also get here by a short bike ride on the loop bike path. Bicycling on The Loop, the road, and the trails

MILPITAS de COTTONWOOD GARDEN
South of 29th street, on the west side of the Santa Cruz River, is a large and interesting gardening project of the Food Bank of Southern Arizona. Milpitas de Cottonwood is a community garden and demonstration garden. If you’re on a bike, a nice way to get to Milpitaas de Cottonwood is to head south on the loop bike path. Zinman’s Gardens

SAN XAVIER COOP FARM
Our good friends and suppliers at the San Xavier Coop Farm are the largest producers of quality local produce in the region. They have a little store in the farm office which is open to the public [8-5 Monday through Friday]. Driving, you can take Mission Road south from where it intersects with Saint Mary’s Road and visit Mission Gardens, Milpitas de Cotton Wood, and the San Xavier Coop Farm. And you might just also want to peak into the beautifully and recently restored interior of the Cathedral of San Agustin. Right near the San Xavier Coop Farm you can get on I-19 and return north to Tucson or head south and into Mexico.

GATES PASS – WASSON PEAK – DESERT MUSEUM – SAGUARO NATIONAL MONUMENT WEST
If you are here around sunset and want to see a nice one, Gates Pass in the Tucson Mountains is only a little less than ten miles away from Zinman’s Food Shop. Head west on Speedway for about twelve minutes from Zinman’s Food Shop to where it jogs to the left and turns into Gates Pass Road, take this for about ten minutes to the parking area for the Gates Pass lookout, clearly marked on your right.
You will pass the Wildlife Museum on your way up the hill. NOT recommended for vegans; the animals are stuffed, and not in a good way like after eating at Zinman’s Food Shop!. But the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum [link to website] – one of the best zoos in the world – is just over the hill about five miles from Gates Pass.
Just across Kinney Road from the Desert Museum is King’s Canyon, and the trailhead for hiking up Wasson Peak, the highest point in the Tucson Mountains. For a real treat, hike up on a full moon night to watch the sun set and the moon rise, and hike down by moonlight and flashlight.
You can get back to I-10 by driving through the beautiful Sauguro National Monument west [link to website]. This is about 17 miles, and especially worth it if you are traveling west, as you will pop out on Tucson’s northwest side and miss lots of traffic.
Keep going northeast on Kinney to Sandario Rd. Go right on Sandario for a short distance to where you can vere right on Golden Gate Road. Take Golden Gate Road until it intersects with Picture Rocks Road. Take Picture Rocks Road over the mountain until it turns into Wade Road. Go north on Wade Road until it intersects with Ina Road. Go east on Ina Road until it intersects with I-10

TOHONO CHUL PARK AND THE SCENIC NORTHWARD OPTION
Keep going east on Ina if you are coming from Saguaro National Monument, or go back to Main Avenue from Zinman’s Food Shop and drive north [Main Avenue shortly changes into Oracle Road] about 20 minutes to Ina Road. Near the northwest corner of Ina and Oracle is Tohono Chul Park. Turn left [west] on Ina and go a short way to Paseo del Norte. Turn right [north] on Paseo del Norte and you will see the entrance to Tohono Chul Park on your right. You can see demonstration food gardens and walk a network of paths featuring natural landscaping. Mission Gardens for a look into our 3000 year old history
Milpitas de Cottonwood community farm
San Xavier Coop Farm wonderful products for purchase
Gates Pass breathtaking views
Wassan Peak hiking in the Tucson Mountains
Desert Museum #1 attraction in Tucson
Saguaro National Park beautiful parks on both East and West sides of town
Tohono Chul Park gardens, galleries, bistro