READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: If you want like to make a day of it, plan to spend a little bit longer at the park and take in Reid Park Zoo, a sure-fire child-pleaser that manages to bring smiles to the faces of many an adult, too. We know other cities have bigger and grander zoos, but we can't help thinking that what the Reid Park Zoo might lack in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality. We particularly enjoy checking out the polar bears' wet somersaults from the underground cave, and planting ourselves between the lions and the giraffes so we can pretend we're somewhere on safari in East Africa.
STAFF PICK: TIE--Old Pueblo Trolley and Sabino Canyon Tram. During the half of the year that is the reason we all live in Tucson, there's hardly a more pleasant way to spend a day with the kids than riding a trolley or a tram. Besides being a great way to entertain children or houseguests, one can brush up on local history or riparian habitats, be reminded of the charm and beauty of the area we live in and sometimes take for granted. The Old Pueblo Trolley stops in front of some good restaurants, cafés, taverns and shops along Fourth Avenue and University Boulevard. Take in a museum at the University of Arizona. The drivers are knowledgeable; if you ask, they'll probably let you toot the horn. On the Sabino Canyon tram, you'll bone up on your Lower Sonoran Desert facts and steal a quick peek at the hardbodies on Muscle Beach. Walk away from the tram route and enjoy the quiet and the wildlife. The drivers have semi-scripted monologues to toss out on the way up the canyon, but they shut off the fuzz and allow you to ride down in relative peace and quiet.
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1998 Winner: Reid Park Zoo 1997 Winner: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum 1996 Winner: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum |
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