Editor's note: This story was originally published on July 1, 2021. It was updated in 2023.
Summer is my favorite season. It always has been. I love the quiet that settles on Tucson when all the birds have flown north for the season, the excruciatingly bright sunshine, the sauna effect of getting into a hot car.
But my favorite part of every summer, as it is for most Tucsonans, is monsoon season. Rare humidity builds in a slow arc toward spectacular thunderstorms and life-giving rain.Β
This was my inaugural article as the food writer for #ThisIsTucson.Β I love the monsoons, and was as excited to celebrate them then as I am today.Β
Before you depart, please make sure it is safe to do so. The National Weather Service has safety guidelines for monsoonsΒ on their website.Β Be sure to avoid driving through washes or overflowing dips. Flash floods can happen suddenly even if it's not raining where you are. Don't hang out in low areas. Monsoons, like most of Tucson's rugged desert environs, can be as dangerous as they are breathtaking.
Go-tos for a special occasion
The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, is nestled in the Tortolita Mountains. Its covered patio gazes over the Tucson basin below.
The most obvious answers to this proposition are the most expensive β the views atΒ Starr Pass, 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd., theΒ Ritz-Carlton, 15000 N. Secret Springs Dr.,Β orΒ Vivace,Β 6440 N. Campbell Ave.,Β are hard to beat.
While Starr Pass is one of my go-tos for a special occasion, I want to also share places with views where Tucsonans could stretch a budget rather than break it.
Surprising finds
Flight Grill diners at the Pima Air and Space Museum can look through windows that run the length of the restaurant.
While few restaurants with a view are actively cheap, some of the more accessible places to watch a monsoon also happen to be the most unique.Β
Topgolf,Β 4050 W. Costco Dr., andΒ Flight GrillΒ at the Pima Air and Space Museum,Β 6000 E. Valencia Road, offer expansive views from floor-to-ceiling windows.Β
Sheltered views
Blanco, Tacos + Tequilaβs covered patio and floor-to-ceiling windows offer some of the best views in the Catalina Foothills.
If a meal at Vivace is out of your price range, try the nearbyΒ Blanco Tacos + Tequila,Β 2905 E. Skyline Dr., where you can cozy up to a bar and witness β yet feel sheltered from β the majesty of nature, for the slightly-inflated price of a cocktail.
Similarly, theΒ Moonstone at The Graduate HotelΒ β a reader suggestion (ThanksΒ @davis.allen!) β gives you panoramic views from the heart of town and simple bar eats. The restaurant and bar is located on the top of the hotel right behind Main Gate Square on the University of Arizona campus,Β 930 E. Second St.
Desert setting
Saguaro Corners embeds diners in the Sonoran Desert.
While neither of these places are cheap, per se, I had to mentionΒ Tohono Chulβs bistroΒ atΒ 7366 N. Paseo del NorteΒ (they offer bottomless $19 prickly pear margaritas or mimosas) andΒ Saguaro Corners,Β 3750 S. Old Spanish Trail,Β as well.
Thereβs nowhere better to feel like you are an integrated part of the desert we love so much.
Safe in the wild
A brief monsoon storm throws a rainbow over the valley, Tucson, Ariz., July 1, 2020. View to the southeast from Greasewood.
If watching the monsoon from your car is more your speed, and the roads are safe, Iβd suggest theΒ Sweetwater Preserve,Β Babad Do'agΒ orΒ Agua CalienteΒ trailheads to watch the storms come through.
Pack a picnic, or pick up some pastries from Tucson institutions likeΒ La Estrella BakeryΒ orΒ Le Buzz Cafe.
