En Route to Tucson
If you're on your way from Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument to Tucson via Ariz. 86, you will pass through the large Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation. To learn more about this tribe, stop at the Tohono O'odham Nation Cultural Center & Museum, Fresnal Canyon Road, Topawa (tel. 520/383-0201; www.tonation-nsn.gov/cultural_center_museum.aspx), south of the community of Sells. The museum is in a beautiful modern building with attractive gardens, and, although displays are designed primarily for tribal members, there is also plenty to interest anyone not from the reservation. A gift shop sells baskets, native wild foods, and other interesting gift items. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm; admission is free. To find the museum, drive 9 miles south from Sells on Indian Rte. 19 and watch for a water tower. Turn left here onto Fresnal Canyon Road and drive 1/4 mile.
Farther east on Ariz. 86, be sure to stop at Coyote Store, Ariz. 86, Milepost 140 (tel. 520/383-5555), where you can shop for Tohono O'odham baskets, as well as silver jewelry. You'll find this trading post east of the turnoff for Kitt Peak National Observatory, which is a must-visit spot along this route.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
