Another good place to stop between Tucson and the Mexican border is Tubac, 45 miles from Tucson, just east of I-19 at exit 34. One of the first European outposts in what’s now Arizona, Tubac was established as a Spanish presidio (fort) in 1751, and a century later boomed with the opening of gold mines nearby.

  Scattered around a dusty central plaza, just west of the presidio park, Tubac has developed into a small but diverting arts-and-crafts colony, with a number of good shops and cafés. Local artists are frequently showcased in the Tubac Center for the Arts on the north side of the plaza.