GetOut Magazine

Game on: Your game-day guide to Tucson
By BILL NORMAN
Get Out
Nov. 28, 2002

On Friday in Tucson, the ASU Sun Devils and University of Arizona Wildcats once again go for each others jugulars. No matter what the teams success records may have been earlier in the season, all bets are off when these two traditional gridiron enemies square off over the pigskin. And the rivalry extends far beyond the playing field. This game is an opportunity for students and other fans to demonstrate wild animated support for their team while trumpeting fervent contempt for the other guy.

Whether youre a Sun Devil fan planning to attend the game or some other life form interested in the outcome of the on-field battering, Get Out has all you need to know about the contest and the town.

GETTING TO THE GAME

Tucson is about 100 miles from the East Valley. Its usually a pretty speedy trip via Interstate 10; the speed limit is 75 mph most of the way. The best route to the UA campus from I-10 is to head east on Speedway Boulevard, about three miles. The UA campus is bordered by Speedway on the north, Euclid Avenue on the west, Campbell Avenue on the east and Sixth Street on the south. The football stadium is located at Sixth Street and Cherry Avenue, on the southeast portion of campus. At 56,000 seating capacity, its smaller than Sun Devil Stadium, but the cozier size just accentuates the din while the football is in play.

PUBLIC PARKING

As with most universities, on-campus public parking near the stadium is at a premium (and scattered) in Wildcat Country when special sporting events are on tap. Double the challenge when the event is a grudge game.

UAs Parking & Transportation Services department has created an assortment of parking garage maps for groups, such as visitors, visitors with parking permits and disabled visitors. View them at www.parking.arizona.edu, under Visitor Programs. No guarantees there will be space available Friday. Cost for parking at each is $5.

Visitors can also try calling UAs Visitor Parking office at . Another option is to take your chances by cruising through surrounding neighborhoods, keeping an eye out for enterprising residents and business owners wholl rent you vehicular lodging space in parking lots, driveways and yards of dubious ownership.

TAILGATING

UA happily caters to the madness of tailgate parties and more genteel varieties of fun with three types of tailgate venues. The sites are on grassy medians, malls and an intramural field about a block northeast of the stadium, near the intersection of University Boulevard and Campbell Avenue.

The sites are on a first come, first served basis. Purchase tickets in advance by calling . Two hundred spaces are available, and party animals can arrive up to five hours ahead of kickoff. Tailgater vehicles park in adjacent spots in the order they arrive. Cost is $55 for vehicles 30 feet and less in length, $70 for rigs longer than 30 feet.

Tailgating rules: no use of portable electric generators (including in motor homes and RVs), and no multi-serve alcohol dispensers (read: kegs). Hard liquor also is nominally taboo.

Fan Fiesta, billed as a free public tailgate party, includes many activities for children, including face-painting and bouncy inflatables.

Tables and chairs will be set up. Families are encouraged to bring their own food and drink; seven food vendors also will be selling a variety of munchables. A special Game Day Grill ticket ($10) gets you a plate of food and three drink vouchers (good for soft drinks or beer). Live bands are scheduled to perform, and 10 large- screen TVs under canopies will offer the hottest games being played around the country. Local radio and TV stations will have interactive displays in tents.

Fan Fiesta begins three hours before game time and shuts down just before kickoff. For more information, contact James Francis at .

Tent city is for the higher rollers, such as corporate sponsors. Sites include tents/canopies, tables and chairs for a minimum of 100 people. The smallest (100-person) setup costs $1,200, and incremental increases of accommodations for each additional 100 people are also $1,200. Twelve 100-person sites are available. For reservations or more information, contact Matt Herrington at .

LODGING

For out-of-town fans who dont elect to return home after the game (and for those who plan to arrive a day early), an assortment of hotels and motels lies relatively close to the UA campus, if not on it.

Marriott Tucson University Park (880 E. Second St., ). A very nice nine-story hotel on the west perimeter of campus, a stones throw from the stadium. Adjacent to many collegiate watering holes and restaurants. Lowest normal nightly rates of $99 increase to $109 on Thursday and Friday, then drop again.

Pueblo Inn (1900 E. Speedway Blvd., ). Until recently, this hotel was the Four Points by Sheraton. Amenities remain the same, and rates are very competitive, ranging from $49 (includes continental breakfast) to $89 (king suite with bar, microwave, fridge and extra bed). A Bennigans restaurant is on the ground floor of the seven-story hotel. Distance to campus: 50 feet.

Arizona Inn (2200 E. Elm St., ). A classy, legendary fixture on the Tucson hotel scene. Nightly rates range from $119 to $369. Outdoor heated pool and sauna, tennis courts and exercise room, 1940s-style bar with regular jazz performers. Superb Thanksgiving dinners. Tucked back on a quiet side street among lush vegetation on the north side of Speedway Boulevard, the single-level inn offers casual elegance. Distance to Arizona Stadium is just over a quarter of a mile.

Doubletree Hotel-Reid Park (445 S. Alvernon Way, ). The Doubletree is well east of campus, but its very popular among both Tucson residents and visitors, in part because it can accommodate large groups. Rooms run from $99 to $109 nightly. The adjacent Javelina Cantina is a fun hangout for fans before, during and after the game. The hotels location is essentially at Broadway Boulevard and Alvernon Way, and Broadway offers a quick drive west to the stadium.

WATERING HOLES

Bars in the vicinity of campus will be rockin on game day, and probably for a few days prior. Expect that most of the places on campus and immediate vicinity will be packed primarily with crazed Wildcats fans, although the occasional (resolute, equally crazed) Sun Devil troupe always seems to have a presence.

Frog & Firkin (874 E. University Blvd., ). You can't get much closer to the action than at this British-inspired pub (formerly a house) on the west edge of campus. Great brews on tap, including Brit faves such as John Courage and Caffreys. Live local bands perform frequently.

Gentle Bens Brewing Company (865 E. University Blvd., ). Two bars, a microbrewery and full-service restaurant are spread throughout two floors of a grand edifice sporting plenty of brass and oak. Gentle Bens sometimes seems anything but gentle, but its always fun and a great gathering place. Local brews here include Red Cat Amber, Java Mocha Stout, Tucson Blonde and Beer Down Nut Brown.

Maloneys Tavern (213 N. Fourth Ave., ). Fourth Avenue runs north and south, several blocks west of UA, but its still readily within walking (or crawling) distance of the stadium. Maloneys decor black-and- white film portraits in an Irish-American setting should be familiar to many an ASU fan. Fifteen TVs (including three big-screen units) will carry the game live. Specials that afternoon include two-for-one shots and $2 domestic brewski pints, including Samuel Adams and Fat Tire. Full bar.

OMalleys (247 N. Fourth Ave., ). Across the parking lot from Maloney's, OMalleys does business from a cavernous, converted warehouse, with a more pronounced Irish theme. Its big and busy and regularly wins best college bar status. Highlights include big-screen TVs, 16 beers on tap (Rolling Rock, Tetley, Harp, Guinness) and frequent live music. Specials on game day include 25-cent wings. Full bar.

In contrast to the bigger bars mentioned above, a scattering of other smaller, humbler, neighborhood bars and cafes runs along Sixth Street to the south, and Speedway Boulevard to the north of university property. If only because of their proximity to the gridiron action, these areas may be worth cruising through on casual reconnaissance to see if anything beckons.

If the frenzy near the university is becoming unbearable, you might also consider two bars several miles to the northwest. Theyre both huge warehouse-type structures whose main claims to fame are burgers and beer. The Wildcat House (1801 N. Stone Ave., ) and The Bum Steer (1920 N. Stone Ave., ) are only one block apart and sufficiently similar in loudness and rowdiness that if you get deranged in one, you might think youre in the other.

EATERIES

UA is surrounded by dining establishments of almost every description, and theyre readily discernible as you drive around the area. Here are some notables. Most are bars as well as restaurants, but weve lumped them in this section because of their culinary offerings.

Dirtbags (1800 E. Speedway Blvd., ). Dirtbag's says it has the best burger in the entire world. Lots of beer and game fans to go with it.

Greasy Tonys (828 E. Speedway Blvd., ). Tony is from Jersey, and his grub reflects it. Cheese steaks are the specialty. Lots of beer and game fans, too.

Jersey Joes (1628 E. Sixth St., . Italian food, East Coast style, is how Joe describes it. Maybe he and Tony are pals. Another small outfit whose scrumptious food belies the buildings external appearance. Beer and wine.

Johnny Rockets (825 E. University Blvd., ). In the middle of the action on campus. Burgers, fries and malts in a 50s ambience. No booze.

Zacharys Classic Pan Pizza (1028 E. Sixth St., ). Formerly a hole-in-the-wall seafood place, as the porthole windows attest. Superb, and big, pizza at great prices. Chilly beer of many varieties. Unassuming decor, but who cares?

While youre in Tucson, it would be a crime not to sample some of the world- renowned Mexican food. None of the restaurants listed below is really close to UA, but the drive times are negligible and the culinary rewards bountiful.

El Minuto Cafe (354 S. Main Ave., ). Just south of the Tucson Convention Center. You might have to park a block or two away. This place stays busy. Ninety percent of the patrons seem to know each other and the owners.

Mariscos Chihuahua (1009 N. Grande Ave., ; two other locations). Huge shrimp cocktails, bazillion-calorie seafood in heavy cream sauce, many standard dishes with a more central-Mexico flavor.

Mi Nidito Cafe (1813 S. Fourth Ave., ). Bill Clinton visited this place when he was still in the White House and reportedly ate about six entrees and those were big portions.

Cafe Poca Cosa (88 E. Broadway Blvd., ). They dont do chimichangas here. Flavors and dishes emanate from further south of the border, and theyre outstanding.

Rosas Mexican Food (1750 E. Fort Lowell Road, ). Unlike the others above, this little strip mall cafe is about three miles north of UA. Parking and getting back on the street are sometimes a challenge. Patrons keep coming back.

Teresas Mosaic Cafe (2455 N. Silverbell Ave., ). On the west side, about two miles west of I-10, northwest area of Grant Road and Silverbell Avenue, just north of a McDonalds. Mosaic began life in the owners house, then moved into bigger quarters years later. Tortillas handmade on the spot, Angus beef, salsas vary daily. A hefty assortment of top-grade tequilas.

Los Betos Mexican Food (several locations). These little window-service outfits all seem to be operated by Mexican citizens who have fairly recently come to the United States. They got the hang of the restaurant business in a hurry. Portions (especially beef tacos) are generous to extreme. Side dishes of rice and beans are huge. Prices are incredibly low. Pig out and die happy.

SIDE TRIPS

For visitors wholl be in Tucson longer than the duration of Friday's game, Tucson offers a wide variety of attractions. Most of the following are within an hours drive of UA, and some are within walking distance.

Arizona Historical Society (on the UA campus, 949 E. Second St., ). This is the largest of four AHS museums in Tucson, and its research files and exhibits are more extensive than those in Phoenix and Tempe. Current exhibits include two rooms depicting medical history and implements from the 19th and 20th centuries; 100 years of womens fashions; a tribute to victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, World Trade Center attacks; transportation history from stagecoaches to Studebakers and beyond; and the war between the United States and Mexico. Admission is free.

Arizona State Museum (on campus, at University Boulevard and Park Avenue, ). Two exhibits that will be on display are "Connections Across Generations: The Avery Collection of American Indian Paintings" and "Paths of Life: American Indians of the Southwest." Admission is a suggested $3 donation.

Fourth Avenue (several blocks west of campus). Fourth Avenue today has much of the bohemian ambience of Mill Avenue in Tempe 20 years ago. Tattoo and ice cream parlors, bookstores and dance clubs, coffee shops and ethnic restaurants, custom wood furniture and candlemakers are among the street's many merchants. Trolley cars run down the middle of the street.

Sabino Canyon (5900 N. Sabino Canyon Road. Visitor Center, ; information/tour schedules, ). A desert canyon oasis in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains on the east side of Tucson. A 3.8-mile paved road (restricted to pedestrian, bicycle and official tram traffic) winds gradually uphill along the desert floor and between high canyon walls, crossing stone bridges over Sabino Creek nine times. Admission is $5 per vehicle. Narrated tram tours are $6 for adults. Take Speedway Boulevard east to Wilmot Road, then north on Wilmot, which becomes Tanque Verde Road as it curves around to the east. Take Sabino Canyon Road north off Tanque Verde to north of Sunrise Drive, and look for Sabino Canyon signage on your right.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (2021 N. Kinney Road, ). A combination botanical garden, zoo and natural history museum. Most of the desert creatures in this museum are alive and kicking, if theyre equipped with feet. Bighorn sheep, javelina, coyotes, snakes, birds and dozens of other indigenous species are housed in realistic reproductions of their habitats. Extensive self-guided walking tours meander among many acres of exhibits and native vegetation. Adult admission is $8.95. Located west of town and the Tucson Mountains. Take Speedway Boulevard west from I-10, over Gates Pass (tight curves, not suitable for RVs) and down to Kinney Road. Turn right and follow the signs.

Pima Air and Space Museum (6000 E. Valencia Road, ). More than 250 historic U.S. military and civilian aircraft displayed indoors and out on 80 acres. Fighters, bombers, top-secret spy planes, early Air Force Ones (including John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnsons four-prop Douglas VC-118), helicopters, hang gliders, drones and missiles. Includes Challenger Center for Space Science Education and many in-building equipment exhibits. Narrated tram and bus tours as well as self-guided walks. Take I-10 south to Valencia Road and go two miles east. Adult admission is $9.75.

Tohono Chul Park (7366 N. Paseo del Norte, ). A nonprofit 37-acre desert preserve and park designed to "enrich peoples lives by finding peace in a place of beauty, experiencing the wonders of the Sonoran Desert and gaining knowledge of the regions natural and cultural heritage." Includes a tea room, museum shop, garden shop and greenhouse. Special exhibit on display this weekend: Casteneda collection of Latin American costumes. Admission is $5 for adults. Drive west on Ina Road from Oracle Road just over one block to Paseo del Norte and turn north.

Mount Lemmon. Approximately 30 miles from Tucson, Mount Lemmon hugs the 9,000-foot elevation mark in the Santa Catalina Mountains north of town. The drive to the top ($5 fee per vehicle) is winding asphalt that works its way up from the desert floor, through boulder-massed hillsides into pines. Along the way, a dozen lookout points offer increasingly more vast views of southern Arizona. Take Speedway Boulevard east to Wilmot Road, then north on Wilmot, which becomes Tanque Verde Road as it curves around to the east. Turn north off Tanque Verde onto the Catalina Highway and stay on it.