Phoenix Day Trips // Tucson

Last weekend I had a lovely girls’ trip to Tucson. Located only an hour and a half to two hours from Phoenix, this little sister city has a lot to offer. Our first stop? Amy’s Donuts! We entered this bright and colorful hole-in-the wall, and were immediately greeted by tons and tons of donuts. We tried every flavor we could, from S’mores to PB&J to Red Velvet, to candy-inspired donuts like Twix and Snickers. Everything tasted amazing- the dough was fresh and fluffy and the toppings, sweet and savory. Amy’s Donuts’ murals outside were also equally as colorful as the donuts, and we had a blast taking pictures in front of the donut-inspired art.

Our next stop was Prep & Pastry. Prep & Pastry was recommended to me by a few other bloggers, so I was excited to try it. We were slotted for a 40-minute wait, but when we walked in, there were two empty seats at the bar with our name on them. I ordered the Everything Croissant Sammie, which had prosciutto, pistachio pesto, muenster and American cheese, and scrambled eggs. This tasted delicious, and was an elevated spin on a good ‘ole fashioned breakfast sandwich. We found out from the owner that they are opening another Prep & Pastry in Scottsdale later on this year, and I can’t wait!

Next up, we got to explore the arts portion of Tucson in the Historic Fourth Avenue. We needed a caffeine break, so stopped by Exo Roast Co. and ordered an Iced Chai, with turmeric and golden milk. The café had an industrial feel to it, that was perfect for the cloudy weather. We also wandered over to Pop Cycle, a cute shop that uses recycled materials, and Antigone Books, a feminist independent bookstore. I picked up a cute skirt and a classic book from both!

Finally, we went to check out the new, Charro Del Rey. This is owned and operated by the same good people of El Charro Café. Charro Del Rey specializes in seafood, so we knew we had to order the Tower del Rey! Complete with every seafood imaginable, this two-level tower of delectable goodness included lobster, oysters, crab legs, shrimp, and even two Corona’s! Everything looked, smelled, and tasted awesome! We also ordered the El Coctel SiViches and Bacon Bocaditos; the consistency of the seafood continued to impress. But what really stole the show was Charro Del Rey’s Lobster Tamalada, or, a tamale stuffed lobster with two different types of sauces on it. The innovation of flavors ceased to amaze. We had a wonderful time in Tucson, I can’t wait to explore more on my next visit!