Southeastern Arizona—the area between Tucson and the Mexican border—is a bastion of true Americana but also a place where the Old West meets the new.

Overview
This 160-mile route (with side trips) heads southeast from Tucson along the Old Spanish Trail to Pistol Hill Road, then follows Interstate 10 to Highway 83 South, leading into the Santa Rita Mountains and the glory of the Old West. Turn east at Highway 82 in Sonoita and head to Highway 80. Follow it south to Tombstone and on to Bisbee, your final destination.

Start in Tucson
Tucson is an outdoors lover's paradise with canyons, mountains, and deserts to explore. Park your car and hike up Seven Falls Trail in Sabino Canyon to a natural pool with views. Drive the eight-mile-long Cactus Forest Drive in the east section of Saguaro National Park (3693 S. Old Spanish Trail, Tucson; +1 520 733 5153; www.nps.gov/sagu). For a historic place to stay downtown, try the funky Hotel Congress (311 E. Congress St., Tucson; +1 520 622 8848; www.hotelcongress.com). The authentic Guatemalan cuisine of Maya Quetzal (429 N. 4th Ave., Tucson; +1 520 622 8207) includes specialty rices and various dishes made with mole sauce.

Into the Mountains
As you leave Tucson and head into the desert, admire the legions of tall cacti from which Saguaro National Park takes its name. Driving south on Highway 83, penetrate rolling hills dotted with manzanitas and piñon pines. When you hit Highway 82 at Sonoita, you leap into a John Ford Western. To the immediate west are the Santa Rita peaks. To the northeast are the Whetstone Mountains and to the southeast, the Huachucas. Their canyons shelter lost mines, ghost towns, and terrain that famed Apache warrior Geronimo once roamed.