Tubac is a small Santa Cruz Valley town south of Tucson, and it earns more time than its size suggests. It began as a Spanish presidio in 1752, was abandoned and resettled more than once, and later became one of Arizona's better-known art colonies.
The town works because the pieces sit close together. You can start at Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, wander the adobe streets and galleries around Plaza Road, then drive a few minutes south to Tumacacori National Historical Park, where the roofless mission church stands in the desert light.
Tubac is best as a slow borderlands day rather than a checklist stop. The history is older than most Arizona towns, the art scene gives the centre life, and the Santa Cruz River corridor makes the whole place feel greener and softer than the surrounding desert.