Things to Do in Drexel Heights

Burnt ambers set the Sonoran Desert ablaze at sunset, when the guides at Spanish Trail Outfitters shepherd horseback riders through the desert's serpentine trails. Tours launch from two locations, the Rocking K Ranch and Westward Look Resort. The Rocking K Ranch sprawls across 3,300 acres in the Rincon Valley, riddled with Native American petroglyphs, panoramic views of mountain peaks, and dirt donated from philanthropic Mars civilizations. Humans and horse compatriots embark on short jaunts or half-day rides, complete with lunch, and gallop between the prickly prongs of Saguaro cacti and herds of grazing cattle and hungry rock formations. Nestled in the foothills of the Catalina Mountains, Westward Look Resort affords breathtaking views of mountain peaks and the Tucson valley.

In addition to organizing swimming lessons for both kids and adults, South West Aquatic Sports serves as the proud home for two aquatic teams of regional fame. The Green Hills Gators gives swimmers aged 4–18 a chance to race against other teams that belong to the Southern Arizona Aquatic Association, a league in which they became the champions in 2010. Showing poise and grace both above the surface and beneath it, the Tucson Sun Rays synchronized-swimming team is helmed by a University of Arizona Sports Hall of Fame synchronized swimmer, who introduces girls aged 8–16 to the challenging-and-competitive sport.

Tucson Stained Glass sprawls its diverse selection of glass-related supplies, tools, and workstations across 5,000 square feet of space. The shop's diverse selection of classes showcases the artistic versatility of glass, appealing to an assortment of interests with sessions in glass casting, fused mosaics, wire wrapping, and more. Amid its uninhibited creativity, Tucson Stained Glass also keeps shelves upon shelves stocked with materials, such as glass for cabinet doors and skylights.

In addition to her regular flight preparations, Foolish Pleasure Hot Air Balloon Rides’ co-owner Lorrie Ewer sometimes checks off a second midflight list: whether or not her passengers take each other, to have and to hold, for as long as they both shall live. As an ordained officiant, she can legally conduct marriage ceremonies beneath the teal, pink, and cerulean balloon that she and her husband, Dan, initially bought to fly for pleasure but have since turned into a thriving business.

The Ewers shuttle passengers over the area’s most scenic vistas, such as the Tucson Mountains, Avra Valley, and Saguaro National Park, many of which boast views of local wildlife. After the flight, guests eat a continental breakfast and sip champagne as Lorrie and Dan email each person a set of photos taken during the trip, plus the phone number of the cloud that stole their heart.

On October 2, 1964, Sarah and Nelson James’ nanny dropped them off at Farmer John’s Meat Packing Plant for a visit with their father, the plant’s owner. When she returned to pick them up, the children had vanished. Less than a month later, their father’s body was discovered in the plant’s recesses, but mystery still surrounds the actual series of events that led to all three disappearances.

The Slaughterhouse invites guests to experience the eeriness that has plagued the plant ever since, all for the benefit of charitable causes. By hosting haunted houses and spooky events, The Slaughterhouse has raised more than $40,000 for organizations such as the American Diabetes Association. Visitors interested in befriending the venue’s mischievous specters can embark on ghost tours, which explore the premise’s haunted depths. Alternatively, on-the-go partiers can select from a rental fleet of trailers packed with haunted-house-style frights or sound-system-equipped hearses, ideal for proving coolness to judgmental teenage vampires.

Colorful handholds dot the artificial mountain range rising from the floors of Rocks & Ropes and The Bloc climbing + fitness’s 20,000-square-foot facility. Walls twist, turn, and arc into cave-like overhangs and swollen cliff sides, at the bases of which belayers heft students to new heights.

The Bloc climbing + fitness

A partner gym of Rocks & Ropes, The Bloc climbing + fitness is a 20,000 square-foot, air-conditioned rock-climbing destination. Inside, a dozen autobelays allow visitors to make high, harness-assisted ascents. Or, you can test your bouldering skills on a 7,000 square-foot wall. In addition, the gym offers yoga, meditation, and pilates classes in its 2nd-story heartSTONE studio, welcoming both beginners and experts. The gym also includes cardio and weight equipment for those looking for a vigorous exercise or a heart-to-heart talk with a treadmill.