A walking tour acquaints you with the city around you, helping you avoid disaster during future scavenger hunts and upcoming bouts of amnesia. Today’s Groupon gets you two hours of steps closer: for $7, you get your choice of a guided walking tour of Tucson from Kruse Arizona Tours (a $15 value). Your Groupon is redeemable for one of three walking tours, variously available on 5/18, 6/1, 6/7, and 6/24.

Touring your home city can be as fun as touring your own back yard, without all the unpleasant odors and discoveries of cheesecakes from parties long past. Opt for the twilight Barrio Viejo walking tour, and meet on either Tuesday, May 18, at 5:45 p.m. or Thursday, June 24, at 6 p.m. by La Pilita to set out on a two-hour exploration of the cultural and architectural traditions of local Hispanic culture. Your tour guide will regale you with fascinating tales of the colorful cast of characters that shaped the region’s history. Or, take the twilight tour of Armory Park, which meets on Monday, June 7, at 6 p.m. at the Royal Elizabeth Bed and Breakfast and boasts two hours of enlightening education on the Victorian and Californian architectural stylings of 1880s Tucson. On Tuesday, June 1, at 6 p.m., meet at the northwest corner of Main and Alameda for a two-hour stroll admiring the historic mansions of Main Street, complete with anecdotal entertainment on the life and times of early Tucsonians.

Each of the tours is led by Alan Kruse, whose encyclopedic knowledge of local culture led him to a vice-presidency at the Southern Arizona Guides Association and membership at the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau. The former college professor now boasts one of the busiest walking-tour schedules in Tucson, and his cunning wit and quirky attire promise to charm even the most gruff and hardened historical home touree. Call ahead to schedule the tour of your choice and prepare for two hours of unparalleled enlightenment.

Reviews

Alan Kruse's walking tours were featured in the Arizona Daily Star twice:

• I was looking for something to do after I retired," (Kruse) said. "No one was going to pay me to talk about chemistry, so I switched over. I was still a teacher, and that's my first love." Kruse started leading walking tours about eight years ago and now leads about 25 a year. – Valerie Vinyard
• If your resolutions for the new year include being healthy, losing weight and/or learning more about Tucson, then a walking tour might be just the thing. – Valerie Vinyard