When we first visited Tucson in 2012, our stay was too short to really visit all the surrounding communities. Over the next eight years, we were able to visit more of the general Tucson area. One of those areas was Oro Valley.
Oro Valley is a suburb north of Tucson about ten miles. The town is between the Catalina and Tortolita mountains and was incorporated in 1974.
What I like about this part of Southern Arizona is the access to business and recreation. The town has been purposely designed to provide essential services and retail businesses while preserving the beauty of the geography. Occasionally I will miss a turn because the architecture of a business has been so well designed to meld with the scenery.
The proximity of Oro Valley enables residents and visitors easy access to downtown Tucson or north to more serene destinations, such as SaddleBrooke Ranch or the town of Oracle.