New Thrills in the Old Pueblo: Tucson

Whether you spend a day or a weekend, Tucson is the adventurer’s town. Get out and bike the scenic six-mile Bajada Loop Drive through Saguaro National Park, but don’t forget water—or helmets, which are mandatory for kids under 18 (especially since cars share this gravel road). If you’d rather play than ride, take the kids to the T-Rex Museum. They’ll dig for fossils, split open geodes and enjoy a dinosaur film and popcorn at the end. Towards evening, get your vittles at the famous Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse in Trail Dust Town, a vestige of the Old West. Afterward, enjoy the Town’s très affordable family entertainment: the C.P. Huntington miniature railroad, panning for gold, a 1920s carousel and the free, funny and thrilling Wild Wild West Stunt Show. If you’re still not exhausted by 10 p.m., jet over to Lucky Strike Bowling for weekend Cyberbowl until 1 a.m. 520.733.5153, www.nps.gov/sagu; 520.888.0746, www.trexmuseum.org; 520.296.5442, www.traildusttown.com; 520.327.4926, www.vantagebowlingcenters.com.