DAY 1:
10 a.m.: Your Host: “The Bird Watcher” by David Voisard at the Amado Territory Ranch in Amado.
Discover the Arizona precious opal that is locally mined with a Black Star Mine Tour; make a stop and sit in on a cooking class at nationally famous, Dog Chef’s of America; you won’t need a hat or spurs for some horseback riding on the ranch; take a step back in time and tour the Amado Territory Inn with it’s rustic elegance and warm welcome!

11:30 a.m.: Your Host: “Desert Feathers” by Judith Bateman at the Rex Ranch Resort in Amado.
Wake up your palate with lunch experiencing a taste of fine local cuisine; rejuvenate yourself with an invigorating spa treatment; you’re in ranch country so there’s more horseback riding with a back drop of the Santa Rita mountains; see for yourself the wonderment of night in the Valley with a Night Skies tour.

1:30 p.m.: Your Host: “Two Ravens” by Mark Rossi at the Tubac-Santa Cruz Visitor Center in La Entrada de Tubac in Tubac.
First settled in 1752 when Spanish soldiers built a presidio, today, Tubac has an eclectic mix of more than 80 shops, galleries and restaurants. Set in a Mercado atmosphere, you’ll enjoy a stroll through the shops of working artist’s studios with the added delight of demonstrations of artists at work. Painters, potters, sculptors and carvers are among the many artists who make their home in the village and they produce works in every medium. As you wander though the art galleries, working studios and gift shops you’ll have time to do a little shopping on your own.

3:00 p.m.: Your Host: “Roadrunners” by Marlene Knutson at the Tubac Golf Resort & Spa in Tubac.
A short walk along the famous five-hundred-year-old Anza Trail, situated on the first land grant awarded by the King of Spain in 1789 to the ranch’s founding family, the Oteros, you can grab a golf club and play a few holes or call on a pro for some advice to hone your swing; marvel at the plethora of fine art galleries – you can shop too!

4:30 p.m.: Your Host: Long Earred Owls” by mark Rossi at Rio Rico Nature Center in Rio Rico.
View the future site of one of Arizona’s grandest State Park and wilderness areas, experience what will become an extensive multi-phase project includes a 3,000-square foot visitor and nature center. For now, it provides entry to the much-celebrated de Anza Trail —a historic trail that marks the route Juan Bautista de Anza took when he led an expedition to discover what is now San Francisco, California. Take a guided walk along the Anza Trail, basking in the beauty and wonder of pure nature.

5:30 p.m.: Your Host: “The Magnificent Turkey Vulture” Marlene Knutson at Esplendor Resort in Rio Rico.
As the day winds down with an awesome Arizona sunset in the mountains, relax with appetizers, wine and reflection of the day. A few words from dignitaries from the sister border towns of Nogales, Sonora and Nogales, Arizona will only embellish the flavor of the warmth of the area. Be our guest for the night at a ranch retreat or a cozy bed and breakfast as you snuggle down under a Santa Cruz Valley star-studded sky.

DAY 2:
8:00 a.m.: Your Host: “Raptor-ous” by Faith Posey at the Nogales-Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce in Nogales, Arizona.
Kick start the day with a Mariachi Band and other area cultural performances in the Chamber park. Then explore rich history on a guided walking tour of Main Street of historic Nogales. You’ll get a taste for the cultural fabric that is woven from the cattle, commerce, retail, mining, military and produce industries. Your tour guide will take you through the commercial and residential sections of the city’s center, where legends abound. Along the way, you’ll visit the Pimeria Alta Museum, the Old Town Hall, which was built in 1914 by the Nogales Volunteer Fire Department, and magnificent homes owned by merchants, politicians and other influential residents of Nogales.

10:00 a.m.: Your Host: “Screech Owls: Sightings” at Estancia Yerba Buena/Kino Springs Golf Course in Kino Springs.
Take your choice of several exciting activities: Enjoy bird watching at two ponds in a little-known birding outpost; experience the descendents from Father Kino’s horse stock, the Spanish Barb Horses at the equestrian center; tour or play a couple of holes on the upper nine; or take part in a real ‘Cattle Ranching Tour.’ Upon departure, a perfect photo stop at the Stewart Granger Lookout with breathtaking and spectacular views of the rivers, mountains, flora and fauna of the area with the added splendor of views into Mexico.

11:30 a.m.: Your Host: “Grey Hawk” at the Mountain Empire’s Visitor Center in Patagonia.
Tour the magnificent Butterfly Garden in the center of Town Park; From there, a naturalist will lead a hike at The Nature Conservancy’s Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve, which has an international reputation for its outstanding bird watching. Maybe you’ll catch sight of the elusive Elegant Trogon, a bright red Vermillion flycatcher or an iridescent hummingbird, just a few of the 300 species of birds throughout the year that come to this lush riparian area.

1:00 p.m.: Your Host: “Owl Totem” by Diana Davis at La Mision de San Miguel in Patagonia.
Tapas paired with wine tasting of exceptional local wines at an historic art and cultural center. Proprietress Cecilia San Miguel will host a wine tasting of local award winning wines by Callaghan Vineyards. Because the elevation, climate and soil conditions compare to that of Boudreaux, France, some world-class wines are being produced in the Santa Cruz Valley!