Since we stay focused and dedicated to our studies all week long, when the weekend finally rolls around, we need a vacation. Scratch that, we deserve one.

But what is there to do? Two days do not leave much time for travel, and while Tucson does have spectacular weather, hanging around campus or going to the movies hardly seems like a vacation. Plus, it doesn’t take long before that popcorn starts to lose its pizzazz.

So what can you do to escape the hum-drum of monotony? Well, why not act as a tourist for a day? Gain a new perspective on Tucson by visiting the many sites and attractions that intrigue sightseers far and wide.

Encounter real wildlife

Tucked away in the very heart of Tucson, the 17-acre campus of Reid Park Zoo is home to hundreds of the world’s most striking animals. In just one day, you can travel to the far reaches of the globe. Journey to South America to see a capybara and a Baird’s Tapir, pass through the forests of Asia that serve as the home of the lion-tailed macaque and even see if you can spot a muntjac, which is commonly referred to as the barking deer. And the best part: you can even get home by dinner time.

Reid Park Zoo

1100 S. Randolph Way

Tucson, AZ 85716

791-4022

http://www.tucsonzoo.org/

Get an up-close look at our native creatures

If you have never seen a javelina, you need to take a trip out to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. The 21-acre natural history museum allows you to experience the sights and sounds of the Sonoran Desert as you walk through the reconstructed habitats of the region’s many reptiles, birds and mammals. Featuring such exhibits as a walk-in aviary, an artificial cave experience and the Desert Loop Trail, you are sure to get a firsthand look at Tucson’s natural wildlife. You can even enjoy a desert delicacy such as a Sonoran cheesesteak or a chicken sandwich with prickly pear plum sauce at the museum’s Ironwood Terrace Restaurant.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

2021 N. Kinney Rd.

Tucson, AZ 85743

883-2702

http://www.desertmuseum.org/

Walk into a cowboy gun fight

Get ready for cowboys, gun shows and saloons when you take a trip out west to see one of Tucson’s most popular tourist attractions, Old Tucson Studios. Not only can you walk around the site of many of Hollywood’s most beloved films and television series, including “”Little House on the Prairie,”” “”Bonanza,”” “”¡Three Amigos!”” and “”Joe Kidd,”” but you’re also offered a variety of stunt shows and musical acts to make you feel like you have traveled back in time to the days of brawny cowboys and rowdy duels.

Old Tucson Studios

201 S. Kinney Rd.

Tucson, AZ 85735

520-883-0100

http://www.oldtucson.com

— Dallas Williamson