Travel Tips & Adventures

After a long trek around the University of Arizona campus, resting my tired feet while trying out the Old Pueblo Trolley was much anticipated.  The Old Pueblo Trolley, billed on their Web site as “an operating transit museum” is a short, evocative experience.

We hopped on at the stop just down the block from the U of A main gate.  The old trolley, originally from Belgium, had some signs that were definitely not in English.  There were little counters between the seats, harkening back to a more gracious life in Europe where the trolley originated.

Trolley Sign - exit in 2 languages

Old Pueblo Trolley - this car built in Belgium

Since all but one seat was occupied, my gallant husband indicated that I should take the seat.  I was grateful.

The sign stated that the trolley had a 50-person capacity, which included SRO.

As we climbed on, one of the two conductors asked for our twenty-five cent fares (Sundays is only 25 cents per person!).  Since it was right before St. Paddy’s Day, they were both dressed in green-sparkly hats and other green accoutrements.

Everyone seemed in a festive spirit as we headed down the street.  The homes we whisked by were nearly a century old, bungalow-type houses that, for the most part, have been kept nicely through the years.

20th century bungalow along University Boulevard

As we headed around the trolley track’s curve, the street changed from residential to a more retail-commercial neighborhood.  The festive colors of many of the shops were certainly not boring!  The names of the shops were also inventive with some very eye-catching signs.  Stores are unique, one-of-a-kind places where you can just imagine finding some vintage 60s psychedelic clothes. Fourth Avenue shops definitely do not fit the modern image of commercial stores, but they have a funky charm of their own.

Shops along Fourth Avenue

Upbeat, funky Goodwill on Fourth Avenue

Then, a new crew of conductors came aboard as we stopped.  To our surprise, we found out we were at the end of the line!  The online map showing the trolley route has not been changed to reflect that they no longer go all the way under the underpass to Congress and back.  Stopping after only about six blocks was a disappointment.  The money we paid for the “round trip” was only $1, so we did not find the investment too extensive.

We shifted to the other side of the trolley. With enough seats for us both to be seated, we now saw the other side of the street going back to the trolley’s route near the University.  Many campus hangouts dot the south side of University Boulevard, but there was almost an eerie emptiness, since we were visiting during spring break.

Frog & Firkin, campus hangout

The Old Pueblo Trolley is a short, but fun excursion while you’re in Tucson.  Although there is a slightly higher fee on Friday night and Saturday, when they also operate, it is a non-profit organization, so you can’t be grudge the fee for the experience.

The trolley volunteers clearly love their efforts and the experience is just out of the ordinary, so it is an attraction worth considering.

http://www.oldpueblotrolley.org

Visit later this week for a view of some other Tucson scenes.

Tags: Family Fun, Historic, Museum, Shopping, Southwest, Travel, Trolley

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at 6:00 am and is filed under Arizona, Family Fun, Historic, Museums, Shopping, Southwest, Travel, Vintage vehicles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.