Oro Valley

northwest of downtown are well established casas adobes and up-and-coming oro valley. established in the mid-1940s, casas adobes is the oldest suburb of tucson; once a refuge for horse ranchers and those in search of open spaces, it is now a destination for chic shopping and tempting dining. climb up the viewing tower at mediterranean-style casas adobes plaza, and visit the nearby tohono chul park, where indigenous plants of the sonoran desert have been protected for several decades. north of casas adobes is the burgeoning oro valley. golf courses have flourished in this 'snowbird?-filled area, and masterplanned communities stretch north to where the tortolita and catalina mountains meet.