Tour looks at how territorial Tucsonans survived summer without AC

The Surviving the Summer walking tour kicks off Saturday, June 3, and will be held again on June 17 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Historian and preservationist Ken Scoville will take attendees on a 2-mile walk, sharing how everyone had to develop the same strategies as other desert dwellers: endure, evade and escape, a news release says.

Stops include visits to some of the earliest remaining adobe homes. It will also take a look at the area where diarist and saloon keeper George Hand first had ice cream before making a stop at an existing ice cream shop for a cold treat.

Maps, images and quotes from Hand’s diary will aid the time traveler experience of 150 years ago in the Old Pueblo, the news release says.

The arrival of the railroad provided an escape to Pacific beaches if one could afford ticket prices, the museum says.

The tour costs $25 per person or $20 for Presidio Museum members. Pre-registration is required at tucson presidio.com/walking-tours.