Affiliate Disclosure
How We Earn Revenue
The Lowdown Guide is an independently operated travel resource. To keep our content free for readers, we participate in affiliate programs with select travel partners. When you click certain links on our site and make a purchase or booking, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Our Affiliate Partners
We currently work with the following affiliate programs:
- Viator — Tours, activities, and experience bookings. We earn a commission when you book a tour or activity through our Viator links. This includes Santa Cruz Valley day trips, borderlands history tours, and combined Tucson-area outings.
- Expedia — Hotel and lodging reservations and travel packages. We earn a commission when you book accommodation through our Expedia links. Because there's no meaningful overnight lodging cluster right at Tubac or Tumacácori, these point to the Tucson-area hotels most visitors base out of.
How Affiliate Links Work
Affiliate links look and function like regular links. When you click one, a small tracking code tells the partner that you came from our site. If you go on to make a purchase, the partner pays us a referral fee. The price you pay is exactly the same whether you use our link or go directly to the partner's website.
On our site, affiliate links are typically found in:
- Lodging booking call-to-action boxes (e.g., "Check Tucson Lodging Prices")
- Tour and activity recommendation sections (e.g., "Browse Tucson & Santa Cruz Valley Tours")
- Comparison guides and "which stop is worth it" sections
What Is Not an Affiliate Link
Entry to Tumacácori National Historical Park requires only the standard National Park Service entrance fee, paid directly to the NPS (or covered by an America the Beautiful annual pass). Walking Tubac's streets and browsing most galleries is free. We earn nothing from either of those, and we will always tell you plainly when the free, self-guided option is the better call.
Our Editorial Independence
Affiliate partnerships do not influence our editorial content. Our recommendations are based on personal experience, local knowledge, and independent research. We recommend places and experiences we genuinely believe will improve your trip, regardless of whether an affiliate link is available.
We will never recommend a tour or lodging option solely because it offers an affiliate commission. If we feature something, it's because we believe it provides real value to visitors choosing between the Tubac arts village and the Tumacácori mission ruin — and we say plainly when the free, self-guided option is the better call.
FTC Compliance
In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising, we disclose that this site contains affiliate links. This page serves as our comprehensive disclosure, and we also include brief disclosure notices near affiliate links throughout the site.
Questions?
If you have any questions about our affiliate relationships or how we fund this site, please contact us. We're happy to be transparent about how The Lowdown Guide operates.