Tucson Throwback Thursday ~

08 FEBRUARY 2015

Tucson is still wild ~

THEN:

In my neighborhood we have a couple of herds of javelina and coyotes but I have never seen a deer. My friend, however, sees deer frequently up in Oro Valley. Here's one in the backyard!

NOW:

Some things stay the same - her part of Tucson is still wild! 

Photo courtesy of Susan Dodson. 

Get your GLOW! on ~

This year's GLOW! event offered a Steampunk night as well as other specialty nights - all had glowing sculpture and amazing and bizarre art constructions illuminated with millions of twinkling lights. It is part art, part celebrating the full moon, and part adventure. To read more about GLOW!, click here.
Photo courtesy of Susan Dodson. 

The beautiful bonus of rain ~

We are so lucky in Tucson to have ever-changing and always beautiful skies. These double rainbow captures were taken from a back yard near Dove Mountain. Gorgeous!

Photo courtesy of Glenn Hudson. 

Historical View ~

This beautiful second story view is at Westward Look Resort, one of Tucson's oldest hotels. The resort has a rich history and still retains a western flair that appeals to an international clientele. 

A glimpse of the lifestyle of the 1% ~

Here is the incredible view from the club house at Stone Canyon. This is a beautifully designed facility that offers one of the best golf courses in the Southwest. Of course, you can live in Stone Canyon, too - not just golf there. The homes are spectacular!

Photo courtesy of Susan Dodson.

Tucsnow on the Catalinas!

We are still having brrrrrrr weather in Tucson! I love the contrast here between the snow covered mountains and the mighty saguaro standing at (cold!) attention.
Photo courtesy of Susan Dodson.

Tucson's Heavenly Beauty ~

Here is a beautiful snowy mountain view from the western part of town. This is the Oro Valley United Church of Christ at the top of El Conquistador Way. I love the soft grey sky.

Photo courtesy of Susan Dodson. 

Sax & the Sidewalk

Casas Adobes Plaza's Alchemista Aromatherapy Sanctuary & Spa was the scene for a jazz concert this past weekend that featured James Anderson and the Shakybones band. Photo courtesy of Mark Wight. http://www.shakybones.net/band.html

All that's missing is a cow skull ~

When I saw this bit of old barbed wire fencing and this rough fence post I had to share the image. This embodies the spirit of the Old West and I think it's cool that this parcel of land is just a wee bit off of Interstate 10 - not some remote area as you might think at first glance.

Arizona's mining industry ~ strange beauty

I'm not sure I have the right term but I think this mountain of dirt is referred to as "waste rock" in the mining industry. This "Mount Dirt" is near the Pinal Air Park (about 45 minutes north of Tucson) where there is an active open pit mine. I was struck by the surreal beauty of this landscape. Unfortunately, the road was devoid of traffic so there is nothing to indicate scale here.

Final day of play at Dove Mountain ~

Today is the final day of play at the Accenture Match Play tournament at Tucson's beautiful Ritz-Carlton/Dove Mountain Resort. Wow, and it was an exciting tournament even without Tiger! (And the nervous sports writers said it couldn't be done.)

Here's a photo of one of the parking areas that overlooks the course.
The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain
www.ritzcarlton.com

All eyes will be on Dove Mountain ~

The beautiful Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain is the setting again for this year's Accenture Match Play that tees off on Feb 15. There's lots of "Will he or won't he?" buzz about Tiger. The resort has an impressive collection of art and sculpture ~ here's one of the modern sculpture fountains on the grounds.

http://www.visittucson.org/visitor/golf/matchplay/
The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain
http://www.ritzcarlton.com/

Science & Nature ~ Peace & Harmony

Here are more photos from yesterday's grand opening event at sanofi-aventis. The meditation garden includes a bronze "Cluster Model" and a "Medicine Maze" to represent the challenges that confront the facility's scientists every day in their research.

The peaceful space was designed by Rebecca Thompson. For more about this artist, go to: http://www.rebeccathompsonsculpture.com/

http://www.sanofi-aventis.us/

Celebrating Bioscience in Tucson ~

Today the team at sanofi-aventis (no capital letters) held the grand opening/ribbon cutting of their beautiful new facility on Innovation Park Drive. To say this research & development building is "state of the art" doesn't even come close to describing it. The site was designed to combine the best in green technology (it is LEED certified) while integrating the building into the surrounding landscape and masking/minimizing much of the necessary industrial fittings from view. (The nearby community appreciates it!)

Public art was an important component of the site and today's posting highlights the 28' high steel century plant designed by Joe Tyler. The agave stalk's 100 leaves represent Arizona's 100 years of statehood (coming up in 2012) and the 15 blooms represent Arizona's 15 counties. It is solar powered ~ I bet it's gorgeous at night! For more on Joe Tyler, go to: http://www.artistic-vision.com/

To read more about sanofi, the site builder, and what LEED certification means, here are the links:http://www.sanofi-aventis.us/live/us/en/index.jsp
http://www.dprinc.com/
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1988

Wishing you a sweet, happy New Year!

Two of my wonderful girlfriends treated me today to a birthday tea at the lovely Chantilly Tea Room. And how sweet it was! What a way to end the year and start a new one. We enjoyed delicate pastries, fragrant hot teas, savory treats, and oh la la ~ our delicious scones were made even more scrumptious with the addition of a dollop of Chantilly cream (the tea room's own recipe made with Grand Marnier).

This is a marvelous restaurant and gift shop ~ a place to find all things tea related from special tea blends to enchanting tea pots to opulent serving utensils for your own special cakes. We are already planning our next visit - another sweet treat.

Wishing you a very happy New Year filled with all good things! Thanks for visiting the site and for sharing your comments, opinions, and observations. Here's to a wonderful 2010!

Chantilly Tea Room & Gift Boutique

http://www.chantillytearoom.com/
5185 North Genematas Drive
Tucson, AZ 85704-5246
(520) 622-3303

A Peek ~ Gorgeous Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain

The official grand opening of the Ritz Carlton/Dove Mountain resort hotel is next week but here is a glimpse inside of one of the private dining rooms. These stunning light fixtures feature hanging strands of minerals - quartz and amber - that positively glow as they move.

The Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain
http://www.ritzcarlton.com/
15000 N Secret Springs Drive
Marana, AZ 85658
(520) 572-3000

Magnificent Desert Bighorn Ram ~

This marvelous lifesize bronze sculpture of a Desert Bighorn Ram was created by Tucson artist, Mark Rossi. The ram stands on the grounds of the beautiful Hilton El Conquistador Resort.

Rossi is one of the world's foremost wildlife sculptors and his work is displayed in many Tucson locations such as the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Reid Park Zoo, and the Tucson Botanical Gardens (to name just a few) as well as in numerous museum and corporate collections throughout the country. To see more of his work, click here:
http://www.medicinemangallery.com/bio/markrossi.lasso

http://www.hiltonelconquistador.com/

Perfect Sky, Perfect Temperature ~ Ah, Tucson!

We have finally (hurray!) put the intense heat behind us for the next few months. The temperatures now are in the 70's and 80's ~ just old fashioned beautiful weather. Blue skies, sunshine, and cactus - what Tucson is famous for!

The Zen of Golf ~ Tucson style

Even an avid golfer might want to take a break and enjoy the beautiful desert view from this serene overlook. This is the golf course at Dove Mountain ~ Ritz Carlton. Click on the label "Dove Mountain" to see other photos from this resort.

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/DoveMountain/Golf/Default.htm

The Desert's Special Beauty ~

Here is another image from the Picture Rocks area outside of Tucson. The desert is lush and green here with saguaro, prickly pear, sage, and creosote.

Photo courtesy of Cindy Klein.