Hitting the bottle??

If the situation in Washington, DC is getting on your nerves, let me suggest a little adult refreshment! And here to celebrate wine in a BIG WAY is one of Tucson's most beloved icons - the Boondocks Chianti Bottle! Did you know that the cork topper is real cork? Boondocks has been a blues music hangout in Tucson for decades. It came under new ownership in 2017. 
 

Path to a Glorious New Year!

Here is one of the many lighted paths at the Tucson Botanical Gardens. Their holiday luminaria festival is a perfect way to celebrate walking into the New Year! I hope that your 2021 path is colorful and beautifully illuminated! HAPPY NEW YEAR! 
 

Same House, Different Chef

Every year the Arizona Inn creates a "Mini Inn" display for the lobby. I don't know if the house is gingerbread (or even if it is edible). Here's a quick review of 6 versions that have been on display in recent years. The top image is this year's house. A little skimpy on embellishments IMHO.

YES, the alarming orange icing is really that color - no trick of the camera! Anyone who has ever seen the Inn will describe it as more of a PINK than an ORANGE color so it is unclear why the pastry chefs went so heavy into the "Hazard Orange" color zone...   Which one do you like the best? And YES some years are definitely better than others (as you can see for yourself). 

Change of Season ~

Ah, yes! "THE" tree is beautifully displayed at the Arizona Inn. Every year the Inn places a huge Christmas tree in the library - visible from Elm Street, too. A beautiful tradition and a beautiful tree. Sets the festive mood for the season! 

A Tucson evening of magical discovery!

You MUST see this show! The Arizona Theatre Company's current production, Silent Sky, is based on the true story of Henrietta Leavitt, an astonomer who made one of the most important discoveries about our universe. It is only here in Tucson until November 9 and then it runs in Phoenix. This is a wonderful evening of theatre! Click here to buy tickets. 

Botanical Couple ~

These gorgeous bronze sculptures by Robert J Wick incorporate living plants into them which connects them in a profound way to their surroundings. At the moment the Tucson Botanical Gardens has a number of these pieces throughout the grounds. The exhibit was scheduled to end on June 30 but the installation is still in place - for how much longer, I don't know. Magical!

Photo courtesy of Ken Wilcox.

Winding Road Theatre - Tucson Treasure

There are so many small theatre companies in Tucson that it's hard to keep up! The Winding Road Theatre uses the stage at the Historic Y (on 5th Ave) for this show. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND their current production of Lillian Hellman's "Little Foxes." (You may have seen the film starring Bette Davis as Regina.)  This is an excellent production with exceptional performances (particularly Regina and Birdie)! Just a few more performances so hurry!

Starts tonight!

When was the last time you visited the Reid Park Zoo? Tonight is the first night of their Asian Lantern Festival - should be a spectacular, colorful event! For more info, click here.

Throwback Thursday ~ Throwing Dust!

07 FEBRUARY 2013

Ahhhhh - refreshing dust bath

Then:

Elephants spray each other with dust to deter bugs and to keep cool. They were blowing around a LOT of dust when I was watching them! The elephant exhibit is the newest major expansion of the Reid Park Zoo. The zoo even has an elephant web cam so if you are crazy about elephants, be sure to tune in! To read more about the exhibit and these wonderful animals, click here.

Now:

If you want to watch the elephants between 9:30 am - 1:30 pm, here is the link to their own WEB CAM! 

Tucson Trivia ~ Did you know about our STARGAZING?

Did you know that Tucson has some of the best stargazing areas? Tucson is part of a Dark Skies initiative to enable our many local observatories (like Kitt Peak, Mt Lemmon, and Mt Graham) to continue their important research. To find out about the best places in Tucson to stargaze, CLICK HERE.

"Missile With A Man In It"

This TF-104 was known as the "Missile With a Man In It."  To learn more about this warbird, click here.  This plane is housed at Tucson's Pima Air & Space Museum.

Photo courtesy of Ken Wilcox. 

Battle Scarred but Refurbished ~

This is a MIG-15 Fighter - up close and personal! Click here to learn more about this aircraft. It is housed at the Pima Air & Space Museum which is definitely a "must see" for all history buffs. 

Photo courtesy of Ken Wilcox. 

Heros Flew These ~

Heros! This combat plane is a Curtis P-40E housed at the amazing Pima Air & Space Museum. Its markings are of the 49th Fighter Group, 9th Fighter Squadron, Darwin, Australia, 1942.  
Kudos to the brave pilots who took to the air in this aircraft knowing that it was inferior in many respects to most of the enemy aircraft they faced. 

Photo courtesy of Ken Wilcox. 

World's Oldest and Largest ~

 

It is estimated that as many as 50,000 

people attend this event! 

Here are all of the links that you need to plan shopping: 

MAIN INFO

SPECIALTY SHOWS

EVEN MORE INFO. 

The Tucson Gem & Mineral Show is HUGE. In addition to the full-to-bursting Tucson Convention Center and surrounding tented parking lots all over the downtown area, nearly every Tucson hotel also has exhibits/booths in their lobby and/or in their hospitality suites. 

A Peek Behind the Scenes ~

I was lucky to have a chance to photograph this beautiful female ocelot who was resting "off exhibit" at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. She looks snug in her cat habitat, doesn't she? Beautiful animal! 

Lot o' Tail!

This handsome male ocelot lives at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. His camouflage is so magnificent that you might miss that TAIL!  

5 More Weeks of Wonder to Go!

Each year the UA College of Science treats the community to an amazing FREE lecture series that is held at Centennial Hall. Not only do they select interesting topics, they also select amazing speakers to present different viewpoints. The series was launched on Tuesday night with Joanna Masel presenting, "There is no Certainty." Click HERE for full info. 

Tucson Trivia ~ the Tucson Portrait Project

Chances are good that someone you know is one of the thousands of portraits on display in the Fourth Avenue Underpass. 10 years ago the "Tucson Portrait Project" was launched to capture photos of people in Tucson - all kinds of people...young, old, big, little... and some animals, too! A truly great piece of public art! 

Still cluckin'!

10 JANUARY 2010

Tucson's Favorite Chickens ~

THEN (2010): The wonderful Community Food Bank started a community garden about 5 years ago. The chicken coop houses a few different types of chickens and the only ones I saw today were this pair ~ I think they are Rhode Island Reds but my knowledge of chickens is pretty limited! The eggs are sold at local farmer's markets.

NOW: The Food Bank chickens are now part of a whole program called Nuestra Tierra. Read more about it and how you can volunteer HERE: 

Today is the last day!

The marvelous exhibit at the Tucson Botanical Gardens, "Luminous," closes today so this is your last chance to see these whimsical and enchanting illuminated sculptures for yourself. Enjoy!