A sheet metal worker quiety assembled specimens of minerals during his lifetime as an avocation, and donated the extensive mineral collection to the University of Arizona.  Hubert C. Monmonier was instrumental in putting the Arizona Mineral Museum on the international platform, donating a collection conservatively valued at eight million dollars, according to Mark Candee, curatorial museum specialist.

One of the top five mineral museums in the world is located on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson at the Flandrau Science Center on the lower level.  The Mineral Museum is 115 years young and originally was housed in the Geo-Science and engineering buildings.  It was originally established to showcase the minerals from Arizona, also known as the copper state.  More than 2500 pieces of minerals are currently on display.

The Museum is a research museum and has an extensive database with the DNA of thousands of minerals.  Technology today is such that an ruby from Burma  can be distinguished from an ruby  from India or South Carolina, Candee said.  The University of Arizona has one of the best labs in the world for identification and ten to fifteen new minerals are identified each year.  The Museum works in conjunction with the space program in an effort to determine the DNA of “space materials”. 

The best minerals from Bisbee and part of the private collection from the Graham Family will be on exhibit for six months beginning February 6. Additional minerals from the Smithsonian will also be displayed.  American Indian jewelery, made with local minerals, are also on exhibit.

 Minerals in today’s economy are definitely not loosing their value, Candee said.  All one has to do is look at the price of gold, silver, and platinum.  Those may be the most popular investment minerals for the general public, but people who know minerals invest in them for capital appreciation as well as their beauty. 

Rare and amazing minerals are on display at the Museum and for those lay people, wandering around the Gem and Mineral show, with eyes open, will provide a brief on the multitudes of minerals, their colors, facets, and pricing. 

A trip to the Mineral Museum on the UofA campus may be in order after touring the show, as well as spending time at the Main Show February 11 - 14 at the Tucson Convention Center. The theme is “Gems and Minerals”., verry appropriate!

of A Mineral Museum:     http://www.uamineralmuseum.org/gallery/

Tucson Gem and Mineral Society:            http://www.tgms.org/tgms.htm

Although Tucsonans enjoy all types of events throughout the year, January and February are the high note months for locals and winter visitors alike.  Several events take advantage of Tucson’s balmy climate and put Tucson on the international stage.

The Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, the largest gem and mineral show in the world, moves into Tucson at the end of January and runs until February 15.  Huge white tents dot areas of the city and the Gem and Mineral Show literally is throughout the city in most all hotels and motels, especially those along the I-10 corridor.   Unimaginable beautiful gems and minerals, muti facets in brilliant colors are on display for sale by vendors from six continents, just not Antarctica.

Not only are gems and minerals on sale, but beautiful beads for beading afficianados.  Middle Eastern rugs, African art and masks, artifacts indigenous to the areas dealers are from, beautiful weavings, and high quality “junk jewerly” line room after room of motels where courtyards are turned into international marketplaces. If you are a gem or mineral dealer- or a geologist - this is your show. 

The “Main Show” at the Convention Center is slated for February 11 through the 14th where fine specimens of minerals and gems are exhibited.  This is the show for collectors  and dealers from throughout the world and boasts a rare find to see so much quality in one area.

February 25 marks the Tucson Rodeo Parade, the beginning of “La Fiesta de los Vaqueros”, or in local parlance, Rodeo Days.  Rodeo is huge in Tucson, so huge that there is no school!  During  Rodeo day, people sport their cowboy hats, shirts, jeans, and of course, beautiful - often hand made - leather cowboy boots!  It’s tradition! 

The Rodeo Parade is the longest non motorized parade in the United States.  Rodeo draws riders from throughout the world and is a huge draw for locals as well as visitors.  The Rodeo Museum will be open where memorabilia, including old carriages, are on display. 

Spring training begins at the end of February and an afternoon in the ballpark with the sounds of cheering, the organ blaring the familiar tune cuing for home team cheering, plus the smell of hot dogs permeating the air add up to a grand afternoon.  The Colorado Rockies play at Hi Corbett Field and the Arizona Diamondbacks strut their stuff at Tucson Electric Park.

Golfing fans have Accenture Match Play which  starts February 15 and runs until February 21 at the Ritz Carlton Golf Course.  Again golfers from throughout the world compete for the “last man standing” championship.  This world class event will be televised and once again, Tucson will be on the international map.

Next week I will blog about each one of these events in depth.  Book your reservation and plane ticket to TUS and come to know and understand why we love Tucson!  Remember, each of these events is outdoor!

My friend Jennie and I went to an early dinner last night at Texas Roadhouse to celebrate the end of 2009. By all signs, 2009 was not the best year.  We both bogged down in all the economic jargon, the poor real estate market, the March dive of the stock market, the rhetoric of another “Great Depresssion,” and the profound sadness of people losing homes while we worked harder to try and accomplish loan modifications and/or short sales. 

What better way to drown these sorrows than in a huge baked potato swimming in sour cream and butter?  And a little steak as a side dish.  It signified the year…soft, mushy, without much substance, but full of caloric content with which to burden us further (with fat).

After that metaphor, I looked to 2010…the new year, the new decade, the new moon, the blue moon.  What could be more prophetic of a fabulous new year?  And so I count my blessings, of which there is an abundance, and write in my gratitude journal every morning, so grateful I live here.

How fortunate I am to live in beautiful Tucson, Arizona.  For anyone with resolutions, this is the place to be!  The temperature today is in the low 70’s, sunny, warm, perfect weather for a great hike into the Tucson Mountains or any surrounding trail.  Perhaps a trip to Sabino Canyon is in order, or a ride up the Catalina Highway to 8,000 feet above sea level into the pines and perhaps a bit of snow to Mount Lemmon.  Or take the children for a beautiful day at Sonora Desert Museum and marvel at all the life which abounds in the here in the desert.

Of course many people resolve during the new year to get fit, to loose weight, to become less sedentary… and if that is on your agenda, Tucson is your place!  The city has lots of walkways which are flat and many have rest benches along the pathway.  I have heard people say they were never so healthy as when they lived in Tucson! 

The vitamin D is abundant…necessary for strong bones…and Tucson is a bike friendly city.  In fact, Lance Armstrong was just here with his team practicing…and we are home to the internationally famous El Tour de Tucson.  There are lots of three wheelers out there which provide better exercise than a golf cart and recumbent bikes are becoming more popular.

So making the calculation of 3500 calories equals one pound, I figure I could loose 50 pounds this year if I use Tucson’s natural resources and walk one hour a day…up and down the Greasewood path or wherever, all while enjoying the changing scenery from winter, spring, summer, and fall. 

 I could start a new diet called “Move to Tucson and Loose 50 pounds in a year!”  Just follow these easy directions … “and wait…there’s more!  Sunshine included at no cost to you!  Beautiful mountain views and if you act now, we’ll even give you better health and flexibility!”  Now who could go wrong with that?

So long 2009!  So long baked potato swimming with sour cream and butter…Hello 2010!  I welcome you with open arms and gratitude!  And now, I bid adieu to see what’s new along the Greaswood path, soak up some Vitamin D, and get rid of at least 300 calories of that decadent baked potato!

AARP has named Tucson the number one place to live for the “active adult” community, alias the “mature adult”  community.  Looking to a simple life, Tucson garnered top kudos over all other places in the nation.

And indeed, Tucson is a grand place to live.  I willingly traded months of  grey, drizzly weather…and shoveling snow for a couple of months of “dry heat”.   Early mornings are perfect for a meandering walk and after dusk lends itself to upbeat outdoor concerts.

Tucson has integrated culture which makes it a vibrant community, blending it’s history as a part of Sonora Mexico prior to the Gadsden Purchase, with that of Native American culture, and Chinese culture. The white man found Tucson  with the advent of the railroads and brought with them new ideas of architecture, lumber, and eastern accountrements.

Tucson is rimmed with mountain ranges; the Catalinas to the north-northeast, home of the nation’s southermost ski area; the Rincons to the east; the Santa Ritas to the south, and the newest mountain range, the Tucson Mountains, to the west.   The topography is different in all the areas, but all provide interesting and diverse hiking paths and birding areas, one of the criteria of the AARP study.

Combine that with exceptional cultural activities, it’s own Symphony, a myriad of live theaters, the Center for Creative Photography which houses the Ansel Adams collection, the Tucson Museum of Art, DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun, and excellent small galleries, Tucson is making it’s name in the art and music world.  With one of the best Jazz Societies in the United States, a vibrant Blue Grass Society, Chamber Orchestras, Pops In the Park, citizens can toe tap to any rhythmn.

As someone enthusiastically once said to me, “the healthiest I’ve ever been is when I lived in Tucson”.  There are various sports activities, Senior Olympics, city owned tennis courts, golf courses galore, an assortment of classes offered by Parks and Rec, and classes in all types of activities ranging from Pilates to Weight Training to Salsa dancing at Pima Community College. 

Combined with the bragging rights of 360 days of sun, Tucson offers its inhabitants low cost activities, the beauty of the desert, affordable housing in comfortable communities, local produce at Farmer’s Markets, a plethora of volunteer activities, and excceptional medical facilities.  (Scan previous blogs for information about the St. Philip’s Farmer’s Market, and a series about hospitals in the Tucson area.)

AARP really nailed it correctly!  Tucson is the place to live!

Resources:

Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau:      

http://www.visittucson.org/

Tucson Chamber of Commerce:

http://www.tucsonchamber.org/

   Tucson lies within the Sonoran Desert which extends south to Mexico and westerly to southern California and the Baja Penisula.  Often called a “green desert”, people are surprised that the Sonoran  does not look like miles and miles of sand…the Gobi Desert or the Sahara.   A gem within Tucson is the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

    The Museum is a delightful place to visit, but plan on at least a morning or afternoon…if you are a trooper, plan for most of the day.  And wear comfy shoes.  I backpack water bottles and quartered oranges and sometimes plan for a late lunch at the restaurant. 

    The Desert Museum is off of Kinney Road on the west side of town.  Crossing Gates Pass, stands of stately beautiful saguaro cactus salute you and when you cross the crest, the sky appears to be more brilliantly blue.  Old time movie goers  will recognize the scenery, the backdrop to many a John Wayne western movie.

    Wandering the paths of the desert museum is a different world.  Climbing through the caves with the replicas of bats is an adventure for young and old;  the huge room with all of the exquisite rock formations…precious and semi-precious gems found in the Sonoran desert, some irridescent and deep gorgeous colors, reminds me I’m in a mining area…famous for copper, silver, and gold.

    Craning necks, people cluster to see the various types of rattlesnakes which inhabit the area as well as a multitude of tiny and not so tiny lizards, and of course the infamous gila monster with which you don’t want to tangle!  Insects and critters occupy one entire building, including the scorpions which have attracted an undeservedly nasty reputation.

    Meandering down the paths are the larger animals, delights to children;  bears, cougars, mountain liions, and the prarie dogs whose antics one can watch and can’t help but smile.  The Sonoran Desert is a birders’ paradise, and hundreds wing their way in the aviaries.  Photographers have a field day focusing  close up shots …including the hummingbird aviary which has more than 17 species.  The javalina and the coyotes are a big draw, just like the roadrunner, local wanderers within Tucson city limits.

       You can walk from the desert floor with the spiny types of cactus, to the top of the Catalinas at an elevation of 8,000 feet plus, to what looks like the pines of Maine, in the exhibit of the flora of the Sonoran Desert.  Some animals migrate up and down the mountains rather than flying south.

     A don’t miss treat, the Arizona- Sonoran Desert Museum is an outstanding collection of all that this Desert presents.  Stopping at the Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau downtown to purchase a Tucson Passport for $15. will get you into the Desert Museum on a two for one basis as well as many other attractions. 

    Put the Desert Museum on your list of things to do and see and give yourself a treat!

Resources:

Sonoran Desert Museum:

http:  www.desertmuseum.org/

Tucson Convention and Visitor’s Bureau:

http://www.visittucson.org

The Sonoran Desert:

http://www.desertusa.com/du_sonoran.html

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonoran_Desert

     At one point in time, Tucson used to be an ocean and if one digs around enough in the dirt, fossils of marine life can be found.  All one has to do to visualize this great body of water, is hike one of the four mountain ranges and then look down…to this flat valley of sorts, and the body of water suddenly comes to life in one’s imagination.

    Tucson is surrounded by four mountain ranges, all of which provide spectacular hiking experiences!  And the time is now to hike!  The 80 degree days are in hibernation as are the snakes which appear when the thermometer hits the octo numbers.

    To the west is Saguaro National Monument West, home to the Tucson Mountains.  These mountains are not as high as the Catalinas or Rincons, and are more pointed, therefore younger.  But the trails here are numerous and include Wasson Peak, the highest peak in the Tucson Mountains.   We hiked that when the wildflowers were in bloom. 

    We hiked the Sweetwater Trail a year ago and got off the beaten path to find our own enchantments.  Admidst an abundance of saguaros, the rock formations provided a great area to spread out and let the sun kiss our bodies.  We could look out and all of Tucson lay before us.  It was fun to spot the familiar U of A red brick buildings, and the tall buildings of downtown from this perch.   Dressing for hiking requires layering since as the morning wears on, the temperature goes up and off comes one layer.

     The David Yetman Trail is a fun hike and provides a real surprise with the stone house in the middle of nowhere.  It winds up and down and is so beautifully quiet.  One would never know the city is within a few miles.  The blue skies provide a placid background for the birds which wing overhead.  This hike, to me, is more leisurely.

    I haven’t hiked much of the Santa Catalinas except for Sabino Canyon trails which seemed to have a lot of switchbacks.  Of course, I’ve wandered on trails up to Mount Lemmon, but actual hiking, no.  But the Catalinas have lots of good trails and I’ve provided a resource below.  There are mountain lions in the Catalinas as well as bear, so be prepared!

      To the east are the Rincon Mountains, a part of which belong to the Coronado National Forest and the Saguaro National Monument East.  I’ve been to the Loma Alta trailhead and intended to hike that, but never have.  I think I’m just a west side girl!  But the Rincons offer great hiking too! 

   My vast experience with the Santa Ritas is hiking Madera Canyon and after becoming leg weary, nearly slipped into a ravine.  But Mount Wrightstown is there and well deserving of mention since many hikers make that climb.

    For good information about all the wonderful hiking opportunities in the Tucson Area, see Betty Leavengood’s book,  “Tucson Hiking Guide” published by Pruett Publishing Company.   

       Resources:

West Side Map:         http://www.nps.gov/sagu/planyourvisit/upload/Trails%20in%20the%20Tucson%20Mountain%20District.pdf

Wasson Peak:            http://www.localhikes.com/Hikes/Wasson_King_Canyon_8520.asp

http://www.protrails.com/trail.php?trailID=200

Sweetwater Trail:   http://www.localhikes.com/Hikes/SweetwaterTrail_8520.asp

David Yetman Trail:  http://www.localhikes.com/Hikes/YetmanTrail_8520.asp

Santa Catalina Mountains: http://www.cherba.com/atmb/santa_catalina_mtns.htm

Rincon Mountains and Saguaro National Monument West:  http://www.nps.gov/sagu/

Santa Rita Mountains:  http://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=1380

Madera Canyon:  http://www.friendsofmaderacanyon.org/TheSkyIslandsandMaderaCanyon.htm

    We all want to save money, and especially when traveling, saving money is an added bonus!   The Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau has just issued the new PASSPORT,  a mock Passport with two for one savings to various venues within Tucson.

    For anyone coming to Tucson, a stop at the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau on Church Street in the downtown area,  is a must.   The volunteers are extremely knowledgable and the racks are filled with all types of brochures for jeep tours, restaurants, places to stay, dude ranches, theaters, you name it!  Some have coupons attached.

   But by far, the best deal is the Tucson PASSPORT.  There is not a better deal for $15.00.  The Passport contains two for one coupons for the Arts including the Tucson Museum of Art, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, the Fox Theater, the Arizona Opera, the Arizona Theater Company and more. 

    Old Tucson Studios, where John Wayne made many a movie has a “twofer” in the Family Fun and Shopping Sections.  Tucson Children’s Museum is a delightful and educational place to take children.  Many of the shopping centers have coupons which encourage shoppers to receive a bonus book of coupons for that particular mall, or other types of incentives.

    The rich history of Tucson is also “on sale” with “twofers” to Arizona State Museum, the History Museum, the Mining Museums, and historical places in Tombstone and Bisbee.  And for nature lovers, the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum cannot be missed, nor the Sabino Canyon Recreational area.  T’ohono Chul Park and the Tucson Botanical Gardens are interesting and educational because Tucson gardening is so different than other areas of the country.   People who enjoy gardening should star these stops.

    The Sciences are also represented with tickets to Kitt Peak National Observatory (see Weekend Wanderings September 15), Flandrau Science Center and Planatarium, the Pima Air and Space Museum, a favorite especially for people who like flying, and the Titan Missle Museum.

    Team up the Tucson Passport with the Tucson Entertainment Book which contains coupons for restaurants, rental cars, dry cleaning, and even airline tickets, and you’ll have a winning combination to save money on your fabulous trip to Tucson!   Making your money go twice as far allows you to do twice as many things!

    Information about the Tucson Passport is listed below as is information on how to obtain an Entertainment Book.

Tucson Passport:

http://www.visittucson.org/visitor/attractions/passport/

Tucson Entertainment Book:

http://emol.org/entertainmentbook/tucson.html

http://www.entertainment-savings-offers.com/tucson/book/

     Tucson continues to celebrate it’s 233rd birthday with festivities throughout town.   The official birthday of the 48th state is August 20, and throughout the month, various celebrations including a huge birthday cake for the public are taking place.

    Continuously inhabited since 900 BC, Tucson is a wealth of colorful history and has had the mark of various indiigenous peoples which is reflected in its unique culture.  The flags of five countries have flown over the once territorial capital of Arizona including the Spanish, the Mexican, the Confederate, the United States and the Arizona Flags.  

     Look at the truly historical buildings built before the railroad - which incidentially was build in part by the “slave labor” of the Chinese imported expressedly for that purpose.  The historical long houses, built of adobe mud, were long and low and thick, architectually designed to stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter, and also designed so that as the family increased in size, more rooms could be added conveniently.    Good examples are on Meyer and Convent Streets.   People are now returning to building adobe homes because of the energy efficiencies.

      Listen to the music of Tucson and the strong Mexican beat, or the haunting flute played by  R. Carlos Nakii, a Native American.   View the Southwestern Art which encompasses the traditional cowboy -western tradition as well as the mural art of people such as David Tineo, or the work of Ted DeGrazia.

      Look at the colors which abound in Tucson - a reflection of the vibrancy of the city.  The intricate mosaic dome in blues and turquoise and yellows of the Old Courthouse Building, itself a beautiful display of territorial architecture.  

     The history of Tucson is a tapestry of cross culturaliam.  Once a part of Sonora, Mexico, Tucson only became a part of the Gadsden purchase because it was the flattest route to the California gold mines.  And prior to the Mexican and Spanish occupation of Tucson, it was home to the Apaches, the the Yaquis, the Tohono O’odham, the Yumas, and the Pimas.   It was a thriving agricultural community with trade routes to what is now Northern Arizona as well as south into Mexico.

   Although we are officially celebrating 233 years, Tucson’s history is nearly 3,000 years old.  Happy Birthday Tucson!

Resources: 

Tucson History               http://www.ci.tucson.az.us/tucson_history.html

DeGrazia Gallery                http://www.degrazia.org

Chicano Murals                http://parentseyes.arizona.edu/folkarts/murals.html

Historical Walking Tours:
                    http://www.ci.tucson.az.us/planning/resources/publications/turquoisetrail.pdf

Tucson Birthday:             http://www.tucsonsbirthday.org/

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