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!

   Johnny Depp as John Dillinger and “Public Enemies” is a hot box office success.   At the beginning of the year,  the pols warned us of the vicissitudes of The Great Depression, revisited, the very event which made John Dillinger a darling amongst the populace   So although times are not similar, the mindset is right for a great gansta’ flick.

   “The Jackrabbit” took the rap for many bankers who allegedly embezzled funds from their institutions and who almost welcomed the shoot ’em up, hold ’em up robberies since  the  stickups covered the tracks of the crooked bankers.   Dillinger and his gang criss crossed the Illinois,  Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio areas eluding law enforcement  while “borrowing” fast cars, stealing ammunition, and stockpiling their dwindling supplies of cash with another job for loot.

     Needing to cool off and lay low, the men headed south.   Alan May and Marilyn Bardsley weave a great tale…   http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/outlaws/dillinger/6.html   and clicking on the link is well worth the effort!   Let them tell the story.

    But Dallas Scott, the Front Desk Clerk at the Hotel Congress and a Certified Tucson Tourism Ambassador, explains there was a fire in the basement of the Hotel Congress in January 1934, which licked up the elevator shaft and to the third floor.    Dillinger had not arrived back in Tucson with Billie Frenchette, his all time love, but was due that afternoon.  

      Charles Makley and “Booby” Clark were guests at the Hotel Congress and had rooms on the third floor.  The men bribed the firemen to go into the room to get two bags, according to Scott.  One bag contained a number of weapons, and the other bag held $24,000.   Dillinger and Billie Frenchette arrived that afternoon.

     However, one of the firemen recognized either Makley or Clark and notified the Tucson’s finest the following day.   Tucson Police apprehended “The Jackrabbit” and his colleagues without a single shot being fired, something even J. Edgar Hoover’s g men could not accomplish!  According to Scott, Dillinger et al  were apprehended on 2nd Avenue.  The third floor of the hotel was never rebuilt because the German couple who owned the hotel did not have the money.

 Each year on January 21, the Hotel Congress holds Dillinger Days where there is an embellished re-enactment of the capture of the American idol gangster, complete with vintage cars, food and music of the 1930’s and where people dress as if they lived during that period.

     The Hotel Congress has not changed much since that time, said Scott.  It tries to keep the ambience of that era.  Located at 311 East Congress in downtown Tucson, the hotel is home to The Cup Restaurant and a hopping lounge which is attractive to University of Arizona college students.   

     One thing the Hotel Congress is not, and that is the red brick building showing in the movie, “Public
Enemies” which brought a contemptuous giggle from the Tucson theater crowd.  

Resources:

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/gangsters_outlaws/outlaws/dillinger/6.html 

John Dillinger and Tucson Arizona 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dillinger

Author of “John Dillinger”    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dary_Matera

From the Federal Bureau of Investigation:  http://www.fbi.gov/libref/historic/famcases/dillinger/dillinger.htm

   The tiny beads of water dance on the orange plastic wrap which encloses the morning paper.  Although it is nearly 9 am, the dark grey skies look like Connecticut (from where I migrated) on a day which bodes snow.  A gentle rain, actually what I would call a sprinkle, dampens the earth. 

   This is a day to stay home and do paperwork, catch up on phone calls, and not drive around town for whatever reasons.  These days are like  snow days back in Connecticut when the glistening snow and ice weighs down the tree branches and sparkles like a million diamonds.

    This lovely and welcome greyness is part of the Tucson winter monsoon season.  The surrounding mountain ranges are covered by low lying clouds and I suspect there is snow on top of the Catalinas.   When this storm clears out, we will have snow capped mountains for a short period of time contrasting against the Arizona sunshine.

    The leaves from the Arizona Ash, a deciduous tree in the back yard, will shed even more green turned yellow leaves and fall into the pool, rippling  with tiny raindrops.  The pomegranates, nearly bare, have an abundance of fruit filled with holes, thanks to birds seeking the sweet juices.  And the citrus trees, always green, are slurping up the rain as the branches of the oranges and grapefruits sway somewhat in the wind. 

   We need this slow, gentle rain.   The water has time to seep into the ground and is not violent or rapacious like the heavy rains which pelt the earth and run off without percolating and benefiting the vegetation.

     We Tucsonans love this weather.  It is infrequent and needed.  This is “dancing in the street” weather.  Out of towners, who are accustomed to rain are puzzled by our excitement and gratitude for these beads of moisture.  Certainly the winter monsoons are not like the summer monsoons which often present dazzling lightning shows with the rays of rain. 

     I hear the trickle of the raindrops flowing down the gutters…oh what a beautiful day…the white grey of the sky obscures even the houses in the distance and my mind is playing the refrain, “let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!”.

 Resources:

Weather and Monsoons

http://ag.arizona.edu/maricopa/garden/html/weather/monsoon.htm 

http://geography.asu.edu/aztc/monsoon.html

    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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Welcome to my new website and blog!

In the tradition of all good books, I want to give appropriate kudos to the primary person who has been supportive, prodding, creative, and visionary! She is graphic artist and web designer, Lyn Bishop of Zama Arts. I am her proud Mother!

Lyn designed my first website in the mid 1990’s which won several awards. Now we are launching the new site which we hope users will find easy to navigate, replete with good information about Tucson, and informative for anyone who stops to browse.

Please take a peak and let us know what you think. My intent is to write about Tucson real estate, Tucson, and life in Tucson here on the blog.

If you are interested in a particular subject, please make that known. I will attempt to cover that subject in a blog post.

So grab your virtual bottle of champagne and pour yourself a glass to toast the new website and the new blog. Help us celebrate!

And to Lyn, a thousand thank yous for your patience, your imagination and inspiration, and your perseverance . Be sure and visit her portfolio or check out her fine art.

Thanks for visiting my new blog, I hope you will stop back often to learn more about Tucson and the surrounding real estate market.