The boys and I traveled to the Tucson Children's Museum to experience their Fun with Food Fridays. It's a great concept that pairs local chefs from the Tucson Originals Restaurant partners and provides a fun but educational culinary experience. The best part was that the boys were able to eat their creations.

For those that haven't been to the Tucson Children's Museum, it is located in the heart of downtown Tucson. The food class was included in the price of the museum entrance, but you do have to register because the class will fill up. Each class starts at 2:00pm on certain Fridays.

Our Friday was dubbed "The Protein Team" and stressed the importance of protein and how it is beneficial to our health. The boys were able to have some hands on experiences as they assisted in preparing the foods. Needless to say, hand sanitizer and food prep gloves were everywhere and the kids had fun with this part of the class.

In the end, the boys created their own bean burritos and happily munched on their tasty treats. The class is probably best suited for children younger than our boys. Nevertheless, they ate and played like any child would do in a children's wonderland, like the Tucson Children's Museum.

This week's prize is a one night stay in the Presidential Suite at Doubletree Reid Park with a candlelight dinner for two, and a Tucson Newspaper Summer Golf Card. Winner will be selected July 7, 2010.

Comments (9)  

The next time you're asked, "Do you have plans Friday night?" Reply "Yes, we're going to Summer Safari Nights at Reid Park Zoo!" Each Friday through July 9 the Zoo extends their hours from 5-8 pm. We went last Friday night and had a great time. We were welcomed by the sound of smooth jazz provided by AZJazz.net.

The boys saw the jumping castle and interactive activities on the grassy lawn and proceeded to run ahead. They met a zookeeper and were able to pet a ferret. We even had a complimentary family photo taken in the beautiful, lush surroundings.

Because it was dinner time when we arrived, we ordered a cheeseburger, pizza, and chicken tenders from the safari themed café located near the entrance. At the end of our meal, we purchased colorful Dippin Dots ice cream to take with us while we strolled through the zoo.

The warm and windy day changed to comfortably cool as the night went on. The tall bamboo trees that line the pathways bounced off each other creating a melody similar to a wind chime. The animals seemed to be enjoying the evening hours as well. The jet black jaguar paced, three giraffes stretched their long necks and tongues towards the tallest branches, and a lioness playfully pawed at their habitat's viewing window.

The Reid Park Zoo is a great place for education, conservation, birthday parties, and special events. Summer Safari Nights is one special event that is not to be missed!

This week's prize is a one-night stay at Tubac Golf Resort & Spa, one round of golf for two people, and a $25 gift card at one of the Tubac Golf Resort restaurants. Leave Your comments below to enter. Winner will be selected on June 30.

Comments (13)  

The second night of our Wild West weekend, the ranch hosted an outdoor BBQ, complete with cowboy steaks, ranch beans, corn on the cob and baked potatoes. Desserts ranged from chocolaty brownies or hot apple cobbler. We enjoyed our evening meal surrounded by lush cottonwood trees and the easy strumming of a cowboy singer playing familiar western tunes. Afterward, we joined the country dance lessons being offered by one of the staff. It was a great way to end the day and our last night at the ranch.

Bright and early, we mounted up to join in the ranch's signature breakfast ride. Joanne and I decided to join the children's ride with Kirin. The ride wove us through the perimeter of the ranch's acreage for about 1 ½ hours ending at a stone walled house high in the hills above the ranch. We could smell breakfast wafting in the air as we dismounted, tied up our horses and partook in griddled cooked blueberry pancakes, ranch eggs, bacon, sausage and hash brown potatoes. Thoroughly satisfied, we mounted up again and rode back to the ranch. Having passed my "lope check" on the second try the day before, I joined for one last ride before we checked out. The lope ride was everything that I hoped it would be and the feel of the wind while loping with the horse was exhilarating.

I don't really remember not wanting to check out of somewhere before but we didn't want to leave the ranch. It amazed me how much the ranch felt like home rather than a hotel or bed & breakfast. All the activities that Joanne and I participated in during our stay enabled us to get to know the other guests. Joanne and I learned that many of the guests have stayed at the ranch previously. A fellow guest, Jim from Chicago has been to TVR a total of sixteen times. A family from London, England, told us at one of the family-style lunches that they are staying over eight days. Newlywed couple, Lindsey and Anthony, from Salt Lake City, chose to spend part of their honeymoon at the ranch because Lindsey had stayed at the ranch when she was younger. It is a tribute to the magic and allure of the ranch that draws guests "back home" to experience the sheer excitement of being either a cowgirl or cowboy. I know that the ranch offers incredible hiking and even spa options, but we only rode horses. Whether you are newcomers like us or returning guests, Tanque Verde Ranch is not only a place that anyone can go to get away but also a place one can call "home."

Comments (11)  

For starters, our time at Tanque Verde Ranch was one of the best vacations our family has every experienced. We pride ourselves in exploring as many attractions and events as a family. We were expecting a fun weekend getaway, but the Tanque Verde Ranch exceeded those and set the bar very high. You can tell that it had a lasting effect when all you want to do is take a week off work just to extend your stay.

As we drove up the meandering driveway, you could feel the city leave you behind and the presence of the ranch start to fill you. By the time we reached the registration house, we were all smiling from ear to ear.

Tanque Verde Ranch offers a children's program for little cowgirls or cowboys from ages 4-11. It is supervised by energetic counselors that conduct daily kid horseback rides and lessons. They also offer activities and recreational activities such as tennis and swimming. What this meant for Joanne and me was that we were able to pursue our own ranch experiences while the boys were in a safe and fun environment.

For us, we signed up for team penning to start off our day at 6:45am. I had heard that it was a fun but challenging activity where horseback riders try to maneuver year-old cows though a series of challenges. This being our first time to ride during our stay, we were excited as the wranglers brought out our horses. It was hard not to smile as we mounted up for our short ride to the penning corral. If you've ever heard the phrase "herding cats", it pales in comparison to herding the real thing in a corral. Our wranglers were informative and encouraging during the hour long penning. In the end, Joanne, three other guests and I managed to move those "lil doggies" along. I was amazed at how much of an appetite I had worked up and thank goodness breakfast was next.

After our tasty and filling breakfast cuisine, we went back for more horseback riding. From the horse corral porch, we could see our boys receiving their lessons in the adjacent corral. Joanne and I decided to try the "lope check" to see if we could ride the more advanced trail rides. According to my dictionary, a "lope" is an "easy natural gait of a horse resembling a canter." That basically translates into a horse moving a lot faster and up and down a lot more. I had ridden horses before and knew what to expect, but that didn't keep me from bouncing in my saddle and failing my first "lope check" attempt. The wrangler was encouraging and recommended that both Joanne and I take the intermediate riding lesson. The lesson was a great way to either learn new skills or brush up on seldom used equine skills. The boys were able to try out their new learned riding skills to the test later in the first day. It was great to see them riding with confidence.

Tanque Verde Ranch was too much fun for just one blog. Check back on Friday to read more about the Tucson Trekker's adventures. This week's prize is a Western adventure with a trail ride for 2 people at Tanque Verde Ranch and admission for 2 to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Leave Your comments below to enter. Winner will be selected on June 23.

Comments (5)  

The boys and I recently experienced an American tradition. It is one that Fathers and Sons have been sharing together for over 100 years, going to a baseball game. We spent a Monday evening with our town's own, the Tucson Toros.

The friendly ticket takers greeted us enthusiastically to the game and we stepped into the historic Hi Corbett Field to start our evening. Of course, no baseball experience would be the same without concessions. We were not disappointed to see that it was "Retro" night and staple baseball cuisine prices had been rolled back.

Loaded up with 50 cent hot dogs, diet Pepsi and popcorn; we made our way to our seats. They were located right behind home plate in the elevated bleachers by the press box. We savored our meal and enjoyed the amped up pre-game activities set to vintage 70's songs. The team's signature mascot, Tuffy the Torro, made his rounds and Zane managed to take a photo with him. Having had a memorable beginning, we knew that we would enjoy the game as the umpire yelled "Play Ball!"

This weeks prize is four Tucson Torros tickets to the August 28 game against the Edmonton Capitals, a $25 gift certificate to Texas Roadhouse on Wilmot Road,  and one Tucson Newspapers Summer Golf Card (buy one Greens Fee and golf cart rental and receive one greens fee and golf cart rental free at participating Tucson and Southern Arizona golf courses.)

Comments (9)  

In March, my parents drove down from Sedona to visit and enjoy some of Tucson's wonderful Spring weather. Considering how much time my parents spend pruning, changing, trimming, and beautifying their yard, I thought they would love to go visit Tohono Chul Park.

Tohono Chul Park is considered one of the best botanical gardens in the United States, and it shows! The park is located in north Tucson, just west of Oracle Road and slightly north of Ina Road. They have paved paths and dirt trails that meander throughout the entire property, with signage that describes the incredible amount of local flora. Volunteer docents are always available and very helpful with their knowledge of the Park's history and it's plants, as well. They also have guided tours, school outreach programs, and great activities for kids.

There is also an art gallery, in which we spent a good amount of time gazing at the local art, a greenhouse (that at the time had an amazing plant sale going on), and a very well regarded restaurant, the Tea Room.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed taking a break from the bustle of the city to walk the serene trails, take photos, and just be part of the Sonoran Desert. It was amazing that we were still technically surrounded by "city." You'd never know it!

Comments (0)  

My family kicked off the extra long Memorial Day Weekend with a trip to the extended engagement of "BODIES: The Exhibition" downtown in the Rialto Theater. Clearly, it's a popular temporary attraction for Tucson, as there was a line out the door on a Friday after lunch. Fortunately, the Exhibit is inside, comfortably air conditioned, and the line moved quickly.

My husband and I entered with two teenage daughters in tow and you never really know what to expect with girls! Although, since both are fairly science-minded and have spent a lot of time with Doctors over the years, we knew it would be of interest to them. Our youngest, spent the first half of our time there just coming to grips with the fact that everything we were seeing was real, and not a sculpted model like she's used to seeing with her Pediatrician. I would have to agree that it was fascinating to know that what we were viewing were real examples of what our bodies look like inside. My husband seemed to enjoy all of the skeletal views with muscles & tendons to see where it hurts when he over-exercises. We all also found the petrified-looking slices really interesting, along with the full body view of all the arteries and vessels. It's amazing how small and threadlike they really look, as we all expected them to be much thicker.

Easily the most memorable were the models that showed sickness and disease in the body. Seeing the healthy examples of lungs & then seeing smoker's lungs was a pretty powerful image. We really liked the care and thought that went into having a clear trash bin for people to immediately drop their cigarettes into directly next to it. Hopefully, that power of suggestion will keep the motivation to give up smoking for good for those that do. Our daughter has struggled with asthma since she was a baby, so it was interesting to see up close & personal.

For anyone who has ever had surgery or injured a part of their body, it was easy to gravitate closer and longer to those special areas of interest for you as an individual. You can go (as we did) unguided and just read the signage and fun facts at each display. Or, you can get an audio guided tour with these small, hand-held devices that explained each display with just a push of a button.

Our greeter told us to allow about an hour to an hour-and-a-half to get through it all. But, the ease of navigating around the displays will allow you to do it in less time, if need be. It truly is a once in a lifetime experience to see it for yourself and really see what you're made of. The Rialto Theater is easy to get to and they have nice long hours every day, so it should fit into about any schedule you are on. And, everyone should have an interest in it at some level, because it's exploration of your own body. BODIES: The Exhibition is also a nice break from the Summer heat as a unique indoor adventure.

Comments (1)  

Our experience started from the minute we walked through the oversized entrance to the museum. The boys spotted a fairy fluttering in the foyer. With a magical sound, she floated into her very own tiny door to the museum. This feeling of excitement and wonder set the mood for our entire visit.

The Mini-Time Machine Museum has three distinct areas, the Enchanted Realm, History Gallery and Exploring the World. To get to either of these sections, one must pass through the Rotunda, a room with a concave roof painted to look like the night sky. Being the boys that they are, they soon discovered that the Rotunda amplified their voice quite loudly. Lucky for us, the boys are pretty decent singers.

The Enchanted Realm is the perfect name for one of the first sections we visited. From the Rotunda entrance a huge tree is visible. The trunk has several happy faces that greet you as you step into this fun area. The displayed miniatures are of wispy fairies, cherub babies, jolly Halloween characters and a winter wonderland complete with a Christmas village that featured a TV station...KOLD! The happy tree was fun to climb on and search for fairies. The majority of our time was spent in the Enchanted Realm as there was a magical feel to the place. Our favorite displays, in addition to the vast Christmas village, were the Kewpie dolls, Mickey Mouse Village and Playmobile dollhouse.

Still smiling, we strolled through the History Gallery and the Exploring the World exhibits. The displayed miniature homes and created scenes of our history were very educational. I had read on their website, that the creator of the museum had "envisioned an interactive space where the entertaining and educational aspects of the collection could be enjoyed by everyone- a place that would be enchanting, magical and provide a rich sensory experience." The Mini-Time Machine Museum was truly an enchanting place that is fun for all ages.

This week's prize is a Family Pack (four tickets) to The Mini-Time Machine Museum of Miniatures. The winner will also receive a Dining Card from Tucson Newspaper, which entitles the bearer to one free entree with the purchase of an entree at select restaurants.

Comments (10)