Tucson is the perfect place for outdoor festivals, especially during the wonderful, cool weather during Spring. Doing a bit of research, I found out that the Fourth Avenue Street Fair began in 1970 when Fourth Avenue merchants put tables in front of their stores to attract customers before the holidays. From that beginning it has developed into one of the premier street fairs in the nation, drawing crowds of 200,000 to 350,000 and ranking as one of the top visual arts fairs in the country. No kidding!

One misconception about downtown Tucson is the "lack of parking." Remember, all parking is free in the evenings and on weekends, there is parking available at Pennington Street Garage, and there will soon be another garage completed right at 4th Avenue and Congress Street. If you park in Pennington, they provide a free shuttle to and from the festival. So with all this, we had no problems finding a nice parking spot across from the train station, which is within a 5-minute walk under the new 4th Avenue Underpass and which links 4th Avenue to downtown.

The day was unusually warm, and I did regret not bringing my hat.  While there are trees alongside the sidewalks, most of the fair is fairly exposed and as with any outdoor event in Tucson, come prepared with sunscreen and dress appropriately. There was plenty of water and other beverages for sale along the fair route. If you do forget your hat, there always seem to be a few vendors selling them, along with finely-decorated parisols.  

I personally was impressed with the growing number of food vendors that set up along the cross-streets. With the vendors, shops, various restaurants along 4th Avenue open for business, visitors can find anthing they happen to be craving at the moment. And don't forget about the 4th Avenue Trolley, which is a restored trolley line that runs from Main Gate Square (more great food and shops!) near the University, to 4th Avenue. It's cheap to ride, and a lot of fun for the kids.

It took us a bit of an hour to walk the entire length of the festival, including stopping at a few booths and watching the performers on both stages. Though I imagine you can make this an all-day event if you want!  This year I picked up a small, fun metal sculpture that is now sitting on my desk at work. Because I'm such a cycling fanatic, I thought this little guy demonstrated (too accurately) how I ride mountain bikes.

The Fourth Avenue Street Fair is just "one of those things" you do when you live in Tucson. If you happen to be visiting during the festival, make sure to block out some time and walk the fair... you won't regret it. And if you're into cycling, don't forget to check out the 4th Avenue Bike Swap Meet, too.

 

To Whomever It May Concern At The Tucson Visitor Center,

On August 25/10 I ended up in downtown Tucson and, lo and behold, I saw the sign "Visitor Center". Walking in, I was immediately struck by the cordiality of the lady working the late afternoon shift, the vast number of brochures to be found, and the great advice given to myself by the wonderful lady (whose name I unfortunately never got to know). She not only gave great suggestions as to where I might find a suitable hotel within my budget range, but she also put me in touch with Michael Foltz -- owner and operator of Reisen Arizona Day Tours.

That Michael Foltz is extremely knowledgeable about all of Arizona goes without saying. After all, that is his job and the sort of thing one would expect from a tour guide. But unlike most tour guides (and I've had a few over the years), Michael is possessed of a certain charm, wit, and wisdom that can turn even a seemingly mundane exercise (such as standing on a street corner in Tombstone) into an exciting intellectual adventure.

Stated differently, Michael is not someone who merely goes through a series of perfunctory motions in his role as tour guide. To the contrary, he bubbles with the sort of enthusiasm which suggests that, even if he were not being paid, he would gladly inform individuals about Arizona out of sheer enthusiasm and willingness to help people. In fact, while guiding me through Mission San Xavier del Bac, we encountered a stray truck driver who was hopelessly lost and who, despite his predicament, saw fit to step inside the church after Michael gave him the proper directions in addition to telling the driver that he had mistakenly strayed onto the parking lot of the oldest church in the United States.

Quite clearly, then, Michael comported himself with the sort of cheery enthusiasm about Arizona that I found both quite remarkable and contagious. Indeed, because I enjoyed the first tour so much (Tombstone), I felt the strong urge to go on yet another tour with Michael. Unlike most guides, Michael was able to offer social, political and cultural commentary which, for a Canadian such as myself, proved to be indispensable in enabling me to tap into the "pulse beat" of Arizona. Had I been able to stay for another week I would in all likelihood have taken another two or three tours with him. Alas, I had to fly back to Toronto on the first of September.

Once again, therefore, I must thank the Tucson Visitor Center for having provided myself with such sound advice and such a remarkable tour guide in the person of Michael Foltz. I will tell others. Cheers from Toronto! jvk.

Last week I attended the 2010 Tucson Area Music Awards, or "The TAMMIES", as they're more commonly known. The free event was held in the historic Rialto Theatre, one of the most happening places downtown. I arrived just after the show had started, and Key Ingredients of African Soul already had people dancing in the aisles. There were several other great performances between awards presentations, such as Andrew Collberg, Tucson Music Hall of Fame inductee Howe Gelb, and Band/Musician of the Year, Sergio Mendoza y la Orkesta. This is definitely a band to keep an eye on. They are increasingly taking their talents beyond Arizona's borders, so catch them here when you can.

It was a great night to be out celebrating Tucson's amazing music scene in a great venue. The Rialto Theatre, built in 1920, averages 130 concerts per year and for five years running has been voted Best Indoor Venue in the Tucson Weekly's annual Best of Tucson issue. A show at the Rialto is a great reason to come downtown. Dinner and drinks at one of the terrific restaurants in the area is also recommended! To see what's coming up next at The Rialto, go to www.rialtotheatre.com. For a full list of Tucson Area Music Awards winners, visit TAMMIES.com.

My family and I hiked to Seven Falls in Sabino Canyon on Saturday April 24. Wow! The canyon was beautiful. Wild flowers blooming and water running everywhere. We hiked in 1.6 miles to the Falls and then rested and had a picnic at the base of the Falls. It's amazing that we have this right in our own backyard. What a great day we all had!

 

 

 

 

About a month ago I met a lady at the Green Valley Chamber of Commerce Business Expo, she is the Program Coordinator for the Santa Rita Experimental Range located in Florida Canyon on the northern slope of the San Rita Mountains. If you're not familiar with what the Santa Rita Experimental Range (SRER) is, it's about 80 square miles of rangeland administered by the Arizona State Land Department in cooperation with the US Forest Service, and dedicated to the study of rangeland management, a topic if paramount importance in the Western US.

Established in 1902, this area is the world's oldest continuously studied rangeland. Being interested in all things "Southern Arizona," I asked to be added to their e-mail list for info and updates. Through this exchange I learned about a program they offer called "Science Saturdays," and signed up for a presentation at the site by US Forest Service Archaeologist William Gillespie.

The presentation was titled The Human Dimension, A Look at the History of People on the Santa Rita Range. I've got to say it was one of the most interesting presentations I've attended in a long time, as he chronicled the lives of all those who have inhabited the area from the nomadic tribes that roamed the area BC, to 20th century Ranching Families. The beauty of the program is that they offer a different topic and speaker each month, and it's located in one of the most spectacular settings in our area.

I suggest you make a day of it, attend the presentation (usually 9 - 11 am), pack a lunch and hike Florida Canyon, as numerous trailheads are accessible from site. SRER is managed by the UofA College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, more information and a schedule of up coming topics is available at their website. Check it out!

"Where Words and Imagination come to life" is an excellent description of the 2nd Annual Tucson Festival of Books on the University of Arizona campus. On Saturday, March 14th my daughter invited me to join her and her family to go the festival. I thought we'd only be there a couple of hours for my granddaughters to look around. What I didn't envision was that you could hardly haul me away from the place once I got there. This festival truly has something for all ages.

 

Upon our arrival, we watched the Lindley Lopez literary Circus who performed spectacles and tricks with literary themes. The group originates from San Diego's Sophia Isadora Academy of Circus Arts. My granddaughters Dana and Amaya were enthralled by the contortionists and enjoyed Thing 1 and Thing 2 performances from the Dr. Seuss book, Cat in the Hat. Looking at the crowd around me, I saw all ages enjoying the performance.

Dana and Amaya took turns at the Tucson Medical Center's prize wheel, played giant checkers and saw characters such as Curious George, Wild Thing, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Skippyjon Jones. There was so much to do and see. The girls could draw, paint or even get free books. Both entered a contest to name a woolly mammoth. Grandma wanted a Tomas the Turtle Hat but the TMC tent ran out early.

Turning the corner, Janos Wilder of Janos Restaurant at the Westin La Paloma was whipping up chile rellenos in the culinary stage tent. We began to get hungry and headed off to the food vendors. Some of Tucson's favorite restaurants such as Ziva's, Beyond Bread, Fat Greek and Choice Catering and served up a reasonably priced lunch. Seating for meals was under a large tent. The tables were all pretty much full so my son in law asked a couple of women if we could join them at their table. I kept thinking that the one woman looked familiar, and then I could finally read her name tag. It was Janis Ian, the songwriter/author who was promoting her book, Society's Child and would be interviewed by the bestselling author JA Jance on Sunday! It was all I could do not to ask her about Jimi Hendrix or what Arlo Guthrie is really like.

Then it was off to the BIO5/ Ventana Roche Science Zone Tent. There, my granddaughters extracted DNA from their cheek cells to wear in test tube around their neck, learned what life as a water molecule would be like and entered the fascinating world of insects. My personal favorite exhibit in the science tent was Brain Works.

Presented by the UA School of Mind, Brain and Behavior, there were experiments that illustrated how the brain plays tricks on you and how the different parts of the brain work. The exhibit had a brain zoo that consisted of bug brains, pigeon brains, cat brains, whale brains and even human brains! I never thought that in my lifetime, I would actually touch a human brain or examine a really human scull but I did. It was totally amazing. I was so into the exhibit that my granddaughters thought that I was out of control. For me however, it was a one of a kind learning experience.

Looking back at the event, I would suggest that you map out your festival events in advance. There are so many diverse authors, workshops and activities that attending both days of the festival is a must. Books are available on site for purchase for the author signings. Wear comfortable shoes and sunscreen. Bring a camera as you will never know who you will see there. For the many free books, pencils and assorted freebies bring a tote bag or backpack and if you want a Tomas the Turtle hat, come early.

Next year's, 3rd Annual Tucson Festival of Books is slated for March 12-13, 2011.

The Aerospace and Arizona Days air show took place March 20-21 at Davis Monthan Air Force Base. The theme for this year's show was "Davis-Monthan: Tucson Pride, Air Force Power."

My family and I attended the show on Saturday and had an incredible day. The weather was perfect at about 73 degrees at the hottest point. We arrived at 10am and filled the day taking in all the sights and sounds. The aerial demonstrations were amazing and certainly enough to entertain us. But that wasn't all....they also had several static-display aircraft from across the U.S.

All in all it was a great way to spend time together as a family.

 

This year was my first rodeo experience ever! I had always wanted to attend an event, but never made actually made it out; this year I am certainly glad I did. The entire experience was great. The drive from downtown to the rodeo grounds was quick and easy. Parking was simple and cheap; only $5!

As I walked through the gates at the rodeo grounds, there were all the great fair-like food concessions creating smells of delicious popcorn, hot dogs and my favorite, cimarronas, AKA "snow cones."  These mouthwatering delights mingled perfectly with the tell-tale aroma of dust and ranch animals to make even the smell of the place completely authentic.

All things considered, hands-down, the best part is the actual rodeo action. I loved the way all the fans cheered for on their favorite cowboys and cowgirls. They even cheered for ropers that missed or riders that fell off just to thank them for the effort. The crowd was really into it, clapping and whistling, which only made my experience that much more thrilling!

I had an amazing view of all the rough-stock riders coming out of the chutes. I was simply in awe of what I was witnessing, from the cowboys being bucked off, and the saliva hanging from the bulls' mouths. Wow! I was thinking "these men have to be the toughest athletes out there!"

The competition categories from bull riding, steer wrestling, bare back riding and barrel racing had me on my feet! The excitement from the crowd was contagious. I was able to gather some great photos for my scrapbook, as well as to share with friends and family. If you are one of the few who have never been to the Fiesta de Los Vaqueros Rodeo in Tucson, I would say this is an event worth the trip!

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.

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

The fall weather in Tucson is so incredible that my fiancé and I are always looking for fun things to do outdoors. We were already close to Downtown, so we decided to head down to Jácome Plaza to see what the Tucson Meet Yourself Festival was all about.

I was surprised to learn the festival was celebrating it's 36th anniversary and was disappointed we didn't have more time to peruse all the booths and watch all the performances. The festival wasn't just about it's amazing cultural food selections, but also included so many demonstrations, performances, shows, and even a local farmer's market, that it could be an all-day event for the whole family.

After watching some great banjo players at the Courthouse Stage we walked across Church Street, passing the bouncing low riders as they set up for their car show, and settled in to watch the Columbian Folklore dancers on the Youth Stage.  When they were finished, we browsed some of the local club booths and the farmer's market located at the downtown library's plaza.

Our stomachs telling us it was time to eat, we headed back to the Ethnic food area with a plan.  Being one-quarter Danish myself, I was excited to see the Tucson Danish Club had a booth so they were my first stop. Remembering how my mom made aebleskivers (basically spherical pancakes stuffed with fruit) I wanted to see how the Danish booth's compared.  These didn't have fruit in the middle, but rather some rasberry jelly on the side.  Still, not only was I pleasantly surprised with them, but I also got to chat with some Danes and signed up for their club's newsletter. Next, we found the Thai booth and shared a plate of chicken curry with potatoes and onions on a bed of white rice, and it was scrumptuous. Our bellies expanding but not yet full, we shared a tasty chicken sandwich (gyro) from the Persian Club and for dessert, we sipped on a bubble tea from the Vietnamese Alliance of Tucson Booth.

We were stuffed beyond capacity but managed to waddle over to watch a performance on the Martial Arts Lawn before heading back to our car. With all there is to see and do at the Tucson Meet Yourself Festival, I can see why it is a two-day event.  And it's cheap! Next year, we're planning on going both Saturday and Sunday to sample more of the great food and watch more of the interesting cultural performances. Heck, maybe next year I'll be in the Danish booth handing out aebleskivers myself!