Tucson, AZ

Temperatures soared past 100 degrees on Saturday afternoon when I dragged my family to the Marking the Summer Solstice Celebration on the U of A campus. We arrived a little after 6:00 in the evening. Though the celebration began at 4:30 we found lots to do and all sorts of things to see. The celebration, held inside the museum and spilling out onto the surrounding shaded lawns, emphasized green energy, desert resources, and multiculturalism. So much to see and do!

It’s been a while since I’ve been to a park; I drive by plenty of them, and often feel a little envious of the people I see relaxing in various ways in the oasis’s of grass and shady trees. So when I heard about flyball, a kind of relay race for dogs, I figured I’d get two birds with one trip, and woke up in the Sunday morning cool to check it out. Up to James D. Kreigh Park, and canines racing pell mell over hurdles!

A fairy kingdom lies in wait of my discovery, tucked away behind an unassuming glass storefront exactly where I least expect to find it, at Crossroads Festival in the center of Tucson on the northeast corner where Grant and Swan intersect. A sign on the glass invites me to bring my Cold Stone Creamery concoction inside, and how can I resist? I open the door of Mrs. Tiggy Winkle’s Toys and step into a magical wonderland where kids can be kids and grown-ups can be kids, too.

igger isn’t always better and Viente De Agosto Park in the heart of downtown Tucson is absolute proof of this old cliché. Viente De Agosto Park is on Church Street between East Congress and Broadway Boulevard, right across from the PIMA County Superior Court building.

I’d mostly thought of Tucson Botanical Gardens for the events I’d seen on their marquis as I drove past – butterfly gardens and “weird plant” sales. But I learned there this past weekend that if you’re looking for a relaxing way to get out of the heat for a little while, the Tucson Bonsai Society is happy to provide one!

Finding indoor entertainment over the summer for children of elementary school age is always a challenge in Tucson. Though I’ve lived here for eight years and had a child of movie-going age for the last five of them, I only just discovered the Summer Kids Club at Oracle View and Crossroads Cinemas. Neighbor, it’s a ganga.

When I heard that the 20th Annual Waila Festival advertised on our local community radio station, 91.3 FM KXCI, I made a mental note to attend this year. I recalled fond memories when I attended years ago of Tohono O’odham music, food, and dance, so understandably, I was eager to relive the experience. This year, I decided to head out early and to drag my parents along. The festival was held at the Bear Down Field, just south of the University of Arizona Main library. Normally, I avoid navigating the parking garages or meters at the University because it can be such a hassle. This day, however, the parking garage adjacent to the field was free, as was the festival

A spectacular spring is melting into the bake-oven heat we Tucsonans deal with come every June and July. Within the last few years our coping options have expanded with the completion of the Brandi Fenton Memorial Park at the new conjunction of River and Alvernon Roads in the north central foothills.

The tour group meets at 6p.m on a wonderfully shady corner of Alameda and Main Street where Alan Kruse, our guide, hands out an annotated bibliography about Tucson history and the mansions we’re off to see. He starts us off with a quick background on Tucson and how it came to be part of the United States territory. I probably learned some of this in school, but it’s more interesting coming from Alan.

I cringed. The mini-golf course had been around since t, it was inked into my agenda., When the news came out that Magic Carpet Golf had close