Tucson, AZ

The weather in Tucson during the winter months is so gorgeous that we usually try to spend as many days as possible outside. Growing up in Tucson I have spent quite a bit of time on 4th Avenue and in the University of Arizona area. This weekend, my husband and I took our two children down to 4th Avenue. We spent about 30 minutes in a few shops. My daughter’s favorite was Hippie Gypsy. We allowed her to pick out a shirt, which of course was tie-dyed. I looked through the incense and oils since patchouli is one of my favorite scents. We then wandered down a block or so to O’Malley’s for lunch. It was pretty empty and so our food was fast to arrive.

A few years ago, a friend of mine opened up a Cutters Point Coffee shop on the Northwest Side of town. She has since sold her share of the company, but I continue to visit because I like the environment. Unlike Starbucks, Cutters Point is quiet; some would use terms like “quaint” and “cozy” to describe the atmosphere and they’d be right.

After spending the morning at the Historical Society Museum, I decided to head over to Main Gate Square to have lunch and do some shopping. I’d never been before, but a friend convinced me it was worth going, so I wanted to see for myself. And I found out she was right; there were lots of clothing stores, restaurants, art, and the best part was that every other shop seemed to serve coffee. An aspect that was really exciting for me since I am a complete coffee addict.

After spending the last ten winters in the frozen tundra of upstate New York, I kind of miss the snow. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a big fan of sub-zero climates, but it’s kind of fun bundling up and heading out for a winter stroll when the weather isn’t so bad. Winter has its charm, so over the holidays my husband, son and I headed up to Summerhaven, Mt. Lemmon to enjoy snow and cooler weather.

My friend Nikki is a devout fan of the 1993 Tim Burton film The Nightmare Before Christmas and even has a tatoos of the characters. So when she saw that the film would be screened at the historic Fox Tucson Theatre just before Christmas, she recruited me to attend the film with her. I had never seen a movie at the restored downtown venue, although I had been there for live theater, so I was excited to see what their big screen had to offer.

The movie screening was scheduled for 8:00 p.m., so we headed downtown to arrive around 7:30 p.m. to be sure to have enough time to find a parking spot near the theatre, located 17 W. Congress, just west of Stone Avenue. We fortunately found a spot in a small lot located just south of Congress off of Stone and since it was after normal business hours, their was no parking cost.

I caught the tail end of the Annual Tucson Winter Street Fair a few days ago. The first part of the day was a little rained out, so I went when the sky cleared up and immediately bought a tiny African Violet plant from a woman who was closing up a pottery booth. She sold it to me for $1.00. Stores on 4th Avenue were having sales, staying open later, and welcoming traffic from the vendors that come from all over Arizona to sell art, crafts, jewelry, etc. Some stores, like High Tech Computers and Hardcore 101, had their own booth in front of their stores.

Every year, twice a year, the 4th Avenue Street Fair merchants set up their tents all along 4th Avenue between 9th Street and University Boulevard. It has become a Tucson staple and each year and we, along with 200,000 to 350,000 other people, trek downtown to see what’s new. Parking is a bit tricky as you often find yourself parking quite a ways from actual festivities or paying as much as ten dollars to park close.

Being somewhat new to Tucson, I was truly excited to learn about Cat Mountain Station. Located in what feels like the middle of the desert (although just off Ajo Way on Kinney Road), the refurbished 1950’s artisan center has the feel of a giant gift shop. There are novelties and collectibles, antiques, handmade items, and a café which offers absolutely amazing hot chocolate.

I went to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), near the Main Library, at 149 N. Stone, to see the lady from Project Runway who is originally from Tucson, Elisa Jimenez. It was $10 to get in and the last show was still up, so it was sort of like seeing two shows for the price of one…except that the last show was probably free. At least the wine was free…with donation.

A few nights ago, I went with my family to the ATC’s (Arizona Theater Company’s) preview of their production of Hair (“The American Tribal Love Rock Musical”) at the Temple of Music and Art, located at 330 S. Scott Avenue. Although no photos were allowed, I snuck a shot of the set before the performance started. The ATC is a lovely theater, with a too-small lobby and an ample courtyard. The house was decorated with painted cutouts of revolution-related objects—this part was not as hippy-centric as I’d imagined it would be. Radioactivity symbols, cartoon helicopters and the Declaration of Independence mingled with flower power peace propaganda. I was hopeful for an artistic, currently relevant rendition of the controversially classic musical, Hair.