Tucson, AZ

At least once a week, I try to take my son out to do something outdoors other than just walking. So, after a particularly restless morning last Thursday, I decided to take him to De Anza Park. This is a place I had passed plenty of times, but never actually stopped to see. The park itself is a small recreational area located at 1000 North Stone Ave. right off Speedway. It offers volleyball nets, a playground, and picnic areas, but what attracted me most was the swing set.

The Oro Valley Farmer’s Market is a great excuse to check out local businesses and experience the cozy feel of a neighborhood market. It is held every Saturday from 8 am until 12 noon during the summer and 9 am until 1 pm during the winter at the Oro Valley Town Hall located at 11000 N. La Canada Drive. There are a variety of stands that sell items from handmade soap to fresh fruits, and vegetables to beef jerky.

Dog shows have a culture unto themselves; normally the only glimpse most people get of them is in seeing the final competition of the day at the biggest shows on television, like Westminster or Eukanuba. But those shows are in New York and California, and traveling can be expensive these days…but luckily, we have a pretty big show right in our own back yard, the Coyote Classic!

Yesterday I went out to breakfast with a friend at Paraiso Café, located at 820 East University Boulevard. I had delicious Eggs Benedict, she a Breakfast Burrito, and while we dined on the front patio, we noticed a stage in the courtyard with a few different performing acts, and an audience of stationary bike riders.

I’m doing homework outside today, at Café Passé on Fourth Avenue. Parking was easy, just down the street, with no meters, and finding a table next to an outlet was fine, too. I appreciate Sabine’s Café Passé (what used to be Itl, located at 415 N. 4th Ave.) because the servers are extra friendly, internet is available indoors and out, and the bagels come with tomatoes and basil on the side. None of that packaged cream cheese you have to rip open and spread on yourself, either. Although it’s a pretty small place, it isn’t too crowded in the morning, and the corridor-shaped back patio is ideal for working on a laptop.

Being a “pet parent” to our 80 pound Old English Sheepdog Tucker, I’m always looking for places to take my furry friend to run around and meet other dogs. And Christopher Columbus Park located at 4600 N. Silverbell Road has got to be the best place I’ve found to date. There is a really great fenced in play area just for dogs, tons of places to walk around, and several other amenities the city provides for our furry friends.

Last Thursday I went to a late-night sale going on at Urban Outfitters, which is located at 901 E. University Boulevard. I’ve known for a while that this trendy chain store has some pretty good sidewalk sales—down to $3 this time for small clothing items and home décor—but that isn’t why I was there last week. I went to see a Tucson band I like, Mr. Free and the Satellite Freakout, play on the sidewalk in front of the store.

The big Halloween party I attended was about an hour straight northwest of Tucson, in Marana, on an empty lot. We drove along some dark and winding roads, down a hazardous dirt road, and into a packed, makeshift parking lot. A girl at the entrance let the driver of our packed car in for free (it was policy), but the rest of us had to pay $10 each, amounting to $60, which got us a wristband and free beer all night from the ten kegs there.

Himmel Park was voted the best park in town by the readers of Tucson Magazine (2008), and I couldn’t agree more. Conveniently located right by the U of A at 1000 N. Tucson Boulevard, there is so much to do. For starters, the park offers really awesome playground equipment, tennis courts, sports fields, a pool AND an amphitheater. But the absolute coolest thing about it is that there is a library right there at the main entrance.

Lucky for me, Tucson is hiking mecca. By just doing a quick Google search, I found about 30 trails in and around town ranging from r”eally easy” to “majorly challenging.” When I looked them over, though, I decided to conquer the Linda Vista trail. It seemed like a moderate hike, (I’m not in the greatest shape anymore), the scenery was said to be spectacular, and at 2.28 miles long it would take about 2 hours at the most to complete. So, while simultaneously kissing my son and thinking of at least 15 last-minute things to tell my husband about baby care, I grabbed my water bottle and headed out to the trail.