Tohono Chul

Tohono Chul is a nature preserve just north of Tucson. On its 49 acres, you can find art, shops, gardens, a bistro, and lots of paths winding through the desert.

A Desert Corner

The name comes from the words for “desert corner” in the language of the Tohono O’odham (“desert people”), who are the ancestral inhabitants of this region.

I’d heard about this beautiful place from my Master Gardener uncle long before we moved to Tucson. For awhile I thought it was called “Tohono Jewel.” It is a gem of a place, so that fits too.
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September 23, 2020April 9, 2026

Walking Back to MMM

I realized recently that I hadn’t posted the video I took when we did our first Meet Me at Maynards (MMM) walk through Downtown Tucson.

So I went back to the footage I’d taken and finished putting it together into one video.

Party Like It’s 2019

It’s been weird coming back to the photos and videos I took that day.

Even though it was just last year, it felt like I was opening a time capsule from another era or peering into a parallel universe – where no one is worried about COVID-19, because it didn’t exist yet. They are leaning in to talk to strangers, stuffing cash into tip jars, crowding in front of the main stage in the Hotel Congress plaza, walking under theater marquees crammed with upcoming show dates.

We still lived in Phoenix and were in town for Arizona International Film Festival (AZIFF). We didn’t know that we’d have a Tucson address less than two months later!

Band Together

Of course, here we are now in 2020. I’m glad to be in Tucson but heartbroken when I think about the things COVID-19 has put a stop to.

Since artists have been hit particularly hard, I’ve listed the bands / musicians from the video below. Consider supporting your favorite(s) with a Venmo tip, CD purchase, or social media shoutout. Some of them are doing livestream or socially distanced shows you can see too.

One Heart Beat
Sophia and Tom: Sophia Rankin with Tom Carpenter
Southern Comfort Band
Kelsey St Germaine
Impromptu
Duo Vibrato: Joshua Rhoads (of Duo Vibrato) on guitar with Michael Moynihan on sax
After 7

Also, several of the venues featured are non-profits that you can make tax-deductible donations to, including the Fox Tucson Theatre, The Screening Room, and The Rialto Theatre.

The historic Hotel Congress, which has also been closed due to COVID-19, re-opens October 1st.

July 30, 2020April 30, 2026

Colossal Cave Coatis

We were already on the road to Colossal Cave Mountain Park, when we realized we’d overshot our original destination. We had heard about the cave but hadn’t ever been there. So, instead of doubling back and trying to find the entrance for the nature preserve we had probably just driven through but weren’t sure how to access, we kept going!

We weren’t even sure if we’d be able to get into the park or if it was still closed due to the coronavirus. And we certainly weren’t planning on going into any caves since Quijote was with us. But it was Phillip’s birthday, and he voted to go see what we could find.

Colossal Cave Mountain Park

Colossal Cave is a dry cave system under the Rincon Mountains in the Tucson-adjacent community of Vail. Before being developed into a tourist attraction by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s, the cave had served a variety of functions, including a shelter for the Hohokam people, train robber hideout, and guano mine.

What to know if you decide to visit:

The park around the cave is open for hiking, camping, and taking in the views. (Free entrance. You just pay fees if you’re going on a cave tour or camping.)
Cave tours have restarted on a limited basis – currently only the Classic Cave Tour is available.
You can choose your tour time and book tickets online. (Adult $18 / child $9 / military or first responder $14) You can only enter the cave on a tour.
Face coverings and social distancing (six feet apart) are required during tours.
Under the roof of this cool rock structure built by the CCC is the cave entrance, Terrace Cafe, and gift shop.
Because the CCC were so instrumental in developing Colossal Cave Mountain Park, there’s a statue in honor of the CCC workers at the entrance to the terrace.

There are also nice hiking trails outside the cave – I’m sure they’ll be even nicer when it’s not summery hot.

Coatimundis

We were looking around the terrace when I overheard one of the staff tell the group waiting for their tour time that they often see coatimundis going in and out of the cave.

That stopped me in my tracks.

A coatimundi (or “coati”) is a long-nosed member of the raccoon family that mostly lives in Central America, but has also found its way into higher elevations of the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico (Mt. Lemmon, for example).

Phillip and I have been on the lookout for one ever since we went to Chiricahua for the first time and didn’t see any there.

We had no idea there’d be a chance to see one that day. Apparently, though, they’re a common sight, going in and out of the cave and hunting around the park for trash (which, of course, is on-brand for the raccoon family).

Moments later, we saw a young coati atop the hill above the cave entrance! He started sniffing along the edge, and then scampered down its sheer face and into the cave.

Phillip barely had time to snap photos, and I had my hands full with Quijote.

But we saw it.

It was like nature gave Phillip a colossal birthday surprise!

March 7, 2020April 9, 2026

Inside The Alien’s Head: Paul Blake at Tucson Comic-Con

Don’t let the fact that Paul Blake is a sweet and thoughtful 71-year-old Englishman fool you. He is enmeshed in one of the biggest cover ups in sci-fi film history: the question of just who shot first, Han or Greedo.

Paul Blake with moderator Patty Hawkins at Tucson Comic-Con. — Paul Blake (right) with moderator Patty Hawkins at Tucson Comic-Con.

You may remember that in George Lucas’s original 1977 Star Wars film, outlaw Han Solo shoots the bounty hunter Greedo to escape capture. When Lucas decided to alter a later release of the film to show Greedo firing his weapon first, fans protested the edit with an outcry of “Han shot first!” and it has been a point of contention ever since.

Paul Blake saw it all firsthand from inside his green Greedo mask.

We got to hear Blake’s side of the story during his panel at Tucson Comic-Con 2019.
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November 17, 2019April 9, 2026

Big Boy Trains with a Big Fanbase

Big Boy No. 4014 is a 78-year old Union Pacific locomotive that’s currently touring the Southwestern U.S.

It was part of a series of 25 extra-large steam engines built between 1941 and 1944, and it’s one of the only two still in operation.

This particular Big Boy was sitting in a museum in Pomona, California when, in 2013, Union Pacific decided to buy it back, restore it, and get it running in time for the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad earlier this year.

When we heard it was making a stop in Tucson, we decided to stop by there as well.

I think they may have underestimated the number of train enthusiasts in Southern Arizona. We certainly did.

The normally quiet roads surrounding the depot were choked with lines of cars waiting to get in – and then out.

It was cool seeing the train, even though we weren’t able to get in to see the displays inside. One of the rail cars has been turned into kind of a mini museum. The line to get in stretched about half the length of the train, and we were out of time.

I wondered about the stories of the people who had made the trip there. Had they traveled far? Did they have a connection to the Big Boys? Or a passion for all steam locomotives? Or, like us, did they just happen to live in Tucson and think it would be an interesting thing to see?

Whatever their reasons, Big Boy No. 4014 certainly has plenty of fans, and I hope it rolls into town again.

Steam train engine — Photo of Big Boy No. 4014 – without the crowds – via Union Pacific.

– More Steam Train Info –

Big Boy No. 4014’s 2019 appearance schedule and current location.
Union Pacific steam locomotives.
The 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad.
Experience the Union Pacific – museum on a rail car. Short video on their site with a glimpse inside.