Recently I got to spend five days in Tucson, Arizona. I’ve written about the food, the desert, Biosphere 2 and Kartchner Caverns, but it occurs to me that I haven’t really written much about the city itself.
After hearing so many horror stories about this red state, I was really kind of braced not to like this city, but from what I can tell from a lazy Google search, Tucson runs about 50/50 in its politics. I only saw one Joe Arpaio for Senate sign. (That still made me sick, but he did wind up losing in the primary, so yay for AZ!)
My first impression of the city was extremely favorable. Any city with an abundance of public art, in my opinion, is one in which the local government really cares about making the place livable. And there is art everywhere in Tucson. Even the overpasses are decorative. Where else can you say you’ve walked through a rattlesnake?
And I really loved this sculpture of a horse and its colt. Made in flat layers, at some angles it completely disappears.
And of course, I have a weakness for Kokopelli, and you see him absolutely everywhere. Even in the airport.
And then there’s the funky historic Fourth Avenue district, with its eclectic shops and restaurants and murals. I absolutely love the vibe there.
Between that and the fact that there’s hardly any traffic (compared to Seattle), and the amazing landscape that takes your breath away at every turn, I’d be tempted to move to this place.
Except for the blistering heat. Yeah. You can’t forget the heat.
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The View from a Drawbridge 
You could winter there to escape Seattle during the cold, drizzly, cloudy months. From Nov. through April Tucson’s weather is delightful.
Did you buy one of those tee shirts or did you get one of Kokopeilli? Since he is a fertility deity I think the ones pictured are missing an appendage. 🙂
Ha! Yes, I could, and yes they are, and no, I didn’t. 🙂