Farewell Tucson!

As usual, we loved our stay in Tucson this past winter. Our travel plans for the upcoming winter will take us to Florida, so it will be a while before we get back here. In the meantime, here are some random farewell pictures, until next time.

Tumacácori National Historical Park

Located 50 miles south of Tucson in the Santa Cruz River Valley, Tumacácori National Historical Park protects the ruins of three Spanish mission communities, most notably the well-preserved Mission San Jose de Tumacácori. Established in 1691 by Jesuit padre Eusebio Kino, this is the oldest Jesuit mission site in southern Arizona. The ruins bear witness to a history of conflict and cooperation, both of which helped shape the history of this unique park where settlers, soldiers, and European missionaries interested with the native O’odham, Yaqui, and Apache people. Restoration and stabilization efforts began in 1908 when the site was declared Tumacácori National Monument by President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1990 it became part of the new Tumacácori National Historical Park. Here are some pictures from our visit.

Tucson Gem and Mineral Show 2018

Since 1955 Tucson has hosted the annual Gem and Mineral Show, which has grown over the years from being held in an elementary school, to a Quonset hut at The Tucson Fair Grounds, to the Tucson Community center, and now held across multiple locations across the city. For a couple of weeks gem dealers and a variety of artisans from all over the country and the world come to sell their goods, while shoppers come from near and far to hunt for jewelry and jewelry making supplies, browse for treasures and bargain for the best prices. This event is one of the single highest revenue producing events for the Tucson economy, with the estimated economic impact in 2018 around $120 million.

We have attended the show each of the three winters we’ve stayed in Tucson, and while we’re definitely not there for the big ticket items, we almost always find something interesting to take home. We really enjoy walking the miles of aisles, taking in all the sights and sounds, appreciating the incredible talent on display, and conversing with the artists. And, after multiple visits, we’ve started to recognize some of the regulars, and look forward to return visits. Here are some pictures of the highlights this year.