Virtually in America

Tucson has been a wonderful place to stay. Partly because I simply enjoyed being a city again with all the amenities: trendy gyms, spas, Russian grocery stores, Korean BBQ, outdoor markets, and medical services. Partly because of the 360 degree view of mountains surrounding the city. And partly because there are lots of great options for day tripping too. This is the first of a two part series highlighting some of the fun and random activities and sights you might enjoy too if you come visit. 1) Tombstone. See a gunfight at high noon. Walk down a dusty street surrounded by so many people dressed in period clothing that you aren't sure if you're dreaming. Step into the historic OK Corral or Bird Cage Theater. And of course, take a sepia-hued old-timey photo. Even if reenactments and lots of tourists with obnoxious children aren't your thing, it's still worth a quick stop to see the historic buildings, funny street signs, and the friendliest restaurant staff you will ever

When in Tucson, there are some iconic experiences you must partake in, such as a drive up the 9,100 foot high  Mount Lemmon , where you can actually ski; dinner at El Charro , home of the chimichanga; and a hike among the saguaros, which grow in the Sonoran desert and nowhere else in the world.  Fun fact, the saguaros in Tucson outnumber the people 2 to 1. Yes, they take a census .   Many of the most beautiful clusters of saguaros are, not surprisingly, found in Saguaro National Park, but Tucson has also claimed a large swathe of saguaro-dotted land and enclosed it inside  Tucson Mountain Park . Located west of the city, this park features a small but picturesque mountain pass, lots of hiking trails, and plenty of little turnouts off the twisting, undulating roads where you can pull over and watch the sunset.  You can stay long after sunset as well, and wander off the trail a bit until you find a nice place among the prickly pear and barrel cacti to spread out a blanket. Sure there ar

Biosphere 2: Eight people locked for two years inside an alternate earth, one that had a rainforest, ocean, desert, mangrove, and savannah. They would learn how to survive on their own, using only the "natural" environment that had been created beneath the glass, growing their own food, studying the world, paving a more sustainable future for mankind. Or so I remember learning as I sat in Mrs. Glose's first grade classroom talking about a grade-level appropriate article we had just read. The project opened in 1991, however, so I was more likely in fifth or sixth grade, but my memory is far from the only failure in this story. Either way, the experiment sounded like the most exciting thing imaginable. How much I wanted to be part of their group.  And then, I have no more memories of learning about the project and it was completely out of my mind for decades. Why? Why don't I remember following the project for those two years, learning more about it in school, tracking

  So do good things and bad things and every kind of thing in between. It's been a long time since I've been in a big city with lots of excitement and the next place I'm going has a population of 117, so I vowed to soak up all the activity and culture and food and opportunity I can while I'm here. And true to my word, upon arrival in Tucson, I pretty quickly found myself participating in special events with road closures and lots of people. Vacation Races: Saguaro Half Marathon Vacation Races are back! This is a tradition with my Colorado running crew for the fourth year now. Even last year, though the race was cancelled, a few of us still went up to Glacier National Park for epic hiking. Running this actual race this year - the inaugural one for Tucson - felt SO good, even though my performance was not great. It was a race with friends and the official start to both the running season and summer. This was a perfect way to kick off my stay in Tucson. COVID-19: Mass Va

Due to a last-minute change of plans, I had a little time to kill between Hot Springs and Tucson. It just so happened that my renters were leaving at the same time and new ones weren't coming until April 1, so naturally, it made sense to swing through Boulder. I could check on my place, say hi to friends, and do all the doctor/dentist/optometrist adult type appointments that were overdue. As you might guess , I wasn't entirely joyous at the prospect of going to Boulder, but I do have ties there and no other permanent home at the moment, so I found myself Colorado bound. I arrived right after the enormous snowstorm , so I was relieved to find the roads were clear the whole way coming up from the southeast. A friend of mine was attempting to drive back from Big Sky, Montana (northwest) at the same time and ended up getting rerouted way east into Nebraska and back around.  If you have to be in Boulder in the winter, post-snowstorm is the best time be there because the snow blanket

The time for me to head back west arrived at last, and two weeks ago I embarked on another 1,000 mile journey back to stop briefly in Boulder, just to make sure my condo hadn't burned to the ground. Well,  maybe to say hi to some friends too. I only stayed eight days before driving another 900 miles down to Tucson, Arizona where I am for the next six weeks, so I could have saved myself 750 miles of driving by going straight from Hot Springs to Tucson, but look at all the Americana I would have missed! Arkansas Ozark Highlands Trail . A 218 mile trail through northwest Arkansas. Tired old Trotsky and I only saw about a mile of it, but I'll go back someday.  Van Buren . A small town with a cute historic district and that still had a standing video rental store on the outskirts of town, though it was covered with "going out of business" banners. Fort Smith . One of many places in this area with a sad history of housing troops who forced American Indians off their land.

My time in Arkansas has passed, and you might have noticed that I didn't post very much about places I went or things I did. Well, that's because I didn't do much. Not because there isn't stuff to do, but more because I felt so damn comfortable and at-home in my adorable Hot Springs rental  and in the area. The house itself was perfect, exactly what I would want if I ever bought a house. Two bedrooms, a separate dining room, a separate office space, a nice deck off the back, a carport, a dog run, and good landscaping. The neighborhood was quiet and friendly, the main downtown drag was just an easy mile walk away and the trails of the national park were one block from my front door. The town has plenty of amenities, since it's a tourist town, and the surrounding Diamond Lakes region offers endless hikes, all less than an hour away. I fell really quickly into a normal life there. Some other reasons contributed to my failure to explore as much. My visitors came in the