If you've read my Spruce Street Suspension Bridge review, you'd already know my partner is an urban…read moreplanner/transit advocate. Whenever we go somewhere new, we always check out that city's metro system or unique infrastructures. He wasn't with me on this trip so I decided to surprise him with a tale of my adventures to the Rattlesnake Bridge (this bridge has a rattlesnake tail...yes I sent him the picture to accompany the tale). I found this spot on Yelp and it was an adventure finding it in person. There is no parking next to it, so I had to park at Iron Horse park and walk around until I found an entrance to it. Note: If you're coming from that side, the ramp to the bridge is closer to the main street. I think my favorite part of the bridge was the rattlesnake tail at the end. It's fun to be able to say I've been inside a snake.

This is what happens when true creativity, art and community improvement come together! The…read moreRattlesnake Bridge is a unique, functional piece of art that is as pleasing to look at as it is to use! There's a lot of road construction at his silver fanged head so we started at the back end and walked through, it's pretty cool to be in the belly of a snake!! It's not the best neighborhood area and there are folks that have decided to call the area home so be aware of your surroundings just like anywhere else nowadays! Perhaps the Tucson Art Academy could take an interest and clean it up, after all, it is an artists creation!

So many murals, and so little time. My girlfriend mapped out the walk-through downtown and into…read moresixth Avenue, stone, up to fourth Avenue where we could see murals. I didn't know that there are approximately 2000 in all of Tucson. But there is a high concentration down here and you can find the locations if you look at google for the "mural trail" for Tucson. it was so fun just to walk around downtown and all around the sixth Avenue to fourth Avenue area and discover murals of many to honor and respect all the cultures here in Tucson. What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.

Finally got a ride on the famous Old Pueblo Trolley! Sunday is a great day to do this as it costs…read moreonly two bits. The car I was on was built in Osaka, Japan in 1953 but was still a beauty to look at. I understand that the trolley will have to shut down after Halloween to allow for construction of the new light rail so you might want to hop on down to 4th Ave. or Old Main and hitch a ride while you can. If you come dressed in a costume on Halloween, you can ride for free. Great for families and kids of all ages!

The Old Pueblo Trolley is great if you are spending some time knocking around this area. The…read moretrolley runs about 6-7 blocks down University from the U of A main gate, then turns south on 4th Ave for another 8 blocks or more and takes you through the restaurants, coffeehouses and shops that are commonly found in the vicinity of a major University. The trolley car itself is cool. I found out from the conductor that it was made in Japan around 1950. They bought it for scrap value but it was costly to move to the US. Much of the signage is in Japanese. The car is well crafted and comprised primarily of wood. The trolley is $1 to ride but Sundays are only .25. You can pretty much hop on or off anywhere along the route which is very convenient. The trolley ride really lends itself to a relaxing afternoon wandering around this neighborhood.

While we were staying in Tucson, we discovered that we were so close to Saguaro National Park…read more(particular the East side), so we decided to come by early in the morning when gates open at 8 am and did the Cactus Forest Drive for 8 hours. Worth it! Saw lots of cacti and got out of the car to take photos close up with the cacti too. While the cacti were more spread out in this location, it was definitely a sight to see! So random how we discovered this place on our roadtrip (as it wasn't even planned)! After completing the drive, the visitor center opened up and we were able to go inside for the gift shop and other learnings. So fun!

April is the perfect time of year to make the jaunt over to Saguaro National Park East for the…read moreCactus Forest Drive. The weather is not yet scorching and the blooming flora is beautiful. My family and I took the 8 mile drive on a Saturday afternoon over a span of about three hours, we stopped at many of the pullouts for a bit of exploring and photography. The entrance cost is $20 for a regular vehicle and an annual pass is $80, pricing varies for large groups and tours. I highly recommend a stop and short climb at Javelina Rock, although we didn't encounter any javelinas, the view was one of our favorites from the drive. The visitor center also has a fun gift shop you shouldn't miss! Can't wait to visit again when I have more time for hiking and exploration.

Public art is bountiful in the Old Pueblo. It's likely you've passed by this structure before...but…read moremight not know what it's all about or where it came from. This mighty Griffin was designed by Creative Machines, which is based in Tucson! Creative Machines is an organizations that brings artist, fabricators and engineers together to design and install public art all over the country. The backstory is that in the 1930's Griffins onced perched over the Carnegie Library, which is now home to Tucson Children's Museum. They disappeared during a renovation or were removed. This structure pays homage to the Griffins of the Carnegie Library. The Griffin is located on Scott Avenue illuminates beautifully at night and makes for a fun photo while exploring the downtown area!

I love public art! Another cool work from Creative Machines to check out when exploring downtown…read moreTucson. Make sure to check out his footprints along the way. Story has it, that before the Carnagie Library was remodeled in 1938, they used to have griffins, but somehow one got away when they were removed. Hence the footprints. Bright red LED lights illuminate Toby's heart at night.

I had an amazing time meeting up with friends and experiencing All Souls Processions. Some of us…read morecarried photos and items from lost loved ones and some didn't. Our group wasn't dressed up as we had been part of some community conversations from varying view points around the appropriate-ness of the event. However after meeting and speaking with a lovely Mexican American couple at our hotel we changed our opinion. They were very inviting to us and encouraged us to join in the festivities. They told us they annually travel to the event from Mexico to celebrate and dress up with their family. We thought it would at least be ok to attend and check it out for ourselves. The costumes and floats/props people made were beautiful. There was a large metal basket and ornately costumed "characters" collecting hand written remembrances and depositing them in the basket. When everyone began walking some music broke out from time to time, people began to sing, sometimes protest and resistance songs. Groups of dancers performed as we moved down the streets - the curbs lined were with onlookers. It was solemn, peaceful and reflective. At the end of our walk a huge crowd gathered around a barricaded stage backlight by a mega screen. We had VIP passes and were allowed into the barricade for a warm meal. There were a few large tables to eat at or rows of seating to watch the performance. Wow! Stage acts, live drumming, wacky jellyfish costumes, fire jugglers, live rock band, aerialists and fireworks. The big metal cage got lit on fire and hoisted up on a crane to let everything burn. It turned out to be a very epic evening. Lots of great local after parties, live bands and specials at neighboring bars.

This is a must see/participate in Tucson event. Look on Pinterest to see how you should dress/…read morepaint your face. The first time I went, I tried using the cheap Halloween face paint which looked awful. This year I bought the lightest coxed (porcelain) tinted moisturizer to make the light/whiteish background color for my face and it worked way better! There are also people who do professional face painting in the area (find on facebook). It gets cold at night so be sure to dress warm. I still haven't made it to the procession part yet but I want to next year. The walk ends in MSA Annex area and there are a bunch of performers and ALOT of food trucks. Then it's fun to go over to Mercado san Augustin courtyard. There is a live band and dancing here as well as food and drinks. If you want to go to Augustin Kitchen, you need a reservation.

If you're in exploration mode, add the Bike Church to your list! Bike Church is a "walk-in"…read moresculpture made entirely of recycled bike parts. It's lovely both day and night, but the at night it is illuminated. It's really cool! It's also interactive in that the public is welcome to play the musical chimes made from bike parts. The bike church not only references the bike culture of the Old Pueblo but it is also serves as shared community memorial for cyclists. It's a reminder to please share the road :) There's room for all of us! Bike Church is located in Barrio Anita, (downtown ) on the southwest corner of W. Davis Street and N. Main Ave.

The 22-foot-tall-sculpture is on North Granada Avenue and West Davis Street near Barrio Anita. It…read moreserves as a gateway to a six-mile bike path. A walk-in metal sculpture made of hundreds of bike frames, wheels and rims with stained-glass windows and musical chimes made from bike parts, that I have driven past many times with curiosity. It's a nondenominational celebration of bike culture featuring traditional religious architecture. The sculpture's stained-glass windows resemble those of church; the top is similar to those on Islamic temples; and there are two Stars of David on the sides and a mold of a Pascua Yaqui dancer, O'Connell said. Joe O'Connell is one of the sculptures along with Blessing Hancock of Creative Machines. It serves as a permanent memorial for cyclists killed on the streets, but it's also a place for celebration. They want you to play with the chimes! You can attach pictures and mementos to remember cyclists who have passed. Let's be honest, Tucson is very bike friendly, BUT it seems like every time you turn on the news, you hear of a bike accident. At night, solar lights light up the stained glass. It is a way-cool sight!

Looks like a giant donut!…read more This piece of public art is very simple, just an upright circle that lights up at night. It was was originally created for the Luminarias del Pueblo fundraising auction in April 2005. It is located in the median on West Alameda Street between El Presidio Park and the Tucson Museum of Art. I put in a location edit on Yelp back in Nov. 2022 since the location marker was incorrect. Hubby & I drove all over looking for it. Since then, it has been corrected. Be careful crossing the road to get to it! Desert O is a translucent ring that is 6 feet in diameter This object has a steel skeleton inside that can be seen both during the day and at night. It basically looks white and pretty unremarkable during the day. The ring displays a pattern of colored LED lights that circle slowly inside the sculpture. It is covered with frosted acrylic panels that make it glow brightly. This art is a solar-powered. There is one 'secret' touch-sensitive button that allows visitors to control the lighting. You have to find it from the hundreds of metal fasteners holding the sculpture together. It was nice to get out and take a look at this public art!

nothing really special here. when it was built I was in high school and we called it the glass…read moreDonut. sounds allot better than glass O . around the holidays they decorate it as a wreath, or art least I remember they used to.