I'm still having a good time with show related events and I have more pictures on the way but beyond the show, I don't dig Tucson a whole lot. This city has a weird "vibe" and I can't quite put my finger on it. It has a major University (U of Arizona) but it doesn't feel like a college town. It's surroundings are beautiful with mountains rising up from the desert floor, circling the city, but the city itself is drab and dirty. There is road construction around every corner, making a maddening drive for any trip, short or long. The people I've encountered here (outside of the show)are not particularly friendly... it feels very tense. Perhaps it has something to do with being 60 miles from the Mexico border? There seems to be a large transient (hippie) population here, though, they're not the Boulder "trustafarians" I'm used to. They seem to be genuinely poor and they don't seem very happy. People have told me that some of these folks were given one way tickets from Los Angeles or San Diego to Tucson. I'm not sure if it's accurate but they don't seem to be adding much to the community from what I've observed.
Yesterday, I was able to get out of town for a bit and take a great 5 mile hike up in the Coronado National Forest which is north-east of the downtown area. It was a decently maintained trail that gained several thousand vertical feet in a short distance. Very unique (to me) cactus and desert plants... I'll let the pictures do the talking.
I met a very nice couple from Michigan who have recently retired with a paid off home and no debt. In these woeful economic times, it's nice to bump into people who aren't concerned about the economy because they have been responsible consumers. In fact, I told them I was headed to Nashville and they suggested that I listen to Dave Ramsey when I get there. I laughed when they said that because I have been a huge Ramsey fan and have learned a lot about fiscal responsibility from his methods that he teaches.
On Friday night (2/13/09) Vic and I went out to the 4th avenue district of Tucson. It's a hip area of bars and cafes. We checked out a club called Plush, which looks to be a really cool bar/music venue catering to emerging indie rock/college rock bands. We hit up an Irish themed bar called McCallahan's... or something to that affect. We saw a sign for $2 Guinness beer, and each had several. I learned the day after that it was the 250th anniversary of Guinness and there was a "world wide toast" for the entire day. I also had Fish and Chips, something I never eat and have hated since I was a little kid. My pallet has changed quite a bit so I thought I'd give it a try. Pretty good... got a side of malt vinegar and the tartar sauce was decent. The fish were a good size and didn't have any of that awful off (fishy) taste that bad quality fish can put off. I also tried a Peruvian dish that contained tripa (cow stomach). Decent... it wasn't an overwhelming flavor and the texture reminded me of calamari.
I don't have any pictures from Friday night because the batteries have run out in my camera and I haven't had a chance to replace them. I know it sounds like a big party all the time but I am working 8-10 hours a day, so it's hard to get time to write, post pics, run errands, and maintain the fun quotient
I'll be heading toward Austin, TX this afternoon and meeting up with my buddy, Lanny when I get there on Monday night. I'm in the mood for some BBQ!
A sculpture I liked at Electric Park, or, as I renamed it, "Tent City"
No explination needed...
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