In case you haven't noticed, hardly anyone that lives here is a Tucson Native. I kid you not. You can ask five different people where they are from and you will likely get the following answers: New York, Illinois, Michigan, and two other frozen over states that Satan will never step foot in. Just about everyone comes from somewhere else, and settles in here, ready to take on the hell hot summers like a champ. Because 106 degrees on a good day beats five below zero any day, right? 

Then there are those of us who aren't from here, but were dragged here by our parents as some sort of gentle take on biblical punishment. Our parents did not believe in "Spare the rod, spoil the child," but they did fully buy into "and the meek shall inherit the earth," so this was their way of wearing us down. "Bring the children to the surface of the sun," they said. "Eventually they will be so weak from their futile attempts to leave, they will have everything their hearts desire!" they said. *Insert evil laugh* 

I fall into that second category. Moved here with mom, from the coolest city in the world, New York, when I was 11. I cried when we left; she cried when we landed. Fitting. I had very little say in the matter (read: NONE), and I remember being shocked out of my mind that this desert of death with the silent "C" actually had grocery stores, stop lights, and BUSSES!  But alas, it wasn't The Big Apple, and I tried like hell to go back home. I mean, I couldn't even get a slice of pizza here! What was this place that makes you buy an ENTIRE pizza pie just so you can eat ONE STINKIN' SLICE? Every summer I lobbied, albeit unsuccessfully, for a one way ticket back to my concrete paradise. Every. Damn. Summer. And then finally, I gave up. I admitted defeat. I couldn't have my pizza, but I did have my Eegee's, so I guessed that was better than nothing. Now don't get me wrong, it was no Mario's Italian Ice in a yellow cup with a wooden spoon and the syrupy, sugary bottom—but it was somethin'. 

Tucson is full of outdoor attractions that go unseen and under appreciated. With its beautiful saguaro forests, incredible mountain ranges surrounding the city and unforgettable sunsets, it is most definitely an alluring destination. 

Here are 3 places any Tucson local or tourist should visit if they are searching for a new adventure and want to learn more about the history of this beautiful city.


SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK 

Saguaro National Park is a must see destination if you are new to the area, or want to understand Tucson's history on a new level. This large park is separated by the city with the Rincon Mountain District to the East and the Tucson Mountain Ranges to the West. Both places offer a variety of hiking and biking trails along with horseback riding and breathtaking desert views. The Rincon district is the most visited area of the two, and offers visitors the opportunity to experience both desert and country forest in the same day. The Tucson district, on the other hand, has more historical meaning behind it. Visitors can see hundreds of petroglyphs left by ancient Native tribes, which can be seen from the Signal Hill picnic area or from neighboring hiking trails!

Address: 
- Rincon Mountain District (East), 3693 S. Old Spanish Trail
- Tucson Mountain District (West), 2700 N. Kinney Road

It's a story of romance and heartbreak and it's definitely not one that any of us learned in high school. Mark Beauregard's latest novel The Whale: A Love Story tells the romantic story of a love that could never be in the late 1800's between Herman Melville, the author of the American classic Moby Dick and Nathaniel Hawthorne, the acclaimed author of The Scarlett Letter.

Since his book hit the shelves, Beauregard has toured across the country promoting his work in New England and states in the southwest. Now, he's back home in Tucson and will be at Antigone Books (411 N. 4th Ave.) on Friday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. to talk about his new story and the complications of writing on historical figures.    

Beauregard didn't actually intend to write The Whale, rather he said he was inspired to create the story after he discovered a documented friendship between Melville and Hawthorne during his research for a different novel, which he later abandoned. After further research, he found letters that suggested the acclaimed writers' friendship was something more, which gave him the illuminating idea to write the love story.

"If you think of Moby Dick as being a love letter, in addition to it being a confrontation to the frontier or however else you want to think about it, it completely changes the way we look at literature," he said.  

Who wants to be employed in October? Well, I hope you were planning to spend the weekend beefing up your resume and working on your menacing growl, because you've got a job opportunity to get ready for. 


Nightfall, Old Tucson's annual scary fall attraction, is holding a hiring fair next Friday, Aug. 26 from 4-7 p.m. Applicants must be at least 16 years old.

There's an application those applying are required to fill out. Resumes are optional (but it's always a good idea to have an up-to-date resume on file!). If possible, event organizers ask that you email those documents in ahead of time. Check out the Facebook event page for more details. 

IBT's Big Gay Weekend is upon us! Join your local favorites Tempest DuJour and Aija Simone for a fun filled weekend featuring entertainment, giveaways, food and drinks. 

T.G.I.F
The weekend kicks off Friday night with a drag show hosted by Tempest at 9 p.m. with special guests, Shannel from RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, IBT's Drag Race Season 3 Winner Asphyxiasia and the Haus of Kunt. Following the show there will be a thirty minute meet and greet and the Go-Go Boys will be on at 11 p.m. 

WERK!
Saturday night will be an evening filled with comedy and music with the stars of Hey Queen! who will be performing a special show WERK QUEEN at 9 p.m. Following the show there will be a thirty minute meet and greet and the Go-Go Boys will be on at 11 p.m. There will also be surprise performances on the dance floor. 

Sunday Funday
There will a free lunch buffet, drink specials and a drag show hosted by Aija Simone at 2 p.m., which will feature special guests Isis D'Frost, Raul St James and Kiki Vermont. Karaoke will follow from 4 p.m. to 2 p.m. 

For more information visit the event Facebook page. 

The Desert Artisans' Gallery launched two new shows this week entitled Canvas Dreams and Summer Stillness.

Located at 6536 E. Tanque Verde Rd., the Desert Artisans' Galley is owned and operated by local Southern Arizona artists and features contemporary works in everything from photograph and jewelry to watercolor and and glass.
The exhibition "Canvas Dreams" features work by artists, Geri Bringham, David Brown, Gretchen Huff, Paddie Flaherty, Kathy Robbins and Terry Slonaker. 

Want to know a little more about the artists being showcased? Check out their bios on the Desert Artisans' website to see some of their work.

Geri Bringham
David Brown
Gretchen Huff
Paddie Flaherty
Kathy Robbins Terry Slonaker

The exhibit which will be running through Nov. 6, is having an opening reception this Friday, Aug. 12 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. that's open to the public.

For more information visit the Desert Artisans' Gallery's website or call 722-4412. 

Whether you're an experienced filmmaker or looking to try something new, this might be for you: Tucson Fringe and Strada Company are teaming up to produce the first-annual Three Minute Film Festival. 

Why three minutes?

Because new and emerging filmmakers often don’t have the resources for longer pieces. The Fringe, as you might guess, is putting special emphasis on alternative storylines, new ideas, artful concepts, and imaginative flair. Whatever you’ve got – HD Video, pocket camera, smart phone – if you can shoot video on it, you can enter the Three Minute of Film Festival Festival.

Don't worry, you have plenty of time to make a three minute film, the entry deadline isn't until Oct. 1. Each film that's selected will get a public screening, and a be entered for a chance to win cash prizes (the dollar amount of which will be determined by screening attendance and number of entries).

The entry fee to submit a film to the festival is $10. 

The details are still being ironed out, but the screening is expected to take place downtown in late fall.

The Tucson Fringe Festival is an unjuried and uncurated performance festival, so the Film Festival will accept as many short films as seems reasonable and prudent. You don’t have to be reasonable and prudent, though. This Festival is open to filmmakers across the world but Strada Company and the Tucson Fringe plan to reserve a portion of spots for southern Arizona filmmakers.

The categories to win prizes in are as follows: Audience Award, Best Narrative Film, Best Art Film, Best Writing, Best Director

Submit your three minute film here, and for more information email the Tucson Fringe Festival at [email protected], or call 621-4851.

You know, one of my favorite memories of growing up here in Tucson is strolling up and down 4th Avenue on the weekends, and following the underpass into downtown. There were so many places I could explore. Bentley's, Cafe Quebec, the back room of the Chicago Store—they were amazing times. Everything was accessible to me, and I took full advantage of it. Today, not so much. 

Well, let me correct that. Everything is still accessible to me; however, everything is not accessible to my daughter who uses a wheelchair as her main source of transportation. Therefore my statement stands true—not so much. It never dawned on me how much Tucson excludes those who use mobility aids until I took my daughter to the Tucson Children's Museum.

We tried to interact with some of the exhibits they had, specifically, the one where you spin a wheel mounted to the exhibit and made electricity. A typical and perfect example of cause and effect, right? Wrong. My daughter's wheelchair couldn't get close enough to grab the handle and spin the wheel because of the box it was mounted on. Only a slight problem, but not unfixable. I took her out of her wheelchair, propped her up on my knee, and we tried again. However, because my daughter's cerebral palsy greatly affects her motor skills she couldn't maintain a grip on the handle and therefore couldn't spin the wheel that created the electricity.

Womp woooommmmppp. Game over. NO ELECTRICITY FOR YOU!

Now, there is an easy fix here, but it requires thinking outside the box. The easy fix might be having something she could stand on (with my assistance) that would simulate the transfer of energy (weight) from her body to the exhibit, and that would stimulate electricity. When I put her back in her chair, the electricity goes out. Same concept of cause and effect, and the transfer of energy to create electricity. Bada Bing Bada Boom and the kid is happy.

Sadly, that is not an offered alternative. Now, some of you might say, well she could have put her hand on the giant "hand" picture, and interacted that way. To you, I say, perhaps. Perhaps she could have, but that would mean moving her far enough from the exhibit so that she could bend over in her wheelchair and maneuver her body in such a way that she could get her hand on it, and not fall out of her chair. And still breathe.

Sounds like a lot for a small child? It is. And it shouldn't have to be. I mean, it is the Children's Museum, which leads one to believe it's open to ALL children, not just able-bodied children, right? Now, before you give me the most wicked side eye in all of side eye history for pointing out a disparity at our beloved Children's Museum, I'm not saying they are the devil.

To our benefit, there are some exhibits that she can interact with, and always has fun with. She always has a blast chasing bugs in Techtopia, picking the giant nose in Bodyology and grocery shopping, where she gets all the things. Literally: She tries to put everything in her little shopping cart. So while this doesn't necessarily make up for the lack of adaptive scissors and art utensil aids in the Imaginarium (art is her favorite thing EVER), it does still allow her to have some fun.

I am simply saying they need to think more often about the kids who interact with the world around them a little differently. 

Unbreakable Gear has partnered with HopeKids Arizona to hold a fundraiser show to raise money for brave kids dealing with cancer and other life threatening illnesses. 
Power Up Against Cancer is meant to be a show of strength for all the kids who are battling an illness and fighting for their life.

Hosted at the Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St., the show will be on Saturday, Aug. 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The fundraiser will feature everything from Arizona's top arm wrestlers and nationally ranked body builders posing, to bench and deadlift exhibition and olympic fitness competitors. 

In addition to lifting by Unbreakable Gear's athletes there will also be a silent auction, crowd activities and more. 

Bring the whole family out to simultaneously enjoy the strength show and put a smile on kids faces. Admission is $10 for adults, but children 15 and under are in free. 

Can't make the show, but want to show some support? Donate to event's GoFundMe here.

Be a part of UGNation and help make this an incredible event for the UNBREAKABLE kids. 

For more information visit the Facebook event page or Unbreakable Gear's website. 

In honor of the summer backyard basketball season, Tucson Improv Movement is hosting a comedy tournament. Teams of three comedians will perform, and you can help crown the champions. 

The first round is Saturday, Aug. 6 from 9 to 10:15pm at Tucson Improv Movement, 329 E. 7th St. 

For just $5 you can attend and be a member of the audience who will vote and decide who advances onto the next round.

Eight unique teams will compete over the next month and you can determine the champion, just make sure to attend each live game every Saturday for the next four weeks.

Fighting for the title of 3V3 Improv Comedy Champion, enjoy Tucson's best and most hilarious comedians duke it out.