Really cool place! I've never seen anything like it. Lovely to reflect on the life of Jesus here…read moreand see amazing sculpture art.

A hidden site in Tucson ... right off Congress that is a short visit and wheelchair accessible…read more There is a little plaque when you enter giving you a bit of history on the sculptor/ artist.

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.

This was a really quick stop in Bario Viejo. There was a lot to see, but it's a tiny public park…read moreand historical landmark. It's kind of gritty and smelly.

My second time here, as I was showing a friend from out-of-state some of the historical sites. I…read morelove the story and I love that it's a historical landmark now. The last time I came, there were flowers and candles lit, but I wonder if somebody took it all down? Anyway, one can come and light candles for a loved one, or leave flowers as a momentum. Part of our history and culture.

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!

This is one of my favorite local markets. I always go here to get unique gifts for the holidays…read more They also have amazing food trucks during the market. If you happen to be in the area please don't miss it!

So happy that I got to attend this food and craft festival on this gorgeous 80 degree December day…read morehere in Tucson. I love going to these types of events. All the food trucks and stalls are in a different area. Communal tables are set up as well. The lines are long but worth the wait. We got to try a Mexican hot dog with Frito chips on top, killer coffee and a Taiwanese fried chicken cutlet. This was the perfect place for me to buy some souvenirs to bring back. And of course I got some goodies for myself. My son got a small tub of homemade salsa. Tons of booths to explore. I highly recommend. Make sure to wear tons of sunscreen.

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!

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.

I was impressed by the number of restaurants and vendors here. This is really a first-class event…read more I thought there would be a couple breweries and a little wine, but there were several distributors there pouring. There was plenty of wine, beer, and a couple cocktails. It's easy to overdo it when you're sampling drinks, so be careful to keep track! A couple of the restaurants had run out of samples before we could get to them, but we still had plenty. They had great live music. Red Door Spa was there as well. My friend got a massage, and I got a five-minute manicure from the girls there. It was really fun. We enjoyed walking through the galleries a little as well. Overall, fun event. The ticket price is pretty high at $50, I wouldn't say you necessarily get your money's worth in small plates and tastings, but it's a fundraiser for the museum and a very nice event.

What do you get when you combine a fabulous space, 150 wines and 24 local restaurants? CRUSH! Oh…read morewait, I missed the live DJ, Orbital Evolution Hoop Troupe and of course the silent auction. CRUSH is one of those events that you look forward to ever year. The Tucson Museum of Art is an incredible space and houses some great art collections in addition to fabulous events throughout the year. CRUSH is all about bringing foodies, wino's and art lovers together to celebrate and support the museum. Getting to taste food from many of our favorite local restaurants and chatting with the chefs is one of my favorite parts of the evening. Chef Janos, Hacienda del Sol, Tavolino, Lodge on the Desert, Primo, Jasper cafe, Abbey, Jax Kitchen, Flemings, Armitage, Paradise Bakery, Tubac Resort and so many more were this year. Looking forward to what next year will bring!