ARIZONA:

Star gazing

Margaritas

Evaporate a noticeable portion of your body’s water and get tanned in the desert sun and heat

 

Nearby (ish) national and state parks and outdoor stuff:

Chiricahua National Monument <nps.gov/chir>

Saguaro National Park <nps.gov/sagu>

Catalina State Park <pr.state.az.us/Parks/parkhtml/catalina.html>

Kartchner Caverns State Park <pr.state.az.us/Parks/parkhtml/kartchner.html>

Hiking <arizonahighways.com>

Do a Geographic Search around 85635 here:
<www.nps.gov/applications/parksearch/geosearch.cfm>

Grand Canyon
<www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm>
<www.nps.gov/grca/grandcanyon>

 

Cool nearby towns:

Tombstone (OK Corral, Holiday and Earp, shopping) <cityoftombstone.com>

Bisbee <cityofbisbee.com> (galleries, dinning, mine tour is keen)

Patagonia <patagoniaaz.com>;

Tubac <tubacaz.com>

 

TUCSON:

Tohono Chul tea room <tohonochulpark.org>

Visit Tucson’s world class spas (August is off-season and spa time is cheaper)

Hotel Congress <hotelcongress.com> for live independent music and shows

Mount Lemmon <mtlemmon.com>

Comedy clubs: <laffscomedyclub.com>;

Casinos: <desertdiamondcasino.com> <casinosun.com> <casinodelsol.com>

DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun <degrazia.org>

Museums: <desertmuseum.org> <moca-tucson.org> <thewildlifemuseum.org> <tucsonchildrensmuseum.org>

 

What to wear in Arizona:

Lip balm
Sun screen
Water
Hat
Sun glasses

Due to low humidity the air does not hold heat, so sunlight is the factor: in the day it can get hot, at night, cold; in the direct sun warm or hot, in the shade cool. So layers. When outside in the daytime you can peal and don as you go from sun to shade and back. Warmer clothes are needed after sunset for the evening and night.

Tucson is 10 to 15 degrees warmer, on average, than Sierra Vista.

It can get cold here at night (not East coast cold, but cold) and our house is poorly insolated with high ceilings, so hard to heat.

Current Sierra Vista weather