Every year we try to make it to the Tucson Gem Show and recently we try to see different shows mostly geared towards our preferences. Today we have chosen three locations and after a two hour plus drive we are ready to start with the smallest of the locations in downtown Tucson. There are surprisingly many people inside even though the location is comprised of just two relatively small rooms.
However the choise of beads is quite good and they are high quality, unfortunately that means they are also quite expensive.
After we finish browsing and buying what we selected we walk a bit through the neighborhood to a virtual cache nearby. There are some interesting houses along the way, it seems that this is quite a historical neighborhood.
The next location is the largest one and we even get scammed to pay $10 for parking even though it is supposed to be free. At least the exhibits are interesting, we really like the metal sculptures of dinosaurs.
There are also lots of fossils, unfortunately none are priced and we do not want the back and forth of haggling so we decide to move on.
Next we enter the main pavillion and spend some time trying to find the vendors that have prices so we can buy from them if they have something interesting. It is quite a large hall so we spend a couple hours inside exploring all the vendors.
There are lots of interesting exhibits, both minerals and gems. Many of them are not priced and some that are priced are a bit out of our range at $100K and plus.
There are many geodes as usual and we really like them, many are cut and there is even a furniture made of large geodes like a chair and a sofa.
We are quite hungry when we exit the show so we make a beeline to a restaurant we have chosen the day before. We arrive right before close so we have to order fast before they decide to close on us.
There are many good choices and it is difficult to choose but after we do we can at least enjoy the decor for a short while before the food appears.
The portions are surprisingly large given the price and the food is really good even a bit spicy especially the machaca. We get full soon and still have enough left as leftovers for another day, so we take it as takeout.
Almost right next to the restaurant is the next exhibit in the Gem Show and the last for today. The African Village has an African theme with lots of African items for sale. Keeping with the theme of the day very few of them are priced so we cannot really buy most of them without haggling.
Some of the objects however seem to belong in a museum they are quite special and beautiful and we take the view that we are in a free museum which likely is the way to do such a show.
There are some beads for sale even here but even more likely is to see intricate beadwork, there is some beautiful handicraft on display.
After so many stops at the Gem Show we are tired of the city and decide the spend the last hour before sunset in the Sweetwater Marshland. It is an area we visited repeatedly and is always different and the bird- and wildlife can be quite spectacular.
The first ponds however are quite empty of anything interesting even if they are quite beautiful on their own…water in the desert and so on.
Next ponds however are much better with many shovelers and coots on the water and hummingbirds watching us from the trees.
We find a cinnamon teal which is nice and when looking carefully we even spot the Cooper Hawk in his usual spot. This is the third time across a few years that we find him here.
We continue on along the loop trail arriving at the other end as the sun starts to set. Here is a bike path that we never walked for any distance but looks like a blast to take some time.
As the sun falls below the horizon the birds start to congregate on top of trees and on wires. There are a few red-winged blackbirds and lots and lots of grackles. Quite fun to see them come in, get scared and then return again, it is quite a hectic scene.
Separately sits a Brewer’s blackbird staring in the distance. When we look in that direction we see the moon so we like to think that it is studying the moon.
Returning towards the parking lot we walk the trails and look for sparrows and find both Song and Lincoln sparrow, really cool.
Last pond offers us a wigeon and the grasses are now full of rabbits that came out at dusk. We enjoy watching them play for a while but then it is time to return to the car and to Phoenix after a very full day in Tucson.
