Feb 9-15 Call in the Cavalry!

If you've ever driven up Craycroft Rd, north of Grant, you may have looked to the right and seen some old adobe buildings sitting in what otherwise looks like a city park. You may have also noticed the name of the park, Fort Lowell and wondered who would put a Fort in the middle of the city? Well, Fort Lowell was not always a part of the big, bustling city but rather was miles from the village known as Tucson. They moved the soldiers out there due to the unhealthy conditions in Tucson proper. This Saturday is Ft Lowell Day and you can find out a bit what it was like to be a soldier in the US Army in the 1870s complete with cavalry drills. Another highlight is the walking tours through the surrounding neighborhood with its many preserved and restored adobe residences. More info here.

Tucson Presidio Trust is again recreating early Tucson through various activities. Join the soldiers and learn to drill. Cannon fire throughout the day. Docent tours of the Presidio. Listen to a story teller spin yarns about the Spanish West.

Visiting Patagonia is always high on my list of day trips. It's a different landscape and a much different pace. Any excuse to get down there is a good one but this one is exceptional if you are a reader. It's the Patagonia Writer's Round-Up hosted by the Friends of the Library. There will be writers of everything from children's books, to history, to mystery to poetry. Nancy Turner the author of one of my favortie Arizona books, These is My Words will be there along with 24 other authors including Philip Caputo, J.P.S. Brown, Susan Lowell, Elizabeth Gunn- so head on down and help support the library! And you might want to try one of the fabulous pizzas at Velvet Elvis. Also, see some great photos of Patagonia here.

A new event this year is the American Indian Music Fest at the Casa Grande Ruins near Florence, AZ. This concert is featuring some great musicians such as R. Carlos Nakai, Odell Borg and Gabriel Ayala. I'm sure all the musicians are worth seeing and in the setting of the ruins it should be an amazing show. Click here for the full info.

Forence is often only thought of in terms of the prison facilities located there but it has an interesting history and downtown. This history will be showcased on Satuday with the 24th Annual Tour of Historic Florence.

On the way to Florence you can also take a short break to stop and see the Tom Mix Memorial on Hwy 79. Mix, famous as a movie cowboy was killed here in 1940 while speeding along in his 1937 yellow Cord Phaeton convertible.

Speaking of movies, the Academy Awards are coming up and if you're like me, you've watched the show and when they get to the Live Action Shorts you have to ask: Where are these ever shown? Well, this year you can see them ALL at the Loft, both live action and animated.

And, there's still the Gem Show.