Joeann's View

We are so fortunate in Tucson to be the site of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Over the Tucson Mountains, on 98 acres, you’ll find a zoo, botanical garden, art gallery, natural history museum, and aquarium all wrapped into one. It is one of the most unique collections of the plants and animals of our Sonoran Desert. Animal habitats have been…

Our new Travel IDs will arrive in about a week. Yes, I know we don’t need them until 2020. And, I know I could start to use my passport for domestic flights. A driver’s license is certainly easier, though, and I thought doing it early might be a good idea. It only took about 15 minutes at the local MDV…

A two hour drive from Tucson, Wilcox is a fun and easy day trip over Texas Canyon and east across I-10. Celebrating Cinqo de Mayo a little late with a large margarita began our lunch at La Unica. We’d never eaten here before and it was recommended by the AAA magazine, Via. We were hungry from the drive. Homemade chips…

Hawaii has been identified as the happiest state in the US and the most-mentioned destination for those with bucket lists of places to visit.  So… if you’d love to go but think you can’t afford Hawaii, get over it! It is possible to have a fabulous vacation without breaking the bank. Since Hawaii is part of the good ole USA, if you are from…

Oh my Gosh!!!!!! Gourmet hand-crafted chocolate. There are 25 different Bon Bons made using what they call a “Monsoon Blend” of bean-to-bar chocolate, which is 69% dark chocolate. Their cocoa beans come from Ecuador, Madagascar, and Uganda This secret Tucson gem, Monsoon Chocolate, is located at 234 E. 22nd Street. I passed it by the first time I visited. There…

For a perfect day trip from Tucson (or Phoenix), you’ll be delighted if you visit The Boyce Thompson Arbetoreum. Sitting on 392 acres of lush desert just south of the town of Superior, the trails and plantings were begun in the 1924 by Colonel William Boyce Thompson . On a beautiful Spring day, seven of us took two vehicles on…

The newest addition from the famous Tucson El Charro family, now part of Flores Concepts, Charro del Rey has opened in downtown Tucson. In a 100-year-old building next door to Charro Steak, the interior exudes charm. Adding to the trendy restaurant scene downtown, Charro del Rey is destined to be a favorite. Four of us arrived during the 4-6 PM…

My birthday week allowed me to dine at four different Tucson Restaurants with friends and family. What a wonderfully yummy week! Bub and I enjoyed the $50 Filet Mignon and Lobster that Flemings features every Monday night. The service is always friendly and makes me feel special. We started with Happy Hour wine that we took to our seats. I…

What a lucky grandma I am! Lily and I are having lunch together once a month. She turned 17 last fall. Busy as a junior in high school and working at Panera, she is making time for us to spend together every month. This month we ate at Sauce. One of Lily’s favorite places, located at Ina and Oracle, we…

Lunch in Waimea The farm to table concept is strong on The Big Island and there are some very good restaurants. For 20 years, Merriman’s has been right up there at the top with it’s locally sourced food prepared with fresh island flavors. Most of our trips to the Big Island include an indulgent lunch or dinner that never disappoints!…