Tag Archives: tucson

tucson, part 1

I am so glad we were able to squeeze in a few days in the Arizona sunshine before our annual trip to California this year. It’s hard to believe, but we haven’t been back to Tucson since we left over three years ago…we always intended to visit sooner, but I’m happy we finally made it work and hope we can visit more often moving forward.

Going back to Tucson after three years away was a lot like moving back to Omaha after our time in Arizona. So many new things. There are cocktail bars! Coffee shops! Farm-to-table restaurants! A streetcar! Downtown Tucson is actually a destination now, and the food and drink scene has completely taken off, so we were obviously in heaven. I know places always seem a million times cooler when you’re traveling and/or do not live there, but Tucson has really got it goin’ on.

Aside from spending time with old friends from grad school and our various jobs there, we stuck mostly to what we do best: eating and drinking, with a little bit of hiking mixed in. Below, a giant photo dump of our trip with tons of delicious food, visits to new breweries, mountain views and of course, a couple of selfies.

Tucson, we love you a lot and miss you and your people like crazy. Hope to be back soon for more sunshine and the best sunsets in the whole wide world.

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Tucson, much like Omaha, is probably not high on your list of places to visit, but I’d recommend it, and not just because of my nostalgia for it. It’s a blue-collar town, a college town, but also becoming a great food town, developing an awesome brewery scene, and always has been an amazing place for hiking and cycling. A few of our old favorites plus some new spots we hit on this visit, all worth checking out, whether Tucson is a stop on your journey or is your final destination:

old favorites: tucson tamale (the best in the country) | eegee’s | buffet bar & crock pot (don’t ask, just go, and make sure you’re there for happy minute) | hub restaurant & ice creamery | seis kitchen | cartel coffee lab | la estrella bakery (get some tortillas to take home)

new(er) to drink: borderlands brewing co. | r bar (you’ll never see anywhere more red) | tough luck club (basement of reilly pizza) (ask for the bartender’s choice!) | good oak bar | proper | stella coffee | iron john’s brewing (well-balanced IPAs)

new(er) to eat: prep & pastry (a doughssaint is a must) | pizzeria bianco | ermanos (ceviche!) | blu (great cheese plate!)

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on greener grass.

today i’m missing tucson. it happens more than you think. missing our less than $600/month 1000 sqft apartment full of natural light. it was sketchy, but it was big, and it was ours for awhile. missing that we didn’t have to wait until may to go to the farmer’s market, that fresh produce was just accessible and affordable at all times, a given. missing those sunsets. oh, the sunsets. i’ve been to five countries and nearly half the states, but i don’t think anything will ever beat those beautiful colors over the mountains. missing the few but faithful friends that we left behind, and kicking myself for not always taking those friendships seriously enough. i’m missing weeknight drinks at pasco with claudia and kevin after long days at work, and weekly burrito nights courtesy of taco shop. missing 300+ days of sunshine and thinking that if i could have it all back, i wouldn’t complain one more time about 118 degrees in july. missing the ocean. can you miss that when you were still 6 hours away from it? we’re further from it now, and i feel it. i guess i can’t fight that i’ll always be a california girl. missing being a half-day’s drive from my family and most of my bestest, forever friends, and knowing that’ll probably never be again. missing having a job, and although i never loved it, missing that feeling of contributing – to society, to my partnership with kevin. thinking about those fights, the ones that seem like forever ago now, and how they seem so small and silly now compared to what this year has brought.

someday, maybe, i’ll miss here too. maybe not omaha, because she might always be our home, but this little piece of our lives that we’re living right now. maybe i’ll miss kevin coming home every morning at 10 for a banana, and in the afternoons for yogurt and coffee. maybe i’ll miss not paying rent. it’s hard to appreciate right now. maybe i’ll miss the awkwardness of eating once or twice a week in the same dining hall i ate in throughout college; maybe i’ll miss those really greasy but actually delicious giant grilled cheeses because it was a free meal that released me once in awhile from my self-imposed obligation to prepare a meal every night. maybe i’ll miss the giant rolls of paper towels we “borrow” from the supply room, because i know once we aren’t here anymore i’ll feel too guilty about buying them myself, and we’ll succumb to the admittedly more sustainable dish cloth method. maybe someday i’ll miss not having a job. seems crazy to say now, but maybe someday when we’re both busy working and we have kids to think about and (more) bills to pay and a never-ending to-do list, i’ll think back on this time as peaceful instead of ridden with anxiety and fear. maybe someday i won’t worry that we didn’t have many friends during this season of our lives, and we’ll celebrate that it was just us for this little while. someday i’ll thank God for this ridiculous, never-ending winter because it kept us inside and together against the odds. someday, maybe, i’ll think about these fights, and how small and silly they seem compared to all the things we’ve accomplished since then.

someday, maybe.

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tucson to omaha: our vacation (beercation?) via iphone.

 places to check out:
mother road brewing company // flagstaff, az – a fairly new little brewery that we stumbled upon by accident. try the gold road or the black ipa.
beaver street brewery // flagstaff, az – we had the raspberry ale and the oatmeal stout, both delicious. everything on the food menu looked great, but we opted for one of their wood-fired pizzas, which did not disappoint.

places to check out:
church street cafe // old town albuquerque, nm – a great little spot for new mexican food. the vegetarian chile rellenos were amazing, but make sure not to order anything with red sauce unless you like super duper spicy food. we literally could not even take a bite of kevin’s dish.
boba tea company // nob hill in albuquerque, nm – i’m sure this is a chain, but i’d never seen anything like it. tons and tons of teas and tea smoothies with super fun add-ins. in a fun little neighborhood called nob hill with lots of fun little shops and eateries.
two fools tavern // nob hill in albuquerque, nm – a great little irish bar that was having a special for abq beer week, so we stopped in.
thai vegan // northeast albuquerque, nm –  a tiny little thai restaurant with an entirely vegan menu! (apparently albuquerque is an up-and-coming city for vegan cuisine, who knew?) the green curry and pad thai were most amazing, but i’d get it with extra veggies next time instead of tofu.

places to check out:
us olympic complex training center // colorado springs, co – we stopped through here on our way to denver, because, well, we’re obsessed with the olympics. this is the smallest of the three training centers in the us, but it was still cool to hear some of the history and take the tour. they’ve also got a store full of great usa gear.
wyncoop brewing company // lower downtown denver, co – we got a bunch of beer tasters and they were all pretty good, but the patty’s chile beer definitely stood out. smells and tastes like chiles, without being too spicy. for food, we recommend the green chili and the baked mac and cheese.
denver beer company // denver, co – another new-ish brewery that we stumbled upon. in addition to having a super cool space and some great beers, they had one of the nicest and most helpful bartenders ever. he talked to us at length about other breweries to check out in the area and pretty much talked us into returning for the great american beer fest in october. try the misseur flaneur or the graham cracker porter.
new belgium brewing // fort collins, co – probably the highlight of our vacation. this tour was something we’ve wanted to do for quite awhile, and it. was. amazing. it’s free, the tour guides and bartenders and engaging and interesting AND you get 5 different beer samples throughout the tour, which is very interactive…you even get to pour your own beers from the tap! between the two of us, we tried an embarrassing amount of beers here, but the cocoa mole and tart lychee were especially unique.

honorable brewery mentions: great divide // denver, co; ft collins brewery // ft. collins, co; o’dell // ft collins, co; coopersmith’s // ft collins, co; left hand brewing company // longmont, co

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a love letter to tucson.


dear tucson,

it’s hard to believe that in just a few short hours, we’ll be leaving you behind. three weeks ago when we found out we’d be moving to omaha, we were ecstatic. we knew we’d be sad to say goodbye to some of our friends, but we never thought we’d be sad to say goodbye to you.

three weeks later, on the eve of our departure, you’ve humbled us and as it turns out, we’re actually feeling pretty bittersweet tonight. we spent our last day here doing many of our favorite things…tamales from tucson tamale, cupcakes at cafe poca cosa, ice cream at hub, drinks at pastiche, watching your beautiful sunset.

it’s not a huge secret that we’ve wanted to leave here for awhile, but now that it’s time to go, we can’t help but reflect on all the amazing things and memories you’ve given us over the past four years.

you lured us in with your year-round farmer’s markets, sonoran hot dogs, and minor league baseball. you gave us our master’s degrees and our first big kid jobs.

you gave us some amazing friendships — friendships that we pray and trust will transcend time and location.

and let’s not forget, you provided the beautiful sunset backdrop under which we got engaged, and you gave us our first place together as a couple.

it turns out that the only thing you really have going against you is well, you’re not omaha. we’re sorry, but you really just can’t compete. after all, it’s where we met each other for the first time, and most importantly, where we got married. it’s where we grew up – maybe not physically but it’s where we became the people we are today. and (we think) it’s where we’re meant to be, where we’re supposed to have our careers, have our adventures, and have (someday) our family.

so please don’t get mad at us, tucson, because we’d like to come back and visit sometime. not too soon, but sometime. take care of everyone we’re leaving behind while we’re gone, ok?

until next time.

h&k

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