My First Visitors: Part 1

About a week ago i had my first visitors in my home: my wonderful parents! They stayed w/me in my cute homey apartment rather than a hotel. I was a good hostess and let my parents sleep in my bed, while i slept on my nice couch. Then entire time they were here, i had them busy busy seeing and doing things. I showed them where i worked at, they met some of my friends, showed them around the Univ of Arizona. And took them to a few of the hot spots to eat at here in Tucson, everything from really nice to very very casual.

Below: the first night for dinner went to this place called The Frog and Firkin. The name and the food it serves resembles what a British pub would be like. It's a really cool casual outdoor resturant right on the campus of UA. It's a very popular place among college students. They have Burgers, pizza, sandwiches, and everytype of imported beer you could want. Just a little after i started my first job, it was the first place i went w/my bally friends. It's one of my favorite places to eat at here in Tucson, plus the name of restaurant is just interesting an name. They have the BEST pizza's there. Better than any traditional chain pizza places. Mom and Dad really enjoyed it!! The small pizza's are like a large, literally! Anytime i have visitors, the Frog and Firkin is one places we will definitely go.



Below: Every big city has a BAD part of town you don't really want to go to...especially at night!
And apparently like every city, it always seems to be the "South side". Again, that assumption is very true here in Tucson. Every one i've met has told that driving through in day is fine or if you're going to a specific place, but but never never at night. That's where all the shooting, drugs, robberies, etcs happen. Some friends took me to this little outdoor authentic Mexican type place a few weeks ago, and i really liked it. It's very much like a traditional place you would see in Mexico.It's called the El Guero Canelo, my Spanish is a little pretty rusty, but someone told me interpreted it meant "The Red Man" The whole place is outdoors, but has foldable doors around it, when its extremely hot outside. They keep big box fans to help the air circulation. The popular thing to eat their, are the Mexican hot dogs. So i told mom and dad they had to get one. They are pretty yummy!! It's a hot dog that's not quite as thick as an american hot dog, wrapped in bacon, placed in a sweet roll hot dog bun, then topped w/mexican beans and chilie, tomatoes, onions, mayo , mustard. Know it sounds weird, but this weird is GOOD! Not the best diet for a Personal Trainer of course, so it's good thing it's not close to my house. Might be tempted to go there a lot. All the soft drinks are in the old timey glass bottles imported from Mexico. Important tip when eating there: because it's in the South side, only pay w/cash. Never use your credit card or check, i've heard. This is another place, i'd bring a visitor too, cuz it's just a really neat place to go. Because of Tucson, being so close to the border and so many illegal immigrants, can't help but experience some of their culture here.






Below: Mt.Lemmon, in the biggest mountain range: the Santa Catalina Mts. It goes as high as 9000 feet, w/a ski resort and ski lifts and lodges at the top, lots of camping sites, and lots of hiking trails. Residents here tell me during winter you can see snow at the top, but not any down on the main ground of course. We saw lots of chunks of the mountain that had fallen on the road, due to the harsh rain we have during monsoon season. Mt.Lemmon is always a good 30degrees cooler than down in Tucson. So it was actually kinda chilly when we got to the top. It is a beautiful 30 min drive to the top. You get a great view of this 800,000 populated town of Tucson. You see just how spread out this city is. At the bottom the mountain, you see thousands of Saguaro cactci growing crazy all over the mountain. But as you get higher the scenery changes so much. You start seeing fur trees and other mountain type trees. But you'll never see any type of those trees down in Tucson, because it's too hot for them.






THANKS mom and dad for visiting me. I'm so glad you had time to visit, had lots of fun w/you. I miss you guys everyday. Thanks for everything! I couldn't be here w/out you. I can't wait till you get to come visit me again, will have lots of fun things for us to do again. But don't worry, i definitely plan on me being the one to visit you guys next, in December.