Tucson

Spring in Tucson: Desert in Bloom

Published March 1, 2018 | By Clark Norton

The desert in bloom viewed along Tucson’s Agua Caliente Hill trail.

We’ve finally had a touch of winter here in Tucson, where temperatures reached into the high 80s in early February and it felt like summer back east.

At the end of February, while cooling rains pelted the parched city, snow fell atop 9,147-foot Mt. Lemmon in the Catalina Mountains just north of Tucson. Mt Lemmon is the site of the southernmost ski area in the United States. (Temperatures at the summit can turn 30 degrees colder than those in the city, which sits some 7,000 feet below.)

That’s good news for Tucson hikers and anyone who values the surprisingly rich life of the desert. With refreshing spring rains, dry creek beds turn into gushing waterfalls, wildflowers bloom and hikers and picnickers flock to newly lush surroundings.

As I write in my book 100 Things to Do in Tucson Before… Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Baby boomer travel, Hiking, Tucson | Tagged Arizona, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, hiking in Tucson, Mt. Lemmon, Sabino Canyon, Saguaro National Park, Sonora Desert, Southwest Discoveries, Tucson, Tucson hikes | 2 Comments

Ordering My Tucson Guidebook

Published December 22, 2017 | By Clark Norton

My book 100 Things to Do in Tucson Before You Die

I’m happy to say that I’ve just received a new supply of copies of my book 100 Things to Do in Tucson Before You Die from my publisher.

To order directly from me, you can send payment of $19.35 (which includes sales tax and postage) to paypal.me/clarknorton or send a check, if you prefer to:

Clark Norton

1026 E. Miles St.

Tucson, AZ 85719

Be sure to send me an email at clark@clarknorton.com with your own name and shipping address.

And thanks to everyone for helping to make 100 Things to Do in Tucson Before You Die such a rousing success!

Best wishes,

Clark

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Bucket Lists, Tucson | Tagged 100 Things to Do in Tucson Before You Die, Clark Norton, Tucson | Leave a comment

“Best” Cities for Christmas Celebrations

Published December 21, 2017 | By Clark Norton

I love Chicago — in summer. Photo by Clark Norton

Did you know that Chicago, San Francisco, and Pittsburgh are the best places to celebrate Christmas in America?

And I’m sorry to have to tell you this, residents of Hialeah, Florida, but you finished dead last for Christmas cheer in a survey of the 100 biggest U.S. cities, conducted by the financial site Wallethub.

You Hialeahans might as well stoke up the coal furnace right now, because all you’ll get in your stockings are lumps of the sooty stuff.

But back to the merry cities of Chicago, San Francisco, and Pittsburgh, followed close behind by New York City and Seattle, all dubbed tops for Christmas joy — and affordability, although some might question the latter.

Orlando, Atlanta, Washington, DC, Las Vegas (NV), and Portland (OR) rounded out the top ten.

How These Results Were Determined

Wallethub surveyed “29 key… Continue reading →

Posted in Baby boomer travel, Florida, Holidays, travel costs | Tagged Chicago, Christmas, Hialeah Florida, Las Vegas, New York City, Orlando, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Seattle, Tucson | Leave a comment

How to Buy My Tucson Book

Published November 28, 2017 | By Clark Norton

My book 100 Things to Do in Tucson Before You Die

Due to popular demand and a shortage of books, my book 100 Things to Do in Tucson Before You Die has currently sold out at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble Online, and all local Tucson bookstores (you may find a copy or two here and there).

If you choose, you can place an order from Amazon, B&N, or your favorite bookstore. There may be delays.

Or, you can order directly from me at paypal.me/clarknorton; price of $19.35 includes sales tax and shipping. Be sure to send me an email at clark@clarknorton.com with your name and shipping address. We also accept checks. Thanks!

UPDATE: The reprint is in! Books are now available and I can mail them out as soon as I receive your payment.

Thanks, everyone, for helping to make 100 Things to Do in Tucson Before… Continue reading →

Posted in Arizona, Baby boomer travel, Bucket Lists, Tucson | Tagged 100 Things to Do in Tucson Before You Die, Arizona, Tucson | Leave a comment

Take a Hike: Here Are 15 Reasons Why

Published December 22, 2015 | By Clark Norton

Beavertail cacti bloom in Kanab Creek, Grand Canyon National Park. Photo by Mitch Stevens.

In the spirit of the holiday season — and getting into shape after indulging in all those holiday parties — I’m running a guest post from my fellow Tucson, Arizona, resident Mitch Stevens, founder of Southwest Discoveries.

Mitch or one of his trained guides at Southwest Discoveries will take you on a personalized hiking tour in the Tucson region or around Arizona, including the Grand Canyon and Sonoran Desert. His market is primarily baby boomers and multi-generational hiking groups, which is how Mitch and I originally connected.

Appropriately, Mitch writes about the benefits of going hiking (which I can now do in the winter, having recently relocated from upstate New York to sunny Tucson — following in the footsteps, as it were, of countless other baby boomers heading south and west).

So I’ll hand… Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure travel, Baby boomer travel, Eco-tourism, health, Hiking, National Parks, State parks, Tours | Tagged Arizona, hiking, hiking benefits, Mitch Stevens, Southwest Discoveries, Tucson | 2 Comments

According to government and private surveys:

Leading-edge baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1955) and seniors account for four out of every five dollars spent on luxury travel today.
Roughly half the consumer spending money in the U.S.--more than $2 trillion--is in the hands of leading-edge baby boomers and seniors.
Baby boomers (born 1946-1964) travel more than any other age group.
When asked what they would most like to spend their money on, baby boomers answered “travel” more than any other category, including improving their health or finances.