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The Pueblo Gem & Mineral Show centers around the Riverpark Inn, and is a sprawling show that seems to keep on growing every year. Aside from dealers setting up their material which they sell out of their hotel rooms, there are a large number of tents of all sizes throughout the property, including courtyards, parking areas, and adjacent to hotel rooms.

This show features a large variety of dealer types. While there are many mineral dealers, there are many more gemstone and jewelry dealers present. This creates a very eclectic environment, with all different types of people in a dense set up with a lot of people. The giant Quartz crystals and Amethyst geodes are also worthwhile to see.

Below are some pictures from the. Pueblo Show 2016. You may click any picture to enlarge it for more detailed information.

The InnSuites show in Tucson is very popular, and is really a destination unto itself. It takes place in the Hotel Tucson City Center, formerly known as the InnSuites. The show is still generally known as the InnSuites, despite the fact that the hotel name has changed and that the show's official name is the Arizona Mineral & Fossil Show.

This show, which is run by Marty Zinn, is located just north of downtown Tucson. The hotel it is in is a large and sprawling complex with hundreds of rooms connected by various buildings surrounded by grassy courtyards, palm trees, and orange trees. There is a lot of activity here, with mineral enthusiasts in all corners of this large complex checking out the hundreds of dealers who have set up their mineral displays in their hotel rooms. 

Almost all the big and important dealers have a presence at this show. There is great variety of mineral quality and price tags, with a wide range of high-end minerals in the thousands of dollars, down to very affordable collector specimens. This show is mostly minerals, with a lot fewer jewelry and bead dealers than at the other shows. There are also lots of people to socialize with, and you'll certainly meet many important mineral personalities while traversing the hotel complex. You'll also encounter the various dinosaurs that are placed in the hotel courtyard year after year. 

Aside from the many dealers in the hotel complex, there are more dealers in tents outside the complex, and of course Daniel Trinchillo's "Fine Mineral House" right outside the hotel property. This makes the area one big mineral destination. Parking and admission to this show are free, which presents an additional nice perk. 

Below are some of the interesting mineral specimens or new finds that I encountered at the show. Click any picture to enlarge it.

Along Main Ave in Tucson, directly north of downtown, is the Main Ave Mineral show. This is not really a "show" but rather a cluster of many shows scattered around a particular area. There are several large tents near a large apartment building with various dealers. Most of these dealers are foreign, especially Moroccan and Chinese. Some very good deals can be found here, as there is less overheard for these dealers when compared to the larger, more mainstream ones.

Across the street, there are several clusters of tents with mostly Moroccan dealers selling all the nice stuff that comes out of Morocco, especially Vanadinite, Aragonite, and Barite, along with plenty of Moroccan fossils. There is one particular zone in the area where feels like they are in Morocco, with the bright sun, dusty earth, and French/Arabic being spoken all around. All the dealers in this area are competing to win your business offering you a "very good price."

Right behind this area is is the Executive Inn, an economy motel that used to be home to one of the more significant Tucson shows. This show has died down over the years years, and is no longer the show it used to be. Most of the dealers that were here have moved on south to the InnSuites. This motel has renamed itself the Fortuna Inn, and Shannon and Sons Minerals is trying to resurrect this old mineral destination. Below are some general photos of show scenes of the Main Ave area.

My next visit in Tucson was the 22nd Street show, which is set up in a giant enclosed tent on the east side of Interstate 10 (its hard to miss!) Aside from being right off the highway near downtown in a giant structure, there were highway billboards advertising this event everywhere in Tucson.

Unlike some of the other shows that are more scattered, this one is a single event under one roof. It has a large range of all types of dealers, including jewelry, fossil, mineral, and bead dealers. One can find some good deals here with the proper amount of time and attention, and I personally was able to pick up a few finds for my collection.

I have noticed this show growing significantly every year since its inception only a few years ago. I was quite impressed by the volume of foot traffic and people present when I was visiting the show. According to Lowell Carhart, the attendance this year was over 40,000 people! That's quite impressive, ranking this as one of busiest shows in the world!

Below are some photos I took while visiting the 22nd Street Show.

Part Two of the Westward Look show report features some of the interesting minerals that I observed at the 2016 Westward Look show in Tucson. My selection of minerals included in this post are any display specimens that strike my fancy as interesting, unique, or historic. Also, I do take a lots of mineral pictures, but not all come out aesthetically pleasing when photographed. Below are my finds of interesting and aesthetic minerals at the Westward Look show this year.

Please note that prices have been intentionally cut or blurred out as per dealer requests. Click the pictures to see an enlarged pop-up.