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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.

The Westward look show is a unique show, and definitely worth a visit by all mineral enthusiasts. This show takes place several miles north of the main show areas, nestled in a quiet area at the foothills of the towering Santa Catalina Mountains. This rather tranquil and relaxed show far from downtown takes place in the Westward Look Resort, a sprawling yet spacious hotel complex recently acquired by Wyndham Hotels.

The Westward Look show is organized by Dave Waisman, who organizes several other “fine mineral shows” in different parts of the country at other times in the year. This show, however, is probably his most popular, taking place in the mineral show capital of the world on the weekend prior to the main show in the convention center. A nice perk to this show is its free parking and no entrance fee, despite the high-end caliber of minerals and dealers present. It’s also a very pleasant place to stroll around and enjoy the warm Tucson weather.

The show is not large. It has only about 40 dealers, with each dealer occupying a hotel room in one section of the hotel complex. However, the exhibitors are exclusively high-end dealers, with outstanding showpieces visible in all their cases. Some of the finest minerals for sale from some of the most exclusive dealers can be found for sale here. Most specimens are in the range of hundreds or thousands of dollars for single pieces, and it’s not uncommon to see price tags in the tens of thousands. Even for those who do not intend to buy, it’s well worth seeing these fantastic minerals for sale in beautifully arranged displays with bright lighting.

The Westward Look show also features a special program known as “Collector Day,” where a special guest is invited to display his or her mineral collection in the lobby of the hotel, and is present the entire day to answer any questions about the collection. This year’s collector was Evan Jones, who has one of the finest private collections of minerals of Arizona. The show also features a Sunday evening program, where well-known mineral personalities make a special presentation. This year’s program included speakers Joaquim Callen, Mark Mauthner, and Tom Spann.

Part one of the Westward Look Show Report features general show scenes, as well as some of the new mineral finds that were displayed this year. The finds could have been newly mined or recently brought to the market, or they could have been older but it was my first time seeing them.

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