Every year from late January through the first two weeks of February, the city of Tucson, Arizona, transforms into the world’s largest destination of mineral, gemstone, and jewelry seekers. Tents sprout throughout the city, and hotel rooms transform into sites for the sale of these precious items.
Tucson is a great destination, where those weary from winter can bask in warm temperatures and walk around in short sleeves. Although the first week of February started off relatively chilly, this past week featured temperatures in the upper 70’s and lower 80’s, with a bright blue sky. This makes a good environment for getting out and around and exploring all the different show locations, especially those outdoors.
Hershel Friedman of Minerals.net was in Tucson to photograph and document the show happenings. In the coming weeks, he will share all his experiences at the various Tucson shows. Each of the reports will feature general show scenes, pictures of new mineral discoveries that have come to the market, and classic or interesting specimens that were worthwhile to share. For the main show, a comprehensive report will be presented, detailing the many public showcases displaying some of the finest private collector and museum specimens in the world.
There are too many shows to visit on a one week trip. However, many are grouped together in various areas and can be combined in a single visit. Here is a list of the shows that were visited this past trip:
- Westward Look Show
- InnSuites Show
- Pueblo Show
- 22nd Street Show
- Main Ave Mineral Shows
- Tucson Gem & Mineral Show ®
Below are some general pictures of Tucson that I photographed on my trip there. Click the pictures to see an enlarged pop-up.
Downtown Tucson from a short distance away at the entrance of Sentinal Peak Park
Saguaro Cactus Overlooking Tucson at Dusk
Downtown Tucson at Night from Sentinal Peak
Hike in Bear Canyon Trail to 7 Falls, with Lush Desert Scenery
