You know those bucket list items that sound great in theory but feel like punishment in reality? That was me… renting a Tesla through Turo for a quick family trip to Tucson. I had high hopes—new experience, eco-friendly, sleek ride, podcast girl in a futuristic car. What could go wrong?

Spoiler: everything.

Memorial Day Monday Morning we prescheduled a Day Trip Turo Rental - I thought TESLA to TUCSON! We showed up for our scheduled pickup and the car wasn’t even ready. Not washed, not fully charged, not even cleaned out. It was giving not “luxury EV experience.”

BUT—let’s talk about why we were going to Tucson in the first place. Thanks to the Culture Pass from the Phoenix Public Library, we scored free admission to the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson.

Nearly 60% of the battery drained just getting from Phoenix to Tucson. And guess who got pulled over in the middle of it? Yep—me. Luckily, the sheriff was more interested in asking, “So do you like the car?” than giving me a ticket. He also question why the Tucson Zoo? We were warned it was “small,” but honestly- more relieved to get out of the ticket and pretty impressed by this “little” zoo.

Atlas loved the elephants. Jose I loved the literal “cool zone” in the kids’ area—fans, misting, shade. It felt like a mirage. And yes, the Tesla charged (barely) in the zoo parking lot. Four hours and $14 later, we got… 4% more battery to take us to our next destination: FOOD.

We found Little Anthony's Diner, a hidden gem with kid-friendly vibes, an old-school arcade, fun decor, and delicious comfort food. It gave us the morale boost and french dip we didn’t know we needed. Next, a little detour to Trail Dust Town—a historic Western-themed ghost town that was (surprise!) closed for Memorial Day. But we had it to ourselves, pretending to be old westerners. As for the Tesla? Still basically dead. We found a janky charger outside a random real estate office and only got a few more percentages in the battery to find a real charger… the Telsa Supercharger. Tucson only has 3 and after joining the line of Teslas and parking for 40 minutes we got a FULL CHARGE and PINK BERRY!

Back to Phoenix we went. Once we were home, we had to recharge to return the car. We parked at the Target Tesla Supercharger near us, where Atlas got to “drive” (aka push all the buttons, make fart sounds, and summon Santa mode).

We dropped off the rental (which now felt like a very expensive lemon) and I got back into my trusty gas-powered Nissan Rogue. And that’s when it hit me—I LEFT MY OWALA BOTTLE IN THE TESLA! Dont make me go back!

But Tucson? We'll be back!

XoXo

Britt

Tucson has always been one of my favorite travel destinations in Arizona. It is often overlooked in comparison to Sedona, Flagstaff and obviously Phoenix, but any chance I get to travel south I want to extend the experience. This past weekend we took a twenty-four hour trip to the dirty T, first it was for our Book Club, then we feel in the love with our AirBnB so we maximized the trip as semiprofesional tourists.

Our morning of exploring started with breakfast at the 5 Points Market and Restaurant featuring local and organic products, I mean of course we are going to pay a dollar more for a local cage free egg. Duh! After treating ourselves to brunch and balancing 3 cups of coffee with a ginger beet juice we were off to explore Historic Fourth Avenue: The Heartbeat of Tucson. Featuring vintage clothing and furniture shops, food of all sorts and artwork decorating the streets this neighborhood is a millennials paradise for photos.

tucson travel https://www.findingarizonapodcast.com/finding-az-engagement/

One of the place that we historically had to take photos next to was the Tucson Postcard Sign. Painted in February 2017 by Victor Ving and his girlfriend, photographer Lisa Beggs this iconic piece can be found behind the Miller Surplus building and it worth the hunt for the photo shoot.

Before heading back up north, you must head south of Tucson to visit the gorgeous Mission San Xavier del Bac. Founded in 1692 by Padre Eusebio Kino [1] in the center of a centuries-old Indian settlement of the Sobaipuri O'odham this castle in the desert is a must see! We arrived mid Sunday afternoon just before a rainstorm and the contrasting dark clouds surrounding the white building was stunning. You have to walk the grounds and feel the 350 year old spirits. Not sure if it was the energy of the historic site or the fast moving clouds but we could feel it was time to head out.

Last stop on the trip was for snacks! Not road snacks, but grocery shopping at the famous Alejandro’s Tortilla Factory: a Southern Arizona tradition since 1980. We picked up some warm delicious bolillos, fresh marinated carne asada and sweet mexican pastries. This bodegas is off the beaten path and the street signs measure in Kilometers so you know flavors are real.

This is not our first or last trip to Tucson, we just like to prove no matter if you have 2 hours or 2 weeks you can experience the Old Pueblo the FInding Arizona Way! Safe Travels.

XoXo

Britt