Christmas in Tucson

Family travel is imperfect. This time, there were germs everywhere and a hike so mediocre it was suggested our next group outing be a trip to the dentist. But somehow we managed to have a really good time. That’s because there was also warm dessert air that made it easy to duck out for midday runs through the University of Arizona, reminding us how good it feels to be an athlete. We’d forgotten back home. There were tacos at Mercato San Agustin and a bike ride to a strong cup of coffee at a cafe called Exo. Early evening cocktails fueled us in the home of gracious hosts who shared their talents as chefs and musicians and scientists.We found time for a father to walk his son through the Air and Space Museum to uncover family history. We were among siblings and siblings’ old friends, grandma and grandpa, and cousins. There were cousins’ friends to meet at the playground in search of buried treasure. Yes, there were bumps and bruises along the way, and sometimes worse, that we rolled right past, content and in good company, on those short winter days in the warm dessert air.