βTis the season for setting goals and, hopefully, sticking to βem.
Year by year, New Yearβs resolutions are set, sometimes revolving around getting in shape, learning something new, giving back or saving money.
Here are some ways you can accomplish those β Tucson-style.
The Outdoors beckon
With months of sunshine, the Old Pueblo is home to an endless amount of outdoorsy activities.
Thereβs Tumamoc Hill, which is 700 feet high at its peak, sitting near St. Maryβs Hospital on West Anklam Road.
A walk up the hill is about a mile and a half, steeper as you go. It goes through the decades-old University of Arizona Desert Laboratory, which is 860 acres of ecological reserve.
Since we live in a city crowded with saguaros and pastel skies at sunset, hiking trails are also a good way to exercise, while simultaneously taking in the beauty of the desert.
Visitors to Sabino Canyon Recreation Area can admire the wildlife and scenery from the canyon road, the very short Bluff Trail or the more challenging 4.2-mile Phoneline Trail.
Hiking trails are all over Tucson β in Sabino Canyon, the Catalina Mountains and Madera Canyon, to name a few.
Another way to get in some steps, all while connecting with the history of Tucson: The Turquoise Trail.
Hosted by the Presidio Museum, the 2Β½-mile trail is marked with a turquoise stripe, stopping at historic architecture downtown.
The museum recently released a trail-centered feature through the phone app Vamonde. Once in the app, users can search for the Turquoise Trail to see photos and stops along the tour.
The museum also offers guided tours, which can be found at Tucsonpresidio.com.
Other ways to help you get into shape: Prep for the cycling event El Tour de Tucson; jump around at trampoline park Defy Tucson, 4861 N. Stone Ave.; or join the weekly walk Meet Me At Maynards.
LEARN A NEW skill
Maybe you want to cook like a pro or test your green thumb β whatever hobby youβre hoping to pick up, thereβs probably a spot in Tucson to help you do it.
Donna Nordin has been cooking since she was a child and attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.
Donna Nordin, former co-owner and executive chef of CafΓ© Terra Cotta, talks to her students during a cooking class at a private residence.
She was the co-owner of the long-closed Cafe Terra Cotta and now teaches cooking classes. Classes are $70 per person and include three to four recipes, plus lunch. Visit DonnaNordinCooks.com for more information.
If youβd rather express your artistic side with a paint brush, Brush & Bottle, 1785 E. Prince Road, offers painting classes β often featuring desert themes such as mountains in Sedona or a monsoon through Tucson.
Plus, classes at Brush & Bottle are BYOB β bring your own beverage, in this case β so you can sip some wine and munch on a snack while painting your masterpiece. Visit brushnbottle.com for more information.
You can also dance your way into 2020 with a class at the Music & Dance Academy, at 4811 E. Sunrise Drive and 7954 N. Oracle Road.
The school has been around since 1995 and teaches ballet, jazz and tap to adults and kids. The academy also has music lessons β from piano and guitar to banjo and saxophone. Visit MusicDanceTucson.com for more information.
Other unique skills to learn? Join an ax-throwing league at Splitting Timber, 6401 W. Marana Center Blvd., Suite 125A; get involved with the Community Gardens of Tucson; or saddle up at Houstonβs Horseback Riding, 12801 E. Speedway.
GIVE BACK
Benβs Bells started more than a decade ago, after Jeannette MarΓ© began a project in remembrance of her son who died at age 2.
In addition to βBe Kindβ murals on buildings and schools, the organization creates one-of-a-kind bells to hang around the city to promote kindness. Donations are accepted, but volunteers can also help make bells and kindness coins. To learn more, head to BensBells.org.
In a different avenue, the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona works to βbuild a healthy, hunger-free community,β according to the organizationβs website, CommunityFoodBank.org
Volunteers can donate food or money, host a food drive or help at an event.
On the education front, thereβs Literacy Connects, which emphasizes the importance of reading and writing for children and adults alike. The organization need tutors and coaches but you can also hold a book drive, or volunteer clerical or maintenance services.
Another organization, Youth on Their Own, aims to help homeless teens graduate from high school. For volunteer opportunities, go to Yoto.org
The Southern Arizona Research, Science and Engineering Foundation helps create βfuture critical thinkers and problem solvers through science and engineering,β according to its website, Sarsef.org. The organization needs volunteers to work various events throughout the year, the next one being the SARSEF fair.
Julian Flores, 10, takes part in SARSEFβS science and engineering scavenger hunt, watched by his mom, Kerri.
If youβre more of an animal lover, the Pima Animal Care Center accepts donations, in addition to volunteers helping with things such as dog walking, play groups and adoptions. For more information, go to tucne.ws/pacc
Other Tucson nonprofits include, but arenβt limited to, Tu Nidito, the Hermitage Cat Shelter and the Gospel Rescue Mission.
save money
Tucson is home to dozens β maybe even hundreds β of murals painted by local artists. And theyβre free to gawk at.
Maybe when it isnβt so chilly, take a self-guided tour of the life-size art pieces. We have a map of some of them at tucne.ws/muralmap
Exploring parks might also be on your 2020 to-do list. If thatβs the case, watch out for the National Park Serviceβs fee-free days. The next one is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Jan. 20.
And then thereβs The Loop β a continuous pathway thatβs closed to cars. Beyond its fitness benefits, art installations sit along the pathway to stop and admire.
There are also select museums in Tucson that regularly offer free admission, such as the Fort Lowell Museum, Center for Creative Photography and Mission San Xavier. Keep an eye out for others, which sometimes offer free or discounted specials during the year.
And if you want to get your hands on more free admission and you have a library card, consider a Culture Pass through the Pima County Public Library.
Tom McDonald, aka Rattlesnake Dundee, talks to visitors at Tohono Chul Park about the coachwhip snake. The park is part of the Pima County Public Libraryβs Culture Pass program.
The passes offer free admission for two people at participating museums, such as the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson Botanical Gardens and Tohono Chul Park. Separate passes may be available for shows at the Arizona Opera or UA Presents.
Passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis at a handful of Pima County libraries. Visit library.pima.gov/culturepasses for more information.
