In Search of Owls

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August 2, 2022

Although they are quite impressive, Tucson is more than just desert and saguaros. There are great restaurants, craft breweries, a dimly-lit bar in a former funeral home, and a band shell made out of flowers. And recently, a bunch of tree-huggers (meant in a good way) expanded their offices into an historic building once used by Owls! Who knew?

Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
To start at the beginning of this series, visit So Long Snow 2022.

A Little Nightcap

After a day of exploring in the desert, we made a stop at Borderlands Brewing Co. Just a quick, three-minute drive back to our hotel, this was a convenient place to wet our whistles. We ordered a flight to taste several of their offerings, and we both settled on Toole Avenue Hazy IPAs. We weren’t sure if we were sold on the beers, so we ordered another round just to make sure. 🙂

This is a great little bar, with an outside area for live music, but not tonight. We ordered some dinner from the food truck that was just outside the door, and our taco flights were delivered to us with perfect timing. Several times trains passed by, directly behind the building. Borderlands would be a definite re-do on our definite re-do of Tucson – for sure when there’s live music.

The Owls Club Mansion

A national environmental group that has spent more than 25 years trying to save imperiled owls is now at home in an historic Tucson building that was named for owls. The Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity has moved into the 112-year-old Owls Club mansion downtown. ~ READ MORE

The fabulous Owls Club building is located in the historic El Presidio District in Tucson, surrounded by other stately homes and offices. Originally built in 1900, it served as a social club for bachelors who called themselves Owls. It seems they wanted to “nest” for a while before they found brides? And they need a social club for that? Go figure.

The house has changed hands several times over the years, but it seems fitting to have its new (hopefully final) tenants so concerned with saving the owls (the actual owls, not the horny bachelors)!

En Route to The Owls Club

After our stop to gawk at the Owls Club Mansion, we wanted to end the day at another establishment close to our hotel. Unfortunately Google wasn’t helping much, so we parked on the main drag and wandered around, since we knew it had to be here somewhere! It turned out to be a beautiful detour!

The Cathedral of Saint Augustine had a beautiful glow with the sun setting directly behind it. Normally they offer tours, but they are currently suspended until further notice. With no reason given, I’m assuming Covid? Check the website for some fabulous photos of the interior.

Just Next Door

This open-air band shell was right next door to the cathedral and I couldn’t help myself, I had to check it out! Although it wouldn’t provide much (any) protection in inclement weather, it sure is pretty!

“A closer look will reveal that it’s made up of 300 flowers, 18 butterflies, six birds and about a thousand leaves and branches – all made of steel and fashioned into a lattice standing 22 feet high. The shell arches over a 1,600-square-foot stage used for concerts, gatherings and other events.” ~ READ MORE

The Owls Club

We finally made our way to a side street, and after asking a random stranger where this place was, we were finally on the right track! This former funeral home utilizes pews for seating and offers a Happy Hour with awesome (and potent!) drinks. Although not a typical Old Fashioned (hey, we’re from Wisconsin), they were good, but we switched to Tom Collins for the second. Yep, The Owls Club is already on the itinerary for our next visit.

“The Owls Club is an aspirational Western bar located in the historic Armory Park neighborhood of Downtown Tucson. Offerings include an extensive whiskey selection, old world wine list, well-curated spirits collection, and a modest beer program. Nestled inside a 1920s structure decorated with beautiful stained glass and chandeliers, the Owls Club provides a warmth and elegance to the neighborhood bar experience.” ~ READ MORE