A Valentine's Day week idea

Gems, shrines, and barrel races

It’s already January 20, which means the internationally attended Gem & Mineral Show in Tucson has officially started, and Rodeo Week is coming up soon. A few months ago, a friend visited my beloved hometown for a work conference (Arizona is a real conference state, if you can picture that) and asked for recommendations from my sister and I.

I’ve always said that if you can choose, February is the best month to visit, even though it’s the most expensive and overbooked. The weather is nice, and although I haven’t been to a rodeo in ages, I can say that the gem show is still more vast and wild than can be put into words. Rachel Monroe entertainingly covered a layer of it in 2023 for the New Yorker.