Marana Unwrapped

Tucson is unbearably hot in the summer, and it can get quite cool in the winter. So what’s a parent to do with bored children?

My daughter has a great time at My Gym, which has structured programs for babies, toddlers, and young children (up to age 13). She gets to play, run, jump, scream, and learn about fitness at the same time. The staff is great too, and they make sure to learn your child’s name.

Even better, they just started a new membership plan. Even though each child signs up for one class a week, the child can go to several classes during the week (calling ahead to be sure it isn’t full). Plus, there’s a few days that have an hour of free play.

If you have children, definitely check out My Gym. But be careful. If you take your child once, she may want to go back all the time. My Gym is located at 7366 N. Oracle Rd.

Have you had a chance to visit? What did you and your child think?

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The apparently long-awaited opening of the northwest-side’s In-N-Out Burger has finally arrived.

Traffic signs went up a couple of days in advance, warning drivers there might be delays on the November 15 opening.

I had never tried In-N-Out Burger, but after waiting about a week for the lines to die down, I finally tried it.

I was quite impressed.

The company pays its workers well (starting at $9.50/hour), their hamburgers aren’t frozen, their fries are cut on-site (you can watch them cut the potato before dropping it in the fryer), and their ingredients are great (no trans fats and no preservatives).

The company is privately-owned, so the managers are employees (rather than franchise owners).

My 2-year-old even had a great time, getting stickers from the cashier, and eating outside under the umbrella-covered table.

I’ll definitely be a regular, as long as it stays as clean and comfortable as it is during these early days.

In-N-Out Burger is in the Arizona Pavilions, on Cortaro Road, just west of I-10. It’s just one of the many new restaurants and businesses in the quickly-growing shopping center.

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Did you know Marana has its own farm? It is dubbed, appropriately, The Marana Farm.

The Marana Farm opened in September 2007, and its products will eventually be available for purchase at the farm and local farmers’ markets.

All kinds of produce will be grown on this 10-acre farm, which uses organic growing methods. The farm is in the Gladden Farms area, in the northwest part of town.

Feel like helping out? This will be a great volunteer project for the whole family, so be sure to visit their website for more information.

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Photo copyright 2007 by Stephen Ax

Today I took my daughter to see El Tour de Tucson. The cyclists were riding various places in Marana, including Silverbell and Tangerine Roads, so all we had to do was find a shady spot on the sidewalk.

Those bicycles are really fast! We saw all kinds, including tandem bikes, and some where the person was a foot from the ground (sort of like a grown-up tricycle, but with two wheels, called a recumbent).

My daughter had fun waving at people, and a nearby family cheered for everyone that rode by. It was a great day for bike-watching.

What is El Tour de Tucson?

According to the official website, the bicycling tour began in 1983, and is now “America’s largest perimeter bicycling event.” More than 9,000 cyclists are expected for this 25th El Tour de Tucson.

Each year, El Tour de Tucson takes place on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, so mark your calendars for next year’s.

I know we will.

(I found the great picture at this webpage. I didn’t bring my camera with me.)

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Welcome to Marana Unwrapped.

This online newsletter, or blog, is about Marana, Arizona. Just northwest of Tucson, this small town is growing constantly.

I’m starting this blog to fill in the gap in the news I read about Marana. There’s a new weekly newspaper that focuses on the main news, so I wanted to write from the perspective of a resident.

I mostly hang out in the south part of Marana and the northwest-side of Tucson. But I do venture out into the heart of Tucson and Marana from time-to-time as well.

I’m the mother of a toddler, and I’m new to the area (having moved here in 2005), so I’ll be offering those points-of-view also.

Do you have news to share? Let me know.

Are you a business owner who’d like more local publicity? Let’s talk.

If you like what you’re reading, subscribe to the feed to have Marana Unwrapped delivered right to your computer.  

Get involved by making comments. Most important, spread the word.

Welcome to Marana Unwrapped.

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