Arizona
Arizona was a unique stop on the Small Business Big Dreams Tour as I stayed here for nearly two weeks. My mom and brother moved to Phoenix a few years ago, so I stuck around and hung out with them for a while before moving on. Truth be told, I am not a fan of the Phoenix area, this massive suburban sprawl is no more than an homage to the toxic and exploitative nature of humankind. It’s a city that really shouldn’t be there and doesn’t care that it is. Nearly every day of my October visit was above 100°F, with one day hitting as high as 116°F. Temperatures like this left me trapped inside artificially cooled housing that’s just one large-scale power outage away from a potentially fatal state of emergency, not unlike what’s happing with the power outages going on in Florida today. The city itself has minimal public transit, and bike lanes are almost nonexistent. Whenever I mentioned riding to someone, I was met with, "People drive like assholes out here," and that’s coming from other drivers. But I still managed to get a few miles in one morning with my mom. We cruised around her neighborhood circling the large grass covered golf course and admired all of the non-native palms.
The part of town my mother lives in is geared toward retirees, and everyone is over 55 years old. It’s sad to me how we isolate this demographic into a tucked-away corner and then leave them to fend for themselves, limiting them to driving or expensive rideshare services. There’s no public transit or bike lanes anywhere in her community, and with drivers speeding and being "assholes," walking doesn’t always feel safe on these large six-lane roads either. But, in the end, it was nice seeing my mom and getting to spend a little more time with my brother’s one-year-old baby.
After a little more than a week in Phoenix, I took off for Tucson, where I feel my trip really begins. This is where I start traveling to unfamiliar places and going where I have no connections. I had never been to this part of Arizona, and I have to say it was really refreshing. Compared to the gluttonous culture of Phoenix, I was relieved to find smaller roads with cyclists and public transit everywhere I looked. This city was described to me as a "queer crusty desert punk town," and honestly, it was! I met some amazing people, all of whom spoke highly of living there. I wish I had more time here to explore.
A good friend referred me to a local bike shop, Transit Cycles, a woman-owned shop staffed with a team of wonderful people. After stopping in and chatting, Pink Tag Bags is honored to be stocked in their store. While chatting with the owner, Jenna, I learned that folks down here will NOT buy camo, which is funny considering the camo bags are my most popular. But that’s the joy of traveling, getting to meet new people with different ideas. Another recommendation I received but unfortunately didn’t get time to visit was BICAS, a local bicycle co-op.
It was unfortunately way too hot to ride most of the time I was in town, but luckily there’s a ride that takes place every week called the Tuesday Night Bike Ride. This party ride took place entirely after the sun went down and was a great time. When I asked around, everyone took a great deal of pride in their bike community, some even compared it to Portland. Personally, I don’t like comparing bike scenes to Portland, Portland has a unique bike scene, but so does every city, and I like to find what makes each one beautiful.
Anyways, as of right now, I am on a train headed to Houston, Texas. I wonder what the South is going to be like. :)
