A Desert Oasis for the 21st Century

This is my overambitious (as usual) contribution to the latest Round Robin Photo Challenge.  The topic, suggested by Mary of Alphawoman's Blog, is "Oasis."  I promised that this entry will not involve pictures of Tucson weather, Mount Lemmon, or my church, so please ignore the fact that a few of these photos were taken outside in the rain. 

Tucson is in the desert, of course.  It gets to be 110 degrees or higher here for much of the summer.  An oasis is therefore something that Tucsonans really need.  Almost nobody wants to spend much time out in the heat, or in a car whose air conditioning might once have been adequate for Michigan but doesn't cut it here and now.  Even hanging out at home can be unpleasant, especially if you only have a "swamp cooler" (evaporative cooling, like St. Michael's, I think) or air conditioners in the windows of selected rooms (as at Casa Blocher) instead of central A/C.  You're probably nice and cool at work, unless you work outside, but who is going to do a lot of overtime just to stay out of the summer heat?

So where do Tucsonans go on hot summer days?  Where is their oasis?  Why, the mall of course!

  

Park Place Mall is probably the best and most successful of Tucson's four indoor malls, although the only one that's really hurting at this point is El Con Mall.  Originally built in 1974, Park Place was plain old boxy Park Mall until General Growth Properties bought it in 1996 and renovated the heck out of it.  Now it's pretty inside...



...and out...



...with an attractive "street scene" of stores accessed from the parking lot. What a concept!  The look is more Main Street U.S.A. than local shopping center, but definitely modern and upscale. People don't want to hang out in front of these stores on summer days, but for evenings and cooler times of the year, and sometimes even in the rain, it works. And heck, you can always go into the stores to stay cool - and to shop, of course.

But the prettiest part of this mall is the desert-themed playground at the edge of the food court.



Mallgoers, even the littl'uns, are unfazed by the giant snake.



Pretty cool place to hang out, huh?  I love this picture too much not to use it again.



This oasis has a pool, running water, and even (metal) critters coming to enjoy it!  A plaque even identifies it as an "oasis," per the artist who designed it. 



Kids can run, jump, spin, slide or even crawl, while parents sit and rest nearby.



Go ahead and make tracks, and run around this concrete saguaro.  No needles will prick you!



The food court itself is rather pretty, too.  This is the heart of Park Place Mall.  McDonald's and Subway compete with pizza, "yummy yummy" teriyaki chicken, Chinese, Greek, Mexican and other food choices.  Early last week I ran into a couple of St. Michael's parishioners who were visiting the mall for the first time since the expansion and renovation.  They loved it so much that "we've gone there every day since," they told me on  Sunday.

 

People come here to eat, read, write, rest, chat, do some people-watching, kill time until the movie starts, or all of the above.  Many of the tables and booths are decorated with photos of cacti, Mission San Xavier del Bac, and even old saloon tokens.

     

As you can see, the place is pretty darn popular now, although it's seldom seriously overcrowded - inside, anyway.

I don't mean to write a puff piece here, so here's my one little gripe.  Sometimes parking is a bit of a problem, especially at Christmas or when a hit movie premieres.  Summer presents a special parking problem of its own.

 

On summer days, everyone wants a spot in the covered parking.  It's not really a parking garage, just ground level plus an exposed roof.  The covered parking probably accommodates a couple hundred cars, tops.  People are so desperate for those spaces that they will often drive up and down the rows for ten minutes or more, hoping to be in the right place at the right time when a spot opens up. 

Me, I usually park just outside the covered parking.  Sure I'm in the sun, but at least I can walk to the mall entrance in the shade.

Karen

Check the Round Robin Challenges journal (especially comments) for any last-minute additions, but here's the list of participants for now:

Aunt Nub http://journals.aol.com/montaukny/FoolsParadise  

Steven http://journals.aol.com/sepintx/sometimesphotoblog  

Phinney http://journals.aol.com/geminiwilder/Paragon/  

Maria http://journals.aol.com/gotomaria/TheLittleThings/entries/745  

Betty http://journals.aol.com/rap4143/MyDayMyInterests/  

Alan http://journals.aol.com/botdotdotdot/F-Stop  

Derek http://journals.aol.com/deveil/PictureoftheDay  

Karen http://journals.aol.com/mavarin/MusingsfromMavarin  

Promise http://journals.aol.com/promiseluv372/PromiseMe/  

Monica http://journals.aol.com/photographybymon/Mamarazzi  

Marie http://journals.aol.com/mariebm56/PhotographsMemories/

Carly  http://journals.aol.com/ondinemonet/Ellipsis  

Danielle http://journals.aol.com/danielled1/Everybodyknows  

redonionsauce http://journals.aol.com/redonionsauce/SeeAmerica

Mary...Alphawoman's Blog   http://journals.aol.com/alphawoman1/Alphawomansblog

Deb... Sassys EYE   http://journals.aol.com/sassydee50/SassysEYE/entries/655