A few news items worth mentioning and items I’ve mentioned that deserve some follow up…

Bighorn Wildfire: Out

The monsoon rains have arrived, and the wildfire I wrote about is no longer making the Tucson air all smoky.

After burning across the Santa Catalina Mountains for a month and a half, the Bighorn Wildfire was finally 100% contained on July 23.

Thankfully, firefighters were able to ensure that no lives were lost and no homes or businesses burned down. Many of the mountains’ recreation areas (including Sabino Canyon and parts of Mt. Lemmon) are tentatively closed due to road repairs, flash flood danger, etc. until November 1, 2020.

Mt. Lemmon

Initially, all access to Mt. Lemmon was going to be shut down that long. But businesses in its mountaintop communities of Summerhaven and Ski Valley urged the County for a quicker opening, so visitors could return sooner.

Road crews were able to repair fire-damaged guardrails along the Catalina Highway, which goes up Mt. Lemmon. Amazingly – in what may be a construction project first – it reopened 3 months early! Officials may limit traffic to prevent crowding, since many areas are still restricted, but at least there is some access.

Open:

• The Cookie Cabin: Its patio seating has been arranged for social distancing.
• Mt. Lemmon General Store and Gift Shop.
• Ski Valley Sky Ride, which is the ski lift when there’s no skiing. (Tickets $15)

Closed:

• Coronado National Forest trails and campgrounds: No picnicking, hiking, or fishing.
• Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter: Observatory closed to the public.
• Trails in nearby Sabino Canyon.

Watch: Our drive up the Catalina Highway from the Tucson desert to Mt. Lemmon pines in 2015.

Murals at MSA Annex: New

There are a couple more mural additions at MSA Annex!

The mural honoring ancestors that To-Ree’-Nee’ Wolf was working on when I met her is finished now.

Also, textile designer Adia Jamille completed a sweet painting of a couple next to her larger “Black lives matter when they are…. alive” mural.

Watch: Star Wars actor John Boyega – who plays Finn, the former Stormtrooper turned “big deal” in the Resistance – gave an impassioned speech at a protest in Hyde Park, London: “Black lives have always mattered. We have always been important. We have always meant something.” It’s beautiful and makes me tear up every time.

Star Wars Celebration: Postponed

The 2020 edition of Star Wars Celebration, the big non-annual convention we attended a few years back, has been canceled. It was supposed to return to Anaheim this month, but, of course, this is not really a time for crowded cons. It has been rescheduled for August 18-21, 2022.

Watch: In lieu of the in-person event, some fans are organizing a virtual conference, ForceFest, August 28-30. I think you need an account on the GetVokl platform to see the livestream, but you can just sign up free with your phone number, Twitter, Facebook, or Patreon account. (I did. It was pretty quick.)

Disney Parks: Reopening in progress

Speaking of Anaheim (and Star Wars), Disney properties have began to open back up in phases. Precautions they’re taking include operating at reduced capacity, adding distance between parties on rides, requiring masks, and sanitizing the heck out of anything that can be sanitized. Some attractions will remain closed for the time being.

Opened in July:

• Walt Disney World Resort theme parks
• Many (but not all) Walt Disney World Resort hotels
• Disney Springs (the dining and shopping area near the Orlando Parks)
• Tokyo Disneyland
• Tokyo DisneySea (yep, that’s real)
• Disneyland Paris
• Downtown Disney District (the dining and shopping area near the Anaheim Parks)

Still closed:

• Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure (opening delayed due to state restrictions)
• Disneyland Resort hotels
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, and several other Walt Disney World Resort hotels

Listen: Podcast the Ride episode on the craziness of the day Disneyland first opened in 1955. (Heads up: Even though it’s about theme parks, this is not a podcast meant for kids.)

DIY: A couple Disney Imagineers designed these cute Disney Paper Parks. Print out Sleeping Beauty’s castle, buildings from Main Street, U.S.A., and floats from the “Magic Happens” parade (which barely debuted before the coronavirus shutdown), and then color, cut out, and fold them to set up your own little Disneyland!