So I went back to the footage I’d taken and finished putting it together into one video.
Party Like It’s 2019
It’s been weird coming back to the photos and videos I took that day.
Even though it was just last year, it felt like I was opening a time capsule from another era or peering into a parallel universe – where no one is worried about COVID-19, because it didn’t exist yet. They are leaning in to talk to strangers, stuffing cash into tip jars, crowding in front of the main stage in the Hotel Congress plaza, walking under theater marquees crammed with upcoming show dates.
We still lived in Phoenix and were in town for Arizona International Film Festival (AZIFF). We didn’t know that we’d have a Tucson address less than two months later!
Band Together
Of course, here we are now in 2020. I’m glad to be in Tucson but heartbroken when I think about the things COVID-19 has put a stop to.
Since artists have been hit particularly hard, I’ve listed the bands / musicians from the video below. Consider supporting your favorite(s) with a Venmo tip, CD purchase, or social media shoutout. Some of them are doing livestream or socially distanced shows you can see too.
We were already on the road to Colossal Cave Mountain Park, when we realized we’d overshot our original destination. We had heard about the cave but hadn’t ever been there. So, instead of doubling back and trying to find the entrance for the nature preserve we had probably just driven through but weren’t sure how to access, we kept going!
We weren’t even sure if we’d be able to get into the park or if it was still closed due to the coronavirus. And we certainly weren’t planning on going into any caves since Quijote was with us. But it was Phillip’s birthday, and he voted to go see what we could find.
Colossal Cave Mountain Park
Colossal Cave is a dry cave system under the Rincon Mountains in the Tucson-adjacent community of Vail. Before being developed into a tourist attraction by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s, the cave had served a variety of functions, including a shelter for the Hohokam people, train robber hideout, and guano mine.
What to know if you decide to visit:
The park around the cave is open for hiking, camping, and taking in the views. (Free entrance. You just pay fees if you’re going on a cave tour or camping.)
Cave tours have restarted on a limited basis – currently only the Classic Cave Tour is available.
You can choose your tour time and book tickets online. (Adult $18 / child $9 / military or first responder $14) You can only enter the cave on a tour.
Face coverings and social distancing (six feet apart) are required during tours.
Under the roof of this cool rock structure built by the CCC is the cave entrance, Terrace Cafe, and gift shop.
Because the CCC were so instrumental in developing Colossal Cave Mountain Park, there’s a statue in honor of the CCC workers at the entrance to the terrace.
There are also nice hiking trails outside the cave – I’m sure they’ll be even nicer when it’s not summery hot.
Coatimundis
We were looking around the terrace when I overheard one of the staff tell the group waiting for their tour time that they often see coatimundis going in and out of the cave.
That stopped me in my tracks.
A coatimundi (or “coati”) is a long-nosed member of the raccoon family that mostly lives in Central America, but has also found its way into higher elevations of the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico (Mt. Lemmon, for example).
Phillip and I have been on the lookout for one ever since we went to Chiricahua for the first time and didn’t see any there.
We had no idea there’d be a chance to see one that day. Apparently, though, they’re a common sight, going in and out of the cave and hunting around the park for trash (which, of course, is on-brand for the raccoon family).
Moments later, we saw a young coati atop the hill above the cave entrance! He started sniffing along the edge, and then scampered down its sheer face and into the cave.
Phillip barely had time to snap photos, and I had my hands full with Quijote.
But we saw it.
It was like nature gave Phillip a colossal birthday surprise!
I found myself researching hotels recently, even though I don’t currently have plans to travel farther than the grocery store.
With COVID-19 cases on the rise, I’m certainly not advocating that everyone hit the road. But I know you might need a place to stay due to quarantining, an evacuation, family emergency, essential travel, change in living situation, etc.
So what are hotel brands in the U.S. are doing in the wake of the coronavirus?
Photo via Marriott: an employee using an electrostatic sprayer.
So Fresh and So Clean
Major hotel companies have ramped up their cleaning procedures and are doing an interesting dance in order to let the public know about it. It’s like they want to say “our hotels have always been spotless, but now they’re spotless-er!”
And they probably are, in fact, more spotlesser than ever. Things people are most likely to touch, like door handles and elevator buttons, are getting wiped down and disinfected frequently. Unsanitizable stuff is being taken out of rooms. (Where are they putting all those extra throw pillows and notepads? Are they just tossing them? Are they all in storage somewhere? Listed on eBay?)
Many hotels are either using or looking into using electrostatic spraying / fogging, a technique for disinfecting surfaces by spraying them with positively-charged chemicals. (Yeah, I don’t totally understand it, either, but it’s supposed to be very thorough and good for hard-to-reach spaces.)
A lot of amenities are temporarily suspended for safety reasons. Buffets are out. Workout rooms and pools are on thin ice. Daily housekeeping is becoming more of a DIY situation.
This spring, when everything was suddenly being shut down and postponed, most hotels waived cancellation fees. At this point, however, a lot of those more lenient policies are expiring. So don’t forget to read the fine print when you book!
Keep in mind:
Reservation policies I’ve summarized below apply to direct, individual bookings. (All dates are 2020.)
For bookings through a third party (Expedia, Hotels.com, etc.), you’ve got to deal with their rules. And group bookings are a whole different mess altogether.
Most rewards program levels and points expiration dates have been extended.
You can also opt to convert your unused rewards points into a monetary donation to a charity the hotel has partnered with.
As much as hotels may be attempting to follow guidelines from the WHO, CDC, and local authorities, those recommendations can change quickly. Also, the general policy for a hotel chain can still vary from one location to the next. Call ahead if you have questions.
Reservations + Cancellations: They had been waiving all cancellation fees until June 30, and then went quiet on the subject. Double check your booking details.
Checking In: Check-in and check-out streamlined to minimize contact (theoretically) using the Best Western Mobile Concierge platform – which I have not been able to find and have no clue how you access.
Common Areas:
Disinfecting the lobby and touch points throughout the hotel regularly.
Providing hand sanitizer or wipes.
Cleaning fitness centers, swimming pools, meeting rooms, and other public amenities with disinfecting chemicals, as well as electrostatic fogging, ozone generators, or ultraviolet devices, when available.
Guest Rooms:
Enhanced cleaning protocols with chemicals aimed at killing COVID-19.
If possible, guest rooms will not be entered for 24 to 72 hours after check-out. (I just keep thinking about the potential guest grossness that could be left to sit there for three days. Did they consult anyone from housekeeping on this?)
On that note, let’s move on to breakfast options….
Most hotels are currently offering a “Grab & Go” breakfast with pre-packaged food and beverage options, like a whole piece of fruit, bottle of water, granola bar, and a pastry.
Some hotels may serve or pre-plate breakfast in lieu of a buffet. This may include a breakfast sandwich or burrito, hot and cold cereals, yogurt, pastries, and fruit.
Employee Policies:
Must use Personal Protective Equipment and follow frequent, stringent hand-washing protocols.
Workstations cleaned and disinfected after every shift.
If unwell, employees are “empowered to stay home.”
Option to Donate Your Reward Points? Yes, to a variety of charitable organizations via their Rewards Redemption Mall.
Photo via Choice Hotels. WoodSpring Suites, Everett, Washington
For new reservations with arrival dates through September 30, there is no charge for cancellations up to 24 hours in advance. (Does not apply to bookings with a pre-paid rate. Also several other exclusions. Definitely read the fine print when you book.)
Common Areas:
Cleaning high-traffic areas such as the front desk, fitness centers, and pool area with hospital-grade disinfectant.
Furniture arranged to encourage social distancing.
Guest Rooms: Housekeeping “on demand.” You can request delivery of additional toiletries, towels, linens, or coffee without having a housekeeper enter the room.
Dining: Offering pre-packaged breakfast items instead of buffets at many hotels.
Photo via ChoiceHotels. Handmade masks for healthcare heroes!
Employee Policies:
Creating the new position of “Commitment to Clean Captain” (which I can only picture as a comic book character. Like a grime-fighting superhero!)
Every Choice-branded hotel will designate a Commitment to Clean Captain, who will be in charge of implementing new cleaning protocols at the property.
COVID-19 Outreach: Special room rates for front line workers, including nurses, doctors, FEMA employees and American Red Cross volunteers.
Quality Inn in Sylva, NC donated toilet paper and other essentials to senior centers and is currently providing shelter for people experiencing homelessness.
Comfort Suites in Carlisle, PA sponsored a blood drive.
Cambria Hotel in Bloomington, MN helped to send essential supplies to the Minnesota Nurses Association.
WoodSpring Suites in Allentown, PA donated a dozen handmade superhero masks to healthcare workers who were staying at the hotel.
Reservations + Cancellations: Cancellation penalties were waived for reservations through July 6, but no update since then.
Checking In:
Using single-use keycards for the rest of the year.
Plexiglass hygiene guards installed at some front desk terminals.
Night windows have become all-the-time windows. If a hotel has an exterior front desk window, guests should check in there rather than going inside the lobby.
Common Areas:
More frequent cleaning and heavy disinfection of high-touch surfaces.
Adding hand sanitizer stations.
Closing pools.
Limiting the number of people in lobbies and lowering the maximum occupancy for most hotels.
Removing complimentary coffee from lobbies and microwaves from the vending area. (Caffeine addicts take note! Motel 6 also doesn’t include coffee pots in rooms, so plan on getting your fix outside of the property.)
Engaging a third-party supplier to provide deep cleaning and sanitization services, as needed.
Masks required.
Guest Rooms:
Using EPA-approved, antiviral disinfectants to sanitize the most commonly touched areas of guest rooms.
Hotel staff will not enter any occupied room.
Limiting housekeeping to pre-scheduled trash removal, amenity replenishment, and providing fresh towels and sheets outside of each room.
Quijote explores Motel 6.
Employee Policies:
Employees required to wear provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – unless the hotel is unable to get their (ungloved) hands on said PPE. (In which case, I guess everyone is off the hook-?)
Hand sanitizer stations in the team center.
Furloughed Team Members receive a lump sum payment and can remain on the company’s healthcare plan.
Partnering with several companies who have immediate job openings to assist team members in securing interim employment.
COVID-19 Outreach:
20% discount for first responders, medical professionals, and active duty military working on the front lines of the pandemic. (Must book online and provide identification at check-in.)
Partnering with local governments in several communities to provide shelter for first responders, medical professionals, other essential workers, and those who may need to quarantine.
Option to Donate Your Reward Points? Their loyalty program (My6) seems to be discount-based rather than point-based, so I don’t think there’s anything for you to donate!
Dining: Enhancing cleaning and making other changes to buffets, in-room dining, and meeting spaces, in accordance with current food safety recommendations.
Employee Policies: Additional training, protocols, and Personal Protective Equipment.
COVID-19 Outreach:
Donated hotel room nights across the U.S. to frontline medical professionals who needed a place to sleep, recharge or isolate from their families (as part of 1 Million Rooms).
Hilton Effect Foundation has pledged financial assistance to organizations to help those impacted by COVID-19.
Atwell Suites, avid, Candlewood Suites, Crowne Plaza, EVEN, Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo, InterContinental, Kimpton, Regent, Six Senses, Staybridge Suites, voco
Reservations + Cancellations:
New Book Now, Pay Later rate allows cancellations up to 24 hours before your stay, does not require a deposit, and is at least 5% less than Best Flexible Rate (which typically allows free cancellation until 6pm the day of arrival).
It’s valid for bookings made at least 3 days in advance from March 25 through September 1 with stays ending by December 30.
IHG Rewards Club members save more on Book Now, Pay Later and Best Flexible rates.
Checking In:
Reduced contact at check-in and paperless check-out.
IHG Way of Clean already includes deep cleaning with hospital-grade disinfectants.
Visible verification of sanitized items (e.g. glassware, remote control).
Reducing or changing furnishings.
Implementing new laundry protocols.
Cleaning with electrostatic technology.
Hotel Indigo, Anaheim
Dining:
Updating approach to buffets, banquets, room-service, and catering, based on official guidelines.
Some hotels have temporarily reduced restaurant and bar service.
Contact the individual hotel for specific details on dining options.
COVID-19 Outreach:
Partner to #FirstRespondersFirst, providing free accommodation across the U.S. for frontline COVID-19 workers and access to a dedicated VIP reservation service to match local needs with nearby hotels.
Working with hotels and charity partners to ease pressure on foodbanks through funding, donating excess food, and assisting with deliveries.
Option to Donate Your Reward Points? Yes, to Red Cross / Red Crescent COVID-19 relief fund.
AC Hotels, Aloft Hotels, Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard, Delta Hotels, Edition Hotels, Fairfield, Four Points by Sheraton, Gaylord Hotels, JW Marriott Hotels, Le Méridien, The Luxury Collection, Moxy Hotels, Protea Hotels, Renaissance Hotels, The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, Sheraton Hotels and Resort, SpringHill Suites, W Hotels, Westin Hotels
Reservations + Cancellations:
New reservations for dates between July 6 and September 30 can be canceled at no charge up to 24 hours before your scheduled arrival date.
Reservation refunds may take up to 90 days from the date of cancellation to be processed.
Checking In:
Adding partitions at check-in.
You can use the mobile app to check in, access your room (instead of a physical key!), and order room service (in over 3,200 hotels).
Common Areas:
Using electrostatic sprayers and other technology to sanitize surfaces throughout the hotel.
Cleaning surfaces more frequently and using hospital-grade disinfectants.
Installing hand sanitizing stations at hotel entrances, front desks, elevator banks, and meeting spaces.
Some lobby furniture removed or rearranged to allow more space for distancing.
Guest Rooms:
Thoroughly cleaning all surfaces with hospital-grade disinfectants.
Placing disinfecting wipes in each room.
JW Marriott, Los Angeles
Dining:
Food and beverage operations are required to conduct self-inspections for compliance to food safety standards. Results are validated by independent audits.
Designing new approaches to buffets and in-room dining.
Employee Policies:
Voluntary transition program for employees choosing to leave the company to pursue other opportunities.
The TakeCare Relief Fund (TCRF) makes need-based financial grants available to associates who are facing financial hardship.
Forming the Marriott Global Cleanliness Council with in-house and outside experts in food and water safety, hygiene and infection prevention, and hotel operations. The council will work to develop a new cleanliness standards, norms and behaviors for Marriott properties.
AC Hotel, Tucson, Arizona
COVID-19 Outreach:
Partnering with Rooms for Responders to provide hotel stays for healthcare professionals leading the fight against COVID-19 in the U.S.
Community Caregiver Program provides significantly discounted rates for first responders and healthcare professionals who want to book rooms near the hospitals where they’re working.
Some properties have been donating meals and supplies, like cleaning products, masks, gloves, anti-microbial wipes, sanitizers, and shower caps to medical and other frontline workers.
Option to Donate Your Reward Points?
Yes, to relief organizations that are active in COVID-19, including the American Red Cross, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, UNICEF and World Central Kitchen.
Marriott has also said they’re working on an option for donating points to organizations focused on advancing racial equality and social justice that they will then match.
Essential workers get 15% off Best Available Rate for stays booked by September 30.
Everyday Heroes Complimentary GOLD membership upgrade for Wyndham Rewards Members who are providing essential services in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic between April 14 and September 30. (If you’re not a member, you can sign up for free.)
Option to Donate Your Reward Points? Yes, to preferred charities, many of whom are working to help those affected by COVID-19.
I took any photos requiring travel before the pandemic. The hotel interiors probably look a bit different now!
While COVID-19 has thrown us all off balance, people are helping each other get back on their feet in some lovely ways – sharing their art, connecting people with resources, checking in on family and friends, donating where they can, helping the “helpers” on the front lines, and buying from their local mom-and-pop shops and restaurants. (All from a safe distance, of course!)
I’ve rounded up a list of various goodies to help you stay well, support independent artists and businesses, and give back.
Courtesy of Saywells Design + Why I Love Where I Live.
Backgrounds for your phone or Zoom meetings by Tucson-based Saywells Design, including mask-wearing cacti.
Lisa Congdon sketchbook via CreativeBug
Workshops
Debbie Allen Dance Academy: Founded by Debbie Allen of Fame fame, DADA is a non-profit organization with programs to expand young people’s access to dance + theater.
$3 dance classes on weekdays (signup via Zoom required).
Knitting Tree – Sale on discontinued and overstocked items.
Wildflower Studio – Shibui Knits Maai $14/skein (regular $17.50) + free digital pattern for M.1 scarf by Shelli Anderson with purchase of 4 skeins.
Zoe’s Knit Studio – Free shipping (or curbside pickup) on select kits. Email info@zoesknitstudio.com for details.
MAST (at Mercado San Agustin): Free shipping on U.S. orders with promo code MARCHON. Or 25% off any one item made by Mellow, Sofie, or Tasha with code LEANON.
Make a donation to help them provide hot coffee to overnight hospital workers.
Republica Empanada, Mesa: $2 beer or $10 mix-and-match six pack with any order.
Tucson To Go: Reforma
Tucson
Several Tucson restaurants are offering $30 takeout meals for two, as part of Tucson To-Go! Even though it’s presented by Sonoran Restaurant Week, this deal is ongoing.
Agustin Kitchen (at Mercado San Agustin): Burgers and sandwiches (a.k.a. “handhelds”) are buy one, get one free from 2-4pm daily. Walk-up or call-in orders.
Beaut Burger (at MSA Annex): Buy one, get one free vegan burgers weekdays from 4-5pm. Walk-up orders only.
In many cultures, around the world and across time, the spoken word has been seen as having a power to create and destroy. In the Hebrew Bible, creation is spoken into existence with the words “Let there be light.”
The words of the Diné (or Navajo) people helped to bring an end to World War II. Diné serving in the U.S. Marines developed a code adapted from their tribal language that baffled the Japanese. These “Code Talkers” were able to communicate top secret information to aid the Allied Powers’ efforts in the brutal theater of war in the Pacific.
The Navajo Code Talker program has grown in public consciousness over the last 40 years and has been the subject of many books, documentaries, and even the 2002 film Windtalkers. Yet, with all this focus on what the language accomplished, you couldn’t watch a Hollywood film in Navajo until recently.
A New Hope in Navajo
In 2013, Navajo Nation Museum director Manuelito Wheeler embarked on a project with Lucasfilm to dub the original Star Wars: A New Hope into Navajo!
It would be the first mainstream film to be translated into any Native American language.
I learned about this as I was preparing to go to Anaheim for Star Wars Celebration 7 (2015 convention celebrating all things Star Wars). One of the panels that intrigued me most was a discussion and documentary screening about the project.
During this panel, I was surprised to learn that there are a sizeable number of Diné that still speak the Navajo language, traditionally known as Diné Bizaad, almost exclusively. However, their numbers are slowly growing silent as many from the younger generations are no longer learning their parents’ language.
The panelists explained that, despite the admonitions of their parents about the importance of learning to speak their native tongue, the younger generation often see the language as a relic of the past, irrelevant to their lives.
Diné voice actor in the documentary.
Film as a Cultural Force
The excitement that the Star Wars dubbing project generated was multigenerational, drawing voice talent and actors from throughout the Diné community.
When the project was complete, the newly-dubbed film was shown outdoors at rodeo grounds on the reservation. After the movie finished, a Navajo elder, who spoke no English, exclaimed through a translator that it was the best movie she had ever seen! The original 1,500 DVDs sold out quickly with profits going to the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation Department, which helped fund the dubbing project.
Indeed, this project was amongst recent efforts to blaze a trail for the resurgence of Diné Bizaad on the reservation. The movie has even been used in Navajo language classes for the youngest generation. In the eyes of the youth, it is giving a voice to their language that many find compelling. If a hero like Luke Skywalker speaks Diné Bizaad, there’s no denying that their parents’ language has cultural force!
A Fresh Perspective
At the end of the panel, we were treated to a viewing of the Navajo-dubbed version of Star Wars.
Being a language geek, I knew that I would find the story behind this project enjoyable. But I was surprised by how moved I was by actually viewing part of the film in the Diné Bizaad language.
Because I couldn’t understand what was being said, I paid more attention. I watched the background and noticed how much the dry landscape of Tatooine reminded me of Arizona and the Navajo reservation. I noticed how objects looked rusty and well worn, like abandoned buildings along the old Route 66.
“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….”
I listened to the voices of the Diné voice actors. I was surprised to find out that, in this dubbed version, the voice of C3PO was a woman! But why not? It actually worked really well.
Even Uncle Owen’s words sounded more kindly and thoughtful than his English-speaking counterpart.
As the panelists wrapped up, one of the voice actors from the dub quoted something an older tribal member had said to a younger one, “Remember your language. Use it. One day your language will feed you.”
Words have power. They can start wars. They can bring peace. They have the force to create new ways of seeing.
– More Info –
The next Star Wars Celebration convention is scheduled for August 27-30 in Anaheim, CA.
The second major motion picture to be translated into Navajo was Finding Nemo in 2016.
Language:
According to Ethonologue: Languages of the World, as quoted in a 2017 article in the Navajo Times, there are 7,600 Navajo-only speakers and over 171,000 fluent speakers worldwide.
The same article shows a steady decline in Navajo speakers, with U.S. Census data showing that 93% of Diné spoke the language in 1980, but only 51% by 2010.
From the Navajo Code talkers display inside Burger King in Kayenta, Arizona.
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