Tucson is one of the world’s most magical cities. I had been once before but when I was invited to speak at the Southern Arizona Home Show, I jumped at the chance to again.

If you’ve never been, it’s pure desert. Like, no grass, just sand. Lots of cactus. Dry air but nice cool breezes. Mesquite trees everywhere (which have the most amazing aroma — if you’ve ever been during a rainstorm, you know how amazing the smell is after). It’s also incredibly artsy and very near the Mexican border, so the food is excellent.

There’s also something mystical and witchy about Tucson. There are a number of spiritual healers in the area (it’s also known for its annual gem show) and the vibe is just generally very good.

Tucson also does a great job of preserving its history and culture. The bus stops are all designed by artists, the neighborhoods are all labeled by their barrio name, with gorgeous signage and beautiful 19th century adobe homes that have been well-preserved.

The first few days of the trip were spent in luxury — at the Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain (located in Marana, just outside of Tucson). This is a beautiful property with lots of activities (and very family-friendly — there are kids everywhere, including in the adults-only pool). The food was excellent (the final night’s meal at CORE Kitchen was exceptional — I could write an essay about it) and they have an in-house smoothie and coffee bar, on-site hikes, and excursions like star-watching (be warned that this is a Ritz property and the excursions are pricey — the star-watching is like $450 a person, the hikes are $100 per person, etc.)

The hike was well worth, it though. Our group was guided by the resort’s expert, Ranger Ron, who took us on a two-hour trek through the Sonoran Desert, where we saw wild Javelina and stopped to examine the various cactus species — some of which we even ate (wild how many varieties there are). But the real draw was the ancient cave art. We viewed pieces of art carved into rocks as long ago as 8,000 B.C.

The saltwater pools were lovely and I appreciated that all the on-site restaurants offered fun mocktails in addition to the standard margaritas and alcoholic beverages.

What I Wore

At the resort, I stuck to chic resortwear and comfortable basics for day.

Top row: white crochet cover-up (I wear this constantly — it is so easy to throw on and it looks insanely chic with slicked-back hair and a tinted lip balm), black sandals are old Sezane and unavailable but these are very similar // black bathing suit top and bottom, black pants (these are amazing because you can fold the top over and wear with flats or unfold and wear with heels — plus they are jersey and don’t wrinkle), similar black sandals

Bottom row: Joan Didion t-shirt, gray workout pants // brown bikini top and bottom

At night, I went with white dresses, which look good in the desert, IMO.

From left: white linen corset dress (almost completely sold out everywhere but a few left here), vintage armadillo bag (estate sale find), Prada heels (old; no longer available); white off-the-shoulder dress (worn with the same shoes and bag).

Following the resort portion of the trip, the vibe was more casual, with the next few days spent in Tucson proper. Here, the focus was on ease and comfort and shopping (more on that, below).

Top row: white tri-fold jeans, blue camisole, pink sweater is old Sezane (here’s a similar sweater), pink metallic socks, sneakers are old Adidas x Gucci

Bottom row: all-in-one dress (looks like a halter and a skirt, which I love because it does all the styling for you!), socks, sneakers are old Adidas x Gucci, bag; brown maxi-dress (worn with same sneakers and bag), sunglasses are old LV

The full version of this post is for paid subscribers. Keep reading for where I shopped for antiques and thrifted in Tucson + where I ate.