The Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) is the largest organization of Location Managers and Location Scouts in the motion picture, television, commercial and print production industries. Their membership plays a vital role in the creativ
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22 • LMGI COMPASS | Summer 2021 MUST'SEE PLACE: Scout the iconic historic mission, San Xavier del Bac, which is about 10 miles south of downtown Tucson. Reserve an hour to see the Barrio Viejo neighborhood, which borders the south edge of the city. Peruse the simple elegance of the brightly colored adobe homes—including one that Diane Keaton recently listed for $2.6 big ones—but then, take a moment to pause at the shrine of El Tiradito, which may be the United States's only Catholic shrine dedi- cated to the memory of a sinner instead of a saint. Light a candle, make a wish, and if the candle burns through the night, your wish will come true. FAVORITE SHOP: Like many guys my age, I don't shop. Denim jeans and cargo shorts just magically appear in my closet. But the world-famous Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum—which you're probably going to see anyway—has one of the fi nest gift shops for Native American arts and crafts in Southern Arizona. FAVORITE RESTAURANT: "Restaurant," as in singular? Please, you're killing me. Tucson was named the fi rst UNESCO City of Gastronomy in the U.S. The city boasts "The Best 23 Miles of Mexican Food" in the country? The Northern hemisphere? This side of Blythe? You get the idea. Some say the heart of this El Dorado of Mexican- American cuisine is 12th Avenue in South Tucson, but I'm going to make a play for Anita's Street Market in the middle of the historic Dunbar Springs neighborhood for its homemade tortillas and burritos and in memory of its beloved founder, Señora Grace Soto. PLACE TO SEE BY NIGHT: All fashion shoot roads lead to the big "neon saguaro" on Oracle Road north of Drachman. While you're in the neighborhood, swing by the collection of vintage neon signs on Drachman just west of Stone Avenue. BEST DAY TRIP: This trip will hit some of the highlights already mentioned; use Google Maps to connect the dots. After breakfast in downtown Tucson, head for Gates Pass. Pull off the road and take in the view. Most everything around you is fi lm-friendly in Tucson Mountain Park. From here, you can drive west to visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Saguaro National Park, or the Old Tucson movie set, if it's open. The peak behind Old Tucson is Golden Gate Mountain, scene of countless Westerns and perhaps the most fi lmed prominence west of the Pecos. Head south to take in San Xavier del Bac, then continue on I-19 to the arts community of Tubac, the Titan Missile Museum and the mission at Tumacácori. Return to Tucson for a quick visit to Barrio Viejo. For an overnight, you can extend the trip to Nogales, Sonoita, Bisbee or Tombstone. FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD: I'm doubling up here because my favorite neighborhood—the So- noran rowhouses of El Presidio— is also the location of my favorite morning/lunch eats, Café a la C'Art (also big on catering for your crafty needs). With your scone and brew in hand, you are literally a stone's throw from the Presidio San Agustin del Tucson, the reconstructed Spanish fort and birthplace of Tucson. FAVORITE LOCAL ARTIST: Tucson is Mural City, USA, with more than 100 highlighted by Jim's Private Tour the Tucson Mural Program. My favorite local muralist is Joe Pagac. Check out his stunning 4,000 sq ft "bicycle mural" at the corner of Stone and 6th Street. And don't miss The DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Museum. Even if you're not 100 percent sold on artist Ettore "Ted" De- Grazia, whom I adore, this 10-acre Na- tional Historic Site is not to be missed! BEST BAR/CLUB: Start at downtown's Hotel Congress and go from there. For the ultimate, ultra- divey and decades-long destination for Tucson ruffi ans and grad students on their third PhD, don't miss The Buffet Bar on 9th Street. No way, no-how, not in this lifetime are you going to be allowed to fi lm there, just enjoy your Coors and be cool! BEST PLACE TO HEAR MUSIC: Going with tried and true, it's the Rialto or Fox theaters downtown for venue style. Eastside, try the Maverick for honky-tonk, eclectic Monterey Court in a refurbed motor court on Miracle Mile, or any joint with a sound stage and an amplifi er on Fourth Avenue. BEST VANTAGE POINT/SCENIC VIEW: For the city viewscape at sunset, drive up the Catalina (aka Mount Lemmon) Highway, which spirals up from the desert to spruce- and fi r-clad mountaintop in 27 miles. Welcome to Tucson! Rialto Theatre and Hotel Congress Mural by Leslie Grimes, former Farmer Johns meat building