Tucson's Fall Season...Stock up for the Holidays

Did you know that there is a Fall Season in Tucson?  ...no I am not talking about the leaves turning - cactus doesn't have many leaves and the sage is pretty much the same color all year long!

What I am referring to is the Tucson Gem Show - the Fall version!

While this groups of shows is no where near the size of the Spring Shows (which some see as a benefit), it does the trick!  For locals and people in the Southwest area this is the perfect option for restocking needs just prior to the busy Holiday Season.  

So if you have run out of a favorite bead or need more Chrysoprase Cabs (you know that Green is an important color for Spring & Summer 2013 - right?) this is your opportunity to shop three (3) of the larger shows from Spring!

Your selection includes the popular Holidome Show presented by G&LW  - the giant JOGS Show at the ExpoCenter and the Best Bead Show at Kino Memorial Center!

If you aren't able to pick up a Tucson EZ-Guide to the Fall Shows in person click through for a download-able Flip Book!  

Make it a Gemmy Summer in Franklin, NC…

Whether you are a rockhound, geologist or you just love the beauty Mother Nature provides…you must, just once in your lifetime hit the scene in Franklin.

Curious? take a minute to download the online edition of the Franklin EZ-Guide and see if there isn’t something that catches your attention.

With maps of the area, dining suggestions, show dates and hours, vendor lists and more Gem Show EZ-Guides are the choice of travelers and attendees across the country…why?   …because “we know the shows”.

The EZ-Guide describes it this way: “During the summer months rockhounds and tourists converge on the tiny town of Franklin, North Carolina to attend gem shows, do some fluming at the local gem mines, and simply spend their vacations in this stunningly beautiful area at the southern foothills of the great Smoky Mountains. There is plenty to do for everyone who comes to Franklin and Macon County, but rockhounds who come to this area know that it is one of the only places in the world where it is not rare on a casual hike in the hills—if you know what you’re looking for—to return home with a pocketful of precious stones, even rubies, sapphires and garnets! This is what makes Franklin, truly, the Gem Capital of the World.”

…and for those looking for something to do outside the show, the Chamber of Commerce offers these options: “Whether you’re looking for high adventure, fun places for the kids, beautiful scenery, a week on the greens, or the natural wonders of the Smoky mountains, Franklin provides a multitude of wonderful activities. For lovers of gems and minerals, you won’t want to miss the open-to-the-public gem mining in and near Franklin and the amazing collection at the Franklin Gem & Mineral Museum.

The Chamber provides a monthly Calendar of Events for some ideas of ways to spend your time during your stay in Franklin, North Carolina – home of mountain treasures and simple pleasures.”

See you in Franklin?

A Decade of EZ-Guides, International Shows and QR Codes!

What a Whirlwind of a Show! 

What a YEAR!   


What do you mean it is only February?


OK - I am of to hibernate for a while...with the glow of the desert still warming my skin....WHAT? 


I need to write a show wrap up? OK...


It has been an amazing couple of months from working on and gathering the information for a brand new International Edition of the EZ-Guide (did you pick up your copy in Tucson?) - to getting the annual Tucson EZ-Guide out!


Did you notice that the Tucson EZ Guide has gone "high tech"?  QR Codes made it possible to include more info without the EZ-Guide ending up so big you couldn't carry it with you! 


Here is a  quickie guide for those of you who I didn't talk to in Tucson!!!  


A QR (Quick Response) Code  is much like the Bar Codes on the goods you purchase from most stores today.


Here is an easy explanation from the Master of Explanation, Lee LeFever of Common Craft:

"In our online world, everything is linked together. You visit a website, and click a link to visit another site, send a message, view a photo or download a video.  A simple click makes everything possible.On the other hand, our physical world is what you see walking down the street.   The problem is – nothing is clickable. You can’t click a URL on a container to see recipes.  You can’t click a statue to read about it on Wikipedia. So, you end up having to type in a link, take notes or just keep walking. But that’s starting to change.
You may have seen codes like these. They’re called QR or “quick response” codes and they mean
your camera phone can now be a little like a cashier’s scanner.
Once you have an QR reader app on your smartphone, you can point your camera phone at these codes and immediately grab useful information.
Let’s say you’re running errands and walk by a sign that says “New Show Coming Soon” and there’s a QR code.   You can just open your QR reader app, point your camera phone at the code and the app will automatically give you options.
No links to remember, no notes - just point your phone at the QR code and the real world becomes clickable."

So now the question becomes where do you find a QR Scanner for your Smart Phone?

Turns out that today you have a couple options - there are 291 options on Download.com

...or for those of you that are Microsoft users - Mashable recently wrote up the new MS Tag system...check out a couple and find the one that works for you!

OK - wrap up coming in the next day or so...

EZ-Guide Quartzsite: Plan Your Trip TODAY!

Quartzsite has been described as a mini Tucson Gem Show - don't believe it.  This annual desert event has it's own personality!

The Quartzsite Shows start in November and continue through the middle of February!

The number one thing that separates Quartzsite from Tucson is the RV'ers...this is much more than a Rock Show!  Each January this sleepy little town of just under 4,000 becomes the "boon-docking capital of the West", welcoming over one million visitors annually.  Thousands of Snow Birds escaping colder climes make this an annual meet up - so there are Pow Wows - Swap Meets - Hobby Shows and RV Shows.

So start planning now!

The Quartzsite EZ-Guide is up at: http://xpopress.com/QZ-show-schedule.html

...and there is so much more to the info provided than show guides...

Area RV Parks:  http://www.xpopress.com/QZ-QRV.html
Maps: http://bit.ly/QuartzsiteMap

Photo Credit: Don Ogden, NOCGMS