I went to Tucson because I wished to live deliberately, and not, when I came to die, to discover that I had not lived—just kidding, I went because my friends said it was a cool town to potentially live in and I wanted to see what the ruckus was about. The rent is cheap, and the vibes are strong. They call Tucson a blue dot in a sea of red and the rumors are true. I equate the kindness I found in all of Tucson with my experience at Hotel McCoy. We stayed here three days and lived very deliberately, not with booze or drugs or whatever but we just got real comfortable there. Sometimes I didn’t even make the bed, which is something I do every single day. Arizona is full of telescopes and quartz. Hotel McCoy is a hipster pitstop marked by a painted rainbow over a car park awning at the entrance. Lots of Oprah quotes painted on the walls. The parking lot is flat and horseshoe shaped. All the employees are pleasant and down to earth. The free breakfast is a veritable feast. A replete oatmeal bar with healthy choice bits like shredded coconut and raisins and cinnamon. Coffee was local and delicious. He tried his first tamale here and liked it. Lucky to be in Tucson during tamal season. What is it about Tucson? Was it the cartoonish cacti? The consistent use of the color purple? The Sonoran and Pueblo architecture? The soft tiles? The lighting in winter? The dustiness of it all? The horizon beyond the parking lot affords two spectacular views: one of an old WWI observatory tower and the other, the blue glow of an Amazon fulfillment center. Both beacons of technology, both haunting when the sun goes down. I hope the staff can please forgive us for checking out late and for forgetting to leave a cash tip, the latter more egregious than the former. But I’ll be back and I’ll double up next time.

I have now started referring friends to stay at this hotel...as much as I would like to keep it a secret, it's just not possible! Fun, quirky, and very well run...with a great pool area and stunning local artists art graffitied on the walls.