Just a friendly reminder (since Tuesday, December 3 is Giving Tuesday) to take advantage of the AZ tax credits for donating to qualifying charitable organizations (QCOs) and qualifying foster care organizations (QFCOs). (Technically you have until April 15, 2025 to make the donations to claim on your 2024 tax return.)

The maximum QCO credit donation amount for 2024 is $470 for single/$938 married filing joint. Here’s the list of QCOs:

https://azdor.gov/sites/default/files/2024-01/CREDITS_2024_qco.pdf

The maximum QFCO credit donation amount for 2024 is $587 for single/$1,173 for married filing joint. Here’s the list of QFCOs:

https://azdor.gov/sites/default/files/2024-01/CREDITS_2024_qfco.pdf

More info here: https://azdor.gov/tax-credits/credits-contributions-qcos-and-qfcos

I've heard it explained as "You donate $400 now, then you get an extra $400 back on your tax return" and I've also heard that it just reduces your taxable income by the amount you donate

I recently moved to Tucson. Before I got here, a friend of mine sent me a TikTok showing a site in the desert that looked super cool. From my recollection, it was this big geometric structure that framed the sun once/a couple of days a year (à la Stonehenge). Unfortunately, I lost the link to the TikTok and haven't been able to find it again.

Here are some things I think I remember about this:

• Like I said, it was monolithic structure that frames the sun (or maybe moon or stars) on a couple days a year (e.g., the equinoxes)
• I remember it being made of red stone and being quite large (maybe spanning a couple of acres
• I'm pretty sure it was in the Eastern half of the state, fairly far from Tucson (4+ hour drive)
• I'm pretty sure it was privately owned, maybe by an artist, and was maybe somewhat secret
• It was modern (it's not Casa Grande or Circlestone)

Does anyone know of a place like this? Please let me know if you do!

Has anybody been to Organ Pipe recently and can vouch for how safe they felt? Are there campers there this time of year? Planning to camp there (two women) in the new few weeks and can't find much about the current border/migrant situation online. No political discussion please. Just want to know about safety in the area. TIA.

This is the place for questions about moving and visiting here, and we get a lot of those so try to limit individual threads for each one. If you have a question for locals, ask away!

You may also want to check out some past threads on Travel, Outdoors, or Living Here.

If you live in Arizona you can join our Arizona Discord Server.

Fire away!

I have a slot that week at The Wave, and I'm thinking about going to White Pocket in the same period, but I am not an experienced off-road driver.

I figure some company would be good, especially anyone who has experience driving in the backcountry... or not, even. More people in the backcountry is always better.

I know enough to air down my tires and keep moving through the sand traps. I'll have a Honda CRV wth AWD.

Hopefully the weather and my ride will allow me to make this trip.

Let me know!

(And if anyone has any advice for the trip, that would be welcome as well.)

Hello everyone. I am trying to source some Rocky Mountain juniper. I am planning on making my friend a set of chopsticks for Christmas. As a young lad he was sent to a wilderness therapy camp and he carved a lot of it during his time there. If anyone could help me out that would be great. Thanks!

My parents livdd in a brand new neighborhood off of Shea. Obligatory photo with the car by my dad

I’m planning to fly into Phoenix and head south for camping and some easy to medium intensity mountain biking in February. Any recommendations for a place to car camp and bike? I was thinking south of Phoenix because it will be a bit warmer but I’m from NH so the cold doesn’t bother me much. Thanks!

DOMINATION! Go DEVILS!!!

A relative wants to get married with a small group in January in a nice location outside without hassles in the Phoenix area. Suggestions? Could they get married at the zoo? Thank you for your time.

ASU will win for sure!!!!

https://apple.news/A7-iV2nNfRxSxxf9gJz1Glw

Does anyone know how active rattlesnakes are this time of year around Phoenix? I'm planning to go on a trail run tomorrow that involves some sections that are off trail, mainly through brush and high grass. Normally when I take this route I wear hiking boots and pay attention to where I'm stepping, but this time, since I'm running I'll obviously be wearing low running shoes.

I'm running to the top of a local mountain near Phoenix. The max elevation is 5'000ft and it's only the last 800ft that are off trail. The high for tomorrow is 74 but I'm guessing it'll be cooler up there.

I've bought some snake gaiters that I can throw into my pack and put on when I get to the off trail sections, but they're pretty big and heavy. Do you reckon I should take them? They'll definitely help against burrs and cacti too I guess....

Update: Did the run and skipped the gaiters because they didn't fit into my running vest. I decided I'd just see what it looks like when I get up there and what the temperature is. It was cool, and the brush wasn't very thick so I went for it. Made it to the peak and back without seeing a single snake. Thanks for everyone's input!