A Pug's Business Trip to Tucson, Arizona

Most people assume pugs only travel to parks, pet stores, and that one spot under the dining room table where someone dropped a chicken nugget three years ago.

Not me.

I recently packed my favorite squeaky cactus toy, three emergency treats, and a tennis ball that has absolutely no bounce left. Then I headed to Tucson, Arizona for a little business... and a little pleasure.

Okay, mostly pleasure.

Business is exhausting when you only work about twenty minutes a day before needing another nap.

Checking Into My Hotel

The hotel was fantastic.

The staff greeted me like I was some kind of celebrity. They even gave me a dog treat at check-in. Finally... customer service that understands priorities.

The room was clean, the bed was comfortable, and there wasn't a single vacuum cleaner chasing me down the hallway.

Outside was a beautiful swimming pool. I didn't actually swim because pugs generally prefer making poor life choices over athletic activities, but I did sit beside the pool pretending I was on an important business call.

Here's what I liked most:

• Friendly staff who didn't question why I was traveling alone.
• A comfortable bed with excellent napping potential.
• A pool that looked refreshing, even if I only admired it from a safe distance.
• Air conditioning that probably saved my life.

Seeing the Sights Around Tucson

Everyone told me I had to visit Saguaro National Park.

Apparently people travel from all over the world just to look at giant cactuses.

I have to admit... they were impressive.

I briefly considered sniffing one.

I then remembered that cactuses have thousands of tiny spikes and decided this was one of my better decisions.

Later I wandered through downtown Tucson where I found outdoor patios, friendly people, and approximately fourteen million smells that absolutely had to be investigated.

I also visited the famous Tucson Botanical Gardens.

Beautiful flowers. Beautiful scenery.

Zero squirrels.

I left slightly disappointed.

Overall, Tucson earned high marks from me:

• Excellent sunshine.
• Friendly humans willing to pet complete strangers.
• Fantastic restaurants, even if they wouldn't let me order my own steak.
• Very walkable, assuming someone else is holding the leash.

A Relaxing Afternoon

After all that sightseeing, I decided it was time to treat myself.

I booked a pet massage.

Yes, that's apparently a thing.

I don't know exactly what the massage therapist did, but afterward I felt like a completely different pug.

For nearly twelve minutes I considered exercising voluntarily.

Thankfully that feeling passed.

By dinner I was back to my normal self, lying on the floor dramatically while waiting for someone to accidentally drop food.

The only real problem with Tucson was the temperature.

Let's just say that if your air conditioner quits during the summer, you'll suddenly become very interested in finding an HVAC company in Tucson.

Fortunately for me, every building I entered had wonderful air conditioning.

I consider that Tucson's greatest invention.

Would I Go Back?

Absolutely.

Tucson has sunshine, mountains, amazing scenery, friendly people, excellent hotels, and plenty of places to sniff.

Would I recommend visiting?

Without question.

Just remember to bring sunscreen, plenty of water, and enough treats to survive the trip.

Actually... forget the sunscreen.

Bring more treats.

You'll thank me later.