By: Laura Walton AFC®
I had planned to blog about median home prices versus median incomes in the 20 Best Value Towns listed in the February issue of Sunset Magazines (Prescott was ranked #4 by the way) but I got sidetracked into something much more timely. Did you know Tucson ranked #6 out of 20 of America’s Most Romantic Cities! Yes!! We don’t need to travel to a romantic getaway – we can stay right here in the Old Pueblo. Here’s how Travel & Leisure described us:
Tucson isn’t just for snowbirds—it’s for lovebirds too, according to T+L readers. Golfers have their choice of courses, while more adventurous couples take a horseback ride up into the nearby mountains or hike into Saguaro National Park. The city has managed to hold on to vestiges of its Old West past, including the Hotel Congress, built in 1919 and today the busiest bar in town, and the popular Maynard’s Market & Kitchen, housed in the historic old train depot.
Travel & Leisure’s America’s Favorite Places survey closed in April of last year after gathering over 50,000 responses ranking cities based on 67 categories including notable restaurants, wine bars, parks and gardens, live music , affordability, climate, etc. Tucson placed 6th among impressive company:
This lead me to wonder what we typically spend on the holiday that 1 in 2 Americans plan to celebrate:
Last year, Americans spent $19.2B on Valentine’s Day
Average spending by men = $196
Average spending by women = $100
The 24-35 age group out spent the others averaging $234
Two points to make: (1) maybe you can get away with spending a little less this Valentine’s Day since we already live in the midst of romance, and (2) take that, Phoenix!