TDY Gouge - Arizona

Davis-Monthan AFB, Tucson AZ - There is a GREAT Marriott downtown (2nd Street) right at the edge of the University and so close to the bars, etc... Another Marriot in town is the Courtyard Marriot. Staff is extremely helpful. Restaurant has nice breakfast buffet each morning. Hotel has swimming pool, whirl pool, work out room etc. Very convenient to restaurants, shopping and even to base. Not as close to U of A as some may like however. Embassy Suites is $58 a night for off-season and the on-season rate is still covered under the $ amount. There is free drinks every night from 5:30-7:30pm as well as a free breakfast every morning. It will help offset the $36 a day per diem. Close to the base, but not too close. Huge suites...bedroom and refrigerator. Two TV's and internet connections in every room. Eat at the El Paso Restaurant They serve BBQ and authentic AZ meal for a reasonable price and there are only six stores in the chain. They have numerous beers on tap and the service is excellent. We told the owner that we would recommend their restaurant and they comped our meal two nights in a row. Doubletree Suites has nice suites and service. Close to Pinnacle Peaks restaurant and nightlife. Try to get the breakfast coupon or they will charge you for their breakfast buffet (which is really nice) About 5 minutes from the base (Speedway Rd.) Eat on 4th Street at Bysonwitches - great drink prices, huge sandwiches, and bread bowls. The food's good, and the prices are cheap. Close to UofA. La Fuente (520-623-8659) is an outstanding Mexican Restuarant! 1749 North Oracle Road. Not expensive/ Moderate with Live Mexican Music and outstanding food. Try the fresh made Guacamole!!!!!!!!!!!! ~Bison-Witches - Great food - soup/sandwitches/good beer Frog&Firkin - On University - Great beer - Friendly U of A college waitresses; Gentle Bens - On University - Brewpub with good hot wings - Try the oatmeal stout beer

Tucson International Airport. Premier Aviation/Million Air - Highly recommended. Excellent line service 24hrs/day, service crew met aircraft with coolers full of refreshments after every sortie. Fuel trucks always on time. Great people to work with who really appreciate the military. Comm 520-889-6327, VHF 122.95 (ask for Premier Aviation) www.millionairtucson.com.

If you want authentic Mexican food try Chaco's Cafe about a 1/2 mile outside the main gate on Craycroft. Owned / operated by a husband and wife team with great food and service. Recently there's been a great mobile BBQ place in the BX parking lot, Wed-Fri. Looks like a shed on a trailer, but they dish up wonderful beef brisket, ribs and sausage. I second the El Paso comments. On the other side of Craycroft, across from El Paso, is a shopping center with an Olive Garden. Tucked away towards the end is a place called the Good Egg, wonderful breakfasts and lunch. The Marriot Courtyard is right behind it, ask for Nancy (she's even an honorary Sqd/CC on base).

Luke AFB, AZ - Windmill Suites (623-583-0133/623-583-8366) was nice!15 minute drive from Luke AFB, in Surprise, AZ, the staff here was very friendly and the location ideal, within walking distance of several good restaurants. The rooms were big and clean, lots of cable channels, a pool, and free use of bicycles. They also deliver continental breakfast to your room in the morning. For less than $50 per night government rate, I'd recommend the Windmill for crew dogs to RON at Luke.

Sierra Vista, AZ - Thunder Mountain hotel was decent, but call the St. Joes guys and find out where they stay. It's better Firday night to go to each shack then the club. Saturday is Dillon's Bar night - tip the waitress and do well! Tues. is Famous Sam's night - ask for Edith. Thurs. is Dillon's again for $1 drink night and $.25 drinks at the Beach Shack. ~Just got back from Tactics School. AATTC is billeting crews in Sierra Suites now. Pretty decent hotel. Good continental breakfast every morning. Nice courtyards for socializing/war stories after yankin' and bankin' before you go out on the town. ~Windemere Hotel (1-800-825-4656 Fax 520-458-1347) was great. Very clean, nice rooms. 3 free drinks per day in the lounge. Free breakfast everyday. Lots of shopping and places to eat at nearby.

Yuma, AZ - Do NOT go to the Interstate 8. The place has dinky rooms (you can almost have one hand out the front door and the other in the toilet while passed out on the bed). The walls are paper thin. Days Inn was okay - Denny's is right next door and McD's down the street. Radisson Suites is great and has a free happy hour from 5-7 everyday and suites ... under per deim limit and next to Mcdonald's. across the street is a GREAT mexican restaraunt called Mi Rancho they have a burrito there $8.95 it weighs about two pounds.. also mexico is only 30 mins away San Luis.. go to a place called (the wild Zoo??) if you ask a cabbie you'll get there; negotiate the price before you get in though.. La Fuente is a nice hotel with nice rooms, microwave and fridge. Happy Hour 5-7PM, free breakfast 5-9AM. Located by intersection of HWY95 and Interstate8. Next to Denny's and Cracker Barrel. Only 30 minutes from Proving Grounds. Eat at Burgers and Beers for good food of all sorts as well as beers and lots of TVs to watch the game. Radisson Inn Yuma (Comm:520-726-4830; 2600 S. 4th Ave., Yuma, AZ 85364) was a palace! Heated Swimming pool and hot tub; Free wells, draughts, and snacks from 5-7pm each night (all you can drink); all rooms are suites; great military rate $58/night. ~Just got back from Yuma. Found a couple of good bars. Jimmy Dees on first street is good Thursday night (Ladies night). Also, Ron's Place is good on Friday night. Radisson and La Fuente are both good hotels, very comparable. ~I'm a former (retired) AMC Loadmaster assigned at Yuma Proving Ground, AZ. For 5 years here I received first hand reports from aircrews on local hotels in Yuma. Based on aircrew opinion, here are my top four picks for Yuma:

Clarion (formerly the Radisson) 928-726-4830 LA Fuente 928-329-1814 Inn Suites 928-783-8341 Shilo 928-782-9511

All four of these hotels meet government rate, have free happy hour nightly and have free chow on Wednesday night.

~Holiday Inn Express, 928-317-1400 was a dump. If your unfortunate enough to be passed over for a descent JA/ATT and recieve the displeasure of TDY'ing to Yuma, Arizona, avoid the Holiday Inn Express off of 3E at all costs. Nobody in the front desk speaks English, it took 30 minutes to check in 6 guys, the interstate is next to the hotel, and it is located next to a migrant farm where illegal aliens have fiesta's playing Tejano music day and night while they pick their food. Breakfast in the morning is the best time to watch swarms of employee's run over the guests to grab the last of the bagels and bananas. This place fuckin sucks.

Ride Fourwheelers at the Dunes. Best TDY day trip I've done in a while. Call Jet Rent (928) 314-4345. It's located directly across from the Walmart in Yuma. Just take a truck/van if you have one, the guy will even loan you a trailer & ball. You can fit up to 5 fourwheelers, four is a good number though. It's $35 per hour, and the travel time is free. We did two hours, that was a good amount, three hours would be good also The 450 cc is the best option for the Sand Dunes over at Imperial Dunes rec area - just 25 minutes west. Take the Gray Mill (sp?) exit.

We stayed at Wingate, right by Cracker Barrel. New, pretty good. Free breakfast, bad coffee, free internet cable and wireless. Pool, hot tub. Walking distance from the mall area restaurants & shops. 30 minute drive to Yuma Prov Grnds (YPG). For a hike/rock climb, we went to Mulligan Peak. Search the internet & google earth for directions. One trail in the dry creek bed, and then no trail up to the 1500' peak. Drive straight on 7th st past the fenced in area on the dirt road, and park by the Wilnerness area map/info poster.