Many of the passengers of our executive transportation service are new to the Tucson area, and they tend to have questions about the desert environment. So we here at Diamond Transportation would like to offer our guests the opportunity to get to know Tucson a little better by learning about the inhabitants of the Sonoran Desert. When you visit Tucson for the first time you are likely to be struck by two things: The phrase, “Tucson: It’s a dry heat,” really means “Ever wonder what instant mummification feels like? Visit Tucson!” or maybe “Tucson! It’s like the inside of a toaster!” And while you’re standing on the sidewalk, shoes melting all over the pavement and wondering how you took off from Minneapolis and landed on the warm side of Mercury, through the heat-warped desert air you’ll notice a few large, friendly locals waving at you. You’ll also notice they’re green and have far more arms than you’re accustomed to. Maybe splash some water on your face (the immediate, hissing evaporation is perfectly normal) to clear your eyes and head. Those aren’t people, or aliens, or products of your flash-fried imagination. They’re cacti and special ones at that. The Mighty and Noble Saguaro Known as the saguaro, these spiny giants are only found in the Sonoran Desert. They live up to 200 years and grow very slowly; they may only grow an inch in their first 10 years. It takes about 100 years for a saguaro to reach 15 feet, and when fully grown they can attain heights over 40 feet. The tallest ever measured was 78 feet tall. They have anywhere from 0 to 25 arms (it’s unknown what causes this wide variance), are covered in spines that grow up to 1mm per day and can absorb so much rain water that their trunk visibly expands. They can weigh up to 2 tons when fully engorged. We’re quite fond of our saguaro and harming one is illegal in Arizona. Cutting one down is a class four felony. And really, why would you hurt one of these guys? They look so friendly and polite. But now that you’ve gotten acquainted with the star of the Cactaceae family here in Tucson, it’s time to meet the less savory members of the clan. The Villainous and Wicked Cholla This is the cholla. It looks so fluffy and inviting, like a pile of chubby little teddy bears covered in rabbit fur! Is it a plant you can pet? Is this some kind of kitty-cactus hybrid thing? Oh, look how it seems to tremble and jump out at you as you pass. I think it wants a hug! Obviously, that’s a lie. It’s a cactus, a mean one, and it wants to murder you. That fluff is a blanket of blood-thirsty spines and that trembling is what happens when the cholla is stirred by the wind or the slightest brush and signals the end of your pleasant day. Cholla are six to fifteen feet of …
Willcox Wine Country Spring Festival is Coming Up. Need a Ride?
Food, friends, wine – sounds like a great weekend, right? Featuring food from Dante’s Fire in Tucson, live music, and 16 local wineries, the Willcox Wine Country Festival is held every Spring and Fall about an hour east of Tucson in Willcox, AZ. Thousands flock to historic Railroad Park for this biannual event, recognized by Fodor’s Travel as one of the 10 best wine festivals in North America. In addition to the wine tastings, local artists, crafts, and food are all featured, and entrance into the event is free. Tasting tickets can be purchased at the gate or on online as can seats at the Benefit Wine Dinner and Reception, the proceeds of which go to benefit the Northern Cochise Community Hospital. We at Diamond Transportation would like to encourage responsibility in all the revelers and suggest that you secure lodging or safe travel arrangements before you find that perhaps you’ve enjoyed all the wonderful Arizona wine a bit too much to drive home. And if you’re looking to make this incredible event even more spectacular, then we’d love to make that happen. Our executive transit vans can bring you and 13 of your friends to the event in style and get you home safely, and our minicoaches are available if you are brining a small army of wine enthusiasts. What’s that? You don’t want to share, and you’re going alone? Well, we have several luxury sedans you can choose from. They all have black leather interiors to sink into and rest after a long day of wine and music, sun shades for comfort and privacy, and best of all, if you do decide to bring someone else with you, they all seat up to three passengers and have plenty of room for your wine festival impulse purchases. Diamond Transportation’s professionally-chauffeured luxury car service could be just what you need to turn a fun night at the Willcox Wine Country Festival into one worthy of a story you can one day bore your grandkids with or use to fill everyone at work with dark, bitter jealousy. Have a question or want a quote? Click Here!
2018 Better Business Bureau Torch Awards Announcement!
At Diamond Transportation, maintaining honest and equitable relations with the people and businesses of our community is not just a nice goal, but rather it is an indispensable ideal. Integrity is first and foremost our watchword, and it is the true metric by which we measure our prosperity. Yes, as a business, it is literally our job to turn a profit, but there are many ways to do that, and we choose to do so in a way that rewards and enriches you, our customers, coworkers, and community. We owe everything to you, and it is our responsibility and pleasure to treat you as such. That is why we are so honored to announce that we are finalists for the 2018 Better Business Bureau Southern Arizona Torch Award for Ethics. This award is given out once a year to the business that best demonstrates their dedication to ethical business practices, including truthful advertising, honest dealing with their customers, vendors, and neighborhoods, and a presence that inspires others to do the same. It is both uplifting and humbling to be considered for this award, and we would be so very happy if you would join us in this celebration. All finalists will be recognized, and winners will be announced at a dinner and ceremony held at Casino del Sol on Friday, April 20, 2018. The reception begins at 5:30 and dinner starts at 6:30.
We are Finalists for the 2018 Limousine, Charter & Tour Operator of the Year Awards!
Every year Luxury Coach & Transportation Magazine gives out six awards for Operator of the Year, one for each of the designated categories: 1-10 fleet vehicles, 11-30 fleet vehicles, 31-50 fleet vehicles, 51+ fleet vehicles, motorcoach, and global/international. This year Diamond Transportation is an Operator of the Year finalist for the 11-30 fleet vehicles category, and we couldn’t be prouder. Finalists are rated on their commitment to providing excellent and memorable service to their customers, on maintaining an impeccable fleet of vehicles, outfitted with the latest technologies, on their unimpeachable training and safety standards, on their media and marketing savvy, and on their involvement with the community and the industry. Our amazing staff works extremely hard to ensure every client is treated like visiting royalty and that their experience with Diamond Transportation is as safe and efficient as it is luxuriously comfortable. Succeeding in our mission, hearing the delighted reviews our clients, and receiving their enthusiastic promises to return to us is a great reward in and of itself, but for our work to be acknowledged by our peers and industry, to be recognized by LCT for our efforts, is truly an honor. Win or lose, we know that going forward we have responsibilities as representatives of the executive car service community here in Tucson and around the globe. The confidence shown us by industry leaders honors us, but it also tasks us with maintaining the standards that won us that recognition in the first place. This only further invigorates us to exceed the expectations of our clients, of our affiliate partners, and of ourselves.