Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Tucson CVB Tucson, AZ Review No matter how hot, cold, rainy or otherwise dismal it is in any other part of the country, most look to that unseemly deep-red spot in the lower left-hand corner of the USA Today weather map, see the coordinating triple-digit temperatures, cringe and thank their lucky stars that "at least we're not there." 'There' is here - Tucson, Arizona, and such was my grave concern as I pondered a move from the opposite extreme, Chicago. But with one full summer under my belt and another in progress, I'm here to report that, 'dry heat' clichés aside - it's really not so bad. In fact, summertime in the Sonoran Desert can be seductive, dramatic and surprisingly manageable. The key to survival, learned from the nocturnal rhythms of the desert wildlife, is simple - stay out of the sun during the peak heat hours and make the most of the early morning and sultry hours after sunset, when the air is at once thick with the sweet aroma of the desert, but light and refreshing. Visit one of the city's favorite hiking spots, Sabino Canyon, at 5 or 6 a.m., for instance, and you'll be among a steady stream of hikers, bikers, runners and walkers taking to the trails to seize the day before it can seize them. Come to the park later in the afternoon and you'll find the place nearly deserted. Want to try to beat those annoying yard sale early-birds? Better set that alarm early - most who hold yard sales this time of year set up at the crack of dawn and are finished by noon, at the latest. Photo by Richard Cummins, courtesy Metropolitan Tucson CVB As afternoon sets in, neighborhoods become still and eerily quiet. The lively chatter of morning birds disappears and is replaced by the monotone buzzing of air-conditioners, casting a mesmerizing white noise over the city. Even the wind seems fatigued by the heat. Languid mesquite trees sway in slow motion to its hot breezes. Only the gecko lizards appear unfazed by the blistering sun, skittering about and darting sly glances that seem to smirk 'Which of us do you think is going to survive global warming?' As the sun sets, the city awakens from its long siesta. A la "Midsummer Night's Dream," there's a sense of magic in the air. Verse from the Bard himself tumbles from a stage in Reid Park where the Tucson Community Theatre puts on its Shakespeare Under the Stars outdoor performances. Across town, strung lights come on over the patio at the El Charro Cafe, a Mexican-owned Tucson institution dating back to the 1800s. There, ice-cold, lime-laden Dos Equis bottles clink; fajitas sizzle on hot plates and wafts of charred chicken and chili peppers flow into the night air. Live flamenco music brings on the night and guests dance under the stars at The Grill at Hacienda del Sol, a favorite, Spanish Colonial-style Tucson inn and acclaimed restaurant tucked up in the Santa Catalina foothills. With each hour of nightfall, the air becomes more comfortable. Down at Tucson Electric Park, also known as home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox' spring training camp, families picnic on the lawn and watch the minor league Sidewinders at play. But the game is just part of the show - viewed from the stadium, the Santa Catalina Mountains that stretch across the city's north side transform from deepening shades of sunset red until resting as a dark purple, jagged silhouette against the evening sky. Meanwhile, a bluegrass jam session is in full swing over at the Rincon Market on Sixth Avenue, and on the western outskirts of town, the famed Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, open until 10 p.m. on Saturdays during summer, allows visitors meander through trails by moonlight and see the desert from the perspective of its night dwelling inhabitants. Perhaps the most captivating evening entertainment in town, however, is the starry firmament itself, considered one of the most impressive night skies of any American urban area. Thanks largely to the help of the Tucson-based International Dark-Sky Association, the city has ordinances that control light pollution and keep Tucson's night light at a soft glow, rather than a bright glare. A motivating factor in keeping the night skies as dark as possible is the close proximity of the Kitt Peak National Optical Astronomy Observatory, where high-powered telescopes study the galaxy 24 hours a day. Photo by Bruce Critfin, courtesy of Metropolitan Tucson CVB You don't have to be a pro to get in on the night-viewing fun, however. Throughout the year, evening "Star Parties" are held at sites around town, from the green outside the University of Arizona's Flandrau Science Center to the parking lot up at Sabino Canyon. Stargazers come from around Tucson to view the stars and planets through telescopes large and small that are set up by both amateurs and professional astronomers. The 'parties' can be lively events, with slide shows set up on projector screens, excited kids peering through scopes at planetary alignments and experts answering astronomy questions. At a few recent parties, I've even heard the familiar celestial theme music from the Carl Sagan's program "Cosmos" serenading the crowd from some enthusiast's boom box. Not tired yet? Head back to Sabino Canyon, where hikes and moonlight rides up into the canyon on the park's open-air shuttle are offered in conjunction with moon phases. No sunscreen required, but closed shoes or hiking boots are advised - for the community of rattlesnakes, scorpions, gila monsters, spiders and countless other desert dwellers, the day is just beginning. If You Go... Tucson Community Theater: (520) 791-2663 El Charro Café: (520) 622-1922; www.elcharrocafe.com Hacienda Del Sol Guest Ranch: (520) 299-1501; www.haciendadelsol.com Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum: (520) 833-1380; www.desertmuseum.org Kitt Peak Visitor Center: (520) 318-8726; www.noao.edu Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium: (520) 621-STAR; www.flandrau.org Sabino Canyon Area: (520) 749-8700; www.sabinocanyon.com