Valley of the Moon has been dedicated to having young children see the magic in life since the 1920s. The founder, George Phar Léger, built the park on Allen Street in Tucson with the help family, friends, and some homeless men who found a place to live in exchange for helping him.

He loved children and told stories to park visitors. The theme of the park was that Kindness to All is the Golden Key to Happiness. This still is the underlying theme.

I went to see their production of “Peter Pan” at Valley of the Moon, with a cast of young mostly teenage actors, sweet scenes that you walk to winding around stone-lined paths.

While I was waiting for my fellow believer, Lori, to arrive, I made friends with two other fairies. Non-verbally. One little thing in yellow wings and a princess dress came uValley of the Moon wingsp near me. She stopped about ten feet from me, turned her back and with her adorable little finger pointed to her wings. What could I do? I turned
my back and pointed to mine. She lifted her other hand and showed a yellow wand. I shrugged. I had no wand. She looked at me. Sadly? Sympathetic? Or just understanding.

Another very small fairy, tugged on her mama’s dress and pointed at me. She walked over and gave me a silvery twisty wand with a red stone on he top. “This is beautiful,” I said as I took it. Turning it in my hand I said, “I think this is a ruby here at the top. It’s probably very valuable so you should have it.” I gave it back to her. She looked at me with old soul eyes. “No,” she said as her mama took her hand and they walked away, “It’s a magic wand.”

Best quote of the night came not from the Peter Pan characters, but from a small fairy with a pink wand. As we went into one of the tunnels to get to the next grotto, she said, “ It’s okay, I can see in the dark.” Her equally magical companion said, “And I’m half-owl.” Lori and I were in good company.

Go to Valley of the Moon. https://www.tucsValley of the Moon mushroomonvalleyofthemoon.com