Thank you to everyone who weighed in on our sending schedule this week!

The majority of you supported a move to three times a week, versus our current daily schedule. Thanks to your feedback, we’ll start this new reduced schedule next week, with sends on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. 

For today, I’d love to tell you about my tour of Tovrea Castle in Phoenix. You may have spotted this unique building before while driving on the 202, especially because it’s often lit up in festive colors.

A close-up view of Tovrea Castle, plus our wonderful tour guide Toma! (Jessica Swarner/The Copper Courier)

Touring the castle isn’t as simple as driving up and buying a ticket—you have to win a lottery first. I entered a handful of times before being able to get my tickets, which cost $22 a person.

The fall lottery, which is for September through December, will be open June 1-15.

My multiple attempts to get a ticket over the years were definitely worth it. I enjoyed every second of this tour, which finally brought this mysterious landmark to life for me.

First, you ride a tram up through the winding cactus gardens to the front door. Inside, you get to see the main ground floor rooms, the kitchen, and the basement. Then, you ride the tram back down past the other buildings on the property, like the caretaker’s cottage and fuel house.

I learned so many fun stories about the building’s history and how it fit into the larger context of Phoenix in the 1920s and beyond. If you’ve always wanted to know more about this little castle, I’m telling you—it doesn’t hurt to throw your hat in the ring.

Check out some of my photos from the tour!

Have you ever seen or visited Tovrea Castle?

This is the LOOKOUT Lowdown, where once a month we’re highlighting stories from LOOKOUT, a nonprofit newsroom that serves Arizona’s LGBTQ community.

Here are some of their latest stories:

💉 People prescribed hormones took their shots on the steps of Tucson City Hall on March 31—Transgender Day of Visibility—to help normalize these medications.

🚨 ICE agents detained a trans activist during a routine check-in with immigration officials in Phoenix and put her in a men-only ward.

🦄 Tucson’s Valley of the Moon is a whimsical fantasy park that gives people a safe space to express themselves authentically.

Want more news like this?
Sign up for LOOKOUT’s newsletter (which includes The Weekly Kiki, a great weekly events roundup!) and check out membership options.

President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order in the Oval Office of the White House Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

By Alyssa Bickle

President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order to heavily limit mail-in voting, which the majority of Americans, 80% of Arizonans, and the president himself use to cast their ballots each election. 

Trump’s order seeks to limit mail-in voting to people who have been verified by his administration as eligible voters. It directs the US Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to create a list of voting-age American citizens in each state, sharing it with state election officials. 

Trump’s order would also require that the US Postal Service only send absentee ballots to those on each state’s approved mail-in ballot list. This change would upend Arizona’s vote-by-mail system, that 80% of Arizona’s voters use, Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said.

States would receive updated mail voter lists at least 60 days before federal elections, and the executive order directs state attorneys general to prioritize investigations into cases involving ballots sent to ineligible voters.

If states don’t abide by the order, they could lose federal funding.

Downtown Phoenix is hosting the NCAA Women’s Final Four this weekend. Here’s what else is going on in Arizona.

Arizonans often complain that their state has the worst drivers, but some roads are particularly bad. Here’s the spot that Arizona drivers hate the most.

From Old West saloons to historic hotel bars, these Arizona watering holes have been pouring drinks—and stories—for generations.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Jessica Swarner with stories from Alyssa Bickle, Copper Courier Staff, Stacker, and Jill Schildhouse. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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