Sabino Canyon and 4th Avenue in Tucson

Thursday, we decided to visit Sabino Canyon in the Catalina Mountain range just north and east of the City of Tucson. It is actually not that far from Colleen and Dan's house. Happily we discovered that it is managed by the National Forest Service who honors National Park senior passes, so entrance and parking were free for Carol and me since we both have senior passes. First stop was the Visitor Center to pick up a map. The ranger there suggested taking the 3.8 mile tram ride up the mountain to its terminus. There were at least 7 and maybe 9 tram stops along the way where one could get off the tram and then get back on later if you held up your ticket stub at the stop for the driver. Each tram stop is the starting point for a trail that wends it way up a mountain. In summer, the tram stops are popular for locals to get off and go swimming.

Which brings me to the most important feature of Sabino Canyon. It is the place where snow melt from the mountains, and more specifically Mount Lemmon, run down toward Tucson providing most of its water supply. It had just rained heavily (like somewhere around 4 inches) in Tucson about two or three weeks before we arrived. And, more importantly, Mount Lemmon had received a lot of snow. Snow is extremely important because it doesn't run off all at once. The snow melts gradually and is the gift that keeps on giving for a desert community like Tucson. The snow melt has carved its way down thru the mountains and into the Canyon gorges creating some stunning scenery.

Since it had recently rained (and snowed) heavily, the water in the stream was overflowing the WPA-built stone bridges that cross the creek many times on the way to the top. The bus had to travel four times over fast-running water that over-topped the narrow bridges. The trip climbs in elevation from 2,800 feet at the Visitor Center to 3,300 feet at the turn-around point. It was great for us Minnesota girls to smell water again - especially in the crisp mountain air. The WPA bridges were beautiful. The whole trip was one big photo opportunity. We were able to get off at the top to photo the canyon floor below. The driver said many movies have been filmed in that canyon, including "How the West Was Won" and "Three Amigos." The stop at the end includes a 5 minute break so the tourists can snap photos. And of course we did. There is also a stepped trail that leads further up that mountain peak. We were both tired of hiking and decided to take it on this trip. We road the tram back, picking up returning passengers at almost every stop, and taking even more photos. One day I will get them all downloaded.

Forgot to mention that I saw my first road runner (classically running on the road) while waiting for the tram at the Visitor Center.

We left Sabino Canyon and headed for the college section of Tucson - 4th Street and 4th Avenue. We parked on 4th Street at a meter and walked for a few blocks. Since it was past lunch time, we were searching out a good lunch place that would provide Carol with some vegetarian options. We settled on Delectables, which had a great street vibe. It did not disappoint. I had the chicken and spinach enchilada which was served with mole sauce, black beans, and sliced avocadas. It was delectable. The restaurant had a round glass case showcasing their desserts. Not being able to resist, I had a peanut butter mousse with chocolate ganache tart. Carol had a raspberry chocolate concoction. They were so big, we could only eat half, and took the other halves home. Later we found out that Delectables was a suggested stop in her AAA tour guide.

We walked along 4th Avenue for several blocks after lunch window shopping, and occasionally really shopping. Carol found a hat she had been searching for ever since we left San Diego. She also located the co-op grocery store where she used to work when she lived in Tucson in the early 1970s. We walked and window shopped (they had a lot of retro 1950s clothing in the windows of several shops) our way slowly back to the car.

Back at the hacienda, Dan and Colleen had made another lovely meal. After dinner, we watched the Democratic Presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire. I am feeling the Hillary.