We continue our 2022 winter road trip with a week in Tucson, Arizona. Today’s journey was wonderful – up the Catalina Mountains almost to the summit – complete with a light dusting of snow. We had magnificent views from high above the valley without the stress of most climbs to 9,100 feet. Let the awesomeness begin!

Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
To start at the beginning of this series, visit So Long Snow 2022.

Like Soldiers Standing Guard

“Nicknamed “The Old Pueblo,” Tucson is one of the oldest continually-inhabited areas in North America. Hohokam Indians lived and farmed here before Spanish missionaries and soldiers arrived in the late 1600s. In 1912 the total number of different flags flown over Tucson reached five: American, Spanish, Mexican, Confederate and finally, the State of Arizona.” ~ From The Natural Beauty of Arizona

Timeshares are somewhat hard to secure in the southwest (at least through Bluegreen), so we ended up at the Hotel Tucson City Center. Our very spacious king suite had a balcony, living room, kitchen table and a bird’s-eye view of a beautiful pool. Although someone is swimming in the photo below, we did not partake.

Because this king room may have once been two regular hotel rooms, we also had a mini fridge, microwave, and TV in EACH room, which came in handy. Not that we used both microwaves, but refrigeration (and agreeing on a TV channel) is sometimes an issue on these longer trips.

Best Parts

There are two best parts of these accommodations – well three, if you consider it’s convenient location to downtown and the Interstate. We were able to book using our timeshare points (Direct Exchange) and we were offered a delicious HOT breakfast every morning (not the typical continental). Laundry was on-site, but it was not convenient at all (and kind of grungy), so we didn’t use it. Otherwise we were very impressed.

Since we had just driven about 25 minutes from Tubac, we finished off our margarita cravings for the day at El Charro along with dinner to get a feel for the area near our hotel. The inside was full up, so we opted for the chilly patio, but soon the standing heaters warmed things up nicely. The food was delicious and although we thought we may come back again later in the week, there were just too many other options for dining.

The Majestic Santa Catalinas

“Catalina State Park sits at the base of the majestic Santa Catalina Mountains. The park is a haven for desert plants and wildlife and nearly 5,000 saguaros. The 5,500 acres of foothills, canyons and streams invites camping, picnicking and bird watching — more than 150 species of birds call the park home. The park provides miles of equestrian, birding, hiking, and biking trails which wind through the park and into the Coronado National Forest at elevations near 3,000 feet.

The park is located within minutes of the Tucson metropolitan area. This scenic desert park also offers equestrian trails and an equestrian center provides a staging area for trail riders with plenty of trailer parking. Bring along your curiosity and your sense of adventure as you take in the beautiful mountain backdrop, desert wildflowers, cacti and wildlife.” ~ READ MORE

The first time I saw the Santa Catalina Mountains, I had to pull over and gawk for a while. I think they are some of the most beautiful mountains I’ve seen. The header photo and the photos below were taken in the Park on a previous trip.

A Beautiful (Low Stress) Mountain Drive

The first day of our Tucson week was spent on a drive to Mount Lemmon via the Catalina Highway. Recently designated as a US National Scenic Byway called Sky Island Parkway, this is a beautiful, curvy drive with plenty of pullouts to amazing overlooks. Because it could be thirty degrees cooler up top, it’s a great way to escape the heat of summer.

Today the difference wasn’t nearly as drastic and this splendid day just continued to be splendid. We took our time and enjoyed every minute of it. Why rush?

“Start your journey among giant saguaro cacti of the Sonoran desert and climb to shady conifer forests at nearly 9,000 feet, passing biological diversity equivalent to a drive from Mexico to Canada in just 27 miles. Enjoy spectacular views and recreational opportunities from hiking and camping to picnicking and skiing.” ~ READ MORE

Let the Awesome Begin!

Bird’s Eye Views

If you’re just a little braver and younger than we are, there are opportunities to get closer for even better views. We were more than happy with the views from the pullouts along the way, thank you very much.

See Where You’ve Been

We chose to visit the pullouts and overlooks on the way up, but next time we go we may go all the way up to spend more time at the top and work our way back. It’s definitely worth another look no matter how we do it!

So You Can Ski in Arizona?

Mount Lemmon’s Ski Valley is the southernmost ski destination in the continental U.S. at 9,157 feet. Although we were here on January 31 and there was only an inkling of a snow event, this must just be a fluke. According to the website, it snows here more often than you might think and “22 trails range from green circle to black diamond”. Even when there’s no snow, the ski lift continues, and in summer the Sky Ride offers 30 minutes of great views from high above the valley.

Also up top is Mount Lemmon Station Observatory. Previously a USAF radar base and then a military emergency radar tracking station for landing the Space Shuttle and tracking missile launches, it is now used by the University of Arizona for astronomical research. If you’d like to visit the observatory, the Catalina Highway runs up to the top of Mount Lemmon to the town of Summerhaven. Lots more to see on another visit!

Big Skies and Long Distances

“Mountaintops in Southern Arizona are some of the best in the world for viewing stars and planets. Clear skies, infrequent cloud cover, calm dry air, and proximity to the University of Arizona and Tucson make this region a major center for astronomy. There are two observatories in the Santa Catalina Mountains – and both amateur and professional astronomers come to this area to view the heavens. Other mountaintops in southeast Arizona feature prominent observatories, including Kitt Peak, Mt. Hopkins and Mt. Graham.” ~ From a sign nearby.

What a ride, but…

Saying we stopped 1,000 feet short of the summit leaves me feeling a little disappointed. I can’t remember if the road to the observatory was closed or if we just forgot about it once we made a stop at the gift shop in Summerhaven. We hope to return on our next trip to see the observatory and take a ride on that Sky Ride, so we can officially check this off our bucket list.

Next up: Saguaro National Park

Happy trails,
Barb