The mesquite tree — let's be honest — will never dethrone the majestic saguaro cactus as the botanical superstar of the Sonoran Desert. ...
Tucson is not — big sigh of relief — just like Phoenix. ...
Some trails are scenic. Others are challenging. The Green Mountain Trail has its own claim to fame: It is multi-seasonal. ...
Call it the reincarnation of a rucksack. ...
OK, let's get the name thing out of the way right off the bat — and then we'll move on to the food. ...
The creek, dam and lake in Sabino Canyon — prized watery playgrounds for generations of Tucson residents — have dried up this fall except for a few small pools along the creek. ...
Take a look at the saguaro cactus photos on Joe Patronite's Web site and you might presume he took them with high-end professional camera gear. ...
Call it the Great Maze. It's a network of more than a dozen interconnected trails that make up a sort of maze of linked and looped routes in the northwestern corner of Saguaro National Park East. ...
Late afternoon sunlight kisses rocky ridges of the Catalina Mountains as a lone hiker treks a trail beside a sandy wash. ...
Cowboy country is the stuff of myth and movies for most Americans — but we can get a taste of the real thing here in Southern Arizona this month. ...
Perhaps you have seen a few of those rare saguaro cacti that grow bizarre and sometimes beautiful fan-shaped crests. ...
Right about now — when we're happily driving a stake into the hot heart of summer — many of us wish to celebrate with a full-on experience of autumn. ...
It's autumn in the desert, and leaves are changing to hues of yellow and gold. ...
The 817-mile Arizona Trail passes many towns as it snakes its way from the Mexican border to Utah — and now a trail group aims to join forces with some of the towns for mutual benefit. ...
Call it Operation Porta-Potty Rescue. ...
It's got to be one of the best-built bathrooms in Southern Arizona. ...
Our state is home to a less-widely-known topographic treasure: an alpine-style mountain range jutting nearly 2 1/2 miles above sea level and topped with treeless tundra....
Visit Munchkinland high in the Catalina Mountains north of Tucson and you'll realize you're not in Kansas anymore. ...
GLOBE — You know you're in a rough-and-tumble Old West kind of town when one of the prominent monuments is a plaque commemorating "The Hanging Tree." ...
Many of us drive up the Catalina Highway northeast of Tucson and trek trails near the road — but few venture onto the "back side" of the mountains. ...
Minnie Maud Gandy lived just a little more than two years. ...
Feel your leg muscles at work, savor the sweet pine scent of a mountain forest and take in rave-worthy views from a stone balcony known as Sunset Rock. ...
It's all downhill. ...
Trek the trail to the Peck Basin Overlook and you'll reap a rich retinal reward. ...
COCHISE STRONGHOLD — Birdsongs waft down a wooded canyon at the foot of steep cliffs as Sue Senn and her two grandsons set off on a hike into a rich niche of history. ...
Call it a pocket knife if you like — but think twice before trying to fit it into your pants pocket. ...
Explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado didn't have to obey the highway speed limit, make hotel reservations or fuss with other such travel details when he rode the route that now bears his name. ...
Here's a clue about what to expect when you hike the Vault Mine Trail in Madera Canyon south of Tucson: The U.S. Forest Service online trail guide lists it as the Very Steep/Vault Mine Trail. ...
Isis Castillo, who is just 15 months old, probably hasn't heard the expression "stop and smell the roses." ...
PATAGONIA — About 60 seconds into a hike on the Creek Trail, bird-watcher John Swartz bags a sighting. ...
Laze in the shade of a cool fir forest. Spread a trailside picnic in a wild garden of ferns. ...
Pedal a bike into the heart of the Rincon Valley southeast of Tucson and you'll get what many cyclists seek when they straddle the saddle: a good workout in a scenic setting. ...
The early birder gets the warm. ...
If gorgeous gardens of granite were precious treasure, the Catalina Mountains would be a sort of Fort Knox of the natural world. ...
Someday you might wake up and wonder: How many Golden Gate Bridges would it take to reach across the average width of the Grand Canyon? ...
The dominant theme, the main motif, of this season high in the mountains of Southern Arizona can be expressed in a single word: ...
Here's one reason to thank your lucky stars if you live in the Tucson area: It's a stargazer's paradise. ...
You might find it absurd — in this region with hundreds of miles of wondrous hiking trails — to take a hike on a road. ...
It's a geologic wonderland where visitors just can't seem to find enough words to describe all the varied, wondrous heaps of stone....
Soldier Canyon is a place of steep, rugged terrain with no maintained trails...
Madera Canyon — one of the top bird-watching areas in the Southwest — will be the site of an International Migratory Bird Day celebration Saturday. ...
MADERA CANYON — Hike, look and learn. That's the drill on the Nature Trail in Madera Canyon south of Tucson. ...
It probably would be a stretch to call it "Secret Sabino." ...
The rolling hills around the historic Kannally Ranch House at Oracle State Park will be alive with music this spring. ...
Just imagine the fiery fury as you hike the first mile of the Red Ridge Trail. ...
It takes no more than two words to suggest a good plan of action regarding Tucson's river-park trails at this time of year. ...
The first two or three miles of the route, which begins in desert terrain and climbs to higher altitudes, is a place to savor the birds, blooms and big blue skies of spring....
Taking up bird-watching in southeastern Arizona is a little like deciding to be a surfer in Hawaii. You're in the right place. Our region is known for its exceptional variety of winged wildlife and bird habitat ranging from deserts and canyons to pine-topped mountains. ...
You are not a bird soaring over Sabino Canyon northeast of Tucson. But if you were, you'd get a view similar to what hikers see from the Phoneline Trail. ...
They've appeared in more Western movies than John Wayne. They're the prickly main attraction at a national park on the edge of Tucson. An image of one of them graces the front page of the Arizona Daily Star every day. ...
The Arizona Trail — spanning 817 miles of desert, canyon and mountain terrain from Mexico to Utah — has been designated as a National Scenic Trail. ...
Two mountain bike riders top a steep hill, crank across a flat stretch and then rock and rattle down the opposite side just a bit shy of out of control. ...
PINE — Warbling mountain birds waft sweet avian melodies into cool morning air along the Pine Canyon Trail. ...
Not too many places in our rugged desert area offer unpaved trails that are fit for everyday walkers and wheelchair users alike. ...
Here is this year's wildflower outlook in a nutshell: bloom or bust, depending on the location. ...
Never mind that it is called the Brown Mountain Trail. On a balmy March day, the trail takes hikers through a not-so-brown landscape of lovely desert greens accented here and there with winsome wildflowers. ...
Oscar Felix glances down at his motionless fishing line, then peers out across the still waters of Kennedy Lake. ...
Here are three trails that offer good views and fairly convenient access, depending on where you live or work: Starr Pass Trail, Ventana Canyon Trail and Linda Vista Trail...
Sometimes comes this urge to leave the beaten path. ...
The pleasures of choosing your own way in wild country are legion....
FLORENCE — Countless thousands of people journey to Florence every year to see the birthplace of the grand revival of art and learning known as the Renaissance. ...
Let's ponder how the Pink Hill Trail got its name. ...
One thing to keep in mind when you pedal a bike up Gates Pass west of Tucson: What goes up must come down — in this case, pretty darned fast. The steep, narrow road to the pass will test your legs and lungs on the way up and your brakes and nerves on the way down. ...
Bridal Wreath Falls might seem more like Bridal Wreath Trickle at many times of the year — but the presence of even a small cascade in desert country inspires a kind of wonder. ...
A fellow hiker — whom I've always thought of as my "free-range friend" because of his love for wild, unbounded treks — signs his messages with the words "good sky to you." ...
You'll see plenty of splendid sights along paved roads in Saguaro National Park — but here's a way to reach some of the more remote jewels of the park's west district: ...
ORACLE — Golden winter grasses carpet gently rolling hills and hidden hollows along the Mariposa Trail at Oracle State Park. ...
Hike a stormy desert day just as the clouds begin to clear. ...
It can be just a little slice of heaven to have family members and friends gathered at your house in this week between Christmas and New Year's Day. ...
Here are three trails for winter snow hiking: Box Camp Trail, Butterfly Trail and Super Trail....
Here’s one solution to a case of holiday-season cabin fever: Coax the gang out of the house and onto the road for a day trip....
Running, cycling and other forms of aerobic exercise can be most exhilarating outdoors — but the chill and darkness of winter often drive exercisers into a warm, well-lighted gym. ...
Lucio Castellini traveled up a long, steep stretch of the Bug Spring Trail one day recently without showing the slightest sign of hiking fatigue. ...
Just try to imagine the miles. Thousands of miles, tens of thousands of miles, hundreds of thousands, or more. Who knows the total hiking mileage racked up by members of the Southern Arizona Hiking Club over the past five decades? ...
It's half past twilight, going on dark, as I work my way down the final switchbacks of the Lower Javelina Trail. ...
Desert hiking — like many other things in life — is all about timing. ...
The biggest benefit of bird-watching is — no surprise — seeing lots of beautiful birds and learning all about them. • Ah, but the practice of spying on winged wildlife can also bring a secondary perk: a good physical workout. • One example: "The loop trail in Madera Canyon (south of Tucson) that goes to Bog and Kent springs is a great combination of a workout and birding," says Kendall Kroesen, an avid bird-watcher who serves as restoration program manager for the Tucson Audubon Society. "The birding is best by the springs — and the stretches between the springs really stretch the legs." ...
Mountaineers have a tried and true code: Go with a light load. ...
Desert trails often wander into wild terrain with no signs of human habitation. Here's a different kind of route — one that takes you to the remains of what must have been a pretty fancy foothills home seven decades ago. ...
It's a beautiful day and you want to take the family on a hike in a wondrous natural setting without driving far. ...
PHOENIX — Some places lure us with their very names. ...
Maybe you're a recovering couch potato in search of a little outdoor exercise. Perhaps you're a super-fit trekker with Olympian legs and lungs. Or something in between. ...
Pedaling a road bike around town is one thing. Tackling a trail on a mountain bike is another spin altogether. ...
MADERA CANYON — The days of autumn in this lushly wooded fold in the Earth south of Tucson are often mild, sunny and kissed at once with the last flowers of summer and golden leaves of fall. ...
You've probably seen plenty of movie-set cattle ranches in Hollywood productions about the Old West. Here's a chance to get a glimpse of the real thing. ...
Here's one of the rewards of autumn in Southern Arizona: maples in the mountains. ...
You might think of it as Zen hiking — or perhaps as a kind of transcendental trekking. • A practice known as walking meditation, which has long been a part of many Buddhist and other traditions, can add a meditative component to walks in mountains, deserts or parks. ...
A cool morning breeze wafts down from a rocky ridge and rustles through the autumn-gold leaves of a trailside bush. ...
Most of us think of the Grand Canyon as a great, gorgeous gash in the Earth — but it's also a powerful magnet. ...
Summertime is gone — but the livin' is still easy at serene Silverbell Lake. ...
The Arizona Trail — an 807-mile route spanning the state from Mexico to Utah — is within 46 miles of completion, and fundraising events next month could help finish the job. ...
CORONADO NATIONAL MEMORIAL — History mingles with natural beauty in this serene spot tucked between summits of the Huachuca Mountains and the Mexican border. ...
It's no wonder the San Pedro Chapel was sorely in need of a fix-up in recent years. • The quaint little structure — built in the heart of the Old Fort Lowell Neighborhood in 1932 — had served variously as an active parish, an artists' gallery, a theater, a private home and a community center. • Now, after an intensive four-year restoration effort, the neighborhood is hosting a celebration and open house Sunday to show off the revitalized chapel. See the box on Page E3 for details. ...
SAN PEDRO HOUSE — Janet Moore and Diana Davis set out from this bird-watchers' mecca on the San Pedro River with good binoculars and great expectations. ...
TOMBSTONE — It was called the Good Enough Mine....
Beautiful Bear Canyon almost always gets second billing. ...
Perched near Windy Point in the Catalina Mountains, the site offers dramatic views of cliffs, canyons and distant summits....
Tracing trickling Madera Creek for much of its 1.5-mile length, the trail passes through the heart of some of the best bird-watching terrain in Southern Arizona. The area is known for its lush oak-and-pine forest and displays of summer wildflowers....
ASPEN DRAW — The forest high in the Catalina Mountains is a midsummer festival of ferns, wildflowers and fungi. ...
Tucson resident Martha Gilliland recently trekked to the top of Kilimanjaro....
PATAGONIA — Miles spin out under fat, knobby tires as I pedal a mountain bike up the here pebbly, there bumpy, but mostly smooth-dirt surface of the Harshaw Creek Road. ...
STRAWBERRY — School has been out since 1916. ...
The sweet fragrance of rain-dampened pine needles scents the forest below a band of cliffs known to climbers as Ridgeline. ...
REDCLOUD PEAK, Colo. — The altitude: 14,034 feet — more than two vertical miles higher than Tucson. ...
The Grand Canyon Audio Ranger is a new portable audio guide to park highlights available from the nonprofit Grand Canyon Association. ...
EMPIRE RANCH — Most of us are not cowboys. Couldn't round up a herd if our lives depended on it. ...
Red-hued rays of sunset streak the sky and cast a fiery glow across an expanse of tranquil water. ...
ELGIN — Towering monsoon clouds bluster up over the green expanse of Sonoita Vineyards as vineyard manager Mike Dupont tenderly inspects a plump cluster of merlot grapes. ...
MARSHALL GULCH — You could ramble briskly through this shady, streamside haven on a vigorous seven-mile loop hike high in the Catalina Mountains. ...
Hikers and campers often pay top dollar for new, high-tech, fancy-dancy outdoor gear — but the current economic crunch might inspire some of us to try a thrifty alternative. ...
PEPPERSAUCE CAMPGROUND — Surprise. ...
Tucked into a shallow draw in the woodsy mountain heights north of Tucson, this is a place of towering fir trees, shapely maples, emerald-green ferns and lush mountain grasses....
A problem with being bipedal is that we're perched up here on two legs — many hikers have found a pretty good makeshift solution to this anatomical drawback: a pair of trekking poles....
MINT SPRING — Wild mint grows in fragrant green clumps around a tiny pool of water welling up from scorched earth. The lush new growth of the pungent wild herb is just one of many signs of rebirth along the fire- ravaged Mint Spring Trail high in the Catalina Mountains north of Tucson. ...
MADERA CANYON — One way to celebrate this dad's day is to do something outdoorsy with the favorite father in your life. ...
GRAND CANYON — Radiant rays of the setting sun paint sheer stone walls in hues of red as I start down the Bright Angel Trail. ...
Rock climbers — always in search of another good cliff — discover some splendid spots that are just far enough off the beaten path to be missed by trail hikers. ...
Well, the Blackett's Ridge Trail is steep — breathtakingly steep in places — but it's also blissfully beautiful and rousingly rewarding for those who trek to the top....
Here's to hoodoos. ...
A recent ramble to the Red Mountain cinder cone, about 30 miles northwest of Flagstaff, put me smack in the middle of a mesmerizing landscape of soaring stone. It's a magnificent place that kind of sneaks up on you....
Here — on a short, scenic stretch of the Proctor Road near Madera Canyon south of Tucson — you can get a taste of the back-road experience even if your ride is a low-slung compact car or a city sedan....
A long, chubby Gila monster lumbers in no particular hurry across the Tanque Verde Ridge Trail and vanishes in a jumble of rocks. ...
Author Neil Miller visited Kartchner Caverns State Park in 2003 and found the story of the caverns so fascinating that he wanted to read a book about it. ...
The Granite Overlook Trail — a 1.6-mile loop route that links with other trails in this park near Oracle — is a place of shapely boulders, melodious birds and big views.
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Mountain summits, ridges, canyons, cliffs, forests and a vast expanse of the Tucson Valley are spread out below your aerie....
It's a brilliant spring morning at Catalina State Park when Rosemary Minter hops aboard Baylee and hits the trail. ...
People who like to pay their dues upfront have just the right mind-set for the Soldier Trail. The otherwise moderate 2.6-mile route in the Catalina Mountains begins with a half-mile or so of almost rudely steep hiking....
Welcome to the world baby bobcats. Hello there young hummingbirds. ...
A trek up the 3.8-mile canyon road, which traces the creek for much of its length, is one way to savor the splendors of the season with flowing water as a backdrop....
My wife — even though she has trekked to the top of many high peaks — sometimes poses this question: "Why don't we ever take a hike on a flat trail — something scenic but not so darned steep?" ...
Not that there's anything wrong with colors such as dull-sage green and dusty-desert brown. But it's a wondrous change — even an outright relief — to see the desert floor come alive at this time of year with vibrant hues of spring-green grasses and yellow wildflowers. ...
Cold mountain water slips over the lip of the Maiden Pools and gushes down a steep cut of rock into the depths of Ventana Canyon. ...
Most of the people reading these words weren't alive when Saguaro National Park was set aside as a federal preserve 75 years ago. ...
Most hikers on the Babad Do'ag Trail have at least one question: What's with that name? ...
GLEESON — The general store is shut. Not just for the day. Not just for a week. It's closed down, locked up and sealed tight. Possibly forever. ...
The fingers of my left hand inch up a smooth slab of rock — searching for a handhold, any handhold, to keep me from falling. ...
Long before text messaging, long before the Internet, long before newspapers — people pecked their musings into the rock walls of King Canyon. ...
We could think of Tucson as a place with a palmy climate. ...
This time of the year — with the heat of summer two seasons away — is opportune for taking our fitness routines out of the gym and onto the trail. ...
You pull into a small Arizona town, stop to grab a bite to eat — and realize you've stumbled onto an outstanding little restaurant. The same thing sometimes happens with lodging. You take a room at a quaint old hotel or rural bed-and-breakfast inn — soon to discover that it's one of the most pleasing places you've ever stayed. ...
The first trails — long before those made by wild animals or people — were the ones carved by water. ...
It must be one of the most bizarre "hiking trails" anywhere. ...
COCHISE — Come visit. That's the invitation from Helen Bruner, who was born in this high-desert hamlet 65 years ago and still finds it a "quiet, wonderful place to live."...
Snowboarders carve crazy-tight turns on glistening white slopes. Cross-country skiers glide through snow-muffled woods. ...
The Gordon Hirabayashi Recreation Site in the Catalina Mountains is known as a good place for hiking, camping and bird-watching. ...
Pima Canyon — a long, deep slash in the southwestern flank of the Catalina Mountains — is a classic slice of glacier-free Southern Arizona....
HIGH IN THE CATALINA MOUNTAINS — Tech. Sgt. Howard Smith snowshoed over a deep drift, crossed an icy draw and forged a white trail up a steep snow slope. ...
Up at 4:30 a.m. Coffee. Black. Big mug. Pull on ratty canvas shorts, polypropylene top, light boots. Stuff the right stuff into favorite old rucksack. ...
Our recent soaking rains have primed the desert for a good — and potentially dazzling — display of wildflowers come spring. ...
The last rays of the day cast a golden glow on saguaro-studded ridges. ...
High on the flanks of rugged Pinnacle Peak, hikers often pause to admire the surrounding scenery...
A long spine of stone arches up in easy angles from a rocky flat to a broad-topped boulder promising a faraway view. ...
Arivaca Cienega, a spring-fed marsh known for its natural beauty and abundant bird life, now features an improved trail and an educational pavilion. ...
The Pima Trails Association has worked for the past 20 years to assure access to trails and improve them. ...
KINISHBA RUINS — Seven centuries ago, this place might have seemed like a grand stone metropolis in a high lonesome landscape. ...
Liam Kennedy and Chase Shoults might not have lasting memories of their recent trip on the Sweetwater Trail. ...
Autumn color in most high-mountain areas around Tucson has passed its peak or petered out all together — but here's a last chance for a look at leaves of red and gold. ...
SALT RIVER CANYON — A canyon as wondrous as this one might be a national park if it were in a state less scenically endowed than ours. ...
Frosty the sunman. That's one reason we live in this rarely freezing, 99 percent snow-free place....
PINETOP — Crisp mountain air lures us into the woods an hour before sunset on a golden autumn day. ...
Cholla cacti — let's face it — aren't the most beloved of the prickly plants in our neck of the desert. ...
We live in a region rich in ranching history — but often forget all about it in the bustle of urban life. ...
Fall is where you find it. ...
FLAGSTAFF — The ZIP code was not 86004 when people known today as the Sinagua lived here. The telephone area code wasn't 928. ...
Many urban parks are mostly about barbecues and ball fields — but some also offer a small but splendid slice of the natural world. ...
If you've never heard of the Hidden Canyon Trail near Starr Pass, there's a good reason. ...
The name — 50-Year Trail — makes it sound as if you're in for a really, really long hike. ...
One day some years ago, with more boldness than brains, I climbed up the stone face of Barnum Rock — alone and without a rope. ...
Autumn is just a week away, and here is the question many Tucsonans will ask when the season officially arrives: Where in the heck is it?
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I once meditated on the color of gentian blue while perched on a massive rock overlooking a rugged canyon high in the Catalina Mountains. ...
Saguaro National Park: the unpaved version. ...
They're fabulously fat and festooned with flowers during the weeks of late summer in the desert. ...
FAIRBANK — Fifty-six. ...
Summer is the season of a thousand little rivers. ...
Tucson often wins praise as a bike-friendly city, but riders have had to rely on word of mouth to learn about some of the best road-cycling routes. ...
Dead trees stand like towering tombstones along the Oracle Ridge Trail high in the Catalina Mountains. ...
Tucson often wins praise as a bike-friendly city, but riders have had to rely on word of mouth to learn about some of the best road-cycling routes. ...
Green-leafed tendrils of ocotillo, yellow wildflowers and rain-fattened cacti decorate the Cactus Forest Drive in these months of the monsoon. ...
Cyclists glide through a cool arcade of mesquite shade on the banks of the Rillito west of La Cañada Drive. ...
Winding through oak woodlands to a spring site among towering sycamores in Madera Canyon south of Tucson, the Dutch John Spring Trail is a short, moderately steep route....
A grand abundance of bird life and a visual feast of scenery lure visitors to the hamlet of Portal and nearby Cave Creek Canyon. ...
This spectacle of nature plays out dramatically at the remote Cobra Ranch, where water emerges from underground and forms a year-round stream in otherwise parched terrain. ...
Fetching yellow wildflowers called columbines brighten a shaded forest path near Mount Lemmon Ski Valley in the days of midsummer. ...
Rock climber Jim Puckett, like many climbers before him, seemed to linger on the airy summit of Hitchcock Pinnacle. ...
When we learned that a list of the new Seven Wonders of the World would be announced this weekend, we — ahem — got to wondering: ...
Sometimes — especially in the hot heart of summer — we Tucson hikers seek a higher calling. ...
You could take a hike in an average canyon — or trek across the incomparable Grand Canyon from rim to rim. ...
Miller Peak is as high as you can go in the Huachuca Mountains south of Sierra Vista. ...
Some of us can't see the forest for the ferns. ...
Two words will give you a pretty good idea of how tough it is to pedal a bicycle up the Catalina Highway near Tucson: Lance Armstrong. ...
Dad loves the new necktie. Really. Great Father's Day gift! Very thoughtful. But here's the thing: It's mid-June in the desert. It's the weekend. Maybe Dad would like to shed the wonderful new tie, pull on a T-shirt and shorts, and spend part of his day in the great outdoors. Where to go? We've got some father-friendly suggestions. Check them out below....
Here is a refreshing fact about a summer hike on the Weatherford Trail...
Imagine a crowded hotel smack in the heart of a big city — with traffic whizzing by on the streets and the whole area throbbing with restaurants, bars, music and nightlife. ...
Sometimes the end of the road is not the end of the road. Sometimes you can go farther. ...
Grand treasures of terrain make up the vast Tumacácori Highlands...
SEDONA — Rock paintings from centuries past decorate small alcoves deep in the red-rock country northwest of here. ...
Our name is Caliente. It means hot. Hot doesn't scare us. We embrace hot. That's why we went to Phoenix — the very heart of hot — in a week of record-breaking temperatures. ...
Roam the Southwest for long and you'll get a great view through a window — a rock window carved out of stone by the forces of erosion....
ROSE CANYON LAKE — Ty Pennington thinks he might have a trout on the line — a big, wonderful, tasty trout. ...
MADERA CANYON — I come around a bend on an oak-shaded trail and nearly bump into a young doe crossing the path. ...
Tucson is home to a large, zealous contingent of upwardly mobile athletes: rock climbers. ...
We live in a region rife with wild critters — from little lizards and warbling songbirds to cunning coyotes, bounding deer and lumbering black bears. ...
OAK CREEK CANYON — Look up: soaring rock walls. Look down: a crystal-clear creek. Look around: fetching wildflowers, beautiful birds and a pristine pine forest. ...
It's not exactly the French Bordeaux region or the Napa Valley of California — but Southern Arizona's own "wine country" offers a vineyard visit not far from home. ...
I want to kick off my shoes and soak my hot feet in the cool water of the creek. ...
PHOENIX — So much of this city is new, big, fast and flashy. Here's a place to bail out of the bustle next time you visit: ...
Some of us kneel and pray. ...
Find the trailhead at the end of a short road into the Gordon Hirabayashi Recreation Site....
Saguaro cactus just off your right handlebar. Big prickly cholla on your left. Steep stretch of single-track straight ahead. ...
Hike up Piestewa Peak in Phoenix and you're likely to give your social skills as much of a workout as your legs. ...
Here's one way to sense the power of floods that ripped through canyons near Tucson last summer: Trek a streambed that was scoured by the deluge. ...
Wondrous waterfalls plunge over sheer rock walls in the Grand Canyon homeland of the Havasupai Indians. ...
A new map of our region — produced in vivid color and rich detail by the prestigious National Geographic Society — will unfold in an official debut Saturday in Tubac. ...
ARIVACA LAKE — You might land a largemouth bass. You might spot a vermilion flycatcher. Or maybe you'll just catch a few hours of peace and quiet in a soothing setting. ...
GLOBE — Donna Bailie climbs a steep wooden ladder in the heart of an ancient pueblo and emerges into a rustic room where someone made a home 700 years ago....
Some names are misleading, but here's one you can believe: the Super Trail. ...
The Sweetwater Trail, in Saguaro National Park's western unit, begins at the western end of El Camino del Cerro and winds in sweeping switchbacks into the heart of the Tucson Mountains. ...
A short stretch of the scenic Bluff Trail in Sabino Canyon proved to be the perfect path one day recently....
Desert trails lead to "cactus forests" of grand saguaros. High mountain paths take us into evergreen forests of towering pines. Somewhere in between lie woodlands of another kind: pygmy forests. ...
MESCAL ROAD — No rush. ...
This blade of stone, stabbing at the sky along Interstate 10 between Tucson and Phoenix, all but cries out to passing motorists: ...
Ask Lew Hamburger why he's a member of the Santa Catalina Volunteer Patrol and he has a quick answer: "I'm just an old guy trying to get into heaven" by helping others. ...
Hike to the crumbling ruins of a house built by rancher Francisco Romero in the mid-1800s and you might think: Now that's old! ...
A bird lands on a limb. You look at it. ...
Checkmate. And toss another log on the fire. ...
Someday you might wake up and say to yourself: I feel like walking across the entire state of Arizona! ...
Sabino Canyon is often a busy, bustling place, but the canyon's Esperero Trail can set you free of the crowds. ...
Call it seasonal synchronicity. It's the pleasing practice of choosing outdoor destinations to fit particular seasons....
ORACLE — The pavement peters out after about three miles, and the road goes to dirt. ...
The good thing about the first half-mile of the Soldier Trail is that you don't have to negotiate a bunch of boring switchbacks....
We've got plenty of beaches, Tucsonans like to joke. It's just the ocean that's missing. ...
It's easier than ever to appreciate the natural splendor of Saguaro National Park East. ...
Craggy rock ridges tower over hillsides bristling with saguaros along the Ventana Canyon Trail. ...
Something about a cave must be conducive to meditation, contemplation and prayer. ...
One day — maybe 600 years ago, maybe 1,000 or more — someone carved a design on a rock atop a hill west of Tucson. ...
SONOITA CREEK STATE NATURAL AREA — Here, human beings come second. First consideration goes to zone-tailed hawks, vermilion flycatchers, Gila topminnows, mountain lions, ring-tailed cats, white-tailed deer, orange skipperling butterflies, sycamores, cottonwoods, willows, ocotillos, wild grasses and countless other plant and animal species....
Moniqua Lane and Lexis Mazerski ambled down the David Yetman Trail as the last rays of day bathed ridges of the Tucson Mountains in golden light. ...
Poet and author Jimmy Santiago Baca — who turned his troubled youth into fodder for gritty verse and insightful memoir — will present a free public talk Thursday. ...
When the urge to stride right up the spine of a mountain strikes, many Tucson hikers head for the Tanque Verde Ridge Trail....
The creek-side trail extends from North Sabino Canyon Road to East Tanque Verde Road. It's popular with walkers, runners and cyclists. Horseback riders often cross the route on their way to the broad, sandy creek bottom.
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The hike is only about 2.2 miles from trailhead to summit. But be aware that you'll be trekking in brushy, rocky terrain — following a faint, unmaintained route most of the way....
The world's top rock climbers move like lithe spiders up dead-vertical, almost glass-smooth cliffs — but most climbers are "weekend warriors" with more modest skills. ...
KITT PEAK — Below you: a vast expanse of magnificent mountains and distant deserts. Above you: Pretty much the rest of the universe. ...
Ron Kauk, 49, a renowned rock climber known for his far-out-on-the-cutting-edge ascents in Yosemite Valley and elsewhere, is in Tucson this week....
If you love to move like the wind through juniper woodlands and rolling rangeland, you might want to mountain bike the Bellota Trail. ...
RIO RICO — Carmen Friedman stepped two-and-a-half centuries into the past, peered at a crumbling adobe wall and found a faint sign of faith. ...
Birds, as far as we know, can't read. ...
Poet Sherwin Bitsui says this about the raw material of his work: ...
For a fun hike in autumn, consider Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park, near Superior, where the fall color is sublime this month and where there's a music festival Saturday. ...
Extending five miles from the northern end of Alvernon Way to the 7,255-foot summit of Mount Kimball, it winds through classic Sonoran Desert terrain, rocky canyon passages, oak and juniper woodlands and a zone with some ponderosa pines....
The Sierra Madre of Mexico — homeland of the Tarahumara people and the setting for a classic movie about lost treasure — is the focus of a literary and benefit event Sunday. ...
A new state natural area near Patagonia opens officially on Friday — and you're invited to join in dedication ceremonies, a bird-watching walk, a horseback ride and other activities. ...
Sometimes we're blasé about the beauty in our own backyard. Exhibit A: Pima Canyon. ...
Your fitness program is in ruins. ...
EMPIRE RANCH — You've heard the song. Now visit the place: a genuine home on the range. ...
Two fascinating forms of desert life — the organ pipe cactus and the desert tortoise — are featured in a pair of new books from The University of Arizona Press. ...
Babad Do'ag is one of those trails that is a bit boring in the beginning and way better at the end. ...
A historic Downtown site — which someday might house offices and rehearsals of Arizona Opera — has long echoed with music and the dialogue of live theatrical performances. ...
The Atturbury Bird and Animal Sanctuary is a 55-acre preserve of native vegetation and animal habitat at Lincoln Regional Park. ...
It will take you to no cloud-shrouded summits or hidden desert canyons, but the Rillito River Park Trail offers one magnificent advantage: It's convenient. ...
Let it rain. And rain. And rain some more. ...
BISBEE — For 95 years, the purpose and prosperity of this town in the Mule Mountains of Southeastern Arizona could be smelted down to a single word: copper. ...
Learn to make your own holiday greeting cards. ...
Sometimes a name paints a perfect picture of a place. ...
Crisp alpine air, golden leaves and strains of Oktoberfest music sing out the season on a trail high in the Catalina Mountains: ...
Picture a typical autumn day in Tucson: The temperature plummets into the 80s, a saguaro needle flutters to the ground, and the gravel of your "lawn" shows no sign of withering because, hey, it's gravel....
Windy Point Vista in the Catalina Mountains makes a fine stop if you just want a quick, glorious view — but the overlook is also a good starting point for a rocky ramble. ...
The McCain Loop Road is not a direct route to anywhere. ...
You might sense something in the air as you walk along the banks of Madera Creek, treading here and there on yellow-brown leaves shed by sycamore trees. ...
A hike up Blackett's Ridge covers 6.2 miles round-trip — including an approach walk from Sabino Canyon — and gains nearly 1,700 feet in elevation....
Some hiking routes reveal their good views only after you've plodded for miles to reach an airy overlook. ...
Kiley Parrish, at the tender age of 20 months, has learned something wonderful about the University of Arizona campus. ...
An enormous, flat-topped outcrop at an altitude of 7,900 feet, Inspiration Rock is a spirit-stirring aerie offering big vistas and crisp mountain air....
The classic desert terrain of the King Canyon Trail in Saguaro National Park West is perfect for a winter hike. ...
Sometimes we hurry right past the good stuff. If you can briefly postpone the pine-forest views, you might find Molino Canyon well worth a look. ...
Bill Borland, at the age of 64, might be at the perfect time of life to enjoy a nice round of golf. Some tennis, perhaps. Or bird-watching. Maybe a bit of casual gardening. ...
You've heard that bit about "the journey is more important than the destination."
...
Baseball diamonds, soccer fields and a three-quarter-mile exercise path create a green and inviting recreational haven at Silverlake Park. ...
ORACLE — You don't often come across an old Arizona ranch house in Mediterranean-revival style accented with Moorish influences. ...
It's still a deep-cut, saguaro-studded slice of paradise on the edge of our daily lives — but flood-struck Sabino Canyon will never be the same. ...
Trails around Tucson — scorched by fires and scoured by floods — can lead unwary hikers into real-life episodes of "Lost" or "Survivor." ...
Next time you want to travel to a land of fascinating cultures, vibrant languages and beautiful landscapes, you might take Anne O'Brien's advice: Stay right here in Arizona. ...
You won't need Tour-de-France bicycling skills — or performance-boosting drugs, for that matter — to enjoy a ride in the Rincon Valley. ...
Sky-scraping sycamore trees and old gnarly oaks shade the forest floor around Bog Springs. ...
Monarch butterflies might look like fragile little flutterers — but they're actually winged dynamos known to fly hundreds to thousands of miles on annual migration journeys. ...
You're cruising up the Catalina Highway — salivating for a fat sandwich or a huge piece of pie in the mountain village of Summerhaven northeast of Tucson. ...
Three books celebrating Southwestern landscapes — a canyon, a desert and a grassland — will be featured at a free "Tribute to the Southwest" event Saturday in Tucson. ...
Some trails in Sabino Canyon seem fit mainly for mountain goats — but the very short, flat Bajada Loop Nature Trail is perfect for everyday folks in search of a scenic stroll. ...
Frank Fields casts his line into the tranquil waters of Kennedy Lake — inviting fish to sample baits of night crawlers, shrimp and hot dogs. ...
They call it the "crest quest." Tucsonans Bob Cardell and Pat Hammes spend their weekends journeying deep into the deserts of Southern Arizona in search of rare crested saguaro cacti. ...
You might see butterflies along the Butterfly Trail — but a glimpse of fluttering beauty is just one of many pleasures for those who trek the route. ...
You might look at some of Robert Adams' photographs and turn away in disgust. He won't mind. He wasn't going for pretty. ...
Centuries ago, Indians known today as the Hohokam pecked pictures of animals, human-like figures and spiral designs on rock faces northwest of Tucson. ...
They weigh about as much as a penny, hover like helicopters and then dart through the air like tiny jets on a mission. ...
You may not like the heat of summer — but, hey, the hot weather is no picnic for your car either. ...
HUMPHREYS PEAK — ...
MADERA CANYON — Beth Kipper peered through a high-powered spotting scope at a bird-watcher's prize. ...
One need not be a Tibetan monk to find value in sitting quietly on a good, solid chunk of mountain rock. ...
You're strolling on the banks of a tranquil lagoon — savoring the shade of huge cottonwood trees and the sight of ducks drifting on the water. ...
The winner might be that dazzling sunset photo you took on the Hermit Trail in the Grand Canyon. ...
Sometimes the best hiking trail is a quiet back road in deep, green woods. ...
Ten-year-old Alyssa Sullivan clings to tiny holds high on a rock wall, takes a deep breath, reaches up and pulls herself to the top, sure as a spider. ...
Here's a different take on the hot fury of a forest fire: Think of it as a wonderful fertilizer for ferns and wildflowers. ...
Now and then, you might want to get out of the fast lane, off the pavement and onto some slow road to nowhere. ...
A hot dog can be an OK thing if you're talking about the main course at a wienie roast. ...
Plein-air painters will show their work, share techniques — and explain what the heck plein-air means — at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum Saturday. ...
Two words for Tucson hikers who aren't crazy about trekking in desert heat: ...
Oh, no — not again. ...
Summer heat sends many desert dwellers fleeing to the high, cool refuge of the White Mountains — where wildlife watching is a prime attraction. ...
Gene Garza sits in a cool pool of shade on the banks of Silverbell Lake — waiting patiently for a catfish or a bass to show some interest in his fishing line. ...
Christy and Paul Fini peered down. And down. ...
If it weren't for Booger Spring in the Chiricahua Mountains, Incinerator Ridge might have the most off-putting name among all outdoor recreation sites in Southern Arizona. ...
Get set for vintage cars, mariachis, fiddlers, artists, poets, a cavalry troop, scavenger hunters, food vendors and face painters — not to mention Miss Arizona belting out the national anthem. ...
Besh-Ba-Gowah might sound like the name of a rap music artist or some kind of exotic Middle Eastern cuisine — but actually it's a place for a hands-on encounter with history. ...
Towering rock formations along the Catalina Highway are wondrous to behold — but feel free to take them for granite. ...
New York is the place to go for a good off-Broadway show. But stay right here in Tucson if you're up for an off-Broadway trail. ...
PORTAL — Joe Seebacher of Chicago gladly washes dishes to earn his keep here. ...
Come here for stark beauty. Yeah, we know, seeking out "stark beauty" may involve some of the same wishful thinking as basking in the comfort of "dry heat." ...
The next time you need a refuge from hectic daily life, you could go where the deer and the antelope play. ...
PRESCOTT — ...
You'll catch a whiff of sweet pine scent, hear sprightly bird songs and gaze up at sheer cliffs if you hike the Green Mountain Trail. ...
It's not the sandy Sahara — but the Sonoran Desert is still a dauntingly dry place where a permanent water hole is a soothing sight. ...
Recent rains after months of drought remind us that a little water can work wonders in the way we feel. ...
MADERA CANYON — Eleven-year-old Sarah Bibbey paused in pine shade on the Old Baldy Trail, peered up at the snow-whitened heights of Mount Wrightson and summed up the scene in two words: ...
American Indian history comes alive east of Benson — in a museum and in the wild. ...
Tucson's desert climate is a key factor in attracting baseball teams for spring training. But when visiting fans and locals want a break from the ballpark and the lowlands, it's easy to rise above the desert on a quick getaway to the mountains. ...
David Herr basked in winter sunshine at his campsite in Catalina State Park and reeled off three things he loves about the park's new campground. ...
Some baseball fans can watch spring-training games day in and day out without taking a seventh-inning — or even seventh-day — stretch. ...
Frank Martinez uses humble raw materials — driftwood from the Santa Cruz River and "store-bought" acrylic paint — to create precious ceremonial masks for his Yaqui people. ...
It may be the Year of the Dog in China, but in Tucson it has been the week of the horse. ...
High on the spine of a stone lizard, your main fear is that you might have missed a vista. ...
Women — from river rafters and hikers to conservationists, writers and musicians — have carved a rich history in the canyons and deserts of the Southwest. ...
The natural wildflower show in the desert is likely to be a blooming dud this year because of severe drought. ...
Steve Shaw could be the cowboy from central casting. Six-two. Two hundred sturdy pounds. Wrangler jeans. Trail-battered boots. Brown vest. Sweat-stained hat adorned with a genuine buzzard's feather. And — final tonsorial touch — a slicked-up handlebar mustache. ...
Visitors in town for La Fiesta de los Vaqueros — along with many Tucsonans — might want to take a quick break from the city and high-tail it into the desert. ...
Those of us who love hiking and other outdoor pursuits lost a favorite playground when a wildfire ravaged the Santa Rita Mountains last summer. ...
Many of us — visitors and locals alike — have logged some serious mileage while viewing indoor exhibits at the Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase. ...
Suzi Dow can't forget that startling morning when a bull moose wandered into the Wyoming campsite she shared with her husband. ...
Thousands of you visitors — and local residents, too — have seen brilliant indoor displays of rocks at the Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase. Here's a suggested jaunt to view some magnificent geological splendor in a natural setting. ...
Generosity. ...
IN THE SUPERSTITION MOUNTAINS — Generations of dreamers have searched for a legendary trove of gold in these rugged heights east of Phoenix. ...
Two LGBs — little gray birds of indeterminate species — flit out of a palo verde tree, take wing along a trail and vanish in a clump of mesquites on the banks of a dry wash. ...
PATAGONIA LAKE — ...
ATASCOSA LOOKOUT — A real estate agent might call this place a "fixer-upper." ...
To-Reé-Neé Wolf McArdle knows that some Tucsonans might be skeptical about taking a walking tour of South Park Avenue. ...
The city lies at your feet. The mountain guards your back. Your route switchbacks toward the sky. ...
World travelers often seek out a stately old duomo — or cathedral — when they visit a foreign capital or quaint village. ...
Q What's the best type of wood to burn in a fireplace or chiminea? A This question calls for a hearth-to-hearth talk with a firewood expert. We consulted Brad Brown, owner of the Nordstrum Firewood...
Click. Tony Gomez snapped a colorful photo of a mule train at the Grand Canyon. Click. Celina Chavez took a playful picture of a chubby squirrel. Click. Danny Machado captured a stately image of an...
When Chris Craig visits beautiful Soldier Canyon, he just can't let go. It's not a matter of obsession. It's that Craig is a rock climber, and losing his grip high on a vertical wall in the craggy...
So much depends on your point of view. That's true not only in the philosophical sense, but also when it comes to the literal view that lies before you - the vista, the scenery, the sights to...
Seventy-five years ago, Ramona Jacobo Austin washed her family's laundry in fresh flowing water not far from the corner of Fort Lowell and Craycroft roads. She frolicked in fields of wildflowers and...
You feel rather lordly on the Phoneline Trail. Here you are - perched high on a cliff-side path above Sabino Canyon - peering down at lowly road walkers and tram riders in the canyon bottom hundreds...
Words are not enough - not nearly enough - for a final farewell when a loved one has passed away. But words must do. They are all we have to say goodbye and godspeed. Wrought from the heart,...
MOUNT LEMMON - Now is the time and here is the place to prospect for gold. And red. And russet. And yellow and amber and umber. You'll strike a mother lode - not of precious metals, but of brilliant...
History happens. As it turns out, a heck of a lot of it has happened around here over the past 15 centuries - and vivid vestiges of the past grace Tucson and Southern Arizona with a wealth of...
Cathryn Wise-Gervais had countless tranquil, soul-stirring moments in her years of field research for a new book on birds. This was not one of them: "I was attacked by a northern goshawk. The thing...
Q How often should I change the filters in my air-conditioning and heating unit? Is it worth spending extra money for filters made in a pleated shape or of special materials? A Change those filters...
You probably don't know Dan Duncan from Adam - but chances are good you've seen through his eyes. Tom Kleespie? The name doesn't ring a bell, but he may well have led you on countless televised...
GRAND CANYON - It is one thing to be at the Canyon. It's another thing altogether to be in it. Venturing off the rim and into the depths of the most famous gorge on Earth is an A-list adventure -...
You might see a big, beautiful Blue Morpho, or a longwinged Heliconius could flutter by. Stand very still and some other species might land benignly right on the end of your nose. Such are the...
Moose had issues. A peppy little female dog of indeterminate breed with Jack Russell terrier leanings, Moose was terrified of men, storms and other things when Paula and Barney McCloskey adopted her...
Interstate 10 won't do it. Speedway - no way. Not even a bumpy back road will get you there. Only one form of passage can take you off the wheel-worn track and into the heart of the country: a trail....
Kate Helms Tillery slides spiderlike on a rope down the steep rock face she has just climbed. Safely back on the ground, she stretches out in a patch of cool pine shade to watch a friend have a go...
Twelve-year-old Catrina Turner learned priceless life lessons when she toiled with classmates to build a water garden at Laguna Elementary School. "It takes a lot of people and hard work to build a...
Q I want to plant some trees in my yard. Is there a type of tree that will grow fast in our desert climate and not take too much water? A The tree experts we consulted suggest that you be realistic...
Old-school running: You head out the door and jog around the block. Tech-age running: Hooked up to more monitors than some hospital patients, you keep precise track of how far you run, how fast you...
Fleshy forest fungi, thick clumps of ferns and bodacious mountain wildflowers are in full show-off mode along the Box Camp Trail. The botanical bonanza comes courtesy of plentiful rains in the...
Charlie Whitmore, lying on his deathbed, pulled his old hiking buddy close and made a last request. It was a doozy. "Charlie got this sly look on his face," says Richard Kane, a longtime friend who...
GREEN VALLEY - Here is what you need to know about a store called the White Elephant: ● It sells a stupendous array of high-quality stuff at dirt-cheap prices. ● It hands over its profits - $1.4...
COCHISE STRONGHOLD - History does not reveal whether the legendary Apache warrior Cochise enjoyed picnicking, bird-watching, hiking or rock climbing here. Most accounts focus on the fact that he...
Dwell in this desert for 50 years - or just one scorching summer day - and you know what matters: Water. A puddle of slime-green water in the bottom of a canyon can save your life in these parts. A...
Mark Nichols says he senses "some kind of aura, some kind of attraction" that makes him want to climb almost every mountain he sees. Must be one heck of an aura. Nichols, a resident of Benson, has...
any of us run off to the mountains or the beach when we get sick of summer in the desert. But with soaring gas prices and high-season resort rates limiting travel options, you might consider another...
Q My new house has a septic tank. What do I need to know in terms of maintenance and precautions? A The short answer is that you must be kind to your bacteria. Septic tanks decompose waste matter...
QHow frequently do I need to coat my roof in Tucson? I have a flat roof that I use white coating on. ANothing is quite as much fun, especially in the middle of summer, as spending some quality time...
Poetry should be pleasurable - maybe even understandable. Ted Kooser realizes that's a radical concept, but he says it's exactly what he's aiming for in a regular column of poetry debuting today in...
Joe Patronite has the drill down pat: Fly to France and train a lens on a legend named Lance. Patronite, a top professional photographer based in Tucson, has been doing that every July since 1999 -...
Summer, which begins today, is a sensational season in Tucson. Not sensational in the sense of "wonderful" or "very good." We all know better than that. Summer is sensational, rather, in the most...
You've probably seen spy movies in which an orbiting satellite yields amazingly detailed images of a site on the ground. These days, you can pull off something similar from your home computer...
SIX-SHOOTER CANYON - A hiking trail snakes through an evergreen forest dotted with mountain wildflowers. Campgrounds nestle in the shade of tall ponderosa pines and aspens. Summer temperatures top...
Don't expect to see a wild horse if you take a hike or horseback ride on the Wildhorse Trail. Untamed stallions no longer roam the desert along the trail at Saguaro National Park East. But you might...
Some of us like to stretch out on the bare ground with only a foam pad for comfort. Others prefer a cot in a spacious tent. Many will settle for nothing less than...
If you want to comprehend the cosmos, things have to add up just right. With that thought in mind, the mathematics department at the University of Arizona will focus on "Mathematics and the Cosmos"...
The desert wildflower season is on the wane - and yet the desert is vibrant with a fresh crop of colorful blooms. Cactus blooms. As if to provide the longest season possible for flower lovers, cacti...
A Tibetan lama who lives in Tucson will focus on a central message of Buddhism when he gives teachings here this month: Harm no one. Work to benefit everyone. "This is the purpose of Buddhism - to...
Tom O'Brien paused on the Sabino Canyon Trail and took in a tableau of gargantuan saguaro cacti, spiky rock peaks and desert wildflowers in full Technicolor bloom...
Sabino Canyon, already an A-list destination for its geologic splendor and flowing water, is now in full wildflower bloom to boot. "It's vibrant!" said Heidi Schewel, a spokeswoman for the U.S....
The message of Easter, revered by Christians for 20 centuries, can be told in three words: He is risen. Today, from pulpits across Tucson, clergymen and clergywomen will seek to relate that core...
The heart-rending life-support case of Terri Schiavo has many of us wondering if a similar dilemma could arise in our own lives - and if we can somehow prevent it. It could, and we can. The key is...
We're in the midst of one of the best bloomin' wildflower seasons in years and you might be wondering: How the heck do I tell a poppy from a penstemon, a bladderpod from a brittlebush?...
One of the wildflower meccas of Southern Arizona - Picacho Peak State Park - is making a colorful spectacle of itself this month. "It's looking great. The poppies are starting to carpet - blooming...
You've been breathing since you popped out of the womb, and you'll keep drawing breaths - hundreds of millions of them - until your dying day. But are you really very good at breathing? Quite...
Purple penstemon wildflowers and prehistoric petroglyphs made Nan Kaeser's day along the King Canyon Trail. Kaeser, a visitor from Sierra Madre, Calif., hiked the trail west of Tucson recently in...
The nonprofit TMM Family Services, which celebrates its 30th anniversary Sunday, could use your help in establishing a new group home for children. "Since 1995 we have opened seven children's group...
Late word from the wildflower front: They're blooming big-time in some areas near Tucson already, and the best is yet to come. "There's some spectacular stuff out there right now," said Russ Buhrow,...
Laughter is no joke to Jackie Gill. Oh, she loves to yuk it up - to chuckle, chortle, giggle, hoot, howl and guffaw - every chance she gets. But Gill, president of a group called the Tucson Laughter Club, says...
Wildflower expert Russ Buhrow says he has two words to describe this year's bloom. "Out! Standing!" Buhrow, curator of plants at Tohono Chul Park, may have a joking disregard for dictionary...
Move some rock. Scrape some soil. Leave your mark on the land. That's what you're invited to do Feb. 26 at a "trail-building day" at the Sonoita Creek State Natural Area. "We're looking for...
It's possible to fashion a plain Christian cross by nailing a couple of two-by-fours together. Tom Wurr had something a little more elaborate in mind - a cross made of pieces of wood from the seven...
There is one thing Tucsonan Ron Heiligenstein won't do with the colorful, finely crafted beer steins in his collection: drink beer out of them. "If you drink out of them, you have to wash them. And...
You won't have to spend a night in a tepee tucked away in the one-time hideout of the Apache warrior Cochise. But you could. A "tepee and breakfast" lodging, in Cochise Stronghold east of Benson, is...
Some of us think we're getting old when we hit the age of 40. Or 70. Or 90. But we're mere animals. Here in the Sonoran Desert and surrounding mountains, plants are the lords of longevity. Some of...
A series of seven weekly lectures - titled "When Worlds Collided: The Spanish in the American Southwest" - begins Wednesday at the Arizona Historical Society. "The focus is the cultural contact...
Winter is a season of often beckoningly beautiful weather in Tucson. It's also a time when you can be exposed to sneezing, sniffling cold sufferers at your gym or health club...
Tales of long-lost trails tend to surface in remote Tibetan highlands, mysterious South American jungles and other off-the-beaten-track places. But not always. It turns out there's a lost trail in...
Natural and human-caused disasters threaten everybody, but elderly folks and people with special needs can face added peril when disaster strikes. A public forum on Friday - called "Disaster...
Many of us will admit that our hobbies aren't exactly rocket science. Don't expect such a concession from members of the Southern Arizona Rocketry Association. The Tucson group celebrates its...
Thousands of participants are flying in for the 12th annual Wings Over Willcox festival this weekend. Only a small percentage of them are people. Most are birds - the winged stars of the birding and...
See if this shoe fits: You're gifted out, cooped up, glutted with holiday foods, weary of kids hyped up on sugar and Santa - and desperate for a way to entertain those family members who've trooped...
PEÑA BLANCA LAKE - If your idea of a lake is something on the order of Lake Tahoe or Lake Michigan, you'll probably call this place Peña Blanca Pond. Tucked into a secluded canyon northwest of...
Tucsonans can count on seeing abundant, diverse bird life all year long. Now it's time to count and identify the birds we see. Volunteers with the Tucson Valley Christmas Bird Count will tally bird...
Japanese bombers rained death on Pearl Harbor 63 years ago today - some four decades before Erin Blomquist was born....
Traveler Howard Calvert kicks back in the common room of the Roadrunner Hostel and explains in two short sentences why he and many others love the hostel life. "I could be in a dumpy old hotel room...
Sometimes we're blasé about the beauty in our own back yard. Exhibit A: Pima Canyon. A long, deep slash in the southwestern flank of the Catalina Mountains, Pima Canyon is close to town, offers easy...
Bags stuffed with gifts and a visit from Saint Nicholas himself will bring holiday cheer to about 4,000 disadvantaged kids next week. With your help. Leaders of the Volunteer Center of Southern...
Eight-year-old Finian Lowery aced 10 quiz problems and took the grand prize in a national contest sponsored by the "Cyberchase" show on public television. The young Tucsonan, who competed in the...
Rancher Andy Smallhouse peers up at the Santa Catalina Mountains and sees a vital source of water for his drought-stressed cattle herd. Miner Dean Schifferns carves his living out of Catalina rock...
Two deer bound along a rocky ridge. A fox trots up a hillside and into a clump of brush. A bobcat dashes across a road in a furry blur. These wildlife sightings come within a 20-minute period along...
...
Angie Cline and Helen Morell sipped their morning coffee in a campsite at Catalina State Park and gazed up at the rugged splendor of Pusch Ridge. "Now this is a room with a view," said Cline. "What...
Call it "cactus college." Or maybe "Saguaro Studies 101." It's a free, hour-long course and slide show on the world-famous symbol of the desert: the saguaro cactus. Presented by the Friends of...
Amanda Mendoza describes herself as a procrastinator. You might agree. Mendoza, 37, a native of Mexico, has lived in the United States...
Perhaps you've dreamed of being a trailblazer - of leaving the beaten path and carving out a new passage for others to follow. Here's your chance to do it in a very literal way. The cross-state...
Last call for autumn color. The fall spectacle of gold, red and yellow in the forests of Southern Arizona will soon be on the wane, but leaves could be at their dazzling best at some sites in the next week or two. ...
Sometimes you get sick of life in the fast lane. We've got a cure: the Greaterville Road. The winding, dusty, bumpy, 14-mile road slithers along the northern flanks of the Santa Rita Mountains about...
Try a little experiment. Close your eyes, sit quietly and just listen. Listen to every single sound around you - whether you're at the breakfast table, in a crowded cafe, at the office or on a city...
One-thousand-one. One-thousand-two. One-thousand-three. One-thousand-four. One-thousand-five. One-thousand-six. One-thousand-seven. That's how much time - a full seven seconds - Green Valley...
Thirty feet above the ground, Natalie Gmitro clings to a tiny handhold on a sheer climbing wall - focusing all her strength and will on completing the day's schoolwork. Gmitro, 15, and her Catalina...
MOUNT LEMMON - Ferns fade from green to brown, leaves turn red and gold, and Oktoberfest oompahs to life at Mount Lemmon Ski Valley. Autumn may be a bust in the desert, but here, in the forested...
Part with a pint of blood and take your payment in opera. That's the deal under a partnership between United Blood Services, which is Arizona's largest nonprofit community blood supplier, and the...
Every mall has its own mood. Tucson's major shopping centers have plenty of things in common - but each of these grand palaces of commerce sports its own "personality" or atmosphere. A mall's...
Sometime far in the future, you'll have to walk, run or cycle 18 miles if you want to "do" the entire Pantano River Park Trail. But act now and you will need to cover a mere half-mile to claim...
Nearly 13 miles is a long way to walk for a glimpse out of a window. It's worth every step when the destination is a huge natural rock "window" often known by its Spanish name: La Ventana. The...
Horseback riders and hikers will travel a long, winding route from Nogales to Tucson in October - and they won't need a compass, map or GPS unit to find their way. That's because they'll simply...
MOUNT LEMMON - Good tidings from the mountaintop: Lemmon Meadow escaped the full fury of last year's Aspen Fire. It remains a grassy, tree-ringed high-country haven north of Tucson - singed here and...
Lightning is gone in a flash. Even those blitzing, blinding bolts that electrify the sky during monsoon storms fade faster than fireworks. Now, for those who'd like a longer look at nature's aerial...
TEXAS CANYON - Cesar Graciano bounds up a natural staircase of boulders and waves to his mom on the ground. "Wooo!" exclaims Cesar, 14, of Yuma, as he takes in the surrounding scenery. It's a common...
MOUNT LEMMON - Fire does not have the last word. Green does. You'll grasp this heartening truth firsthand if you visit trails and recreation areas reopened today after being closed for a year by...
Forced to choose between driving from Tucson to Phoenix on Interstate 10 or scrubbing floors for two hours, many of us would gladly grab a mop. The 111-mile freeway trip is widely derided as one of...
MADERA CANYON - You half expect to see Puck along the trail to Dutch John Spring. Not "puck" as in hockey - but the mischievous character named Puck who inhabits an enchanted forest in Shakespeare's...
Maybe it was just a slow news day, but we got to wondering whether Viktor Navorski's scheme could possibly fly at Tucson International Airport. Navorski, a fictional traveler played by Tom Hanks in...
Flash-bam-boom thunderstorms and street-swamping downpours make the monsoon a thrilling summer interlude in Southern Arizona. But the wet, wild weather brings some deadly dangers. Be in the wrong...
PHOENIX - Hello. Good morning. Hi. How's it going? Hola. Howdy. How you doing? Hi. Hi. Hi. Take a hike up Piestewa Peak in Phoenix and you're likely to give your greeting skills as much of a workout...
SEDONA - Ayandé One With Creation sells New Age talismans that are as colorful as his name. Joella Jean Mahoney, a painter in the tradition of Georgia O'Keeffe, sells grand-scale, vibrantly hued...
You will not need a Ph.D. to master the basic theory of dodgeball. You throw a ball at somebody on the opposing team. Hit 'em and they're out. If they catch it, you're out. "It's a good simple game....
Millions of saguaro cacti poke their prickly green arms into the Arizona sky in a grand show of conformity - but only a select few break the mold with an added flourish. These cristate, or crested,...
Two natural wonders of the desert - the monsoon and the saguaro cactus - will be featured at tonight's Park After Dark family fun night at Tohono Chul Park. The free event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at...
KITT PEAK - Dave Pierce takes in his first globular cluster - and he is enthralled. "That was pretty cool, just amazing!" says Pierce as he steps away from the eyepiece of a telescope housed in a...
Much of the natural desert in Tucson has been paved, landscaped and shopping-malled out of existence, but a few splendid remnants remain. One of them is the Atturbury Bird and Animal Sanctuary at...
Jake Nighswander does not need Mount Everest. A 12-foot-high rock will do. Nighswander, 20, is one of many Tucson-area rock climbers who have discovered the pleasures and challenges of a sport known...
MADERA CANYON - Flan's paws have it easier now. Flan, the canine trail companion of Tucson hiker Alicia Nichols, bounded up the Old Baldy Trail in Madera Canyon one day last week. The dog showed no...
A vast, sprawling arboretum - with more than 400 kinds of trees and hundreds of other plant species - sits smack in the heart of Tucson. Admission is free. The place is open every day of the year....
For most of us, the task of covering 26.2 miles calls for the services of a motor vehicle. The marathoners in our midst have another option. "Running a marathon is a wonderful thing for both my...
MADERA CANYON - This cool, woodsy canyon south of Tucson might ease a condition that's likely to strike many of us as the weather warms up: "Summerhaven withdrawal." Many Tucsonans saw their...
In a desert region where giant saguaros hog center stage with their stunning size and reliable blooms, another plant with a shapely form and never-miss spring flowers rarely gets its due. Let's give...
Next time you're up for some bird-watching, here's a spot to try: the Sierra Vista wastewater treatment plant. Really. The city's plant, known as the Sierra Vista Environmental Operations Park,...
Larry Green would lure you in with his navels. He sells the seedless oranges for 25 cents a pound to attract customers to his open-air Fruit-Land Market at 1101 N. Sixth Ave. It must...
You may have heard that quote about "a rose is a rose is a rose." It would not appear to apply to the Tombstone Rose - an 8,000-square-foot, 119-year-old botanical monster that's listed in the...
It is coming. You feel its hot breath on the back of your neck. You notice a first trickle of sweat. One day the steering wheel almost singes your fingers. For the first time in months, you seek...
Here's a great place to go for some outdoor recreation with a bit of history thrown in for good measure: prison. Don't rush off to the big house in Florence. We're talking about a visit to the site...
Noelle Soren uses very little makeup and doesn't bother to carry a compact in her purse. This does not keep her from owning nearly 700 compacts and cosmetic cases. "I began collecting them because...
I t's a plain, natural and sometimes troubling truth: On planet Earth, every living thing has to feed on something to stay alive. That reality is the basis for a new monthly tour - called "Who Eats...
Montrose Canyon is a "someday" place. Hikers trekking up the Romero Canyon Trail, en route to the well-known Romero Pools, sometimes pause at the turnoff to lesser-known Montrose Canyon and say: "We...
Carl Haupt would like you to cough up a buck for every 1,000 feet he climbs on Mount Kilimanjaro this summer. If he reaches the 19,340-foot summit in Tanzania, that would come to $19.34. It's...
It may not be a banner year for wildflowers, but several sites in Southern Arizona are bursting into bloom. "There are places where we're seeing carpets of flowers," said Russ Buhrow, curator of...
T he Tucson Mountains - those unimposing little summits just west of the city - are the picture of serenity and soothing natural beauty. They lure sunset watchers to tranquil Gates Pass and hikers...
A mountain lion's paw print has four toes and an asymmetrical shape. Black bear droppings might contain anything from juniper berries to the exoskeletons of ants. Scratches on an agave stalk could...
This year's wildflower forecast: bloom or bust, depending on where you look. "We could have some patches of incredible color, but they're not going to be everywhere," said Russ Buhrow, curator of...
If Isabel Garcia had a sport, it might well be boxing. Garcia's life, as Pima County's chief legal defender, and as a fierce, relentless, controversial advocate for illegal immigrants, is all about...
IRONWOOD FOREST NATIONAL MONUMENT - If you're one of those people who don't like their national parks and monuments cluttered with lots of visitor facilities, this is your spot. The sum total of...
° Tucsonans are a friendly bunch, for the most part. ° We think we have traffic problems, but we don't have a clue about real traffic problems. ° And - news flash! - we live in a place where summer...
Some people love fast sports cars. Others get revved up over monster trucks. Bob Stewart? He'll take a good old stagecoach any time. Actually, it wouldn't have to be a stagecoach. It could be a...
You know your presidents. Of course you do. As a patriotic American, you could probably pick any one of them - from George Washington to George W. Bush - out of a lineup and list some details of his...
Anyone who has taken a spouse or sweetheart on a hike to a beautiful forest glade, secluded mountain spring or dramatic vista point knows this: The outdoors can be a very romantic place. Something...
O ne of the great things about living in Tucson is getting to know the neighbors. Not only the Jones family next door and the Garcias down the street, but also that really wild crowd - the bobcats,...
W INSLOW - Gloria Jimenez does not budge. She's right where she wants to be on this clear, cold winter morning - ensconced in front of a crackling fire in a grandly furnished lounge of the historic L...
Hiking through a forest is fine. Ambling along a stream is all well and good. But sometimes you want to stride right up the spine of a mountain. When that urge strikes, many Tucson hikers head for th...
Liz Cohn's idea of a great travel experience: * Spend a leisurely morning over coffee at the Cafe Les Deux Magots in Paris. * Take a small Zodiac boat to an island and trek into the bush for a look a...
Outside, dusk is fading to dark and the temperature is in free fall. Inside, Joseph Oliver sits on a soft cot in a warm room, his belly full of fresh-baked lasagna and his faith affirmed. "I've never...
ALONG THE SAN PEDRO RIVER - One sound spoils the perfect silence of a cool winter morning, but it is a sweet noise in this arid land. Flowing water. The faint melody of water on the move - a little w...
KARTCHNER CAVERNS STATE PARK - The big show here is in the bowels of the Earth. But not the whole show. Those who tour Kartchner Caverns, a subterranean trove of grandiose cave formations, will find ...
PATAGONIA - Birds are good for business.
So are big blue skies, groves of tall cottonwoods, rolling grasslands and beckoning mountain trails.
Such is the thinking of many residents in Patagonia, ...
Many of us know that black bears roam Madera Canyon south of Tucson. But have you heard of the moths that live there - the ones with the 6-inch-long tongues? Hawk moths, which use those outsize tongues?...
Let other bicyclists perch on a butt-blistering seat, straddle a rigid metal frame and scrunch down to grip low-slung handlebars. Pete Lester prefers a more laid-back approach. He's a zealous fan of ...
You've likely walked miles in the malls on a quest for holiday gifts - and maybe added more legwork with treks around the neighborhood to sing carols or view festive lights. So we're aware that "hike...
You've seen it glow, red as a smoldering ember, on a ridge high above the city just as the day is about to die. You've watched it gild a stand of saguaros at sunset, or bring out the brown beauty of ...
People who take up the craft of brewing beer at home often experience a remarkable social phenomenon. "You find you suddenly make lots of new friends," says Joel Robertson, a Tucson home-brewer who g...
