Sunday, February 19, 2017

Lazy, lazy morning… and it feels so good! I don’t know if there is a song for that, but there should be…

The weather forecast having called for rain, we had originally planned for an indoor activity, but our hearts were set on Sabino Canyon. It must have been the call of the saguaros… so we obliged!

An easy 45 minutes drive took us from Marana to the Coronado National Forest and into Sabino Canyon Recreation area. After a quick stop at the Visitor Center, we took the privately operated shuttle service ($10.00 per person) all the way to the end of the paved road. It is a “hop on/hop off” kind of ride, with a total of 9 stops. Other than giving hikers a break by taking them closer to remote trails, the shuttle also keeps your feet dry when you come across a flooded bridge! Our walk was punctuated by wind, rain, sunshine… and a rugged beauty that called for a million pictures! We ended our visit with an easy loop around the Visitor Centre, walking among the saguaros standing tall against the mountain backdrop. Awesome!

Scoop of the day: The rules are the rules! Well… shouldn’t common sense come first? Here is the story: As we walked down the path, we came across a flooded bridge, so we decided to wait for the shuttle to come down, wave our tickets and hop on. Simple, right? Think again… According to the rules, visitors can ONLY be dropped or picked up at a DESIGNATED STOPS. So, we had to walk all the way back to the previous “legal” stop and wait for the shuttle to come back. Later on, we learned that people remove their shoes, roll up there pants, and cross the flooded bridge. Really? Would that be safe?! I guess there would be no RULES against falling or being injured… No worries, though.

We did walk back, got picked up and were driven under cover while it poured. But not everyone was so lucky.

Back in Marana, another great evening meal awaited, prepared with love: stuffed chicken, roasted sweet potatoes and peppers, and key lime pie. Diet? Later…

After a visit with the neighbours across the street, we called it the night… Packing will have to wait until the morning because we don’t feel like leaving for SEDONA yet!