Sky Island Scenic Byway

On Easter Sunday, our granddaughter, Emily, took us on a drive to the top of Mt. Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson.

The Sky Island Scenic Byway is the only paved road that leads to the top of the Catalinas.  Beginning at less than 3,000 feet elevation, the road winds around hairpin turns to reach a summit of more than 9,000 feet.  Several pullouts are provided along the way overlooking the valley containing Tucson.  Our favorites were Molino Canyon Vista and Windy Point Vista (aptly named) where we walked among the rocks taking photos of the awesome view.

The gain in elevation from start to finish is so great, it encompasses several ecosystems, comparable to a trip from Mexico to Canada.

The trip starts at the desert floor amidst the saguaros and other cacti.

In just minutes, you begin to notice the change to trees,

and by the end of the 27 mile drive, you find yourself in an alpine forest of Ponderosa pines.

 

It was a perfect drive for an Easter Sunday.  No one could see such panoramic views and such environmental variety  and not  marvel at God’s Great Creation.

For more photos from our drive, click on the diagram below:

Sabino Canyon

Tucked away in the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson is a beautiful little canyon named Sabino Canyon.

Imagine it is 150 years ago. Your horse died and you have been crawling across the hot dry desert for 2 nights. (You are smart enough to know that you should rest in the heat of the day and travel at night by the light of a half moon.) Unfortunately, your canteen has run dry. Just when you're about to give up all hope, the first rays of sunlight break over the desert and you see a beautiful mountain range in the distance. There is a darker green line that runs like a vein up the side of the mountain. "Trees," you whisper in a choking voice. You know where there are tall leafy deciduous trees, there is water. You are saved. You have found an oasis in the Sonoran Desert. You have found Sabino Canyon. (paragraph taken from  “Story trail” )

It is still such an oasis in the midst of the desert, and provides an excellent escape from the bustle and heat of the city.  We visited Sabino Canyon with our granddaughter, Emily, over Easter weekend.   A narrated tram trip takes you 3.8 miles up into the canyon.   We  walked part of the way back down.

For a slideshow of our canyon visit, click on the map below: