Best Leisurely Stroll
Sabino Canyon Tram Route
Coronado National Forest
READERS' PICK: With its lush, lower Sonoran desert riparian
vegetation, cushy asphalt road, and some of the best people-watching
potential in town, it's no wonder that our readers chose Sabino
Canyon's Tram Route as their favorite leisurely stroll. Whether
you bring the baby in a jog-stroller and walk from the visitors'
center to the first bridge and back, or put on your Nike Air Sabinos
and haul your haunches all the way to the top, you'll notice a
few things. First of all, Sabino Canyon is a beautiful place.
Second, there are a lot of Tucsonans with jog strollers. Third,
there are an awful lot of leisurely strollers in Sabino Canyon
who look like Dr. Andrew Weil. At any rate, the canyon is open
to walkers and runners 24 hours a day, and there's no charge to
enter on foot. The entire walk is just under eight miles, but
you can easily adjust the distance to suit your personal comfort
and fitness level. There are nine bridges on the path, and water
runs beneath most of them for most of the year. Should you wear
out during your stroll and it happens to be during tourist hours,
the tram will shuttle you back for $6 per adult, and $2.50 for
children between the ages of 3 and 12.
READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP--TIE: Rillito River Park (see Best Road-Bike Route); and Tohono Chul Park (see
Best Urban Garden).
CLUE IN: Take your time and amble down Third Street,
between Campbell Avenue and Tucson Boulevard. This serene slice
of the historic Sam Hughes neighborhood used to be the only place
in town where you'd find a veritable grove of citrus trees. Go
ahead, pick an orange. Wave at the smiling folks. This is one
of those strange places, like piers at sunset or the shade of
a weeping willow, where people seem to go just to be.
