Being scheduled for systems training in Tucson this year for my job, I researched on the internet to find some interesting places to see in the area. My preference was outdoor areas conducive to photography. I found that even with my limited time, since most of my days were taken up by class, I would still have ample opportunity to find some great places to photograph the sunset in the afternoons.
Tucson is a very pretty area, much nicer than I thought it would be. I wouldn't want to be there in the summer months when the temps are in the 100s, but for a week in February, it was pretty nice.
Sunday February 12th
The first place I visited after dropping my bags off at the hotel was Saguaro National Park. The park is actually divided by Tucson. There is the east park and the west park. I visited the east since it seemed to be the closest. It was pretty at the park. Being close to sunset, I only lingered long enough to drive the loop rd in the park. I found a nice place to wait for the sunset and took pictures there. I was the only person at the pullout on the rd waiting for the sunset until about 10 minutes before the event. At that time, 3 cars full of people with cameras pulled in and waited for the sunset. As soon as the sun went away, so did the people. I think they were locals.
The map below is of the loop rd in the park.
Monday February 13th
The next day, after class, I drove out attempting to visit Saguaro National Park West. The GPS on my phone had me drive west towards the Tucson Mountain Park. Soon I was driving over Gates Pass. There was a pullout near the top with a lookout that also served as a trail head. Intrigued by the possibility of maybe hiking to the top of one of the mountains there, I grabbed my camera and started hiking to see where the trail might go. Never mind the fact that I didn't have a map and that I was in the desert and didn't bring any water (yes these things crossed my mind as I set out). I promised myself that I would keep the car in sight. I at least carried my headlamp with me in my camera backpack.
This little hike was probably my favorite part of this whole trip. I would love to be able to spend some more time here and explore all the trails in this small area. I hiked up to a pass that offered up a view down below of what I believe is called Tucson Estates. The trail at this point turns around and switches back towards the direction I already came only climbing higher. It eventually brings you to the true top of Gates Pass were a great view of Tucson is had. I had a hard time not photographing and just taking it all in. The wide open spaces and expansive views were a very welcome sight.
After getting about the best shots I figured I was going to get, I set off back to the car. I briefly had an incident with a bit of a cholla cactus that embedded itself in my shoe, but luckily it didn't penetrate it getting in to my foot. That could have been painful.
Below is a rough approximation of the short hike up to Gates Pass
Tuesday February 14th - Valentine's Day
The next day, I decided to go out to Sabino Canyon. I read a lot on the internet about this being a local favorite. Indeed there were a lot of people walking the road when I arrived. Unfortunately, the shuttle that runs people up to the end of the canyon on the closed road was done for the day when I arrived so I just walked in.
Again, this area was lovely. I walked for a ways and took a trail down to Sabino Creek where I took a few photos. It was rather overcast and had even rained pretty hard earlier in the day. My expectations of a nice sunset were pretty low. The sun however had other plans. It was actually one of the nicer evenings I spent while in Tucson. The sweet light on the canyon walls was very beautiful contrasting against the grey overcast.
A rough representation of the route I took.
Thursday February 16th
Wednesday was a day off from exploring to join my boss and other co-workers for dinner. Thursday however would be my last evening in the area. I took advantage this time to see some of the more urban areas of Tucson. I really wanted to visit this old area of town called Barrio Historico which is a historic area near downtown. When I was getting near the Barrio Historico, I saw a couple landmarks that I recognized from internet searches. I decided to pay for a parking spot and I got out and walked around, shooting whatever caught my fancy.
After checking out the downtown area, I decided to skip looking for the Barrio and I drove to the outskirts of town to see the old Mission Xavier del Bac at sunset. The mission was a great place to photograph. I wished that I had arrived a little earlier so I could have seen the inside but I was on a tight schedule so I did the best I could.
After the mission, I drove back towards the hotel. Not being satisfied, I decided to drive up towards Mt Lemmon to see if I could see the lights of the city from any viewpoints that might be available on the drive up.
I really enjoyed my visit to Tucson and hope to visit again some day.
The map below is the general area I walked in Downtown Tucson.
