After a long, colder than average winter, it was nice to arrive in Tucson earlier is week. On the first two days of my trip, I took my bicycle to Saguaro National Park – East and rode the Cactus Forest Drive. Each day I rode two laps of the 8 mile winding and rolling paved loop. There were a few short, steep climbs to test my legs after not riding outdoors since October. I arrived at the park each morning after 9am and it was already sunny and hot. On Thursday I drove to Oro Valley, north of Tucson and checked in to the Holiday Inn Express where I’ll be staying for the next several days. There is a paved bike path directly behind the hotel. After checking in I went for a 21km ride to check out the area. This morning I went for a short 5km run along the trail. I plan to ride my bike to the nearby Catalina State Park later this afternoon. I think I’m going to enjoy the visit here.
