Picture of the Day - 3/6/09

We visited Sabino Canyon today, which is located in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains northeast of Tucson. An open air shuttle will take you up the 4-mile paved road and you can either walk back down or take any other shuttle back down. The canyon follows Sabino Creek, which flows year-round and is a popular watering spot for a variety of wildlife. Although we saw little in the way of wildlife, we heard the call of cardinals and saw squirrels and cottontail rabbits. There are several bridges made by the CCC in the 30's and a number of picnic areas along the route. The scenery is pretty spectacular and is worth a visit should you find yourself in this part of Arizona. Pictured, is the spindly ocotillo in bloom, saguaro and beavertail cactus. It generally takes 70 to 80 years for the saguaro to start growing arms. Here's the Friends of Sabino Canyon Web site: http://sabinocanyon.org/sabino.htm.