An Epic Weekend in Tucson

We just returned from a sweet weekend visiting dear friends in Tucson. We were excited to visit the desert southwest, but we were especially blessed to get to spend so much time with dear friends! Upon arrival, all 14 of us jumped in their big van and headed to Canyon Lake. While Canyon Lake is not in Tucson (actually 1 hr. 45 min. north), it worth the visit. The lake is gorgeous with canyon walls all alongside it.

The water was cold, but there were some brave souls who still went tubing!

Can you find our big horned sheep friend? He is a bit camoflauged!

After boating, we put on our western attire and headed to the Hitching Post in Apache Junction. This place is a true gem. If you have a bit of an "old soul" about you and you are looking for an evening with a western vibe, look no further. The Hitching Post is a true cultural experience. Dance to live country music on the dance floor and then (if it's a Saturday or Thursday) head out back to watch bull riding! Seriously, I have never been anywhere like this place!

Sunday (Easter) morning was spent at our friends' church. It was a blessing to worship with them and special to have an Easter in the desert!

We had a relaxing afternoon and then went to the Gas Light Theater for an evening dinner show. This was one of everyone's favorite activities. The clean, yet comedic theater performance, is perfect for families. There is a live band playing classic tunes. The pizza is great. It's a fun evening for the family.

If you know me, I'm always looking for a fun hike. On Monday, we were able to go on a hike in the Sabino Canyon Recreation Area. We didn't follow a specific trail on "All Trails", but rather we paved our own way. We hiked up the bear canyon trail to the Sabino lake trail. We took the lake trail past the dam all the way to the creek trail. At the end of the creek trail, we took the phoneline link trail back to the tram road. The kids took the tram road back to the visitor center while Charlie and I tacked on another trail. We took the rattlesnake trail to the esperero trail and back down to the visitor center via the sabino walkway trail. The trail Charlie and I took allowed us to climb a little higher and get some views from higher up.

We almost stepped on this little guy! Our horny toad friend!

Charlie and I hiked a little further on our own

I told the kids I wanted lots of pictures of them with cacti because you can't get that anywhere else! What a sweet, blessed weekend we had! I was very thankful.