Meditation.
Contemplation.
Clearing your head.
Call it what you will — but a good place to practice it might be Inspiration Rock high in the Catalina Mountains north of Tucson.
The name pretty much catches the essence of the site.
An enormous, flat-topped outcrop at an altitude of 7,900 feet, Inspiration Rock is a spirit-stirring aerie offering big vistas and crisp mountain air.
The good and not-so-good thing about it is that the rock is a two-minute stroll west of the Inspiration Rock Picnic Area just off the Catalina Highway.
It's good because the site is very easy to reach. It's not-so-good because such easy access means you'll sometimes have lots of company in the area — which could make it less conducive to quiet contemplation.
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One way to have the place to yourself is to visit early or late in the day, avoiding the popular picnic hours of midday and afternoon. Weekdays are less crowded than weekends.
But even if you have to share the site, the scenery is worth a visit.
It's easy, if you're in average physical shape, to walk to the top of the rock from the picnic area and find a comfortable sitting spot.
Foreground scenery includes wind-blown ponderosa pines growing out of niches in the rock and — if you're lucky — a hawk or two soaring overhead.
Farther away, you'll see Marshall Gulch and vast expanses of forest, including large stands blackened by the 2003 Aspen Fire. The views also take in some of the new construction in the mountain village of Summerhaven and a power line traversing an area below the rock.
If the place is inspirational, it can also be dangerous. Some slopes are gentle enough for easy scrambling, but others end in steep drop-offs. Stay away from the edge and keep a close watch on the kids.
To get to the site from Tucson, take Tanque Verde Road to the Catalina Highway and follow the highway to the Inspiration Rock Picnic Area between Mileposts 23 and 24.
Next week: Ramble a campus.