Autumn in Tucson: Go take a hike

Seriously. Go take a hike. Much of the nation is bundled up under gray skies and facing cold, cold temperatures. (Think Denver.) Tucson, however, has bright blue skies and exquisite, get-outdoors weather. 

Fall is the perfect time to take a hike. Without blast furnace heat, we don't have to seek higher elevations for comfortable hiking temperatures. 

One of our favorite urban hikes is Honey Bee Canyon at the base of Pusch Ridge in Oro Valley. 

The trail starts in the 77-acre Honey Bee Canyon Park and follows a sandy wash and gains only about 200 feet of elevation. It's short — a couple of miles roundtrip — relatively easy, footing is mostly even and can be done with dogs (even small ones) and kids probably won't whine about getting tired. (No promises on the second point.)

It is a sandy. You will get sand in your shoes.

The area is lined with history. It was home to a Hohokam community, as well as cattle and sheep ranchers. The hike is lined with pieces of history, like a rock dam, watering trough and petroglyphs.

And, of course, the beauty of the Sonoran Desert is everywhere you look. The rains have left the area bright green, and we noticed some changes in the topography due to rushing water.

There are critters, too. While earlier this week we only saw birds, butterflies and polliwogs or tadpoles (I am never sure which is which), there is a large owl habitat, best seen in the spring. It's always a good idea to be on the lookout for rattlesnakes and other critters.

We also saw some rather large paw prints and were glad we didn't run into the critter that left them. (Check out the photo and if you know what type of critter made them, let me know in the comment section of the blog.)

The park amenities include a ramadas, which can be rented, a drinking fountain and restrooms.

So what are you looking at a screen for? The weather is fine. The sky is blue. Get up and go take a hike.