My new favorite place in Tucson - Mt. Lemmon

It seems that every third person asks me if I've been to Mt. Lemmon yet. Mark has only been here a week and he's been three times, but I didn't get up there until today.

It is my new favorite place. The Coronado National Forest covers the mountain, so it's covered with pine trees and lush hiking trails. It snows up there in the winter; the southern-most ski resort is on Mt. Lemmon. With an elevation of 9,000 feet, it is significantly cooler than Tucson. When I got home this afternoon, it was 107; when I left Mt. Lemmon, it was 76. I will be heading back soon.

Of course, since I was in a new terrain, there was a new predatory threat: bears. There were actually bear crossing signs along the road. Oy.

There is a residential area on Mt. Lemmon called Summerhaven. In 2003, a forest fire destroyed more than half the town. The town is rebuilding; it's strange to see new construction amid the burned pines.

This sign was in a store in Summerhaven, which I think is great motivation for parents to mind their kids:

I went to the top of the mountain to have lunch at the ski resort. It was supremely serene.