Tumamoc Hill

At the start of the year I made it a goal to try some new forms of exercise.  Growing up in Hawai'i, I'm used to being surrounded by the most beautiful mountains, and beaches. Hiking, kayaking, surfing, and trail running are all things I got to do on a regular basis.  After all, being on an island, there were  multiple hikes and beaches less than 15 minutes away from my house. In Tucson however, things are quite different....

I've been wanting to hike but these mountains are foreign to me.  There are snakes, and coyotes, and all kinds of scary creatures! It's dry and hot and I have yet to find a hike in Tucson that leads to a breathtaking view of a white sandy beach and with miles of blue ocean. Not as inviting as what I'm used to BUT it's still no excuse.

Every place is beautiful in it's own way. You just need to get off you butt in order to appreciate it! So that's what we set out to do.  We recently went on a hike called Tumamoc Hill, located on the west side of Tucson. It's a pretty intense incline but only 3.1 miles round trip (I did some running back and forth and was able to get my mileage up to 4 by the time we were all back to the car). Perfect for the whole family. We all went at our own pace and I didn't have to worry about the kids since it's a paved road the whole way up. And as for the view at the top, well... it ain't Hawai'i, but it's a lot more interesting than the view out my living room window.