Yesterday I took a road trip with the infamous Lapis while Tealdo and his best friend Andy took the bikes (yes, I am a great wife, loaning my Ninja for the day), also to Tucson, as it happens. They didn't get to see the great twisties I did, though. Instead, they mostly got freeway and in-town roads. Fun!

I, on the other hand, explored Mount Lemmon, which I've wanted to do since we moved here. The mountain is known for starting as desert terrain (the saguaro and orange flowers in bloom made for an impressive sight) and becoming the equivalent of what you'd see if you drove to Canada from Arizona. I'm not totally convinced of that, as there still was no green floor at 8,000 feet, but then again, this is Arizona, where you camp in dust pretty much wherever you go.

Anyway, the road up Mount Lemmon is 25 miles of beautiful, drool-inducing twisties. The top (legal) speed is 35 mph, and I'd say it's good to adhere to it because there are so many pedestrians and cars that suddenly stop or pull over in front of you. The vistas are amazing as well. You see a miles-wide swath of the Tucson valley and the Santa Catalina mountains. You could probably see Mexico on a pollution-free day.

I can't wait to take this  ride. We're about 1.5 hours from Tucson, and it's another 30 minutes or so across the city to the Catalina Highway that takes you up Mount Lemmon. And then, shangri-la, baby! At the top, there's a little community called Summerhaven. They have a restaurant so I envision a nice long ride — without Lapis, alas —  and a relaxing lunch then a tired ride home. Heaven.

—K