Arizona! The Wild West! Land of legend, of fabulous landscapes immortalized by John Wayne's westerns. Arizona has 306 days of sunshine a year. This is almost a guarantee of good hot weather. A stay in Tucson is synonymous with a change of scenery, after all, you are in the desert. Everywhere you look the eyes can see giant cacti. The Saguaro National Park, Gates Pass, Mc Cain Loop are places that will remain in your memory many years to come. And the unmissable scenic route up to the summit of Mt Lemmon is spectacular for cyclists.
Arrival in Tucson. Pick up your rental car at the airport before heading to your condo where you will be settling in for the week.
On the first day you will fall in love with the route through Saguaro National Park (Rincon sector), with its many giant cacti as a welcome for visitors from the north. This narrow, winding road is a one-way and quite hilly. Once in the park, you will get another taste of "summer". The day will be absolutely breathtaking! You have the choice of routes and, as such, a choice of how many kilometres you do to start your trip.
Those who are up for a challenge will love Gates Pass, a lovely little pass that allows you to leave Tucson and enter the neighboring valley. The scenery is breathtaking! Those who don't like the climb can be dropped off at the observation point. From there cycle down the pass, which is situated alongside the cliff. After that, it's on to McCain Loop and Picture Rocks: very quiet trails, sometimes one-way, with fun little sections that allow you to either relax and chat, or sprint up and down the edge of the western sector of Saguaro National Park.
A 20 kilometre climb takes you to one of the world's largest observatories. The summit of this mountain is a sacred place for the Amerindians and offers a 360-degree view.
Today you leave the city and head toward Arivaca Road, close to the Mexican border. This route has an upward climb on the way out and a downward slope on the way back. The return is exhilarating! As on the first two days, the landscapes are magnificent. Arivaca Road is always one of the favourite routes of the trip.
To finish off this magnificent week, the 2,000 metre change in altitude and the fabulous scenery of Mont Lemmon will remain engraved in your memory forever. The famous Mount Lemmon is a trophy. It is to Arizona what Mont Ventoux is to Provence or Mont Tourmalet to the Pyrenees. The scenic route to its summit is one of the most spectacular. It is also very safe, as it is not used by tourist traffic. Those hesitant or less fit cyclists should take into account that the views at the start of the climb are worth the effort. There are observation points in a few places, so if you don't feel like doing the whole climb, you are free to stop whenever you like.
On the program: "The Loop". You ride on a well-maintained bike path that follows the river, and has a great surface, not too many people and no stops. You pass by Sentinel Peak, a small hill with a superb view on Tucson, and return through the city and the university campus. Enjoy dinner on a lively terrace near the university.
A little sad to be leaving this beautiful area, but the appeal for the West will not go away. You'll be ready to start or extend your cycling season in Quebec!
Prochains départs | Durée | Prix avec aérien | Prix hors aérien | Supplément personne seule | Statut du départ | Guide |
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Du 1 janvier au 31 décembre 2022 | 8 jours | N/A | $795 / personne | N/A | Ouvert | N/A |
***** Departures every day of the month from January to May AND from October to December 2022 ***** PRICES STARTING AT $795 per person in quadruple occupancy in a 2 -bedroom condo, air fares not included. STARTING AT $995 per person in triple occupancy in a 2-bedroom condo, air fairs not included. STARTING AT $1,195 per person in double occupancy in a 1-bedroom condo, land portion only, air fares not included. |