https://www.strava.com/activities/4753249610
Today's activity was what I had originally planned for yesterday, but today turned out to be a good day for a walk along the Chuck Huckelberry Loop in Tucson. I took Zeke and Hansel.
The original plan was to walk from Silverlake Road's trailhead parking to Grant Avenue and the 1912 brewery, a walk of 5.8 miles one way, but shortened that when I realized I would be walking back in the dark on a stretch littered with homeless people.
I had a late start, stopping at the usual stops of Costco and the recycling station before getting to the trailhead parking lot off Silverlake Road. It was 2:17pm, clear sky and temperatures in the upper 60s. I wore no jacket. I headed north on the well-marked path.
I had been at this trailhead before with SteveT, but the last time I was here, we turned around at the 1.5-mile mark. This time I wanted to walk all the way into downtown Tucson, to see if this section would be a good place to park for city walking. It was a good section for the dogs as there was reclaimed water in the wash for the dogs to splash around in. I let them down to the water twice on the way into town.
It's 2.2 miles from the Silverlake parking lot to Congress Avenue. This is a quiet section of open space. The Desert Survivors rehab center is along this path, but the dominant feature here is Sentinel Peak on the west bank.
The path does not have an underpass here and crossing the street with two dogs wasn't easy. Hansel pulled on his leash the entire time. It was Super Bowl Sunday, though, and traffic was minimal.
I rested here on the north side of Congress to see how far the 1912 Brewery was from where I was sitting. The brewery is off Grant Road and Forbes Boulevard, a short walk off the Loop. Google maps said it was another 2.6 miles. That would be 4.8 miles on-way. While I could make that distance, I knew that I would be risking walking after dark. It was already 3pm; I only had three more hours of daylight. I decided then just to walk around Old Town and hit the Borderlands Brewpub, my first brewpub in a month. It is known for its spacious and dog-friendly patio and varied beer genres. I would do the walk to the 1912 brewery next time.
The patio wasn't very crowded because of the lack of TVs outside. This was perfect for me as I don't care about football. I just wanted a nice walk with the dogs and see some parts of Tucson. The dogs took a while to settle down because they saw other dogs nearby with their owners, but eventually they did rest by the picnic table. The numbers of dogs increased during my stay. All were well-behaved.
I had two beers, the Public House Hefeweizen and the Borderlands Prickly Pear Wheat. Both were very good. I tasted the Raspberry Lime Wheat as well, but opted not to have a third beer because the sun was now getting low and I was getting cold. The beer tasted good after the walk but it didn't give me a bloated feeling.
I know I should have started the walk earlier, to see more of Tucson. I always have a hard time leaving for any trip, though, as I always find something to delay me. But I also enjoy visiting the town with its murals, its history, its dog and bike-friendly paths. There are mountain ranges in all directions. It's a city with small-town charm. Once it gets warmer in the spring, I will be more inclined to leave home earlier to beat any heat.
I walked back the way I came, detouring only by two blocks once I left the brewpub to walk a quieter road back to Congress Avenue. I walked south on Stone Avenue, then crossed through Jacome Plaza where several more homeless were napping. From here one gets a frontal view of the historic Presidio built in 1775. I was now noticing the homeless come out, sleeping in hidden corners of buildings, or on benches. They were no hassle for me, but I can see why the homeless problem in Tucson is a common concern for walkers and cyclists using the pathways to get around. They were sleeping in the wash under trees and in resting areas along the path. Several people took over an entire park. While they don't seem to bother anyone, they do leave quite a bit of trash behind. And here I was walking with a backpack, probably looking no differently than some of the homeless who carry all their possessions with them.
My walk with the dogs, including my stop at Borderlands, took me 3:25 hours. The actual moving time was a mere 2:10 hours. I had put in 6.81 miles by the time I got back to the Honda. I have now completed two more miles of the Loop, finishing seven miles out of 54. I would like to continue the Loop going north, starting at the Garden of Gethsemane Park off Congress.
The parking lot was now near empty. There was only one other car and a homeless man was taking over the parking lot's picnic area for the night. The dogs were tired and got quiet fast. I stopped briefly at the In N Out off Ajo Way before heading home.
The Tampa Buccaneers won the SuperBowl against the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9. This was Tom Brady's 7th SuperBowl. I didn't even see one commercial during the game today.
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