Riding the Loop on "The Loop"

There is a bike path that loops through and around the city of Tucson, called "The Loop".  Spur paths lead to various other points, one of which passes about 100 yards from our place.  I generally avoid bike paths because they are flat and boring and this one is no different except, rather than follow a retired rail bed, it follows canals.  There are also enough dips and turns to make it a bit more interesting.  Oh and it is wide, easily allowing two abreast going both ways.

Today's goal, follow "The Loop" for the entirety of the loop, should be around 65 miles.  I pass 3 golf courses within the first 10 miles. 

I approach the city of Tucson, for its size, one of the 4-5 poorest in the country.  It has been incompetently managed for decades by both political parties.  They embrace the slogan "The Old Pueblo" and manage to keep it that way.  Surrounding cities are booming with plenty to do so I never visit Tucson.  While Tucson's roads crumble, they have poured resources into "The Loop" and the pavement is flawless.

The signage is good too.  I knew ahead of time there were a couple of places where appropriate rights had not yet been acquired or land purchased so the path ends and you must navigate a few road turns.  These places are in south Tucson so emerging from the cocoon of the path into this urban environment of pawn shops and tattoo parlors, I checked a map.  It lacked the detail to provide the way ahead so I turned around and headed back. 

There are plenty of places where the path goes beneath roads but provides access to the road so frequent access to gas stations.  My favorite out here is the brand "QT".  Large, clean, friendly and a good supply of energy bars and drinks.  Of course, there is the ubiquitous "Circle K" on every corner too.  I saw this woman with a horse and paused to take a pic.  She moved from Warren, OH. 

While the view of a dry canal on one side of the path and usually sparsely vegetated ground on the other side is not so appealing, there are always one of the multiple mountain ranges to distract.  Finished with 54 miles and almost exactly 1000' of climbing.  I did say it was flat.