A crew of friends moves through Tucson, Arizona’s spring sunlight, tracing color across murals, mesas, Saguaro cacti, and pine-covered peaks—from the painted alleys of The Old Barrio to the high quiet of Mount Lemmon.

Words by Josiah Roe, Photos by Autumn Schrock, Film by Nate Luebbe

Old Neighborhoods & Painted Walls

We meet in the lobby of The Tuxon in downtown Tucson before climbing into our vehicles and setting out for breakfast. The Coronet sits at the edge of Barrio Viejo aka The Old Barrio, shaded by mesquite trees and alive with the sound of clinking cutlery and early conversations.

After coffee, we set out to explore Tucson’s mural scene–each one a bookmark in the city’s long story. Joe Pagac’s Epic Rides explodes with color and motion, celebrating the city’s cycling culture with playful, surreal energy.

Just down the road, Ignacio Garcia’s Los Tres Amigos honors a century of Tucson Rodeo history, portraying three iconic vaqueros in bold detail: stoic, sunlit, and larger than life.

Cameras are raised and lowered in rhythm. The sidewalks are warm. We slow down.

By midday, we step inside the cool adobe walls of San Xavier del Bac. Thick light filters through high windows, landing on whitewashed plaster and worn wooden pews. Outside, doves circle above the mission dome. No one says much. We just stand there, sweat cooling on our necks.

Late afternoon takes us to Tucson Mountain Park. The light turns amber as we make the walk up to the Gates Pass Scenic Lookout. On the ridge the wind picks up and carries the heat away as the cactus spines catch the last of the sun. Below, the city stretches out to the horizon.

Departing we head east back towards town, leaving our windows down in the cool of the evening. No one reaches for their phone. Shadows stretch long across the gravel out amongst the Saguaro.

Petroglyphs at Dawn and a Desert in Bloom

At King Canyon Trailhead, it’s still dark when we park. We step onto the trail as the first light touches the tallest saguaros. Boots scuff through gravel. The air smells of creosote and dust.

At Signal Hill we sit on boulders across from others etched with ancient spirals and symbols. The petroglyphs were created by the Hohokam people between 550 and 1500 years ago, who are known for their mastery of desert irrigation, and complex art and pottery. Their name, "Hohokam", is thought to mean "those who have vanished" in the Pima language.

By nine, we’re among agaves and hummingbirds at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. A mountain lion pads silently past the glass. In the walk-in aviary, a Costa’s hummingbird hovers inches from Jeanelle’s face. She doesn’t move.

Lunch is tacos at Rollies Mexican Patio. Grease soaks through paper. Someone orders a second horchata before we’re halfway done eating. We don’t ask where the next stop is. We know it’s rest.

Later, we sit on benches outside Slow Body Beer on their patio, glasses sweating in our hands. Slow Body is nearing its 1 year anniversary, and golden light slides down the stucco walls. The energy is celebratory and vibrant.

Dinner at Penca is full of life and warm lights. Afterward, we walk slowly through downtown. Outside the Rialto and Fox Theater the neon buzzes and flickers and we film while the lights hold steady over the empty streets.

Pine and Stone

The climb to Mount Lemmon winds through sharp turns, falling temperatures, and an enormous forest of Saguaro. The desert falls away to the west and the mountains to the east and from the summit a wind blows down out of the north.

At Windy Point Vista, we get out and stretch. Alex leans into the wind. Nate launches the drone. Everyone squints into the distance out over the Tucson Valley and the Sonoran Desert.

The Bug Springs Trail rises through ponderosa pines and high desert grass. The elevation thins the air and makes the light feel closer.

After check-in at Mount Lemmon Lodge, we unload in the quiet. The cabin smells like cedar and new construction. Out back, Tika and JeongMi throw beanbags across the patio. Sam lights the sauna. The rest of us watch from the firepit.