They say if you give a cyclist a cookie…
Oh, wait, that was a mouse!
Seriously, the Tour de Cookie bike rally in Marana, Arizona, was fun offbeat and tasty. Less of a bike rally and more of a fun outing with friends, this ride really didn’t have a beginning, middle or end. We started at the midpoint cookie stop and rode toward the official start. Became more of a leisurely ride with friends we just met.
Scenic and on a recently completed part of The Loop. This northern section takes you far north to points where you can see Picacho Peak, a compass point on the way to Phoenix. The route is flat and mostly smooth pavement with almost no riding on streets or roads with cars. Some two-way traffic as the 500 registered riders choose, as we did, to start at one of the 4 or 5 optional starting points along the way. We chose the outdoors store at the southernmost stop.
My riding partner, Patty, is a Green Valley resident, and really doesn’t usually venture this far north. She and her husband are transplants from Colorado and, originally, Iowa, so she knows mountains and long stretches reminiscent of RAGBRAI. And together we started some great conversations with strangers (riders and cookie hawkers) along the way. At our last stop I met the owner of Catalina Brewing, a local brewery not far from this locale. Brian gave me a great rundown of the brewery scene in Tucson.
Thanks to the Rotary Club of Marana for organizing this event. We did a 23-mile out-and-back of the 30-mile route. More than worth it.
Relentless
