The Trail Mix Fall Passport offers are expiring at the end of this month! That means, you have just a few more days to swing by the Caffeine Dealer in Corona de Tucson and save on your favorite Fall or Holiday flavors— and WOW do they have a lot of flavors to choose from. Dirty chai latte or peppermint mocha, anyone?

If you've driven down one of the roads on Valencia, Old Spanish Trail, Colossla Cave, and Sahuarita Road, you've likely seen the Special Events signs placed on the roadside. That's because El Tour de Tucson, one of America's premier cycling events, is happening this Saturday — and you'll want to plan accordingly.

El Tour de Tucson attracts nearly 10,000 riders annually to Tucson, Arizona. This 42-year-old tradition is fundamentally a charity ride, having raised an incredible $130 million for non-profits since 1983. Voted the "Best Road Cycling Event in America" by USA TODAY, El Tour offers challenging courses of 102, 62, and 32 miles for cyclists of all abilities.

Despite national headlines and local benefits, many residents dread this weekend because of the many road closures in this area. While the full tour starts and finishes in downtown Tucson, a crucial and lengthy segment of the route (particularly the 102-mile and 62-mile courses) runs directly through the Greater Vail Area. This necessitates extensive, temporary road closures and traffic delays in the mid-morning as thousands of cyclists pass through, including:

The coordinated closure of these roads is managed by law enforcement to prioritize rider safety, and they may pigeonhole you into your neighborhood while riders pass throughout Saturday morning. Check official route maps and closure times before the event to plan travel to work, the airport, or sporting events (although many sporting events have been postponed or delayed on the day due to this race).

And, if your family is feeling cabin fever by being stuck at home, you're welcome to head to the course to safely cheer on the cyclists participating in this monumental regional demonstration of health and philanthropy.

Featured events and happenings around the greater Vail area.

Bring your pillows, blankets, and a non-perishable food item to donate to the ReSources Food Bank at a special community movie night! Doors open at 4:00 PM and the movie will start at 6:00 PM at Cienega High School this Saturday!

Plan to support small businesses between the tracks on Small Business Saturday!

Want to spread the good word about your business, a project, a job opening, or just want to give a shout out to one of your neighbors? Trail Mix has you covered.

Marco (#A881900)
Neutered male, white and black
Weight: Approximately 101.2 lbs.
Age: Approximately 4 years old
Marco is a big old beefcake with tons of fans- volunteers at the shelter and members of the public alike are completely OBSESSED with our resident hunky chunky boy! Marco often goes on day trips, where the staff have learned that he is housebroken, enjoys car rides, playing with toys, and napping. He was described as a complete love bug and a chill and happy guy. He has shared his kennel with other pups and has been social and easygoing when meeting other dogs in playgroup.

Contact: Pima Animal Care Center, 4000 N. Silverbell Rd., 520-724-5900. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 12 pm - 7 pm. Wednesday 1:30 pm - 7 pm. Saturday and Sunday 10 am - 5 pm

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Add an upcoming event to the Trail Mix calendar! It's free right here. ⤵️

​By 2 Nerds in a Truck​

In a large pot, whisk together maple syrup, rosemary, water, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. (We tend to do this over a campfire, but you can do it over a stove!)

Once it starts to simmer, add the walnuts and pecan halves, stir well to coat the nuts and seeds.

Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until any liquid is dried up and everything is glazed.

Remove from heat and spread the glazed nuts on a large baking sheet or piece of parchment paper, separating any clusters.

Once fully cool, combine with the cranberries, pumpkin seeds, Pepitas, and sunflower seeds.

Transfer to an airtight container for storage, or portion out into smaller containers. We’ll usually measure ½ cup amounts into snack size Ziplock baggies.

Sunrise: 6:56 AM

Sunset: 5:20 PM

The sun is rising 6 minutes later and setting 3 minutes earlier than last week.

Air Quality: Excellent (15 AQI)

Moon Phase: New Moon

Publisher, Arizona Trail Mix
Southern Arizona's Unofficial Hype Woman