George and Anna Jones of Green Valley have scaled Mount Wrightson a remarkable 600 times in 15 years. 

What began as a way to get outdoors and exercise soon became a passion for the couple, who have also scaled hundreds of peaks in Southern Arizona. 

Green Valley News and Sahuarita Sun intern Christian Alexander Alvarado talks with the couple about their latest milestone and love of hiking. 

If you're interested in exploring the many hiking trails in the area, I put together an interactive map with 20 hiking trails in the Green Valley-Sahuarita area.

What are some of your favorite hiking trails in the area?

The moon rises just above the Santa Rita Mountains on a windy spring evening at the lake at Historic Canoa Ranch in this photo taken by Green Valley resident Lisbeth Lutz.

Randy Morrison photographed this determined bunny eager for some spring flower and stems with Easter on the horizon.

With springtime around the corner and the warmer weather that accompanies it on its way, it will soon be ideal conditions for a relaxing day on of the beautiful lakes in Southern Arizona. 

While this article from U.S News lists the top 15 lakes in Arizona, Patagonia Lake is the only lake south of Phoenix that made the cut, so I thought I would compile a small list of the beautiful lakes relatively close to our area, with links to their associated websites and directions from Google Maps with estimated travel times.

• Peña Blanca Lake (Directions) (48 min)
• Patagonia Lake (Directions) (57 mins.)
• Parker Canyon Lake (Directions) (1 hr 48 min)
• Roper Lake State Park (Directions) (2 hr 10 min)

Which lakes did I miss, and what is your favorite lake to visit in the area, and why?