Question for People Living in Arizona (Phoenix, Tucson: house, work, art)

[Pattig]

Hi Everyone,
My husband and I are planning a tour through Arizona during the summer. We are choosing to go in the summer to see if we can tolerate the extreme heat that happens during the summer months, before we choose a retirement spot.My question to you all is which do you think is the most beautiful or scenic town? Which town has the most scenic vistas, desert blooms, rock formations and lovely downtown area? Although it might not be practical to retire in that town we just don't want to miss the beauty that town offers while on our trip. Thanks to all of you.
Patty

[Ponderosa]

Big cities: Oro Valley NW of Tucson

Little towns: Bisbee or Jerome.

[zonababe]

Visit Sedona, it's breathtaking! Page located on Lake Powell is another pretty town. Both towns have a high elevation so the summer heat is more tolerable. Enjoy!

[Zonie5]

i live in a small town 50 miles west of Flagstaff and like the weather here . at times there are a few days of hot weather , but for most part it is bearable . just for my own i have kept daily high-low temps at MY house . also amount of rain and snow . it is 80 miles to the Grand Canyon and 50 miles to Flag if you are interested in skieng.

[Pattig]

Thanks for all your responses. Jerome sounds very interesting, and Sedona sounds like a must see

[Cigar56a]

Pattig,

Good luck on your trip. Visiting during the summer is a smart move. You should also consider living as the locals do during your summer visit. By that I mean getting up really early in the morning for chores, such as running to Wal-Mart or even exercising.

We used to live in Phoenix and we found the summer mornings just delightful. You see lots of people scurrying around just after daybreak. We meant many walkers and bicyclists out at that hour. We quickly learned that folks who didn't have to work were up at 5 a.m. or so taking care of things and then returned to the cool of their homes as the temperatures increased. We even played golf every weekend morning during the summer.

Once the sun went down people starting moving around outside again. It was really fun experiencing that after having lived on the east coast.

Chances are you'll love Arizona. Good luck.

Cigar

[norm]

What's the point of being kept prisoner in your house when the sun is out? I am interested in moving to AZ but it has to be a place where I can enjoy being outdoors during the day and not have to be out at 5 AM.

[sheena]

Originally Posted by Pattig

Hi Everyone,
My husband and I are planning a tour through Arizona during the summer. We are choosing to go in the summer to see if we can tolerate the extreme heat that happens during the summer months, before we choose a retirement spot.My question to you all is which do you think is the most beautiful or scenic town? Which town has the most scenic vistas, desert blooms, rock formations and lovely downtown area? Although it might not be practical to retire in that town we just don't want to miss the beauty that town offers while on our trip. Thanks to all of you.
Patty

I'm really starting to like Fountain Hills. The scenery is really nice up there. I probably could not live up there though, too many critters. Check it out on your trip.

[LordBalfor]

Like has already been mentioned here, I think it's a great idea to visit the area in the summer to see how you deal with the heat. Last year we were in Tucson (when they were having near-record cold) and mid-summer during the height of the monsoon season - and loved it both times. The summer monsoon trip was especially nice - with some amazing thunderstorms and a warm-humid tropical feel on some of the days that reminded me of our trips to Hawaii and other tropical islands.

Ken

[OsoLoco]

Personally the weather in the PHX area is rather comfortable except for July and august. Since I have only lived in AZ I can only imagine living where the temp is really cold for several months of the year. Yet having worked in Ill. in Dec. and Jan. I know there are entire weeks when going outside was not enjoyable.

Oso