[JGatti]

I often read the Arizona thread mainly because my wife wants to move there and I keep an eye on the info on their forum. I can't help but notice just how many people from Michigan post on that thread about relocating there. I'm wondering what is it about Arizona? What makes people go from an extreme like Michigan with the 4 seasons, to Arizona? Some people have never even visited and they say they are moving there. It cracks me up.
With me it's easy. My wife is not the biggest fan of cold and we already have friends and family there. But the fact it so opposite of Michigan makes me want to stay right here. I love Michigan, our families are here for the most part. I love the 4 seasons, the lakes and the green and call me crazy but I absolutely love SNOW. I could do without the bitter cold and the lenght of winter but to have what we have you need to take the bad with the good and make the best of it.
So if your one of those people who are thinking Arizona, or maybe already did and still keep tabs on Michigan. Why Arizona? I mean with all the other places that are warmer than Michigan what is it that draws sooooo many people from here to there?

[Coldjensens]

I think that it is becuase it is not cost probitive. California is just too expensive. You cannot sell a $150,00 house and move to a place where the same house costs $600,000. I have never been to florida, but I have heard that it is expensive too and humid. New Mexico is dry and empty. I think that Arizona and Texas seem to have the greatest appeal for people leaving. North Carolina is very popular too. But for some reason, south carolina is not.

[YAZ]

Saguaros.

Creosote bushes right after it rains.

9 months of outstanding weather.

Want snow? Drive 120 miles north.

Just a "tad" more laid back here. Not like Alpena though.....

Like yer pool? Use it for AT LEAST 6 months per year. 12 months for me...'cept there are times when ya gotta turn the 'ole pool heater on.

Tip:

Hot tub. Call yer friends on Valentines Day and tell 'em what yer doin'....

Kirk Gibson is the bench coach for the Diamondbacks.

Football starts at 10:00am on Sundays. 11:00am when the rest of y'all "Fall Back" in October. We don't change the clocks around here in these parts.

Palm trees. I gotta have palm trees.

Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners on the patio.

No smoking ANYWHERE indoors. Ya don't have to cater to your guests; put an ashtray outside....and VOILA!

Nobody complains.

Rain is welcome.

Prettiest sunsets I've ever seen....

Jason, ya just knew I'd reply to this one, eh?



P.S.

Huge Drive In Movie complex just west of us in Glendale.

And....

The Cardinals are better than the Lions.

[YAZ]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

I think that it is becuase it is not cost probitive. California is just too expensive. You cannot sell a $150,00 house and move to a place where the same house costs $600,000. I have never been to florida, but I have heard that it is expensive too and humid. New Mexico is dry and empty. I think that Arizona and Texas seem to have the greatest appeal for people leaving. North Carolina is very popular too. But for some reason, south carolina is not.

Honestly CJ,

NM is fairly "down home" and much like Michigan, at least in the southern part of the state.

NM is absolutely beautiful; I s'pose folks have to explore it to get a real idea of what it's all about.

Sure, NM is "dry", but it's not the Sonoran Desert. Folks in Las Cruces e.g., get about twice as much rain as we do out here annually. A "Big time" agricultural state, with chiles and pecans the popular favorites.

I fished white bass there....OMG.....

Huge.

antelope, cougar, javelina, and an elk herd that would make Atlanta, MI drool.

yummy jackrabbits too.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by YAZ

Honestly CJ,

NM is fairly "down home" and much like Michigan, at least in the southern part of the state.

NM is absolutely beautiful; I s'pose folks have to explore it to get a real idea of what it's all about.

Sure, NM is "dry", but it's not the Sonoran Desert. Folks in Las Cruces e.g., get about twice as much rain as we do out here annually. A "Big time" agricultural state, with chiles and pecans the popular favorites.

I fished white bass there....OMG.....

Huge.

antelope, cougar, javelina, and an elk herd that would make Atlanta, MI drool.

yummy jackrabbits too.

I did not say NM is awful (except maybe gallup), I just said that people are not moving there like they are to Az and why. New Mexico is dry and mostly empty. It is pretty, there are nice people there, but it does not draw people like Arizona does. I actually love parts of New Mexico. I would not care to live there, but i like to visit. I would nto care to live in most of Arizona either. However there are parts of each state that are nearly perfect. But Arizona draws far far more people from cold weather states than does New Mexico. The difference is not just becuase NM has an idiot for a governor, there are many other reasons.

[YAZ]

CJ,

Git yer butt out here and we'll take ya to Cloudcroft, NM.

[thegirlinaz]

Arizonan here! (Don't ask me how I stumbled into the Michigan board.. lol!)

I think people just have these high expectations of Arizona and our "sunny, year-round weather". I love Arizona (been here my entire life), but I would never just up and move somewhere without ever visiting it!

Even with the miserable heat and absolutely no jobs here, there are STILL posts (in the Arizona board) of people wanting to relocate here. Crazy people if you ask me!

[gobucks86]

LOL @ "Cardnials are better than the Lions". Arizona Cardnials fan can FINALLY talk smack! YEAH!!!

Too bad, as a Cleveland Browns fan, I can't...still

I know, I didn't contribute to this thread, but post #3 cracked me up with the football reference.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

I think that it is becuase it is not cost probitive. California is just too expensive. You cannot sell a $150,00 house and move to a place where the same house costs $600,000. I have never been to florida, but I have heard that it is expensive too and humid. New Mexico is dry and empty. I think that Arizona and Texas seem to have the greatest appeal for people leaving. North Carolina is very popular too. But for some reason, south carolina is not.

New Mexico also has 4 seasons, parts of Arizona do also. The SW has more for 4 seasons than the South or even the southern part of the Midwest.

I don't live in Arizona but I think one reason people are drawn to it is the stunning scenery.

Maybe because Michigan is also quite beautiful, people who think about leaving it need something more than the run of the mill.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by YAZ

CJ,

Git yer butt out here and we'll take ya to Cloudcroft, NM.

Not sure that i have ever even heard of it, but I love Santa Fe and I stayed at a campground on a butte (I think that is what is called, a low flat topped mountain) with a lake on it. It was one of the most beautiful places that i have been. We were just spending the night while passing trhough, but we ended up staying a couple of extra days and just sitting by the lake and reading. Lots of eagles or big hawks flying around. (They wanted to eat my Cockatoo). It was beautiful and very spritiual for some reason. I cannot remember where it was, wish i could. It is along the route from Michigan to California since that is where we were going. We got off the freeway, went to a small town and bought some great steaks and then maybe 10 or 20 miles up to the campground where we cooked our steaks on the fire, fabulouso. I also remember geting attacked several times by biting ants though.

I spent a lot of time in and around Albuquerque. Albuquerque is a kind of fun place. I like some of the histroy. It is not real nice there, but not boring. Some of the nearby towns are pretty neat. Some are not. Cuba is awful.

Gallup is pretty much awful. That is about the extent of my experience with NM other than hundreds of miles of nothing. (Pretty nothing, but still nothing). I drove on all of what is left of route 66 one time, lots of small dusty towns. A nice experience, but not a place to live for me although I can see the appeal of some o fthe places. It is a good place to buy fireworks and Hatch peppers.

I have a great little book on the historic desperadoes of New Mexico. My son was excited about the big guy whose head came off when they hanged him (Black Bart mabe?) I thought that was greusome, but he found it exciting when he read the book.

I must be tired, I am rambling.