Does Anyone Actually ENJOY the Summer/Heat? (Phoenix: cost, moving)

[shadow91]

I just left AZ after 5 years of gureling heat, couldn't stand it anymore.

[actinic]

There's more to the summer than just heat. It's the sedentary, inactive, unhealthy lifestyle which constrains many to stay indoors because of it.

Retirees don't mind, they're mostly inactive anyway (or have the time to head to cooler climates), but a big deal for working, younger adults and families who would rather be outside simply walking or biking, playing baskeball or baseball, boating, biking, enjoying festivals, etc without necessity to get up at 5 am.

[AzScorpion12]

Originally Posted by still_in_CT

Just in the attics? Today in CT it's in the mid 90s, but it's so humid, that just being outside feels like breathing in a pillow.

Was the same here today in Mass. I walked outside at 6am it was 74* but the dew point was already at 70 and the humidity was at 88%. I work construction and by 8am it looked like I took a shower with my cloths on,give me the dry heat any day!

[Steve-o]

78 and low humidity here in Chicago, but that was after a week of pretty high humidity. Ick. To be honest, 115 and dry is just as miserable as 90 with 60% humidity. It doesnt feel sticky in AZ, just brutally hot. Here it can feel sticky, but its punctuated by nice, cool Canadian/western fronts. I think tomorrow's high is only 77. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

[OnYourSide]

Originally Posted by shadow91

I just left AZ after 5 years of gureling heat, couldn't stand it anymore.

I understand what you mean.

[hart4july]

We visited San Diego where I spent my early childhood, this weekend and we were rather chilly and it was overcast. I was wondering if going back to S. Cal. (we moved to AZ from IN last month) would make me wistful for CA. To my surprise my husband and I missed the clear skies and warmth of this area. We are becoming accustomed to the ever present sun.

That having been said, when it gets over 107 or so its hard to do things.Under that, especially about 102 or so is actually pleasant for certain activities. But we are always remembering the months and months of gray skies and weather that can stop your summer/fall fun for the 4 or so- months of fair outdoor weather that you have.

The scariest thing is when the AC stops, which happened to us a week ago. We had to pack up the kids and cats and go to a hotel. I feel terrible for people who cannot afford to do that. Life is so dependent on the AC here. And the water. Its like a beautiful created paradise of malls, misters, grass and colorful flowers that could all go away without the man made efforts. These things make the heat bearable if you are living in such a way that you are not forced to confront the hi heat the way the AC repairman who posted is. I didn't even come home til the AC was kicked in for an hour.

It was about108 and we had the best time at the hotel pool-Scottsdale Holiday Inn Express- what a great pool- its an amazing feeling to have the sun drenched blue sky, the heat that envelops your body and then the cool blue pool. I am sure I will get over it but the woman I chatted with from Chicago agreed that the deep China blue sky and sun drenched palms and flowers feel like heaven after the endless grey of the Midwest. You can't imagine the relief it is to not have your toes numb half the time or more for 4- 5 months of the year, and to be warm down to your bones.

I look forward to Fall when I can open my windows and actually take my kids hiking or biking during the day. But for now, I am happy with trade off. If I can't live in Napa, this will do.

[Wyoming Darrell]

Originally Posted by actinic

There's more to the summer than just heat. It's the sedentary, inactive, unhealthy lifestyle which constrains many to stay indoors because of it.

Retirees don't mind, they're mostly inactive anyway (or have the time to head to cooler climates), but a big deal for working, younger adults and families who would rather be outside simply walking or biking, playing baskeball or baseball, boating, biking, enjoying festivals, etc without necessity to get up at 5 am.

Just so you know, I am retired and have a motor home in storage at a campground in the Black Hills (S.D.) that I own a membership in. If I wanted to go there in the summer, it would essentially be free. I CHOOSE to stay here. That's not because I am "mostly inactive", or even "sedentary". It's because I like it here. As far as the outdoor activities you describe, look at the ones you have written down here and try to assess how well you would be able to do them if you were in one of the states where it gets cold. Where I lived in Wyoming, the last snow storm of the spring last year was June 15, while the first storm of last fall was early in Sept. Because of frost, you can't have anything in your garden that has longer than a 90 day growth time.
Many people have the impression that winter is softly falling snow, and kids having fun on gentle sidehills. That is only a small part of the time. The rest is driving to work on ice, temperatures that often go below 0 degrees, and a lot of wind.
My point is, no one place is perfect, but I would rather put up with the minor inconveniences of the heat, than the major ones of the cold.

[blisterpeanuts]

This is my 3rd full summer in the Phoenix area, the Valley of the Sun (or the "Surface of the Sun" as someone put it the other day!)

Maybe I'm just a closet reptilian, but I really don't mind the heat and in fact I was looking forward to it all winter. Well truth to be told, I was working in Massachusetts for six months in the snow and ice and rain, rain, rain, rain, and rain, and all I could think about was the gorgeous Phoenix winter with blue skies and 65 degrees.

The one nice thing that happened during my stay in Massachusetts was the election of senator Scott Brown to replace Kennedy. Not trying to get political here, or anything

We just came back from a weekend in Flagstaff--went to the Flagstaff folk festival, the Bearizona wildlife park, and the Meteor Crater 30 miles east of Flag. I recommend all three. The weather was gorgeous, maybe 80-90 during the day in town and cooling down to 60s at night. Out at the meteor crater, it was maybe 90 or 95, but windy.

Folks, you don't have to drive very long to get away from the low desert heat during the warm months. Head about an hour east, or 90 minutes north, and you will be totally out of the crucible and into some gorgeous, Colorado-like terrain, elevations of 4000-6000 feet, warm days and cool nights and pine trees. You don't even need to go as far as San Diego--although, it's nice to live only 5-6 hours away, in case you do want to visit. (Just don't try buying a house there, though.)

[Bungle]

This is my 15th summer in Phoenix and I love it. I finally figured out what I dislike about the cooler winter months out here. It's the short days. Working in an office until 5-6pm during the winter out here you rarely get to enjoy sunlight other than the weekends. In the summer I can get off work...spend an hour at the gym and still have an hour or two of daylight. The heat has never stopped me from enjoying any of the outdoor activities I do.

[Juniper1]

I too live in Minnesota and we are also considering moving to AZ. The idea of so much heat for so long a period of time scares me too. In Minnesota if you wait long enough the weather changes. But in AZ, it is always the same. Interested in how everything turned out if indeed you moved.