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Hiking the beautiful mountains — mostly when visitors come into town.
Turning left on a stoplight long after it turned red.
Fearing insects, because even though we have fewer insects than other places, the insects we do have actively try to kill us, including regular bees who join forces to take a few people out every year at random, and those super huge bees (“carpenter bees”) that apparently won’t kill you but will make you flinch like a little girl when they buzz by you.
But mostly, the thing we share living in Phoenix is the roller coaster of emotions we have coping with the heat.
No, actually, I have better things to do with my time than make up lies. What you prove is that you have not travelled the state that extensively. I’m amazed you even countered such fact. Also, there was also a story of someone lost on either 60 Minutes or another news show that discussed a similar situation, if I remember correctly, the entire hour was dedicated to this story. If you look at the geographical area vs the total population, it’s pretty stupid to even insinuate that the entire state is inhabited. Even the much more densely populated New England states that are considerably smaller have large areas of wilderness that are sparsely populated.
I’m very well traveled in this state the only area that could truly be described as desolate is, as somone said, the area around bullhead city and up in Navajo country (which your route wouldn’t go through), otherwise the desert is very full of plant life, and if you take the 40/17 you would
Spend a good 2 hrs driving Though dense line forest.
Not really. Just a difference of opinion. I know the desert is full of life, and has a certain beauty to it, I hear, but for someone who isn't a desert person it looks desolate to us. Desolate, barren, and very depressing. I can't help reacting that way. It's an honest response. Why be so antagonistic to someone who doesn't see it as you do? If everybody loved it there would be even more people there than there are already. Is that what you want? Just because we may not have a passion for the desert as some of you do doesn't mean we are full of it. Just different strokes for different folks. And I fully agree with the poster you were coming down hard on that to have a breakdown out there somewhere in summer would be hellish.
I think I could deal with Phoenix in the cooler months. Or if I had a backyard that I could fill with all kinds of trees, and plants like citrus, palm, avocado, etc, and make an oasis retreat. But aside from the mountains to look at "I think" the surrounding land is pretty ugly, and yes, barren, and desolate no matter what the desert lovers say. Insulting those of us who are trying to understand won't change our opinion.
I'd rather have the 100+ degree days here than the 95 degrees + gawdawful humidity days I suffered thru in Dallas and on the Gulf Coast. I was running errands yesterday with the car windows down. It was pretty nice. Trick is to spend some time outside daily, even if it's in the shade, so you can get acclimated.
I beg to differ. The Gulf Coast, while humid, has those afternoon rain showers that cool everything off. Not only that, you're close to the ocean, the terrain is flat, so you receive breezes. If that's not enough, the greenery is beautiful and provides you plenty of shade. Also, the sun is less intense because even "sunny" days by the Gulf Coast are partly cloudy, with cloud cover. Finally, the moderating effect of the Gulf ensures that the temps seldom, if ever, exceed 100.
Then, at night, it stays warm, but not hot (because the sun has gone down). Perfect weather for enjoying an outdoor walk, barbeque, concert, fireworks, etc.
Not really. Just a difference of opinion. I know the desert is full of life, and has a certain beauty to it, I hear, but for someone who isn't a desert person it looks desolate to us. Desolate, barren, and very depressing. I can't help reacting that way. It's an honest response. Why be so antagonistic to someone who doesn't see it as you do? If everybody loved it there would be even more people there than there are already. Is that what you want? Just because we may not have a passion for the desert as some of you do doesn't mean we are full of it. Just different strokes for different folks. And I fully agree with the poster you were coming down hard on that to have a breakdown out there somewhere in summer would be hellish.
You make it sound like all of Arizona is desolate and depressing. I'd agree more with your statements if all of the state was desert, but there is different type of landscape, and you don't even have to travel that far outside of Phoenix to see it. In less than 100 miles, you can be in mid elevation forest with Oak & Juniper trees. Go further north & east, and you can be in thicker forests with Ponderosa, Spruce, and Aspen. By the way, the desert you described sounds more like western AZ or eastern CA, and those areas can easily reach 120 degrees in the middle of summer. The high country can be anywhere from 25 to 40 degrees cooler than the deserts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mlulu23
I think I could deal with Phoenix in the cooler months. Or if I had a backyard that I could fill with all kinds of trees, and plants like citrus, palm, avocado, etc, and make an oasis retreat. But aside from the mountains to look at "I think" the surrounding land is pretty ugly, and yes, barren, and desolate no matter what the desert lovers say. Insulting those of us who are trying to understand won't change our opinion.
Much of the year has pretty tolerable temperatures. It's the four months of summer (now through September) which are hot and difficult to deal with for many people. I definitely agree that a green oasis increases the aesthetic value & adds a cooling effect. In fact, many of Phoenix's older neighborhoods are greenbelts. I would never have a desert landscaped yard.
You make it sound like all of Arizona is desolate and depressing. I'd agree more with your statements if all of the state was desert, but there is different type of landscape, and you don't even have to travel that far outside of Phoenix to see it. In less than 100 miles, you can be in mid elevation forest with Oak & Juniper trees. Go further north & east, and you can be in thicker forests with Ponderosa, Spruce, and Aspen. By the way, the desert you described sounds more like western AZ or eastern CA, and those areas can easily reach 120 degrees in the middle of summer. The high country can be anywhere from 25 to 40 degrees cooler than the deserts.
Much of the year has pretty tolerable temperatures. It's the four months of summer (now through September) which are hot and difficult to deal with for many people. I definitely agree that a green oasis increases the aesthetic value & adds a cooling effect. In fact, many of Phoenix's older neighborhoods are greenbelts. I would never have a desert landscaped yard.
Sorry, I was only talking about the desert areas. That's why I said "desert", and later Phoenix. A number of years ago I visited Phoenix for about 1 1/2 months getting there the end of August. I drove from Denver passing through Flagstaff which was very nice. Then I descended into the bowels of hell bit by bit, lol. It cracked my radiator . I knew the joke about now you know what heaven, and hell is like because we have 6 months of each . Or people wait for the sun to go down so the temp will go below 100 .
I stayed with some friends who had a walled garden in back with some kind of irrigation ditch that watered the garden a couple times a week. It was full of exotic trees like lemon, orange, banana, avocodo with resident humming birds, and other cool stuff. I could have lived in the backyard, and been happy as long as I didn't see any creepy crawlies. Now if I had money I would have a kicking garden, and a pool. But I'm retired on SS so I don't see that happening any time soon, lol. Oh well.
Then a few yrs ago my ex husband, and I flew out to visit family in the winter which I liked. We took a side trip up to Sedona, and a little mining town not that far away. It was snowing in Sedona, and was insanely beautiful. And there were hardly any people there. And later that yr came back out to get married in Sedona in May. We stayed at that older motel up near the airport which I highly recommend. I forget the name. There was some kind of art festival, or something that brought in a gazillion people, and the traffic was backed up clear to the freeway. And nobody going the other way. Somebody said they should have made it a national park to protect it from building stores so close to the beauty. But yes, there are things, and places in Az that I liked. And I've been reading up on it, but am not fully convinced. Still just toying with the idea as I'm more of a cool weather person.
P.S. I agree, I hate it when they dump a bunch of rocks in their yard, and call it "xeriscape". All that does is absorb the heat, and radiate it back out into the surrounding air. Just what you need in hot weather is more heat.
I beg to differ. The Gulf Coast, while humid, has those afternoon rain showers that cool everything off. Not only that, you're close to the ocean, the terrain is flat, so you receive breezes. If that's not enough, the greenery is beautiful and provides you plenty of shade. Also, the sun is less intense because even "sunny" days by the Gulf Coast are partly cloudy, with cloud cover. Finally, the moderating effect of the Gulf ensures that the temps seldom, if ever, exceed 100.
Then, at night, it stays warm, but not hot (because the sun has gone down). Perfect weather for enjoying an outdoor walk, barbeque, concert, fireworks, etc.
We have summer rains here too, during monsoon season. It does knock the temp down a bit but it creates the most humid conditions we ever experience here, I love the rain but the humidity is awful and my experience in the south was similar with rain not being cool at all and outside sometimes felt worse afterwards.
I’ll stick with the dry heat, maybe it’s just personal preference as I’ve been a desert rat my whole life, but I love the dry air even if it means 12-16 weeks of hot afternoons, the mornings are still tolerable minus a handful of very hot days.
We have summer rains here too, during monsoon season. It does knock the temp down a bit but it creates the most humid conditions we ever experience here, I love the rain but the humidity is awful and my experience in the south was similar with rain not being cool at all and outside sometimes felt worse afterwards.
I’ll stick with the dry heat, maybe it’s just personal preference as I’ve been a desert rat my whole life, but I love the dry air even if it means 12-16 weeks of hot afternoons, the mornings are still tolerable minus a handful of very hot days.
I am aware of the monsoon season; even here in SoCal we have had monsoons. Mid 90s, with 72-73 dew points, followed by an afternoon downpour that brings temps down to 80. 72-73 dew point are comparable to what Atlanta and Dallas get on average, but still significantly drier than average for the Gulf Coast.
I have been to New Orleans for ten weeks during the summer, too. Honestly Sacramento heat (110 heat waves with not a cloud in the sky--summer rain there is as rare as snow) is far worse than New Orleans or even Phoenix. Plus, Sacramento cools off too fast; the delta breeze at night drives overnight lows into the high 50s.
I am aware of the monsoon season; even here in SoCal we have had monsoons. Mid 90s, with 72-73 dew points, followed by an afternoon downpour that brings temps down to 80. 72-73 dew point are comparable to what Atlanta and Dallas get on average, but still significantly drier than average for the Gulf Coast.
I have been to New Orleans for ten weeks during the summer, too. Honestly Sacramento heat (110 heat waves with not a cloud in the sky--summer rain there is as rare as snow) is far worse than New Orleans or even Phoenix. Plus, Sacramento cools off too fast; the delta breeze at night drives overnight lows into the high 50s.
Just so you know, you don’t “get Monsoons” it’s a seasonal shift in winds that allow moisture in from the south that leads to afternoon thunderstorms, you don’t get one it’s a season. Weather is all about personal preference, I highly prefer the dry heat and I also live for being near mountains, so nothing from the weather to the geography appeals to me in the gulf states. I like visiting but it’s not a place I’d like to live.
Do seniors really want 110 degree weather? Do they get heat stroke more easily?
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A number of years ago I visited Phoenix for about 1 1/2 months getting there the end of August. I drove from Denver passing through Flagstaff which was very nice. Then I descended into the bowels of hell bit by bit, lol. It cracked my radiator 
. I knew the joke about now you know what heaven, and hell is like because we have 6 months of each 
. Or people wait for the sun to go down so the temp will go below 100 
. 
And later that yr came back out to get married in Sedona in May. We stayed at that older motel up near the airport which I highly recommend. I forget the name. There was some kind of art festival, or something that brought in a gazillion people, and the traffic was backed up clear to the freeway. And nobody going the other way. Somebody said they should have made it a national park to protect it from building stores so close to the beauty. But yes, there are things, and places in Az that I liked. And I've been reading up on it, but am not fully convinced. Still just toying with the idea as I'm more of a cool weather person. 
