1. It’s Hotter Than You Thought
No matter how hot an out-of-towner thought an Arizona summer would be before they got there, it’s hotter than that. During the middle months of the year, temperatures get up into the hundreds on a regular basis, with little relief throughout the day.
2. But It’s All “Dry Heat”
While it’s hot in Arizona, it’s all dry heat…and that’s a good thing. This phrase gets thrown around a lot and it’s hard to describe to an out-of-towner until they experience it firsthand. Basically, it means that the heat in Arizona is without the humidity found in the rest of the country, making the high temperatures much more tolerable and much less sweaty.
3. Plants Here Tend To Fight Back
Most plants in Arizona have sharp edges and often tiny needles that protect them from various aspects of their environment. The most well-known self-defending plant is the cactus, which comes in many shapes and colors across the Grand Canyon State.
While handling them in the wrong way may hurt you, cacti are embraced by the local culture to the point where it’s actually a felony if you are caught damaging certain types.
4. Arizona Animals Fight Back, Too
The vast desert landscape of Arizona is thriving with wildlife, including some animals that out-of-towners should be warned of including mountain lions, bears, bobcats, and coyotes.
While these animals typically don’t attack humans, they will attack family pets that are left out in the yard.
5. These Sun Devils Won’t Steal Your Soul
When it comes to college sports in Arizona, a couple teams divide the fans. One of these teams is the Arizona State University Sun Devils. Easily recognizable by their colors, maroon and gold, they’ve got some of the most dedicated supporters around.
6. But They’re At War With The Wildcats
Another hugely popular college team in Arizona is the Arizona University Wildcats. A huge rivalry exists between the cardinal and navy Wildcats and their arch-nemesis, the Sun Devils. Everyone in the state is forced to pick a side.
7. Arizona Will Spoil All Other Mexican Food For You
Few places in America have Mexican food that can even compete with what’s found in Arizona, let alone best it. Being so close to our neighbor to the south, Arizona has some of the most authentic Mexican food around.
8. Sonora-Style Dogs Are Unlike Any Hot Dog You’ve Ever Had
It starts with wrapping a hot dog in bacon and grilling it, then placing it on a bun and topping it with beans, onions, mayonnaise, mustard, and usually some sort of spicy sauce. Nothing can beat it.
9. Streakers Are A Common Sight In Tempe
A school infamous for their crazy parties, Arizona State University holds an annual “undie run” charity event in which over 20,000 co-eds don their favorite pair of skivvies and take to the local streets.
10. Keep Your Eyes Peeled For Haboobs
A haboob is a giant wall of dust and sand that moves swiftly across the terrain in Arizona. If one’s coming, making sure all the windows are closed and you’re safely indoors.
11. Yes, It Snows In Arizona
However, it doesn’t snow very much or very often and when it does, the snow usually doesn’t stick around long enough to snap a picture.
12. Snowbirds Migrate Here Every Year
Each year as cold weather strikes across the country, some people seek warmer places to live. Tons of people head to Arizona for this reason on a seasonal basis and are known by year-round locals as “snowbirds.”
13. That Makes The Competition For Shady Parking Even Tougher
The hot Arizona sun has the magic ability to transform the steering wheel and seat belt of a car into something similar to a medieval torture device. If you’re leaving the car outside without the AC pumping for any time at all, try extremely hard to find a shaded spot at the risk of facing imminent burns when you get back.
14. Don’t Forget Sunblock. Ever.
The Arizona sun is hot and it beats down strong. If an out-of-towner is spending any time outside at all, make sure they know to continually apply some sunblock, otherwise they might fall victim to a trip ending sunburn.
15. Oh! And Always Shake Out Your Shoes
Arizona has a ton of little critters that love to bite and sting, like the scorpion. Before you put shoes on, especially if they were outside, make sure you shake them out. Creepy crawlies love cool, dark places to hide.
16. Never Stop Drinking Water
While people don’t seem to sweat as much in dry heat, really its’ just evaporating quickly. This often causes tourists to not realize that they’re losing so much water until it’s too late. If an out-of-towner is doing something outside, make sure they know to bring plenty of water along.
17. You Might Want To Learn A Little Spanish
With Arizona so close to Mexico, there’s a good chance an out-of-towner visiting will encounter the Spanish language at least once during their trip. It’s always good to know the translation for words like “bathroom”, “thank you”, and “friend.”
18. These Cowboys Aren’t Faking It
In some states, people treat a cowboy hat and boots as fashion accessories. However, in Arizona, these boot wearing ranchers are the real deal. Ranching and farming are still huge in Arizona, with its many plains and great wide open spaces.
19. Dust Is Just A Part Of Life Here
A side effect of being a huge desert, Arizona has a ton of dust that just seems to float around. Be ready for it to coat everything you’re wearing if you spend some quality time outside.
20. Watch Out For Rattlesnakes
While these dangerous reptiles are usually polite enough to warn you before they strike, they’re still pretty hard to spot as they’re camouflaged against the landscape.
Seriously, if you hear the rattle, it’s best to walk the other way in order to avoid getting a nasty, venomous bite.
21. But, Hey, Not All Diamondbacks Need To Be Feared
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a popular professional sports team in the area that everyone loves. Good seasons or bad, their many diehard fans will fill the stands.
22. The Grand Canyon Really Is That Grand
There’s a reason the Grand Canyon gets to use the word “grand” in its name. It is truly capable of taking your breath away. While a trip there might be one of the more touristy things to do in this state, it’s totally worth the several hour drive.
23. Arizonans Aren’t The Best At Driving In The Rain
Throughout most of the year, it doesn’t rain much in Arizona. As a result, people tend to freak out when they’re driving and it starts to drizzle. In this case, get ready for some slow traffic.
If there’s rain on the forecast, plan for a few extra minutes added to your trip.
24. Add Even More Time To The Trip If It’s During Monsoon Season
Each year during the late summer months, Arizona enters into a monsoon season. During this time, rainfall accounts for half of the annual average with the heaviest precipitation happening during mid-July to mid-August.
It’s best to just avoid the roads in these storms, even if you’re a seasoned bad weather driver.
25. Forget About Daylight Savings Time
Arizona is one of two states (the other is Hawaii) that don’t observe a statewide daylight savings time adjustment. While the rest of the country has to adjust their clock by an hour twice a year, Arizonans don’t.
26. You Can Enjoy The Heat But Your Phone Probably Won’t
Most out-of-towners have never had their phone stop working thanks to heat before, but every Arizonan knows it’s possible.
For example, if the iPhone is left outside in the Arizonan heat too long, it will simply tell the user that it can’t work until it cools down. It can be quite inconvenient.
27. Ghost Towns Can Be Pretty Sweet
After a huge boom in the mining industry, tons of towns started popping up across Arizona. As this industry hit a slump, these towns shrunk rapidly, with many of them becoming completely vacant.
If an out-of-towner wants to check out a semi-ghost town that’s still operating, Jerome is a good place to head, where the population has dropped form 10,000 people to only 400 over the years.
28. The Vortexes Here Are Quite Peaceful
While the word “vortex” usually refers to a violent spiral of water or sand, in Sedona, Az., it’s something a bit less turbulent.
Some people here believe that a special type of vortex exists in certain places in Arizona consisting of only spiritual energy. Meditating in these areas is said to lead to great inner peace.
29. Native American Culture Is Everywhere In Arizona
A short drive across Arizona will show out-of-towners how huge the impact of local Native Americans have on Arizonan life. With roughly 25% of all land in Arizona operating as a Native American reservation, Arizonans embrace this meshing of cultures.
30. Some Of The Best Food Comes From The Back Of A Truck
Arizona has a great food truck culture, especially in the larger cities. If an out-of-towner is in for a visit, make sure they try their fair share of street food, a true taste of the local cuisine.
31. The Sunsets Here Can’t Be Beat
There might not be a lot of green in the Arizonan landscape, but as the sun starts to clock out for the day, tons of colors flood the horizon. Throw in a few cacti and a giant rock, and you’ve got a view that’s impossible not to stare at.
What have you had to explain to out-of-towners about Arizona? Tell us in the comments below!
