Dorothy may have been thinking of her little farm in Kansas when she uttered the phrase “there’s no place like home” but I always imagine my beautiful Arizona. And with that, a variety of images enter my mind, each one reminding me just how unique and unforgettable this state is. I bet you’ll find that some of these things remind you of home in Arizona as well.
- Rugged mountains shaping the horizon
Tristan Farsac/Flickr Most people tend to think of desert landscapes in Arizona but our state is surprisingly mountainous! You’ll be hard pressed to find a horizon here that doesn’t have at least one mountain nearby.
- Colorful landscapes that look unreal
tivolatman/Flickr The Painted Desert, Vermilion Cliffs, Blue Canyon; these are all places where the land itself is exceedingly colorful and looks absolutely surreal.
- The distinctive smell of creosote following rain
nate2b/Flickr If you grew up in the desert, you know this smell and there’s nothing else like it.
- Cacti and succulents
Zdenko Zivkovic/Flickr Spotting a tiny potted cactus on someone’s desk is cute but you’ll probably also be reminded of that one time you (or someone you knew) was pricked by cholla or other cactus.
- Bright, dramatic sunsets
CEBImagery/Flickr All states seem to claim this but the sunsets here are so saturated, we don’t need Photoshop to make it look better.
- Dark starry night skies
Bureau of Land Management/Flickr Arizona is home to some of the darkest skies in the state, so get your telescope and best prime lens ready because there are few better places to see the night sky.
- Dramatic dust storms
Jasper Nance/Flickr We’ve reached the end of the monsoons but there’s nothing quite like experiencing a huge dust storm kicking up before the summer rain arrives. It’s absolutely astonishing to newcomers!
- Breathing easy in the dry air
Shawn Harquail/Flickr We’re surrounded by a mostly arid environment, which means everything dries quickly and the air doesn’t feel “heavy” with humidity.
- An abundance of sunshine
Kevin Schraer/Flickr Arizona is the real sunshine state, which means we get plenty of Vitamin D and very few cases of seasonal affective disorder.
- Bumpy dirt roads and open highways
CEBImagery/Flickr Outside of the cities, this is what driving on Arizona roads looks like: open, empty roads surrounded by gorgeous landscapes. If you ever thought driving could be therapy, wait until you do it here.
- Savoring the flavor of foods unique to Arizona
Masala Puri/Flickr Sure, you might find chimichangas on a menu in some other state but there’s no chimi like that made right here in its home state. Plus, you’ll find other foods like cheese crisps, piki bread, and even your favorite meals from local restaurants.
- Enjoying a drink at an old Western saloon
Peter Clark/Flickr Some of our saloons date back to Arizona’s territorial days. You’ll rejoice in knowing you’re enjoying a drink in the same spot as some rough and tumble cowboy, outlaw, or famous lawman did decades before.
If you’ve been away from home for too long, you probably can’t wait to get back into your normal routine. You might relate to a few of the activities in Here Are 10 Things Arizonans Do Every Time They Come Back To Arizona.
Tristan Farsac/Flickr
Most people tend to think of desert landscapes in Arizona but our state is surprisingly mountainous! You’ll be hard pressed to find a horizon here that doesn’t have at least one mountain nearby.
tivolatman/Flickr
The Painted Desert, Vermilion Cliffs, Blue Canyon; these are all places where the land itself is exceedingly colorful and looks absolutely surreal.
nate2b/Flickr
If you grew up in the desert, you know this smell and there’s nothing else like it.
Zdenko Zivkovic/Flickr
Spotting a tiny potted cactus on someone’s desk is cute but you’ll probably also be reminded of that one time you (or someone you knew) was pricked by cholla or other cactus.
CEBImagery/Flickr
All states seem to claim this but the sunsets here are so saturated, we don’t need Photoshop to make it look better.
Bureau of Land Management/Flickr
Arizona is home to some of the darkest skies in the state, so get your telescope and best prime lens ready because there are few better places to see the night sky.
Jasper Nance/Flickr
We’ve reached the end of the monsoons but there’s nothing quite like experiencing a huge dust storm kicking up before the summer rain arrives. It’s absolutely astonishing to newcomers!
Shawn Harquail/Flickr
We’re surrounded by a mostly arid environment, which means everything dries quickly and the air doesn’t feel “heavy” with humidity.
Kevin Schraer/Flickr
Arizona is the real sunshine state, which means we get plenty of Vitamin D and very few cases of seasonal affective disorder.
Outside of the cities, this is what driving on Arizona roads looks like: open, empty roads surrounded by gorgeous landscapes. If you ever thought driving could be therapy, wait until you do it here.
Masala Puri/Flickr
Sure, you might find chimichangas on a menu in some other state but there’s no chimi like that made right here in its home state. Plus, you’ll find other foods like cheese crisps, piki bread, and even your favorite meals from local restaurants.
Peter Clark/Flickr
Some of our saloons date back to Arizona’s territorial days. You’ll rejoice in knowing you’re enjoying a drink in the same spot as some rough and tumble cowboy, outlaw, or famous lawman did decades before.
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