The Arizona Desert (Arizona)

Member Name: xcorlett

Product:	Arizona
Date:	06/02/09 (53 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Huge, open, hot and filled with intruige.

Disadvantages: Not for the unadventurous!

This review is about Southern Arizona.

The Sonoran desert extends through Southern Arizona and is nothing short of spellbinding. Far from barren, it is full of life. Thorny bushes, super-spiked cacti, mesquite and palo verde trees all provide a sense of lushness unparalleled by any other desert on earth. Canyons, mountains and open plains give a sense of space stretching out far further than you could walk in a week. Animal life includes lizards, snakes, scorpions, spiders, small and large cats, coyotes, rabbits, desert mice... The Saguaro cactus lives here in patches - the most famous of all cacti, grows taller than two-storey houses at their peak and lives hundreds of years. Continue south and you'll find Mexico - pass over the border (a political nightmare) and there is a similar scheme for hundreds of miles more.

This is also the land of the sun! If you like warm winters - you'll love it here. February daytime temperatures are often around 25 degrees centigrade, while cooling off significantly at night. If you like hot summers, well, it gets very hot. Think 43 degrees at 2pm on a hot August day, and much higher in your car without air conditioning! The sun shines year round, except for when it rains. And boy- does it rain. It'll hit you like someone up high is emptying a bucket the size of the United Kingdom.

If you are traveling through the region, make sure to pick up a guide. Really, you could spend a year in a single 50 mile region, especially if it is at all mountainous. It'll also give you essential desert survival information. There is nothing more foolish here than just "wandering off" into the desert on a trek. You have to be prepared; that means WATER! Lots of water - more than you think you'd need, and then some. Especially in summer. This is not an understatement! You can pass out in the summer heat without water in just a couple of hours. A prepared Arizonan would also bring suncream, a wide hat, a knife, pliers to remove stray cactus (the "cholla" variety is hard to remove from skin), sunglasses, warm clothes for the night (if camping), good breathable hiking shoes, leg protection and a handgun (just in case - mountain lions, herds of javelina's, gila monsters all live here and are highly dangerous and can be scared off with a loud bang). Despite the serenity of the desert, everything is out to get you! But don't worry, if you keep your wits about you and respect the land you are not likely to encounter any real danger.

Accommodation is cheap anywhere outside of Phoenix and the surrounding cities. You can stay at a motel for less than $30, with average prices ranging from $35 to $45. Try staying in a non-chain motel and meet a local or two.

If you want to meet the locals, your best bet is to go hiking on popular trails. Many Southern Arizonan's are private people who can be found in their houses, their cars or doing something interactive with nature. It is certainly not a very European place, with few cafes. You'll (unfortunately) see many corporate eateries, but if you try a little harder you'll find many cute ma-and-pa places.
There are echoes of the wild west here. Open-carry gun laws are embraced with pride. Some small towns have a distinctly 1800's feel to them, especially at the centre. You'll find adobe houses, spanish and mexican architectural influences alongside typical american homes. Ranch houses, desert sanctuaries, ghost towns, old mining operations... And some of the most incredible, colourful sunsets you will ever witness.

I love southern Arizona - and the North is wonderful too, but that has to wait for another review!

Summary: Just a few of the things the Southern Arizona desert has to offer