Favorite Things to LOVE about Arizona

I just got back from again visiting Arizona. This time around I was in both Tucson and the Phoenix areas. I got to meet my parents and two younger brothers down there, watch lots of baseball, see family, and explore. What could be better than that?! We had a blast! SO, this gave me an idea for a blog post... and lots more postings to come. The "top" reasons to love (or hate, I suppose) a certain place! This one is allll about Arizona! So, if you haven't been... or have, and want to see why I love it too- read on! If you have other reasons why YOU love it- please share! :)

The weather. Of course, the weather. I LOVE the weather. It is hot in the summer... no doubt. But...the sun almost always shines, the sky is almost always blue... and, "it's a dry heat"! :) So, you can stay inside for heat, or you can stay inside for freezing cold winter's. I'd take the heat any day!

Mexican food. GOOD Mexican food. Being so close to the Mexico border... there is never a shortage of great, authentic, Mexican food. We stopped by Filibertos this time around, which, I must say... has absolutely amazing carne asada burritos. I've been there before, on other trips, and always love to go back. In Tucson, a local recommended Casa Del Rio Mexican Restaurant, and it really did have great salsa. I had a carne asada taco, and the rest of my family had chimichanga's... which they loved. Moral of the story- if you're in AZ, you must eat some great Mexican food!

The desert. If you're from about anywhere else... you don't see this every day. The cacti, rocks, and the mystery of whats "out there" in the desert.... it's simply wonderful!

The ambiance/atmosphere/mood/tone. It has all the hustle and bustle of a big city (well, if you're in one of the bigger places, of course), but somehow the "aura" of Arizona seems so peaceful... so charming... so much like you just want to breathe in deep and smile. It feels, to me, like the feel of a vacation. Just nice, warm, comforting, peaceful.

The Grand Canyon. Of course.

The sunsets. Also, I may as well include... the mornings. I love love love love the mornings in Arizona, when the sun is rising and it's cool out and it just seems so "fresh". Then, the night comes, and it makes me smile just thinking about the sunsets in AZ. They are spectacular... in all their glory, they just seem to be some of the most amazing ones I've seen. 

Diversity. In about everything. Sports, restaurants, people, climate, landscape... it just seems like there is a little of everything. You have the Phoenix snowbirds... then the horse rancher... then the rich Scottsdale businessman... then the tourists... mmmhmm... so nice.


Arizona... so endearing. Mmmm. I wanna go back now!!

So... what'd I miss? What do YOU love about Arizona? (More "places" to come!)