There are a lot of misconceptions about Arizona, most of them include the words “heat” and “dust” and even “those tumbleweed things." But here’s a list of the misconceptions that aren’t necessarily true, and what Arizona is really like.
1. Arizona is the color brown.
Arizona has so many more colors than just brown, in fact, it has almost every color you could imagine. There are whole forests of green cacti, and after it rains, the entire desert turns even greener. In northern Arizona the pine forests are also always green. We have yellow Palo Verde trees, beautiful pink blossoms on cactus flowers, and even ivy on buildings that dons purple and white flowers. The most signature colors of Arizona can be found in their sunsets: pinks, purples, blues, oranges and bright reds streak the sky every evening. Really, most of Arizona isn't brown.
2. Arizona is a flat, dry desert.
I have no idea where the flatlands misconception comes from, since Arizona is home to some of the most amazing mountains and hiking trails on earth. Backpackers from all over the world come to hike Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, Mount Lemmon in Flagstaff, and even the Grand Canyon in the Northwest Corner of Arizona. And for the misconception that it’s dry, I can assure you there is plenty of water to go around. Despite its status as a natural desert, Arizona is home to some amazing waterfalls, lakes and rivers. Hikes like Fossil Creek and Wagon Wheel are whole systems of huge waterfalls and lakes. The Salt River near Phoenix is an amazing place to tube, and the Colorado River is an internationally famous spot for river-rafting. There are also various lakes to go boating and fishing on, including local favorites such as Saguaro Lake, Bartlett Lake, and Lake Powell.
3. There’s nothing to do in Arizona.
To people, even locals who think Arizona is boring, I say you clearly don’t know where to look. Arizona is home to a wide array of activities, including museums, shopping, zoos, adventure courses, golf, spas, aquariums, water parks, theme parks and restaurants (just to name a few activities). Not to mention it has three huge colleges and college towns, which have nationally-ranked sports teams and amazing social scenes. In the winter, Snowbowl and Sunrise open up north for amazing skiing and snowboarding, and in the summer there are plenty of lakes and rivers to cool off in. Not to mention that Arizona is home to some of the most famous resorts and restaurants in the country. Countless restaurants have been featured on Food Network shows like The Best Thing I Ever Ate and Diners, Drives Ins, and Dives.
4. Arizona never rains.
Most of the year this is true, but once a year in southern Arizona it rains–a lot. It’s called monsoon season and it's just one of many weird weather phenomena Arizona is home to. Monsoons, which are heavy rainstorms, come around the second half of summer in July and August. We also have our infamous “haboobs," or giant dust storms, around the same time as monsoon season. Arizona weather is a little moody, it can change on a dime and range from heatwaves to snowstorms.
5. People from Arizona don’t like living there
Some people don’t like living in Arizona because of the heat or lack of seasons, but the majority of the population loves it. Growing up in Arizona I didn’t realize how good I had it until I moved to California for college (and don’t get me wrong I love living in San Diego). But in Arizona, there’s less traffic, it’s cheaper to do anything, and any humidity is nonexistent. There’s so much diversity between cities it’s easy to find a town or college that fits your vibe. When I think about life down the road, I know I’ll move back to my home state of Arizona. Also, I could never survive anywhere with snow, so most of the East coast is out of the picture for me, as it is for a lot of Arizona natives.
6. It’s hot.
Okay, this one is true. However, I stand behind Arizona’s heat because when it’s snowing on the East coast and in the negatives for 10 days in a row, I could probably be laying by the pool in the middle of December because it’s a chilly 70 degrees. Although the 115-degree highs in the summer are less than ideal, I would take a heat day over a snow day any day.
Overall, I think the general misconceptions about Arizona are easy to disprove. Arizona is one of the most unique and beautiful states in our country, and I’ll stand behind loving it my entire life. Also, I’ve only seen a “tumbleweed thing” twice in my 19 years living here, and I usually get pretty excited when I do.
