get back in my car and run like hell. But that's me. I wish you the best of luck in your adjustment.

Joplin, Mo gets real hot due to the humidity. And there is not much there for a person anymore. The economic problems that was, and still are, hitting the east and west cost are really taking their toll there now.

people have to do.

Come to the Pima Dem HQ (1st & Swan) & helps us with phone banking, canvassing, voter registration, etc. OFA is based there & we can always use more volunteers. You'll get to meet a lot of great people & reconnect with our community.

Thanks for the info! I was hoping to find out where the HQ was. I am ready help!!

J/K sort of. I have never lived in Arizona. I am in Minnesota and hopefully I will stay here after spending a disastrous two years in Tennessee. It's hot and muggy and will be for several days. So, I have been drinking lots of water and staying where my single window a/c unit is. Oh and I have a couple of fans as well.

Like someone said volunteering is a great idea, you will make friends quickly and some study say that people who volunteer find jobs faster than those that don't and are happier generally speaking.

You might visit Winslow. Apparently there is an abundance of attractive women in flatbed Fords constantly on the prowl.

TlalocW

"

Nice to have you here!
I've lived here since 1979. Two years ago at this time I was visiting the Joplin area....thought the humidity would kill me!
One suggestion that I can give is to pick up the Tucson Weekly every Thursday. Lots of useful information there for us rampageous Liberals!
And remember: It's a dry heat.

Where has the Sonoran Dog been all my life!

A lot of other cities have a bacon wrapped dog, but only Tucson nails it with the beans and jalapeno sauce and mayo.

(they sold and moved to CO in 1977, lol). It's at 9323 E Deer Trail over past Pantano Wash.

I lived in Sierra Vista, decades ago now, would travel to Tucson now and then. I remember a great steak place called the Steak Out in Sonoita. We used to pig out on steak and then stop the car out in the desert and look at the stars for awhile - amazing beauty!

I got most of my clothes back then from the thrift stores, there was a better selection in those stores than anywhere else around, LOL!

Lots of artists living there, actually lots of nice people in Tucson, not all rednecks. In fact I think Tucson is pretty liberal at least compared to Phoenix. I liked that area when I lived there. But that was quite awhile ago, not sure what it's like now.

Oh the Mexican food, to die for.

Always have water with you, don't live below 22 street, make sure your windows are rolled up during monsoons July-sept, if living in the foothills, keep your pets indoors if small (coyotes), brooklyn pizza on fourth has the best thin crust pizza, Dillard's has the best price on jeans, 4th ave has the most bars (near the university), water plants at night, the big black beetles don't bite, avoid small snakes, they could be diamond backs, shake out your shoes, some ants could be fire ants, and they hurt like a son of a bitch, the loud buzzing you hear is normal, it's the cicadas.

If I remember any more I'll let you know.

hopefully you're not anal retentive, it's dust, dust and more dust.
Qwest sucks donkey balls, use cox or another phone company.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thing%3F

... you won't find more rust-free examples than you can in the Arizona deserts. I love to go down to Tucson and pick through the boneyards south of the air force base.

Great year-round weather for skydiving, too. I've jumped at Marana several times. Is Old Tucson still there? That used to be a fun day trip when you have out-of-town visitors, as is the Saguaro National Monument. Desert hikes can be beautiful, but follow the advice on water, and start small - you don't want to learn how quickly the heat sneaks up on you when you're miles from the car.

If you ride motorcycles, you'll find it's a year-round climate for that, as well.

All in all, there's a lot to love about Arizona. I've lived in 4 other states, but I can't imagine going back to any of them after living here. (Apparently my relatives agree; I've had a brother, my parents, and four aunts and uncles follow me out here.)

first off, let me say that I am so far left that my family nickname is comrade. I was not without some trepidation moving here. Most of what I had heard about Arizona was about the whacked out teabags in Phoenix so I was prepared for some push back on my views. Never happened. Most everybody I have met so far is cool. Even the few rednecks I've run into have been tolerable.

#1. GET THEE TO THE DESERT MUSEUM! You can't imagine how filled with life this area is and the DM really gives you an understanding of just how amazing this place is. Just the drive out to it through the Saguaro National forest is mind bendingly beautiful.

#2. If you have kids or are just a kid at heart, go to Rooster Cogburns Ostrich ranch. It's the most fun you can have for $5.00.
They have all kinds of critters and they give you a big cup of feed for the price of admission and you get to feed all the critters. It's a kick in the ass!

#3. Wednesday nights, drop by the Shanty for drinking liberally. They usually have interesting speakers or movies or something and if you tell the bartender you came to hang out with the commies they give you $1.00 off your drinks. The Shanty was voted "Best place to plot a revolution" so you should feel right at home there and the DL folks will welcome you graciously. I usually post what's going on a few days before in this group. Nothing this week because of the fourth but check back.

#4. Get a cowboy hat. No body will look at you funny here and it really helps in the blazing sun. I never leave home without one.

#5. People here drive like shit. Don't assume that the guy next to you has a clue what he's doing. I've seen many times where people have rolled their cars on straight roads. I don't even know how you do that.

#6. Don't be in a hurry. There is no good way to get across town. My second name for Tucson is "waiting at stoplights Arizona".

I'll post more as I think about it.

also Saguaro National Park/Rincon Mountain Wilderness Area
http://www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm


Catalina Highway/Mount Lemmon/Summerhaven/Coronado National Forest/Pusch Ridge Wilderness Area
Fantastic scenery on the road up the mountain, several campgrounds, numerous hiking trails. Peak elevation of 9000', so it's generally 20-30 degrees cooler at the top than in the valley.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Lemmon
http://www.skithelemmon.com/


Sabino Canyon
http://www.sabinocanyon.com/


If you like Astronomy:
http://skycenter.arizona.edu/
http://www.noao.edu/outreach/kpoutreach.html
and more via the U of A.


Reid Park Zoo
http://www.tucsonzoo.org/


International Wildlife Museum
http://www.thewildlifemuseum.org/


These folks ran a 'Music on the Mountain' free concert series on Sundays at Summerhaven the last few years, not sure if they are doing any this year or not. They also do other venues.
http://www.lavamusic.org/


Lots of bicycling:
https://www.tucsonmtb.com/
http://www.bikegaba.org/
http://www.sdmb.org/


A little to the south we got wine:
http://www.visittucson.org/visitor/culinary/wineries/


And in-town breweries:
http://nimbusbeer.com/
http://borderlandsbrewing.com/
http://thundercanyonbrewery.com/
http://barriobrewing.com/
http://www.gentlebens.intrigomedia.com/


There is all sorts of stuff via the U of A in the arts, sciences, public outreach programs and sports.


Some very well run shooting ranges:
http://www.marksmanpistol.com/
http://www.tucsonrifleclub.org/
http://www.pima.gov/nrpr/shooting/serpshooting.htm


Automotive sports:
http://sidragway.com/
http://www.p1kartcircuit.com/


A wide range of nightclubs/bars.


Lots of books:
http://www.library.pima.gov/
http://bookmans.com/


Indoor (and outdoor) rock climbing:
http://www.rocksandropes.com/Site/home.html


Plants:
http://www.tucsonbotanical.org/




Lots more, of course, depending on your tastes. Farmers markets, fairs, festivals, concerts, and, if you get bored, there's Tombstone, Bisby, Patagonia, Nogales.....

That should all keep you busy for a few weeks...

Edit: Oh, I hear there's some big ditch somewhere up north a few hours, but I don't put much stock in such obviously exagerated rumors.

I agree with you. Just stay away from the Valley unless you want to come up for a sporting event or show you can't get down there. Tucson is nice and I like the mountain areas up north (Prescott/Sedona/Flagstaff) and east (Slow Low, Pinetop), but this Valley? Not so much.

unless I misinterpreted some snide facetiousness?

And "Slow Low"? Well played...

I am very snide.

However Slow Low was a bad typo on my part. Show Low!

others have pretty much covered the things I would have mentioned

south 4th and 6th are where most of the best Mexican places are, although there are PLENTY of exceptions
find an Eegees and get a flavor of the month http://www.eegees.com/locations/

Lucky Wishbone for the best fried chicken and steakfingers (and a ton of french fries and soggy toast, but that isn't why you order the chicken or steakfingers, trust me!)

Now I'm up in the Rim Country where the summers are quite a bit milder. But here's what I can say:

- Food! It's been too long since I've been there to make dining suggestions - you'll enjoy figuring it out.

- Dark skies! Get out of the city and look up at night. If you are really into astronomy, check out Kitt Peak:
http://www.noao.edu/outreach/kpvc/

- Hiking! Your are surrounded by great hiking spots. My favorite was the Santa Ritas south of Tucson (see Madera Canyon)

- Bookmans! I still have trade credit from 1987.

- Airplanes! The Pima Air Museum is a must for aviation fans:
http://www.pimaair.org/

You can also spend a few fun days just going around the perimeter of the Davis-Monthan AFB "boneyard" with binoculars and a camera. They also do a short bus tour via the Air Museum.

... all of the good auto junkyards are right across the street!

Just spent 13 years in AZ, Phx area, hated every minute of every day. Heat, dust, crime, dust, heat and dust. And crime. Oh, and it's hot, too.

If you MUST stay, take lots of trips to the high country; Sedona, Flagstaff, Prescott, Payson. Nicer weather, greener scenery.

Oh, and as someone above mentioned Qwest DOES suck donkey balls. I've made apartment rental decisions based on if they offered Qwest or some other carrier.

If you get to Chandler, AZ, you MUST eat at Grimaldi's Pizza. THE BEST pizza on the planet.

I came out 15 years ago and wouldn't trade it for anywhere. I'm not a big fan of the cold country (Sedona, Flagstaff, Prescott, Payson), but I love the weather in the valley.

I'm here to stay.