AZ Calgunners - What was your biggest surprise?

[Youngearth]

I have an opportunity to transfer to the Scottsdale area for work and it looks like my family and I will be taking it. I wanted to know what the biggest surprise after relocating to AZ? Weather? People? Traffic? Etc?.

[BAJ475]

I have an opportunity to transfer to the Scottsdale area for work and it looks like my family and I will be taking it. I wanted to know what the biggest surprise after relocating to AZ? Weather? People? Traffic? Etc?.

Not a surprise but when purchase your first firearm in AZ with your AZ carry permit and they don't do a background check you will know you made the right move.

[Youngearth]

Not a surprise but when purchase your first firearm in AZ with your AZ carry permit and they don't do a background check you will know you made the right move.

Definitely looking forward to that for sure!

[sigstroker]

I've never "relocated", but I can tell you the first time I experienced 110 plus weather, it was an eye-opener. There are little things that everyone does - oven mitt thing to cover the steering wheel, reflector thing for your windshield, and like that.

[BigBronco]

Workers showing up at 0530 to begin work. Electricians, plumbers and such. I guess geter done before it heats up.

[the_tunaman]

I?m not in Arizona, but I?m guessing one surprise might be similar to our experience relocating to Henderson? for the two or three months when it gets really hot, it doesn?t cool down below 100* at night for weeks on end.

In hindsight it should have been readily apparent, but we never gave it much thought visiting all those years.

One other commonality, maybe even more so in AZ, are the monsoons? can get some heavy rains with incredible light shows during the season. First year here for us (two years ago now) we had the heaviest monsoon rains they?d seen in 20 years.

I can tell you that it is great to escape the commie curtain and is well worth it.

FGN!

[sigstroker]

Yeah, the monsoons can be bad in Tucson, where it floods sometimes. That doesn't happen where I live. I don't know about Phoenix wrt flooding.

[stormvet]

Arizona time, probably won?t be a thing where you?re going. Scottsdale is pretty much a sub-division of Phoenix, the LA of Arizona.

But where we are Arizona time is a thing, business close early. The side walk rolls up, they take a vacation and the business is closed for a week. In short everything just slows down, once you get use to it it?s not a bad thing.

[sigstroker]

Oh, and don't be a dick in traffic. People will see a sign to move over because the lane is ending for construction or whatever. Don't go blasting down the bike lane so you can wedge your way in 2 feet from the sign. Everyone else is waiting their turn, you can too.

[ar15robert]

My surprise was getting to the high country lakes and the trout fishing. The forest that are In az will surprise you.

I came from ca and thought I was gonna miss the fishing and forest camping.I already knew all the other good stuff before we moved though. ��

[Rune14]

Im in north Scottsdale and I got here March 2020. That first summer was STUNNING to me. It set a record at the time of most days over 116, it got up to 122. So you learn hydration quickly. Whether you are thirsty or not, you pound water. Those three months are worth it, its also when I go back to Ca. every other weekend to surf. Unfortunately there was only one month of sunshine this last summer at the beach.

[Rune14]

My surprise was getting to the high country lakes and the trout fishing. The forest that are In az will surprise you.

I came from ca and thought I was gonna miss the fishing and forest camping.I already knew all the other good stuff before we moved though. ��

Agreed, I was blown away to find all the forest. THE BEST IS, you can access them without some signs are tree cops asking where you are going. Love that about AZ, you see a place you wanna go off road and check out and there is a fence keeping you out like there is in Ca. There are some, but nothing like Ca.

[LBDamned]

The 'biggest surprise' was how fast the growth happened (and still is)...

Much of it is identical to what I saw in OC in the 70s extremely similar (but happening faster).... there's a good 20 yrs of continued growth and it will take the same path as SoCal, gradually getting more crowded and less quality.

I have (semi) plans for when I retire... it won't be here.

The trick is finding a place no one wants to be, that is still pleasant... that's pretty much impossible if you aren't retired or independently wealthy.

[superhondaz50]

People are actually friendly. Like random strangers will have conversations with you at the store, Walmart etc. Also the slower pace of life, not many speed, no one is in a hurry, more courteous drivers, etc.

[Youngearth]

Thanks for your replies. I just accepted my job transfer with my company, so it appears we are on our way to AZ. My family all have a nervous excitement combined with some anxiety about moving. My wife is a life long so-cal girl and my oldest is in college in Pasadena, but I am confident it will be a good decision.

I do have a question about smog checks. I have an older (1974) project truck that I swapped in a modern engine and a supercharger. It?s pre-1975 here in CA so I have never had any issues with registration, will it be a problem in AZ? We also have a 2004 diesel truck, any smog requirements on these?