Originally Posted by AzTallRider

On Phoenix and Tucson: Yes, the politics often goes beyond the absurd, especially of late. That may be a deal breaker all its own. It frequently makes me want to pack up and move. As far as the heat goes, I know it is truly hard to believe/understand, but you actually do become acclimated to it. I never thought it possible, until I did it. From a cycling perspective, I actually object more to the winter morning cold than I do the summer heat. The sprawling suburbia is ugly. I refer to Phoenix sometimes as "The strip mall capital of the world." You need to like surface streets, as they are often the better way to get somewhere than the freeways, which is the reverse of SoCal, where I spent most of my life. Arizona mountains and desert areas are beautiful. Thumb through some Arizona Highways photos. All in all, Arizona is a great place to cycle.

It's really hard to knock the less populated areas of Southern California. Climate is unbeatable in my book, and there's nothing like having access to snow and the beach... on the same day. Expense is of course the biggest obstacle.

I lived in the Caribbean for awhile. Desert island surrounded by turqoise water: Beautiful: culturally and economically difficult.