There Is No Arizona, No Painted Desert, No Sedona

While traveling to California to visit friends and family back in June, I had not one but two different people ask me if we had a Target here in Phoenix. I realized then that many people might not know a lot about Arizona or the Phoenix area (goodness knows I didn't before moving here). Here are some stats that may come as a surprise to you...

#1 Phoenix itself is the 6th most populated city in the entire United States registering in at 1.4 million people (this also makes it the largest capital in the United States).

#2 The metro area is called the Valley of the Sun and incorporates such places as Tempe, Chandler, Mesa and Scottsdale where we live. This area is home to 4.1 million people!

#3 Even with the large number of people, the density rate is very low and things are very spread out (Phoenix itself takes up 475 square miles). This is how we can own .84 acres in the "city" : ) This is also how it can take 40 minutes to drive across town.

#4 Phoenix and most of Arizona do not observe daylight savings (this is especially good for me as the clock in my car is stuck and I can't change the time anyway).

#5 The climate is "subtropical and arid" - a euphemism if ever I'd heard one ; ) In the summer highs reach 120 degrees and the and lows stay above 80. The heat is cut by the monsoons that come in at night bringing heavy rain (and since it's the desert and we have no drainage, also bringing in floods).

#6 Arizona experienced a major population boom in the 1950's following the invention of... air conditioning! ; )

#7 Turquoise is the state gemstone. I took mine to Cayman with me : )

#8 We have not one, but 56 Targets in the area (according to yellowpages.com).

#9 Arizona was adopted into the union as the 48th state on February 14th, 1912. This makes it the Valentine State!