When I moved to Phoenix some 5 years ago I was plagued with one simple question. Why was this valley founded and settled? It is hot, arid, virtually waterless, and did I say hot? You can drive 40 miles in three directions and be in a perfectly habitable land that is 10 degrees cooler and more suited for living. I don't remember the answer locals give about why Phoenix and not Prescott was settled, something about Indians and the Salt River or something.
The riddle become deeper this past weekend as we made a weekend trip east of town to the Heber-Show Low area. It was a good 20 degrees cooler, verdant, open, and clean. This is the type of place that one could live in. It's odd because most of the state of Arizona is like this. The only place more hot and barren then the Phoenix valley is along the California-Arizona border.
No comments:
Post a Comment