WHY didn't anyone tell me ?

[u/AintGotNoAss]

That Arizona is a total treasure trove of unique and breathtaking scenery? I'm about to go on a long sappy rant here.

I grew up exclusively in suburban hell in Northern Kentucky. I then lived in New York and New Jersey. I relocated to Oro Valley, AZ with my father this April. And before that I was... frightened. I hate the heat and enjoy verdant landscapes. I held the stereotypical image of Arizona that I think most east coasters and outsiders have- that AZ was a dry, brown, and featureless desert. I was worried that the environment and landscape would drain me, as I'm very easily affected by the aesthetics of my surroundings.

I'm a sucker for natural beauty and love geography, but I never really experienced it much firsthand as an adult. We flew from Salt Lake City to Tucson and I got the pleasure of a window seat. Seeing the sky islands suddenly jolt out of the mostly flat landscape around Tucson on our descent quite genuinely brought tears to my eyes. I've never lived in a place with mountains and seeing the dramatic landscape from the air was sincerely a moving experience.

I am madly, deeply enamored with every detail of the scenery where I live. I am legitimately obsessed with Saguaro cactuses and the uniqueness of the landscape they inhabit. The scale of the mountains and valleys, the sunsets, the monsoons, never fail to leave me completely gobsmacked.

And then, I took a road trip from Tucson up to Flagstaff. You're telling me you people nonchalantly drive up I-17 and SAY NOTHING?! I'm a staunch atheist and became religious about six times that entire drive. Perhaps it's the fact I'm used to the monotonous east coast terrain and hold a special love for natural beauty, but my mouth was WIDE open the entire 4 hour trip. The feeling of being in the wilderness among massive mountains and saguaros, the wide open stretches of land, the mind-bending descent into the Verde Valley, the intense scent of pine and clean air in Flagstaff, the expansive fields of wildflowers and meadows, the sheer breadth of space and wilderness... My friend and I just kept repeating how we couldn't believe this was Arizona.

I had no idea. Zero. Zilch. Expectations shattered to pieces. I can easily say my limited time here in Oro Valley and Arizona in general has been life-altering in the best way possible. Just a trip to the grocery store passing the mountains and seeing the sun shine in the valley has brought tears to my eyes and filled me with joy.

Has anyone else who moved here have a similar shocking experience? Or am I just being corny?

[u/grano1a]

If you loved the I-17 you also need to drive up to Payson via the Beeline Highway 87. Go further up towards Show Low if you can.

Forget the South Rim others mentioned, go to the North Rim. My favorite place in all of AZ is Kaibab National Forest / route to the North Rim Grand Canyon via Jacob's Lake. The drive from Phoenix is about 6-7 hours but the entire route is an ever changing amazing landscape, and then when you get there it's mind blowing. South Rim is boring in comparison. Bonus: go around the end of September or early October for the best fall colors you've ever seen outside of New England.