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Summers in Arizona are notoriously hot, as I learned growing up in Scottsdale. But I don’t want you to have the impression that it’s constantly 115 degrees. The temperature is usually in the considerably more pleasant 100°-105° range. “Are you comfortable?” my pals inquire. “You’re insane!” That kind of heat isn’t conducive to human survival.”
I spent the previous week in my hometown and couldn’t wait to stroll onto the walkway at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The weather brings up memories for me in the same way that an old tune on the radio does. It also seems simple and primordial, as if you’ve traveled back in time to when the first people roamed the Earth.
You’ll hear Arizonans proudly proclaim, “It’s a dry heat,” and I’m right there with them. I’d rather have Arizona summers than a sweltering 85° with 75% humidity any day. Though Phoenix and Scottsdale have beautiful weather in the spring, fall, and winter, I like persuading tourists that summer is the best time to come. Off-season pricing allows for longer stays at five-star properties such as the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, The Phoenician, and Four Seasons Scottsdale. You’ll get all the desert peace and luxury for a fraction of the price. (Think frozen grapes brought poolside, as at the Four Seasons, and dine-in movies at the Fairmont.)
To be honest, due to the intense heat, summer travels necessitate a bit of additional planning on your side. Going for a midday stroll, for example, is completely inadvisable. Anything outside must be completed extremely early in the morning.
I prefer to start my day at 6 a.m. by hiking up Camelback Mountain (so named because, from a distance, the shape of the mountain looks like a camel laying down, at rest in the desert landscape). The lengthier Cholla Trail and Echo Canyon paths go to the summit.
On a recent ascent through Cholla Trail, all I could think of was my thumping heart and the wonderful panoramic views of the Phoenix cityscape, Scottsdale, which I know like the ones of back of my hand, and the McDowell Mountains. They are friendly mountains, which you can see as you travel the clean, wide highways.
Something is enticing about the contrast between ancient scenery and the area’s contemporary retail complexes, restaurants, and hotels.
Though Biltmore Fashion Park and Kierland Commons provide consumers with a pleasant mist as they browse outside, when the afternoon heat arrives, I go to movie theaters or the lovely Scottsdale Fashion Square. If I’m feeling more cerebral, I’ll visit the odd Musical Instrument Museum or the Heard Museum to see the current display of American Indian culture.
August ushers in the monsoons, with much-needed rain wiping everything clean. The parched landscape appears to sigh in relief, satisfying a long thirst, and the once-dark sky returns to its original shade of blue, the air softened by the pleasant fragrance of creosote.
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To be sure, this is a rosy image. When the heat strikes with a force, causing perspiration to flow down your back and your brain to become muddled, the holy grail appears in the form of a covered parking place.
Locals understand how simple it is to travel to the cooler northern climates to enjoy Sedona, Flagstaff, and Prescott. But just when you think you can’t stand it anymore, the seasons change and there’s a cold in the mornings.
To summarize, there is never a bad time to visit Arizona. But the summer months will always be special to me. And those unyielding rays will continue to warm the Valley of the Sun for a few more weeks.
