Which Way Do I Turn for COLD Water?

This is what we both imagined the desert would look like. Tall cactus with multiple arms reaching up to the sky and small shrubs that barely cover the sandy desert floor. And, of course, HOT!

As I said in the previous post, Phoenix, this time of year isn't hot...it's unbearable.
When we checked into our campground the escort that took us to our site explained to me that in Phoenix you don't need to turn your hot water heater on in the summer. The water will come out of the ground hot already. He wasn't kidding. The water was so hot that you would turn the knob hoping to get some cold reprieve. Something to relieve you of the heat. The water was almost hot enough to steam the mirrors in the bathroom!

We met up with our friend that moved to Phoenix from the burbs of Gaithersburg several years ago. I asked Shari some questions that had me curious about this area and the people. Here is how the interview panned out:

Road Hazard: Why would you move here?

Shari: When I visited the area it was during the typically cold months, in the rest of the country, and the weather here was gorgeous. How could you not like it when your friends are shoveling snow you are putting on sunscreen!

Road Hazard: Do people go outside and do stuff or do they hide away from the sun during the hot summer months?

Shari: Oh no, people go out all the time but it is usually during the very early morning or very late evening. All before or after the sun has scorched the earth. My softball game starts at 10 tonight!

Road Hazard: Is it true that the city doesn't have cold water during the summer months?

Shari: When I first moved here and experienced the hot/cold water thing, I called my Mom, who lives in Tuscon, to ask her. I also couldn't understand why the water was coming out hot. To answer your question, there is no cold water.

Road Hazard: Even the pool at the campground we stayed at was so hot that we couldn't tell the difference between the hot tub and the swimming pool!

(thanks Shari for the interview and being a good sport about it.)

This conversation was held at a restaurant that sits in the shadows of the new Phoenix Stadium that was built a few years ago. The last Superbowl with the Giants beating out the Pats was held here. The whole area is developed into a great atmosphere for coming to any sporting event. Bars and restaurants all have their "misters" hissing away at the scorching air and trying to cut into the suppressing heat.

With the heat and the sand, that gets kicked up by the "Monsoon" winds, you can bet that every evening you will have a great sunset. Clouds piling up on top of each other and the heat lighting exploding deep within, illuminating the huge formations like a candle in a pumpkin.

I will say this...Phoenix is a very large city. With so many smaller cities all around it you don't know where one ends and the other starts. The roads were well thought out and easy to navigate around the cities. If you love the outdoors there is a lot to do with hiking, biking or off roding. As for the weather? I'll have to come back when my friends are shoveling their sidewalks back east and experience the desert sun again. Maybe by then they'll have cold water.