What Not to do in Arizona, and what you Should!

Arizona has diverse environments and there are some things you just shouldn’t do!

The summers are generally brutally hot, you should never travel without water in your car. Even on short trips to a neighboring town I pack a cooler with some bottled water and a couple of sodas,, we got a flat tire once with no spare and it was a long time before the tow truck got there because it was a rodeo weekend and they were busy, but the water made a huge difference. Even if you don’t need it someone else might.

There are great places to hike but it’s always a good idea to tell someone where you are going and take a buddy, even a 4 legged one. Make sure to take more water than you think you might need and a collapsible bowl your your dog. It’s a good idea to take your cell phone in case of accidents or if you get lost.

If you lived in Arizona for all or most of your life your used to seeing cacti of all shapes and sizes but for newbies it’s a big deal as this is the only area of the planet where they are common. Admire them from a distance because cactus stickers Hurt! It’s also criminal to mess with the saguaro cactus, you need a permit to remove one from your own property and there are several companies that specialize in the removal/relocation.

Petroglyphs are fairly common in Arizona if you know where to look, However, please refrain from adding your personal mark to them, one because you will get a pretty nasty fine if you are caught and two, you may receive a smack down if someone see you do it that finds it offensive.

It’s hot and the canal looks so inviting.. it’s not! The water may be polluted and almost impossible to get out of, the sides are steep and slippery and there can be dangerous undertows. There are so many much better places to get wet!

It’s typically dry here and there is always a chance of fire, please be extra careful with anything that could start a fire, like cigarette butts, sparks from open tailpipes and campfires. It takes so little effort to prevent what can be catastrophic!

When we do get storms they can be pretty severe! If you get caught in something like this be sure to pull over and turn off your lights and keep your foot off the brake! If possible freeway overpasses are good shelter. Make sure to put away things in your yard that can blow around, with fierce 60mph+ winds even a lawn chair can be a dangerous missal. Those sand storms are not just in the movies!

Arizona is a beautiful state and no matter where you go rule #1 is Don’t Litter!!!