Our Thoughts on Sun City Arizona a Year Later
Now that we have lived in Sun City, Arizona an entire year, I thought it would be fun to reflect back on our thoughts and experiences.
Quote of the day: “It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.” Eleanor Roosevelt
The idea of talking about where we live started with the blogger’s collaboration called Where Bloggers Live. And the theme for introducing our local area happened after we had been here 3 months.
Even though Rob and I had never really considered moving away from Denver, and especially to a retirement community, we couldn’t be happier. Of course, like any big change, much of our success depends on our perspective and attitude.
It doesn’t hurt that Rob’s breathing is much better at this lower altitude.
So not only am I describing our experience here in Sun City, but also some tips we’ve learned along the way.
BTW, if you have seen many of the sunset photos I share either in my emails or on Instagram Stories, these types is said to be due to the dust in the air.
The People
The people and pace in Sun City is one of the reasons we love it here so much. We have found most of the people are friendlier here. Why? We hypothesize that there are 2 reasons for this.
1-Since it’s a retirement community everyone is a transplant. Obviously you can’t “grow up” in a retirement community since you have to be 55 to live here. And since everyone is from somewhere else, they don’t have that “this was my place first” attitude along with the fact, it was their decision to move here.
2-Retirement makes most people happy. You don’t have the stress of working and you have the time to chat instead.
Don’t laugh but we all wave at each other and say hi when we pass while walking and even on the neighborhood roads.
The Pace
It may not be a scientific fact that it’s a slower pace here in Sun City, but it certainly feels like it.
Some of this has to do with the speed limits in the area. Most are 25-40 mph at the max. Sure, there is one major road where the speeds are greater, but once you turn off of that road, it seems like you’re on vacation.
Another aspect that makes for a slower pace, is the fact that many snowbirds live here. That means in the summer months, half of Sun City is living elsewhere.
We joke that if there are 5 cars in line, then there is a ton of traffic!
One of the drawbacks we do notice here is we hear many more sirens and emergency vehicles. Of course this makes sense with the older population.
The other noise factor is the fighter jets you hear many days. Luke Air Force base is very close to Sun City and the jets can be loud if you are outside.
However, we always say it’s the “Sound of Freedom.”
Dealing with the Heat in Sun City
If you don’t like the heat, I don’t expect you to enjoy Sun City. However, maybe you didn’t realize that Arizona is full of mountains too where it’s not as hot in the summer.
For instance, many people go up to Flagstaff on the weekends to cool off. We were so surprised when we were out exploring that many of these places reminded us of the mountains of Colorado.
Insider tip: We have found many of the places that we’ve visited by subscribing to the email “Only in Your State.” Even if you don’t want the daily emails, you can visit the website and find out more about your state than I bet you ever realized.
Car Tricks for the Heat
We have gleamed many useful tricks for dealing with the 100 degree days.
1-Use your air conditioning on the recycled air. Instead of pulling the hot air from outside and having to cool it over and over, it will keep recycling the air you’ve already cooled down. Maybe you all know this, but we had never used this feature.
2-Crack your windows when you park your car. We all know how hot it can get inside a closed up car, so crack the windows to let the air circulate. It seems silly when it’s 110 degrees outside to do this, but knowing that the interior of your car can get up to 150 degrees, then it makes sense.
3-Put up the sun shade. A car sun shade may not keep your car cool as much as it saves the wear and tear on your dashboard. Not only this, but it makes the steering wheel easier to handle.
Insider tip: Steering wheel covers are also a great idea. We have them in both our cars.
4-Park shenanigans. It’s worth the time and hassle to find better parking spots if you’re able. We would rather walk farther to the store and be able to park in the shade. If you have to be in the sun, then we try to find spaces facing away from the sun.
5-Water. It’s so important to have water available, so we keep it in the car at all times.
Insider tip: The plastic water bottles are NOT good to have in the car when there is extreme heat. We use stainless steel water bottles and fill them up after every trip.
6-Ice. Even going to the grocery store is a tad different. We use an insulated bag and fill it with ice packets so the produce and frozen items stay cold. We try to remember this when going out to eat also, so our leftovers stay cool on the way home.
Clothing Tricks for the Heat
Summers in Arizona certainly make you learn how to dress differently than in the colder weather states. We have discussed this theme on the blog where the three of us showcased what is important to our styles in the heat.
Of course every person experiences heat a tad different, so experimenting is important.
1-Lightweight items are key. While everyone talks about natural fibers and I agree to a degree, I find that the thickness of the material is critical also.
Another huge factor is finding loose clothing. This means that I wear more dresses, skirts, and wide leg pants during this time.
2-Cover up your skin. This concept seems the opposite of what you would think however, after reading my friend, Lindsey’s post, I started thinking differently. The other example is noticing the people working in the heat. They are also covered from head to toe with hats and long sleeves so their skin isn’t exposed.
3-Try cooling scarves. My husband wears these regularly and they really help.
Unusual
We just love having palm trees around. While it’s certainly not unusual for some people, it is for us. One of our favorite things is seeing how they get trimmed every summer.
Check out my Instagram video of the tree trimming in action.
The neighbors have been telling us how unusual the weather has been this past year.
1-This winter was actually cold here. I wore tights, boots and we all needed hats for the Christmas lights we visited.
2– It actually rained quite a bit this spring. There was rain coming down in some of these photos, which is why we had to take them under the patio
3-Right now we have been experience one of the hottest summers ever. We’ve had a record of more days over 110 degrees.
Of course the pandemic has made life more unusual this year on top of the weather. The advantage of our Sun City retirement area is the fact we have 7 recreation centers and clubs for activities. However, the pools were closed during the height of CoVid, and the fitness centers just opened last week.
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