You'll like Arizona ... still a relatively free state.
Don't ever, ever mix up ASU with the UofA.
Phoenix is a little hotter than Tucson. Tucson has beautiful, high mountains nearby, and Phoenix has more desert mountains nearby. Tucson is a little wetter, and has a bit more vegetation. Phoenix politics are more gun-friendly ... Tucson has become pretty liberal (the city of Tucson was the entity that prompted recent damage to our preemption laws). Flag(staff) is nice, but the university is the smallest and least 'credible' in the state (IMHO) ... and it gets very cold there in the winter [ick ... snow!
].
I think you'll be happiest in either Tucson or Phoenix, but the whole state is great. Wait 'til you visit rural Arizona and open carry. My favorite memory was at a small store, north of Payson. Took off my Ruger Security Six to leave it in the car. A fellow saw me, and asked what I was doing. I responded I thought I'd leave it in the car so no one was intimidated. He said "Hell, man! C'mon in! You're in the 'right to keep and bear arms country' here!". Gotta love it!
Come to Arizona. We need more bright, freedom-loving Americans. Too bad we can't work out a trade ... bring you and your girlfriend in, in exchange for shipping out some California leftists ...
Live and let live. Regards from AZ
[This message has been edited by Jeff Thomas (edited August 07, 2000).]