For the first time, there are more than 7 million of us in Arizona

New Times ^ | 12/20/2017 | Ray Stern

[Az Joe]

7,016,272

When I moved here in 1963 there were about 1.4 million people here and the state was ranked 34th in population. Now it's just north of 7 million and ranked 14th.

[ThankYouFreeRepublic]

Amen to that. Arizona will always be home in my heart.

[RooRoobird20]

I’ve lived in Arizona my entire life. It’s a great state, but I don’t like the Phoenix area explosive growth.

[azcap]

At 8 in the morning or 4 in the afternoon you can do that trip in only 90 minutes now. Progress!

[Inyo-Mono]

Back in the late 1970s, I used to visit my brother-in-law in Apache Junction and we would ride motorcycles while open carrying holstered revolvers shooting at cactus along the way. Great fun!

[Jeff Chandler]

Collateral Crimes

Review by Marshall Trimble, Arizona State Historian:

Collateral Crimes is the best crime thriller I’ve read in years. It’s a riveting, fast-moving, well-crafted page turner that had me hooked from the beginning. I especially enjoyed the geographical settings that take place in rural and the wilderness of Arizona's rugged Sierra Ancha Mountains where the climax of the story takes place. Yochim demonstrates a thorough knowledge of the places he writes about. I've been to those locales many times and the author's accuracy is spot on. Readers should keep in mind Yogi Berra’s sage advice, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over.”

[LS]

Yep. Hell, we’d go out standing in the back of a pickup with guns hunting rabbits at night.

Without seat belts.

[Az Joe]

Learn something new everyday. I must be a Phoenix area “snob” to the rest of the state!

[Flycatcher]

Sounds like you really liked Az. Are you from Arkansas?

No, only been to Arkansas once, but fell in love with Hot Springs and Hot Springs Village. Just gorgeous country, and Hot Springs is the neatest little town I've ever been too.

As for AZ, we never thought we'd ever leave. At the moment, we still live in a truly impressive Joshua tree forest in the NW part of the state. Beautiful, but remote. After 25 years, the wife and I just wanted something different, especially since we'll be retiring in a few years. The Ouachitas of Arkansas are lakes, rivers, and green forest. To a longtime Arizonan, this is extremely appealing.

So, yes, I still love and will miss AZ, but I can't wait for this new chapter to begin!

[chrisinoc]

“Learn something new everyday. I must be a Phoenix area “snob” to the rest of the state!”

The area is going to be booming in the next few years. There are three new housing developments along highway 89, up to 12000 new homes.

[Pearls Before Swine]

You’re OK as long as the water from the Colorado River holds out, and there’s electricity!

[Flycatcher]

Amen to that. Arizona will always be home in my heart.

Bump!

[amihow]

We used to hunt dove at 24th St.and Camelback. Still dove in the trees at Biltmore Shopping
Center

[Vince Ferrer]

Two words: Air Conditioning.

[Az Joe]

Two more words: Gun Rights

[Kickass Conservative]

Who is “us”?

Seven Million FReepers?

Seven Million Conservatives?

I’ve been trying to get Mrs. KC to agree to agree to move to Flagstaff, but no luck so far. #;^)

[Az Joe]

I wish. Yes, move out here. Flag is nice.... College town so it’s Liberal.

[bgill]

How many are illegals?

[Az Joe]

Prob a million

[vette6387]

Three, don’t forget John Mc Cain will be “leaving soon” too.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

No more long walks exploring in the woods.

It is amazing here in the San Francisco Bay Area...with all the population growth here (now 7 million in the greater Bay Area), I can still head a few minutes up the road from the heart of Silicon Valley and be in some very remote areas where you don't see any buildings and see hardly any people on the trails. I joined a hiking group in the Sunol Ohlone Wilderness today (between Fremont and Livermore) and we passed only one other person in almost 9 miles.