On Valentine’s Day, we are reminded of the people and places we love.  For our Globe-Miami-San Carlos region, allow me to share the top 10 reasons I love this place.

1. Natural beauty:  Beyond the easy vistas, one can experience amazing natural beauty in our mountains, lakes, canyons, streams, high desert, and grassy oak regions.  Hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, kayaking, rock climbing, and ATVs offer endless opportunities for exploration.  Whether out for a few hours or camping for a few days, the beauty fills your soul and quiets your mind.
2. People: The folks who choose to live and work here are “rural by choice” and usually unpretentious, friendly, and generous with both their time and money.  They will greet strangers, wave at acquaintances on the streets, work to save abandoned animals, advocate for foster kids, and volunteer to clean up highways.  We know our neighbors and talk with each other at the post office and markets. People are real.  
3. History: Southern Gila County is rich in Old West stories and lore, our region played a pivotal part in Arizona becoming a state, and we have Native American connections that can be traced for almost a millennium.  Our mineral wealth has provided copper to the world and our innovations in mining are used around the world.  
4. Location:  Surrounded by private and protected lands, we will always be small and surrounded by nature.  We’re also close to two metro areas for any services not available locally; however, we’re far enough away to have an affordable cost of living and dark skies that support star gazing.  Also, our central Arizona location supports exploration of the entire state.
5. Food:  Our creative “regional” foods of pasties and cheese boats are delicious.  Our new restaurants are creative, atmospheric, and would be hot spots if dropped into any major city.  Finally, we’re inordinately proud to be the Mexican Food Capital of Arizona.  
6. Downtowns:  Globe and Miami have unique historic downtowns filled with great architecture where people walk at night; folks shop at great retail and antique stores, bar keepers know your name, and honest service providers help with your legal, medical, and automotive needs.  
7. Weather:  We are always 10-15 degrees cooler than Phoenix and Tucson, have five distinct seasons (with a dry and wet summer), and enjoy four months a year of perfect weather (October, November, March, April).
8. Arts: This region is chock-full of talented artists in all genres:  graphic, spoken, musical, dramatic, cinematic, written, fabric, metal, woodworking, and more.  We make art accessible with opportunities to both participate and enjoy it at concerts, galleries, festivals, youth theater, nonprofit art education, murals, and arts organizations. 
9. Wonderful things to do:  There are so many things to do here that you cannot do them all:  free concerts and movies, headliner performers at the casino, history lectures, rodeos, gem and mineral shows, street fairs and fiestas, youth sports, museums, parks, holiday celebrations, creative library programming, outdoor recreation… this barely scratches the surface.
10. Sense of community:  There is a unique sense of place to our region.  It is linked to all the things listed above, but also impacted by affiliations with groups like churches, service groups, nonprofits, sports teams, and even the dog park.  People share their cultures (Native American, Hispanic, Slavic, and more) and this makes our community rich and multi-faceted.  Spend a few days here and you will sense a distinctness found only in Globe, Miami, and San Carlos.