We retired and left Cedar Rapids IA for Az in March of 2005 and haven't regretted it for a second. It doesn't snow here! Bought a place on a golf course in Goodyear (West edge of Phoenix) in an "Active adult" community. We have 54 holes of golf that are all included for one price. Three outdoor pools, one indoor pool, two ballrooms, two bars and 2 restaurants. There is a club for pretty much anything you're interested in (quilting, woodworking, guns, painting, ceramics, dining, wine, politics, Irish, Italian, and numerous other things). It gets hot in the summer (110+) but those of us that live here full time still golf several days a week. Just have to get out early. All major sports are available in the Phoenix area with NFL and NHL games about 20 minutes from our community. NBA and MLB are downtown. PGA is in Scottsdale. There is an HOA fee that's covers all community maintenance currently about $2550/yr. If you're interested in that sort of retirement look up Robson Communities on the internet. There are several in Az and some in TX.
We have a bunch of snow birds from the Des Moines area that are here every Winter.
Hope you enjoy retirement, We are..