Quiz It: Arizona - How much do you know about Ho and Hum and Other Odd Names

Question: Where in Arizona can you make plans to meet someone on the corner of Ho and Hum and take a walk down Easy Street?

Your choices are:

1. Ajo, Arizona
2. Why, Arizona
3. Strawberry, Arizona
4. Carefree, Arizona
5. Arsenic Tub, Arizona

The Answer Is:

Carefree, Arizona is famous for its laid-back street names. Among them are Ho Road and Hum Road. The two streets intersect in the middle of town. From the corner of Ho and Hum, people can take a walk to find fine dining, galleries, and shopping on Easy Street. Carefree’s character is best described by its street names; Easy Street, Lucky Lane, Nonchalant Avenue, Nevermind Trail, Leisure Lane, Meander Way, Languid Lane, and Tranquil Trail are combined with Mule Train Road, Wampum Way, Long Rifle Road, Stagecoach Road, and Bloody Basin. These reflect both the casual, laid-back lifestyle in Carefree and the Western heritage of the area. The motto of this upscale community is “Home of Cowboys and Caviar, Where the Old West Meets the New.”

Adding to the ambiance of downtown Carefree is one of the largest sundials in the world. The sundial measures 90 feet in diameter, rises 35 feet above the plaza, and is made from a steel frame covered in anodized copper. It points to the North Star. The sundial was donated to the city in 1988.

The Carefree Highway, a stretch of Arizona Route 74, was made famous in 1974 in a song with the same name by Canadian folk singer, Gordon Lightfoot.

Ajo Means Garlic

Ajo, Arizona is one gateway for visitors traveling to Mexico, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, and the Tohono O’odham Indian Reservation (and its casino.) In Spanish, ajo means “garlic.” Wild garlic plants (the Ajo lily or desert lily – an onion-like plant) grow in the surrounding hills. Some also suspect the name comes from Papago Indian word for “paint.”

The Reason Why is Why

Some people believe Why got its name from people who asked, "WHY would anyone want to live here?" However, Why got its name from two highways (Highway 85 and 86) that intersected in a Y - known as "The Y." Residents petitioned the state for a post office. At the time, Arizona law required city names to have at least three letters. The town founders decided to name it Why because they could not just call it Y. Eventually, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) changed the intersection to more of a T-shape because of safety concerns. The town’s name was not changed to Tee.