Arizona

"The Sonoran Desert is the most biologically diverse of the four U.S. deserts. Covering 120,000 square miles of southwestern Arizona, southeastern California, and the Mexican states of Baja and Sonora, its mountains, rivers, and canyons provide luxurious habitat for numerous unique species specially adapted for heat, aridity, and intense summer monsoons. More than 100 reptiles, 2,000 native plants, 60 mammals, and 350 birds call this desert home, not only surviving here, but thriving — as long as their habitats remain intact."

The diversity of Arizona is something that amazes me every day.
I have to be honest- AZ would have been near the bottom of my list of desirable places to live before I moved here.
Since living here I appreciate the beauty of the desert.