What about Sierra Vista, AZ?

I'd take it over anything around Phoenix. Close to some beautiful mountains, the border and some cool towns such as Tombstone and Bisbee, not congested.
 
Not a bad place to visit if you're a bird nerd. There are some nice sky island canyons just southwest of town (Miller, Carr, Ramsey). I haven't spent serious time there in a long time. I did enjoy visiting Portal, AZ over in the Chiricahua Mountains to the east last year. Kartchner Caverns State Park, between SV and Benson, is pretty cool. I've not visited Tombstone or Bisbee, as I suspected they were tourist traps. But I'll bet there is some cool history to see there. My FIL lives in SV, so I don't visit there very often.
 
Nice Town. Work sends me there once a week or so. Take a drive up Carr Canyon or check out the Coronado national memorial. I'd second @Bigjay73 recommendation of visiting Tombstone and Bisbee while you are there too.
 
Tombstone is good for a visit but as someone mentioned it is pretty much a tourist trap. There is one restaurant/bar that has the movie Tombstone playing on a continuous loop.
There are some cool shops for leather goods and art and jewelry galleries but they are pricey.
We've only driven through Benson a few times but there are lots of Mexican food joints. Also if you drive through it at dawn or dusk keep an eye out for desert mulies in the fields.
Sierra Vista is an Air force town and decent size for anything supply-wise you might need.
Patagonia Lake to the south is pretty nice as well and I've seen a few white-tails around the lake. We were there in Sept. and it was still pretty warm.
 
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