For some of us, there's just too much good stuff in the big city, it's simply not worth giving it up. We're glad we built our homebase house in the NW quadrant, between the inner and outer loop (San Antonio TX). I always have a hobby project going, and I need widgets. I just came back from Ace Hardware, ONE mile away. I needed several sizes of stainless steel screws. Earlier, I drove just 2-1/2 miles to the Mercury Marine dealer,....needed a water pump impeller and gaskets for my boat motor. EVERYTHING is a short drive away. WE like that. I laugh at people who mention the TRAFFIC. Heck, we never have to drive during rush hour......duh.
Willie & Betty Sue
Miko & Sparky
2003 41 ft Dutch Star Diesel Pusher/Spartan
Floorplan 4010
Blazer toad & Ranger bassboat
Cloud Dancer wrote: Heck, we never have to drive during rush hour......
Never? I try my best to avoid it here on my days off, but I can't say I never hit any. Some of the worst traffic in L.A. is now on Saturday, so the rush hour rules just aren't the same anymore.
2005 Providence 39J
2007 Tacoma PreRunner Double Cab Dingy
2002 EZ-Go Custom Electric Golf Cart
Thousand Trails & Coast to Coast Members
Cloud Dancer wrote: Heck, we never have to drive during rush hour......
Never? I try my best to avoid it here on my days off, but I can't say I never hit any. Some of the worst traffic in L.A. is now on Saturday, so the rush hour rules just aren't the same anymore.
Allow me to explain. But, keep in mind that I'm only addressing the traffic situation HERE in San Antonio (it's different somewhere else).
The major bottle neck here occurs on 281, from just north of the airport all the way to Bulverde TX. But, it only occurs during standard rush hours. Thousands of people live in N San Antonio, and in the N regions beyond the city limits. And, thousands of them funnel towards the downtown area durning the morning commute, and funnel back towards home from about 4 to 6 PM. If we leave the city going north on 281, we go in the morning (NO outbound traffic jam). And, when we come back it's in the afternoon (NO inbound traffic).
If we go west, south or east,.....we have the liberty of adjusting our departure time such that we don't join the traffic jams.
The in-city traffic is never a problem for us either (we're familiar with all the light-traffic routes).
Retirement does have a few benefits.
I wanted to make the point that we are very happy with our decision to build our retirement house right here. The weather, and the location, is the best compromise that we could afford. The hottest summer is nothing, compared to the cold winters of the north. Of course, if it gets too hot we go inside, where it's 72 degrees...
We like to go fishing, and we can do that year round. Right now, could not ask for nicer fishing weather. During the summer, we fish 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours late in the day. We escape the mid-day heat by going inside the motorhome. In the winter, we go fishing at Falcon Reservoir (further south).
* This post was
edited 11/10/09 04:21pm by Cloud Dancer *
jetboat wrote: I also have been to st george, and its a very charming city.However,if your not morman,do they extent the same warm welcome?
I have not noticed that problem at all. St. George has become a very cosmopolitan city with a diverse population. Also, the LDS in not a monolithic religion (in spite of what its leaders would like you to think). Like all all large organizations (religious or not), the Mormons I've met here vary from non-practicing to ultra conservative polygamists.
Sorry if I sound like a cheerleader for St. George (I'm not) but you really need to heed comments from people with actual experience here instead of speculation from people who, at most, may have driven through.
Tom & Jan
Full timers since April '06 - 3 fur kids (George - mini Aussie, Archie - mini Poodle, Kitty - 20 yo blind cat)
2006 Beaver Patriot Thunder towing 2006 Subaru (4 down)
Started workamping Sept '07 - "This isn't too bad. Think we'll do it some more."
We picked Prescott, AZ. It is around 5000' elevation so the summers rarely reach 100*F. My wife has some health problems and does not handle heat well. The cost of living isn't bad and property taxes are pretty low. Everything we need is within a few miles of our house and we're on the edge of town. It's small enough that traffic is rarely a problem, but big enough to have everything we need.
There are many many places where you could home base. Many folks from SoCal have relocated to central Oregon. The problem arises when they go looking for the same sorts of things found in LA in a small town like Prineville. It aint there and they get disappointed really fast and move on. Pick a town/city that has the amenities you are accustomed to, IE theater,fine dining, what ever it is you think you cannot live without. If those things are not important to both of you, check out central/eastern Oregon. Lots of really nice small towns, great summers and snow in the winter. And the housing market is in a real slump so prices are shockingly low at the moment.
Do not believe the cost of living and other internet charts as they do not tell the whole story. For instance i live in Oklahoma and despite the charts we are taxed to death. We have income tax of 6%, sales tax totals 8.5-11%on everything, high property taxes, and turpike fees everywhere you go along with a host of other government fees.
"I myself, would not want to live in the Southwest in the Summertime.
And I don't blame you for wanting to get out of California, I got out 42 years ago, and am I glad!"
We spent many weeks this past summer in the Southeast, and boy would we never ever live there either. That heat and humidity - completely swamped out the visual beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains. I was raised in Michigan winters so want no part ever again of extended cold weather anywhere in the Northern US.
We've lived in central California for over 40 years and can't think of a better place: Humidity is so low that summer heat is no issue. We built our own house at 1800 feet altitude (with a built-in dump station) in the rural coastal mountains to save $$ back then and are on Prop 13 so taxes are no issue. We can camp year around coastal or inland close to home and are only a few hours drive away from WA, OR, NV, ARIZ, UT, and NM to partake of their superb unlimited boondock camping in that wonderful Southwest low humidity! We are blessed and can't think of a better home base setup.
One we are looking at when the youngest goes off to college in 2 more years is renting our current house and go fulltime for a year. If it works for us great if not we still have a house in So. Cal. If it works out then we may search for a place to buy a new retirement home and keep this place as a rental or sell it so we can pay cash for the new place.
Fortunately my job I can be anywhere as long as I have cell service for my phone and laptop.
Ray, Cheryl, Cory & of course Miss Molly the four-legged child
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