Friday OT #2 - Seek & Destroy

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JP4CY

I'm Mike Jones
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I'm about 9 years from an early retirement. We try to at least once a year choose a place for vacation as a place we will move to when we retire. A few places we are considering.

Florida-If we do, it will be northern Florida. When my dad retired he retired down towards the everglades. Hot, humid, buggy, and gross IMO. Florida in general is not high on my list.

Phoenix area-Spent a week last year at a VRBO in Scottsdale. Woke up in the morning and walked outside to the pool and spent all day chilling. This is high on my list. Worried about the water situation and Scottsdale is kind of pricey. Probably have to pick a different suburb.

Palm Springs CA-Spent a week 3 years ago at a VRBO. Woke up in the morning and walked outside to the pool and spent all day chilling. This would be high on my list but too $$$.

Las Vegas NV-Been there a lot of times but I've never stayed at a VRBO. This will be a little harder since LV doesn't allow rentals.

Texas-We went to Austin last year. We didn't go thinking we'd want to retire there, just to check it out. I honestly thought Austin was a little overrated. I'm not really feeling anywhere in Texas as a good retirement option for us.

Montana-When we were in Montana I had dreams of retiring there. Then I remembered that 6 months of the year the weather sucks.

Anyone have any other suggestions in the states to check out? Arkansas? We may also consider Mexico.
I actually like part of Appalachia that is Asheville to Clemson to Knoxville. Mountains, lakes, rivers, breweries, and not far to major cities.
 

VeloClone

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I'm about 9 years from an early retirement. We try to at least once a year choose a place for vacation as a place we will move to when we retire. A few places we are considering.

Florida-If we do, it will be northern Florida. When my dad retired he retired down towards the everglades. Hot, humid, buggy, and gross IMO. Florida in general is not high on my list.

Phoenix area-Spent a week last year at a VRBO in Scottsdale. Woke up in the morning and walked outside to the pool and spent all day chilling. This is high on my list. Worried about the water situation and Scottsdale is kind of pricey. Probably have to pick a different suburb.

Palm Springs CA-Spent a week 3 years ago at a VRBO. Woke up in the morning and walked outside to the pool and spent all day chilling. This would be high on my list but too $$$.

Las Vegas NV-Been there a lot of times but I've never stayed at a VRBO. This will be a little harder since LV doesn't allow rentals.

Texas-We went to Austin last year. We didn't go thinking we'd want to retire there, just to check it out. I honestly thought Austin was a little overrated. I'm not really feeling anywhere in Texas as a good retirement option for us.

Montana-When we were in Montana I had dreams of retiring there. Then I remembered that 6 months of the year the weather sucks.

Anyone have any other suggestions in the states to check out? Arkansas? We may also consider Mexico.
My sister and her husband retired in Ecuador. They love it there. They can see the pacific from their house.
 
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Cyclones_R_GR8

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I actually like part of Appalachia that is Asheville to Clemson to Knoxville. Mountains, lakes, rivers, breweries, and not far to major cities.
The majority of that is Smokey Mountain National park, isn't it?
 

Cy Hard

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I thought this thread was going to be about Kansas must be destroyed...that said I wouldn't want to live there either, so I'll keep my answer the same.
 
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VeloClone

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I to am an Petras fan, your to dumb too recognize there ability too grow QBs. Petras four Heisman!

Been to Florida many times for work and I've always considered it pretty much a cesspool. We're going to seriously look at Oregon and North Carolina when both daughters are off the payroll and we're able to relocate one last time.
My buddy was giggling as he walked around in the grass barefoot on RAGBRAI. He commented that back where he lives in Florida, you can't walk on grass barefoot because there is too much that wants to cut, hook, or bite you.

He is from St. James City which is on Pine Island between Sanibel and Fort Myers so I am hoping someone has heard from him.
 

fsanford

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Love Iowa but you cannot get me near that place Nov to April.
May June, Sept Oct, are the only times I like to go back.

I don't mind heat, but humidity sucks, and mosquito's suck literally and as bugs. So rather not be in places where you have to deal with them.

Snow is okay as long as you can leave it after spending 2 days in it. It makes for a nice Xmas ornament.

Probably I would say, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada (where I now reside) Southern California (where I also spend time) So Cal is just too freaking crowded and with Uber, Lyft, I swear the traffic has gotten worse. Water issues certainly a concern. But the weather and entertainment possibilities are the bomb.

To summarize, there is no perfect place to live, you just have to pick the lesser of evils and focus on the positives of which most places have
 
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JayV

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Not because of weather, but I couldn't live in the far north latitudes where the daylight and no-daylight times aren't somewhat balanced. And, weather related, I don't want to live in a place that is known for being overcast or rainy for large percentages of time. I want to see sunshine.
 

Al_4_State

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Being overcast would be tough for me. Something like Ohio, I guess.

I actually like Iowa’s distinct 4 seasons. The only thing I really hate is when you get unseasonable snow and cold or excess rain. April blizzards are the worst. If we had quicker, more definitive seasonal transitions, it would be what I like
 

carvers4math

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I had a son in FL for several years. I would not want to live there. Humid, rainy, crowded.

When we would drive there I decided I never wanted to live in the South. Too many Confederate flags. Of course there are too many of those in Iowa too.

Same son lived in Pasadena. I liked that a lot better. He slept through the only earthquake they had.
 

NWICY

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I can't live any further South than Iowa. It's too hot and humid for me.

Spouse and I are looking further North when we retire. Duluth is high on the list.

Duluth is a great place, tried to get a job up that way in the mid to late 80's. That was tough sledding and didn't pan out.
 

NWICY

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My buddy was giggling as he walked around in the grass barefoot on RAGBRAI. He commented that back where he lives in Florida, you can't walk on grass barefoot because there is too much that wants to cut, hook, or bite you.

He is from St. James City which is on Pine Island between Sanibel and Fort Myers so I am hoping someone has heard from him.

Did you hear from your buddy is he ok?
 
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ImJustKCClone

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traipsing thru the treetops
Could NOT do anything south of Iowa, especially the dry desert states. When we retired people asked us when we would be moving south, and my response was the heck with that. I'm looking for a summer home in northern Saskatchewan. Maybe the Yukon Territories...

I don't do heat well, and I don't mind being snowed in if I have plenty of firewood, a good library, and a well-stocked larder.
 

BCClone

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Not exactly sure.
I can’t do PHX, wife has a sister there and that would suck. Although it wouldn’t be as bad as where I currently is, so not in the current town. I hate snakes so screw southern desert type places. Maybe Tennessee or San Diego close to town so I can be a little rural and hopefully not a lot of creepy crawlers.
 
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NWICY

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The deep south screw that heat and humidity. I'd love to visit Australia some day though it is a well documented fact all their wildlife wants to/can kill you. (except maybe koala bears)
 

clonedude

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Duluth is a great place, tried to get a job up that way in the mid to late 80's. That was tough sledding and didn't pan out.

How is Duluth politically? A bunch of rednecks…. or somewhat progressive?
 

NWICY

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How is Duluth politically? A bunch of rednecks…. or somewhat progressive?

To be perfectly frank I have no idea. College town so maybe progressive? But also lots of blue collar work iron, paper, timber etc... also Cirrus the airplane company is up there. Pretty area though and not very far from literally getting away from everything, population density drops of quickly up there.
 
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