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I'm not sure the OP wants to stick with CO as a destination, but you're absolutely right about possibly building or locating a home somewhat in the genre of FLW's creations, somewhere in the US.
I could relate to the OP's sentiments when I first arrived in CO almost 2 years ago from the east. The lack of trees, intense sunlight, suburban sprawl of closely packed in drab houses in many areas, traffic, and brown landscape were some of the downsides I noticed. Yet this place has really grown on me. I've enjoyed the winters with the crisp, cold air yet mostly sunny days. The people here are generally very friendly, pleasant, and laid back if I had to generalize with an overall live and let live vibe to the place. You see people out and about riding bikes, jogging, and walking dogs which is all upbeat and happy. There's a nice forward-progressive thinking vibe here, and it's a growth oriented place rather than a depressed, stagnant place. I would say I sense a happier and even more festive vibe here. There are plenty of things to do here between the mountains, skiing, ski towns, Boulder, Denver etc. There are so many places out there that are incredibly dull and stagnant with no real options for fun. My kiddos love skiing on the weekends, and it's amazing that they can do that. Denver has numerous great restaurants, theaters-venues, cultural offerings, parks etc that it's so nice to just tool around down there for the day. The hubs and I love going downtown and trying out new restaurants (recently tried Ophelia's and loved it...nice music venue too), and just walking around for an afternoon. Also, I've not one time felt that crime or safety here in CO has been an issue. It seems almost oddly safe in the places I've been though obviously crime exists here especially in certain places over others. Overall, after being here for two years, I've grown to really like it here, and can now understand why so many want to be here and flee their less desirable locale.
So very true! How about Grand Junction? Is it hard to travel that pass when you want to visit the Front Range?
It's can be hard, or a bad idea.
Some people in Grand Junction actually have something of a cynical humor about people stranding or killing themselves for having underpowered vehicles or lacking preparation.
I once broke down just leaving some of the curves in the pass, but knowing that kind of thing could happen I had flares, blinkers, magnetic stick-on lights, and hyper-powerful (like "the mountain valley becomes day" powerful) flashlights to shine at oncoming vehicles.
Even then I was lucky: I had just come out of the curves and had some straight road between me and the vehicles coming through. If I had not I would have had to run out as fast as possible, lament whatever liabilities I would get as cars smashed into mine--then one after another into themselves like a piling-up train, but take with me special gear: get stuck inside of a river valley in Colorado and, summer or not, you can die from exposure to that wind, and have little to no hope of getting out quickly enough (or of people stopping). I was in a river valley, but had hyper-thermal winter gear, a wind tent (that I know how to set-up in minutes), and other prep to insure "not going to die in this type of situation." (I learned this in a hard fashion in college.)
So FULL prep for UNLIKELY scenarios is a GOOD idea. Certainly "it will usually be fine" yet I know for a fact (besides talking with my own tow driver at that point, a family member had a shop in Grand Junction) that many, many people break-down after that climb-and-dive and all the curves and stresses.
The distance is also deceptive: mountains curve and climb so what you think is a 4 hour journey can easily become a lot more. And then there's the weather: mountains from area to area are basically create many unique and varied climates and ecosystems.
I love the mountains--but then I love getting caught in blizzards at their summits with sleet and low lighting: I love that desolate, brown/gray, and remoteness even in the worst conditions that will kill ordinary men if they step-out for very long. And this is anther area to talk about: you get that high and the thin air + deadly cold temps will do you in quicker; in an open area and the wind will chill you to the core like you wouldn't believe--Colorado is a high plateau central to a continent, so our mountains in high areas will actually see temperatures like you would expect in the arctic. It's. no. joke. (I add that my wind tint is water-proof and the equipment I take can get me through -40 degrees C.)
And people come here "because it's PRETTY!"
I've left midnight in perfect summery weather, climbed into blizzards, descended into torrents of water flowing over the highways and down into the abysses of cliffs in the white river national forest area, into those dark river valleys where I know the temperature adjusted for wind chill might be -15 or more degrees below, and come out into hot dessert, all within the span of 6 or so hours (driving really, really fast). If you're not stupid you MUST be prepared...
And acclimated. When you drive from a 5280 up through 9000+ and back down again, you better have more than [a lot of] water: you better already be acclimated to that 5280, healthy to take the rapid ascent/descent...and did I mention prepared? e.g. had I not broken down my last trip through the pass towards Grand Junction (I only ended-up returning since the event I was heading toward was missed), then I would have also gone into the salt dessert of Utah...I was prepped for surviving that too.
Did I mention that throughout many of the areas of passes, valleys, curves in the areas carved out by rivers...there is no cell phone coverage? And about being prepared?
When you are prepped--not just with equipment but also training, then you've mitigated a lot of the risks. It's also a good idea to have a vehicle that can sustain some significant engine damage but keep running till you're sure you're in a good spot to pull off. Given that family shop in Grand Junction and what they saw--and even having good vehicles yet deciding (to themselves) they weren't enough, I just say "really prep for worst cast scenarios so that they likely never will bite you." A ton of ordinary people in Grand Junction have the usual suspect of a car or SUV but they're just not properly ready--it usually goes alright, until something goes terribly wrong.
And winters can definitely freeze-up/shut down those passes: when the roads close they can also = "I'm stranded on this highway until it actually opens again or authorities can make it to me to help me evac." SO...plan for all that, get a little training, and learn to check weather and you can worry far less--and enjoy those awful storms and the raw beauty of blizzards with sleet pouring buckets on you at 9000 feet when oddly enough the sky seems clear and the moon is out. (Yep: I've actually seen this.)
Last edited by GiddeeeUp; 03-06-2016 at 09:15 PM..
Reason: addition
I've left midnight in perfect summery weather, climbed into blizzards, descended into torrents of water flowing over the highways and down into the abysses of cliffs in the white river national forest area, into those dark river valleys where I know the temperature adjusted for wind chill might be -15 or more degrees below, and come out into hot dessert, all within the span of 6 or so hours (driving really, really fast). If you're not stupid you MUST be prepared...
Forget moving to CO! I just want to come adventure with you as our guide . Are you a writer? If not, you have excellent descriptive technique! That all sounds a bit harrowing (and well out of my skill set); but, so incredibly adventurous!
I logged in to City Data to check out a few other places and noticed quite a few responses. I'm feeling pretty bummed. I'm not finding much in the way of adventure, coupled with city amenities and decent climate, that is calling out to me. Still incredibly depressed by our flat geography here in Florida. I was looking into Asheville, NC. My family lives in Waynesville and Canton, so I'm familiar with the area. The mountains are beautiful there as well, but there isn't too much in terms of city life or progressive areas outside of Asheville. Quite the opposite, actually. (Sigh). Still looking for the right place. My CO teaching license came through last week, so there is that .
Finding a new place can be hard. Harder for some than others.
Could you get back to CO in June? A second, longer look at maybe 3 places might be what you need (Louisville and...? What about Longmont?) If it isn't green enough for you then to re-inspire it won't be.
If you are giving some thought to staying back east but not satisfied with Asheville, have you considered the northern suburbs of Atlanta, Blacksburg or Charlottesville VA, or Farraguat TN?
Did you consider Bozeman or Missoula Montana? Flagstaff AZ? Chico CA?
Finding a new place can be hard. Harder for some than others.
Could you get back to CO in June? A second, longer look at maybe 3 places might be what you need (Louisville and...? What about Longmont?) If it isn't green enough for you then to re-inspire it won't be.
If you are giving some thought to staying back east but not satisfied with Asheville, have you considered the northern suburbs of Atlanta, Blacksburg or Charlottesville VA, or Farraguat TN?
Did you consider Bozeman or Missoula Montana? Flagstaff AZ? Chico CA?
All great suggestions! I will continue to check these out. I have been strongly considering a second visit to CO, if only to enjoy it for leisure.
If it's a struggle to fully appreciate a particular location, that's probably enough of a red flag. Visiting at the optimal time also shouldn't be necessary to sway one's opinion. The optimal time will still only represent a fraction of what life would look like annually.
Maybe a better approach would be to open up to other locations and candidates, and broaden the possibilities. Some candidates may have even been ruled out due to misconceptions and unfamiliarity. It's just as possible to drawn to places that don't live up to their hype, as it is to rule out areas due to regional perceptions that don't apply locally.
I'd get out and explore more, for those all-important reality checks. It might take longer to accomplish the much-anticipated relocation, but it will be smarter and more enjoyable in the end, and save you money. You definitely don't want to move, get disappointed, and then have to move again. Been there, done that.
This relocation stuff is tricky business, especially if you've come to the point in your life where you really know what you want, and have a vision in mind It can go beyond the many on this forum who have a simpler scope; moving from Point A to Point B due to their job or their family.
Last edited by Sunderpig2; 03-23-2016 at 10:32 AM..
Some people in Grand Junction actually have something of a cynical humor about people stranding or killing themselves for having underpowered vehicles or lacking preparation.
I once broke down just leaving some of the curves in the pass, but knowing that kind of thing could happen I had flares, blinkers, magnetic stick-on lights, and hyper-powerful (like "the mountain valley becomes day" powerful) flashlights to shine at oncoming vehicles.
Even then I was lucky: I had just come out of the curves and had some straight road between me and the vehicles coming through. If I had not I would have had to run out as fast as possible, lament whatever liabilities I would get as cars smashed into mine--then one after another into themselves like a piling-up train, but take with me special gear: get stuck inside of a river valley in Colorado and, summer or not, you can die from exposure to that wind, and have little to no hope of getting out quickly enough (or of people stopping). I was in a river valley, but had hyper-thermal winter gear, a wind tent (that I know how to set-up in minutes), and other prep to insure "not going to die in this type of situation." (I learned this in a hard fashion in college.)
So FULL prep for UNLIKELY scenarios is a GOOD idea. Certainly "it will usually be fine" yet I know for a fact (besides talking with my own tow driver at that point, a family member had a shop in Grand Junction) that many, many people break-down after that climb-and-dive and all the curves and stresses.
The distance is also deceptive: mountains curve and climb so what you think is a 4 hour journey can easily become a lot more. And then there's the weather: mountains from area to area are basically create many unique and varied climates and ecosystems.
I love the mountains--but then I love getting caught in blizzards at their summits with sleet and low lighting: I love that desolate, brown/gray, and remoteness even in the worst conditions that will kill ordinary men if they step-out for very long. And this is anther area to talk about: you get that high and the thin air + deadly cold temps will do you in quicker; in an open area and the wind will chill you to the core like you wouldn't believe--Colorado is a high plateau central to a continent, so our mountains in high areas will actually see temperatures like you would expect in the arctic. It's. no. joke. (I add that my wind tint is water-proof and the equipment I take can get me through -40 degrees C.)
And people come here "because it's PRETTY!"
I've left midnight in perfect summery weather, climbed into blizzards, descended into torrents of water flowing over the highways and down into the abysses of cliffs in the white river national forest area, into those dark river valleys where I know the temperature adjusted for wind chill might be -15 or more degrees below, and come out into hot dessert, all within the span of 6 or so hours (driving really, really fast). If you're not stupid you MUST be prepared...
And acclimated. When you drive from a 5280 up through 9000+ and back down again, you better have more than [a lot of] water: you better already be acclimated to that 5280, healthy to take the rapid ascent/descent...and did I mention prepared? e.g. had I not broken down my last trip through the pass towards Grand Junction (I only ended-up returning since the event I was heading toward was missed), then I would have also gone into the salt dessert of Utah...I was prepped for surviving that too.
Did I mention that throughout many of the areas of passes, valleys, curves in the areas carved out by rivers...there is no cell phone coverage? And about being prepared?
When you are prepped--not just with equipment but also training, then you've mitigated a lot of the risks. It's also a good idea to have a vehicle that can sustain some significant engine damage but keep running till you're sure you're in a good spot to pull off. Given that family shop in Grand Junction and what they saw--and even having good vehicles yet deciding (to themselves) they weren't enough, I just say "really prep for worst cast scenarios so that they likely never will bite you." A ton of ordinary people in Grand Junction have the usual suspect of a car or SUV but they're just not properly ready--it usually goes alright, until something goes terribly wrong.
And winters can definitely freeze-up/shut down those passes: when the roads close they can also = "I'm stranded on this highway until it actually opens again or authorities can make it to me to help me evac." SO...plan for all that, get a little training, and learn to check weather and you can worry far less--and enjoy those awful storms and the raw beauty of blizzards with sleet pouring buckets on you at 9000 feet when oddly enough the sky seems clear and the moon is out. (Yep: I've actually seen this.)
This is so true.
We spend a lot of time in Colorado, have a place outside Boulder. Anyhow, I got caught in a small hail storm one time hiking in the Rocky Mountain National Park. The weather looked great, partly cloudy with some clearing. I was standing around taking photos of dream lake when I started hearing thunder. About 15-20 minutes later I was in the middle of a severe storm that popped up out of no where. It wasn't a lot of rain but it was lighting like crazy with hail. The closest thing resembling a shelter was a one mile hike. So I stood under a tree dodging the hail...probably not the best place to be with lightning but didn't see any better options.
So ya, the weather in them mountains can change on a dime and cell phones are useless most of the time. If you're gonna spend a great deal of time driving around in the mountains, you may consider a satellite phone...there are no guarantees and they cost a bit more than a cell phone. Preparations is a key for sure! I never leave without at least placing enough food and water in my vehicle for a day or two plus misc other things.
Vehicles, AWD is king, 4WD is okay...but I would probably avoid trucks and high center gravity SUVs. I strongly suggest a Subaru Outback...and that is coming from someone who basically hates imports. My personal vehicle is a Ford Raptor, I love this truck and it's done me well. I have driven it all over Texas, Colorado, and parts of Wyoming without an issue. But, as much as I love my truck, I realized it's not the best vehicle for Colorado during the winter time. So the wife and I picked up a Subaru Outback. You really can not go wrong with an AWD in Colorado folks!
Anyhow, not sure if that helps or frightens anyone but just my .02.
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(Yep: I've actually seen this.)
. Are you a writer? If not, you have excellent descriptive technique! That all sounds a bit harrowing (and well out of my skill set); but, so incredibly adventurous!
