Starting to come around... (live, beach, vacation)

[nelumbo]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

2) You clearly are an easterner at heart and not a lover the Western US.

This is me. I have traveled extensively across the southwest, and have also been to WY/UT/MT - driving and flying. It is nice to visit for a limited time, but I really don't want to live there. Been to Vegas, which doesn't do much for me. At this point, I've been to NM and southwestern CO so many times (family) that I am beyond bored with it. And driving across WY (twice) was more than enough - the desolation was just not my cup of tea.

When I talk with coworkers, etc, who have lived in CO for decades, it often turns out that I've visited more 'attractions' across the state than they have. Most of these are places that were nice enough, but I don't feel the need to go back again.

[formercalifornian]

I know lots of people who adore Vegas, but it does nothing for me. Sorry, Vegaspilgrim.

[CMartel2]

Originally Posted by formercalifornian

Denver is a bit of an island, and I miss the east coast terribly. We only lived there for a couple of years, and there just wasn't enough time for me to drink it all in. Denver is new and clean, and the views are extraordinary, but you just can't get in your car and drive to Gettysburg or Mount Vernon for the day. While that kind of stuff isn't important to everybody, to me the access to early American history was a great blessing.

Ahhh... That's just it! I see Denver as far from an island. Denver is one of the few places in this country where I can go to truly soak in the majesty of the Rocky Mountain West and still have ample job opportunity. In Denver you're just a short drive from endless mountain passes down rocky dirt roads. There's endless free entertainment in hiking and snow-shoeing. You're a 3-weekend roadtrip from the Tetons or Yellowstone. Or dare I say the roadtrip through the majesty of Montana.

I get the historic thing. It's nice. The desire to move from DC to NYC to Boston... not so much.

I guess we're all suited to our own pursuits. You couldn't pay me to live in that Northeast corridor. And I'm the type you'd normally associate with that....went to a top 20 university, lover of art history, history.... Give me the history of the West. A bit more rugged people. I couldn't care less about "diversity" as it is frequently used. Everyone has his own story.

[kristenfromdenver]

The #1 advantage to Denver to me is that you can actually live IN the city and walk downtown for events. So although Denver is smaller, I think I take advantage of it more than I would if I lived in Chicago. For people who aren't millionaires and can't afford to live in the best blocks in Manhattan, I find this to be an advantage. And, to address the "nothing to do around Denver" comment, instead of driving to a nearby city, I go to the Grand Canyon, or Lake Powell, or Sante Fe or something like that. It takes some getting used to at first, but it works for me!

[HighlandsGal]

Originally Posted by formercalifornian

The older I get, the more I'm convinced that you're either an ocean person or a mountain person. I'm a ocean person married to a mountain person. Such is life!

I'm neither. I am a Great Lakes person! Fresh water, white sandy beaches (on Lake Michigan's eastern side anyway).

[DenverLawGal]

Former and Highlands: I'm an ocean person. So is my DH. But Highlands, I'm wondering if you really are an ocean person. The great lakes are practically that. Do you think that maybe it's a water vs. mtn. thing?

[DenverLawGal]

I thought I was the only one. Everyone I know thinks Vegas is the bomb, but the desert was awful for me, just downright depressing. Even more depressing to me was the gambling scenario. Although I understand there is a lake there that is pretty cool. I didn't love the surroundings.

And since you lived on the east coast, were you near the sea?

Originally Posted by formercalifornian

I know lots of people who adore Vegas, but it does nothing for me. Sorry, Vegaspilgrim.

[formercalifornian]

Not right on the water, but close enough to wander the Inner Harbor every weekend. Our church was only a block away, so we were there twice a week (Wednesday night & Sunday morning). We lived in Ellicott City, which was about a 20-minute drive west on I-95.

[DenverLawGal]

Being that close to the water, and me living that far away from the water, I still think there are two types of people, those that want to be by the sea and those that are perfectly happy inland.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

This has been a great thread! So many diverse opinions about where in the country is the "best" place to live. It seems that where you grew up infuses you with something that you search for the rest of your life.

I'm one of the transplanted east coasters from Maryland/DC and I have lived in Colorado for thirty years. While I love Colorado and the mountains, I still miss the ocean (not lakes!) and the greenery. However, I've been out here so long that I've forgotten what it's like to live in humidity and grey skies that are the trade-offs for getting the greenery.

My husband is a native Coloradoan and has never lived by the ocean. He doesn't understand the pull that the ocean has on you. The good thing is that we are retiring to the Big Island of Hawaii in two years, and we will have both mountains (Mauna Kea is nearly 14,000 feet high) and ocean.