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I am a looking into moving to one of these states. I love nature and the outdoors I also love having museums and places of science,art and culture to enjoy.Politically I am very left I tend to support people like Bernie Seanders,Dennis Kucinich,Jill Stein and support political party wise Independents,Greens and Progressives.I would love to know which you would recommend and why thank you.
Minnesota would be your best if you're looking at Minneapolis-St Paul. Otherwise overall Colorado is probably a better choice, unless you find Santa Fe NM hard to pass up which I would put right behind MSP.
All three will offer to some degree of what you are looking for. Outdoor activities, several cultural venues, and tend to tilt more left than right at least in Minnesota and Colorado, although New Mexico has voted blue for the past 12 or 8 years. Anyway my take:
The sexy choice would be Colorado.
The heady choice is Minnesota.
I know very little about New Mexico although I have heard the Sandia Mountains are beautiful.
And yes, for those who are unfamiliar it gets quite cold in Minnesota during the traditional winter months.
Last edited by sandlapper; 11-08-2015 at 03:01 PM..
Colorado (Denver/Boulder)
Minnesota (Twin Cities)
New Mexico (Albuquerque)
Winter in Colorado can occasionally be cold, but the average daytime high never falls below 40 degrees. Days with highs in the 50s and 60s and even the occasional 70 are not uncommon in December, January, and February. Not a lot in the way of lakes here, but there's plenty of pine forest in the foothills and mountains. Speaking of the mountains - nothing beats the summit of a 13er or 14er on a bluebird summer day. Only drawback is the COL is going up rapidly here.
Minnesota has plenty of lakes and forest land, but the topography cannot compare to the Rockies. The winters there suck. The sky is routinely gray and the temps are cold enough for snow to stick on the ground for months on end. Summers in the Upper Midwest are no picnic, either. Highs in the mid-upper 80s with humidity around 45-55%.
Albuquerque is nice. Lower COL than Denver, but it's smaller and doesn't have the breadth of amenities that either Denver or the Twin Cities have. No 14ers, either.
Minnesota weather is not for the feint of heart. The entire state is an icebox Nov-March.
The truly cold months are December-February. November and March can both be very mild (and even warm). Today, for instance, it was 60ºF with glorious autumn sunshine.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bluescreen73
Minnesota has plenty of lakes and forest land, but the topography cannot compare to the Rockies. The winters there suck. The sky is routinely gray and the temps are cold enough for snow to stick on the ground for months on end. Summers in the Upper Midwest are no picnic, either. Highs in the mid-upper 80s with humidity around 45-55%.
It's funny you mention that it's routinely grey here in the winter — compared to basically anywhere to the east of Minnesota, it's very sunny and clear in comparison. Most winter days are brilliantly sunny with a high of about 20–25ºF. Really, it's not bad at all.
Winter air in Minnesota is bone dry, so the cold doesn't penetrate you like it does out East. Sometimes my favorite time to go for a walk is when it's a beautiful sunny day in January, and it's so cold the snow squeaks under your shoes. I love bundling up and taking walks around the lake when it's like that because it's so invigorating. On days like that, you'll see hordes of people ice sailing, skating, cross-country skiing, playing hockey, simply walking the dog, and kids go sledding at the neighborhood hill. We have entire festivals out on frozen lakes in the winter. The St. Paul Winter Carnival builds huge ice palaces and has ice sculpture contests, even ice bars and Red Bull Crashed Ice (which is a huge event unto itself). We know how to make the best of winters here.
The truly cold months are December-February. November and March can both be very mild (and even warm). Today, for instance, it was 60ºF with glorious autumn sunshine.
I lived fairly close by for 12 years. The winter of 2013 was the straw that broke the camel's back. -60 with windchill, polar vortex conditions. Much happier down south now.
The grey skies suck too, bigtime. I can see why it would cause depression.
I lived fairly close by for 12 years. The winter of 2013 was the straw that broke the camel's back. -60 with windchill, polar vortex conditions. Much happier down south now.
That is a gross exaggeration. Unless you were in far northern Minnesota, you did not experience -60 windchill. I don't think I've ever seen windchill like that in my entire life growing up here in the Twin Cities.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mandalorian
The grey skies suck too, bigtime. I can see why it would cause depression.
Like I said...skies really aren't that grey here in the winter. Maybe a few days a month.
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