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I'd probably change that to Santa Fe / Los Alamos personally, and the areas north of them. Albuquerque gets a little too hot for me.
It's a dry heat though, actually more comfortable than most of the East Coast, even your fav New Hampshire. 90 degrees in dry heat feels like around 78 in humid heat.
If considering location with career opportunities as well as the rest of your criteria I would venture Northern Virginia as being a great option. While somewhat expensive in some areas the job-rich Dulles Airport corridor provides more inexpensive locations (relative to the area) like Ashburn or Leesburg as well as planned communities like Broadlands, Brambleton and South Riding that are family friendly with good schools. It's an absolutely beautiful area in close proximity to Virginia Wine Country (VA wines are actually very good!), the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains. It's also a rather fertile area so you'll see lots of local produce via farmers markets, festivals and roadside stands.
I suspect anywhere east of the 'plains that has snowy winters is going to have a mud season. Where there's humidity and snow, you're going to have melt and some weeks or months where everything is soggy.
I don't think Vermont is quite what you're looking for, but my 2 cents on its seasons:
Spring - Everyone says the Northeast has glorious autumns and lousy springs, while the opposite is true in the West (because of mud season). I feel differently though. After a long, cold winter, when the sun comes out, temperature rises above freezing and flowers bloom, it's glorious. Things are soggy and slushy for a while but the land is verdant and flowers are everywhere. You can expect the weather to turn and get occasional snowshowers into April, however.
A couple of pictures I've taken during each season:
Summer - Vermont summers are incredible. The days are endless; in June, it's still twilight at 10pm, and the sky starts lightening again at 4:30. Most years (this year being an exception) you can count on one hand the number of days you'll wish for air conditioning. Generally, you open the windows in May and don't close them until late October. There are a few afternoons each week hot enough to jump in the water and enjoy it, but most are the sort you want to just sit on the lawn with a book and soak up the sun.
Hiking with my brother:
Autumn - Starting in October, the trees start to change, and evenings get a bit chilly. As the leaves drop, the mountains come out of hiding from behind the foliage. Pumpkins and squash, warm pies from the oven and drives through the mountains are what come to mind.
Winter - Starting usually in December but sometimes not until early January, everything turns white. There are a few weeks in the middle where it's bitterly cold, but for the most part, if you're dressed for it, it's fun to be outside. I usually walk to get my groceries in all but the coldest weeks, and take my car to empty parking lots after a fresh snow to tool around. Sometimes the short days and darkness can be oppressive, but it's a great time to celebrate with friends and family. Warm cocoa while watching the snow fall is lovely.
Vermont isn't for everyone, but it's one of the few places I've been where the streets and sidewalks are filled with people who enjoy being outside year-round.
Awesome photos Ecky! Vermont certainly looks like a beautiful place. The snow part wouldn't really be a deal breaker, as I just mentioned to ckh above as well. That was just kind of my "perfect" seasons. I would be kind of scared for my first winter somewhere like Vermont, but may be willing to give it a chance if everything else fell into place. I would also worry about being so far from larger cities, as far as Vermont goes. We are actually looking for somewhere a little smaller, but I am not sure I could deal with what seems like isolation, in Vermont.
Well, it isn't necessarily a deal breaker, and if I found an area I fell in love with, I might be willing to try it out. I just don't want to be somewhere that I am stuck inside during blizzard conditions a few times a year. Yes, I know, that may be an exaggeration, as I have never lived up there, and only rely on anecdotes. Would love to check out the northeast though.
I understand...For instance, I wouldn’t suggest some area like the Tug Hill Plateau in NY, which gets a LOT of snow on average, but most metros/urban areas have a variation in average snowfall totals(usually east of the lakes).
Say you were open to Buffalo, an area known for its snow, you may like a scenic community like Lewiston that is north of the city. I say that because the average snowfall north of the city is lower than south of the city(close proximity to a snow band coming off of Lake Erie). So, that is a nuance to consider when searching through different areas.
The Willamette valley in Oregon has 4 distinct seasons with winter being the weakest if you like snow. OTOH, I can drive about 15 miles and be in 3 ft of snow. Willamette pass ski area is about 35 miles away. We do get some snow, up to about a foot, usually gone in less then a week.
Early spring can be pretty dreary, but late April,May can be great. Summer is pretty great with some periods of 90 plus degrees, but generally mid 80's. Early fall is great, but by October things get a bit dreary again. It's a pretty benign environment, but not for everybody.
Awesome photos Ecky! Vermont certainly looks like a beautiful place. The snow part wouldn't really be a deal breaker, as I just mentioned to ckh above as well. That was just kind of my "perfect" seasons. I would be kind of scared for my first winter somewhere like Vermont, but may be willing to give it a chance if everything else fell into place. I would also worry about being so far from larger cities, as far as Vermont goes. We are actually looking for somewhere a little smaller, but I am not sure I could deal with what seems like isolation, in Vermont.
Boston is around 3 hours away, and Montreal is a bit less than 2. Burlington has most everything I need though; it's surprising how many amenities it has for its small population. Nearby Williston has most of the box stores you'd want (no Target), and there are lots of great restaurants, art studios, co-ops, movie theaters, music venues, etc. all within walking distance, depending on where you live.
Again, not for everyone, but I'd say it's worth at least a visit for most.
EDIT: I'm originally from Florida and before moving up here, winters were a terrifying prospect for me. I love them now.
This eliminates the whole East Coast. You really want a place like Denver. It has great seasonality but because it's so dry when the snow melts the ground is not mushy. Another option would be somewhere like Lake Tahoe, with perfectly dry summers, very mild falls, cold and snowy winters, and glorious springs with no mud season (again the dryness of CA and rocky soil doesn't permit that).
Maybe so, but after hearing that most places in the east do indeed have "mud season", I may just have to deal with that, or possibly stay a little further south. I would prefer to be more to the east, just due to family, but wouldn't rule out the west if the right opportunity presented itself.
We have actually spent a decent amount of time out in Colorado (Denver, Colo Springs, Boulder, Estes Park, and around Ft. Collins), and really enjoyed it. I worry a little about the housing stock out there, just from what I have seen. Not necessarily the pricing, but more the small yards, and yards with no grass. I realize that probably isn't everywhere, but I think I may prefer an area that isn't so... new, I guess? I'm not real into the new neighborhood look and feel, which seems to dominate the Denver area.
Lake Tahoe is gorgeous (we have spent a week there too), but I worry about it being so touristy in nature.
Albuquerque sounds PERFECT for you. No, really. It does.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EckyX
I'd probably change that to Santa Fe / Los Alamos personally, and the areas north of them. Albuquerque gets a little too hot for me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cBach
It's a dry heat though, actually more comfortable than most of the East Coast, even your fav New Hampshire. 90 degrees in dry heat feels like around 78 in humid heat.
Really? I will freely admit, I have never had New Mexico on my radar. It looks like a beautiful spot, but I don't think it would be for us. We enjoy the green of the eastern US, and I actually enjoy rain every now and then as well. I will have to do some more research on it though.
If considering location with career opportunities as well as the rest of your criteria I would venture Northern Virginia as being a great option. While somewhat expensive in some areas the job-rich Dulles Airport corridor provides more inexpensive locations (relative to the area) like Ashburn or Leesburg as well as planned communities like Broadlands, Brambleton and South Riding that are family friendly with good schools. It's an absolutely beautiful area in close proximity to Virginia Wine Country (VA wines are actually very good!), the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains. It's also a rather fertile area so you'll see lots of local produce via farmers markets, festivals and roadside stands.
This is actually one of the areas we have talked about. I am from North Carolina (Winston-Salem) originally, and have spent a decent amount of time in northern VA, and the mountain areas as a kid. Leesburg is one of the areas that popped up on our list, after seeing some pictures posted by a friend of ours that now lives in Harper's Ferry, WV. I believe it was around their 4th of July parade.
We have actually spent a decent amount of time out in Colorado (Denver, Colo Springs, Boulder, Estes Park, and around Ft. Collins), and really enjoyed it. I worry a little about the housing stock out there, just from what I have seen. Not necessarily the pricing, but more the small yards, and yards with no grass. I realize that probably isn't everywhere, but I think I may prefer an area that isn't so... new, I guess? I'm not real into the new neighborhood look and feel, which seems to dominate the Denver area.
Lake Tahoe is gorgeous (we have spent a week there too), but I worry about it being so touristy in nature.
My impression is that, generally speaking, most of the West is not going to have grass like you're accustomed to; lawns you find are more exceptions, or owned by people who use a lot of water keeping them from drying out. Starting around the midpoint of TX/OK/KS and the Dakotas, things get arid. Humidity west of there is low and so high temperatures feel much more pleasant. East of that line, you get a lot more greenery but also humidity, muggy summers and, in the spring, mud. Pick your poison.
Personally, if I were to move from Vermont, I'd be interested (just looking at weather) in Boulder, CO Springs, Tahoe, Santa Fe or possibly somewhere in ID/MT. The Northwest is too dreary and I'd miss having "real" winters, though it is very green there.
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