Mountain Home Questions (Boise, Sun Valley, Hope: Home Depot, employment, to buy)

[TopKnot]

Thinking about moving to Mountain Home. Wife and I are 50 years old and I'm retired US Air Force. We live in the Southeast US right now and allergies are a problem. Mainly pine, mold and pollen allergies.

1. Is Mountain Home a good place to live if afflicted with these allergies?
2. What about hiking opportunities? How far to "get away from it all" in the mountains for a day hike?
3. Trout Stream fishing? How far away for good trout fishing in streams/creeks?
4. Hear there is no "Home Improvement Stores" like Home Depot. How long a drive is it to buy a bunch of plumbing supplies to rework a kitchen sink for example.
5. Boise Airport: Is it easy to get flights out without having to spend an arm or leg as opposed to living in say, Ogden Utah?

Thinking about Ogden UT and Great Falls, MT as an alternative.

[MomsTn]

Have you ever been to Mountain Home?
If you haven't forget it's name.
There are no mountains there.
It's in the middle of a deserty sage brush area.

The air can get a bit dry and dusty.

It's a little under an hour to drive to Boise.
Boise has a good airport, with reasonable prices.

Originally Posted by TopKnot

Thinking about moving to Mountain Home. Wife and I are 50 years old and I'm retired US Air Force. We live in the Southeast US right now and allergies are a problem. Mainly pine, mold and pollen allergies.

1. Is Mountain Home a good place to live if afflicted with these allergies?
2. What about hiking opportunities? How far to "get away from it all" in the mountains for a day hike?
3. Trout Stream fishing? How far away for good trout fishing in streams/creeks?
4. Hear there is no "Home Improvement Stores" like Home Depot. How long a drive is it to buy a bunch of plumbing supplies to rework a kitchen sink for example.
5. Boise Airport: Is it easy to get flights out without having to spend an arm or leg as opposed to living in say, Ogden Utah?

Thinking about Ogden UT and Great Falls, MT as an alternative.

[Crew Chief]

Topknot, I retired from MHAFB in '97. I enjoyed my time there and we did consider remaining in the area (lived in Boise). (An overseas job for my wife lured us away) IMHO, competition for base services would be less than at Hill, I believe. (Haven't been to Malmstrom) Not sure about the allergies issue; we had no problems there but my wife suffers here in the Wright-Patt area... Unless a Home Depot or Lowe's has opened since we left the base, the only thing Mountain Home had was a smaller "Do-it" Center. Boise, of course will have a large selection of home Improvement stores. Fishing, hiking and anything else you want to do is either locally or not too far away. Nearby C.J. Strike Dam has a rec area run by MHAFB. We flew in and out of Boise's airport and found fares reasonable (for it's location) Flight availability was good, as well. Best of luck in your research!

[Syringaloid]

Originally Posted by IdahoReturn

Have you ever been to Mountain Home?
If you haven't forget it's name.
There are no mountains there.
It's in the middle of a deserty sage brush area.

The air can get a bit dry and dusty.

It's a little under an hour to drive to Boise.
Boise has a good airport, with reasonable prices.

That is strange. When I drive through Mountain Home on the Interstate to Sun Valley I see mountains in all directions and there are some tall, craggy, snow capped peaks you can see just north of the interstate (visible towering over a lower ridge of mountains) before you enter Mountain Home from Boise. The city itself is on a plain (flat ground) but there are definately mountains visible in all directions. Within 20 minutes drive of Mountain Home heading to Sun Valley you actually enter the mountains. True the town itself is not "in the mountains" but it is "by the mountains".
If I was looking for a town near Boise to live in I would look West of Boise rather than East. The Western metro area is beautiful and full of lush farmlands.

[MomsTn]

This is true, you can see mountains... but, Mountain Home is not on a mountain or in the mountains.
Originally, the town was 8 miles from the Mountain Home of today... but, they moved the town to "Rattlesnake".
They then, changed the name to Mountain Home.
If it wasn't for the Air Force Base, the town probably wouldn't be as big as it is today.

Originally Posted by Syringaloid

That is strange. When I drive through Mountain Home on the Interstate to Sun Valley I see mountains in all directions and there are some tall, craggy, snow capped peaks you can see just north of the interstate (visible towering over a lower ridge of mountains) before you enter Mountain Home from Boise. The city itself is on a plain (flat ground) but there are definately mountains visible in all directions. Within 20 minutes drive of Mountain Home heading to Sun Valley you actually enter the mountains. True the town itself is not "in the mountains" but it is "by the mountains".
If I was looking for a town near Boise to live in I would look West of Boise rather than East. The Western metro area is beautiful and full of lush farmlands.

[Bolsitka]

Originally Posted by TopKnot

Thinking about moving to Mountain Home. Wife and I are 50 years old and I'm retired US Air Force. We live in the Southeast US right now and allergies are a problem. Mainly pine, mold and pollen allergies.

1. Is Mountain Home a good place to live if afflicted with these allergies?
2. What about hiking opportunities? How far to "get away from it all" in the mountains for a day hike?
3. Trout Stream fishing? How far away for good trout fishing in streams/creeks?
4. Hear there is no "Home Improvement Stores" like Home Depot. How long a drive is it to buy a bunch of plumbing supplies to rework a kitchen sink for example.
5. Boise Airport: Is it easy to get flights out without having to spend an arm or leg as opposed to living in say, Ogden Utah?

Thinking about Ogden UT and Great Falls, MT as an alternative.

I know this message is getting to you a little late but I want to comment anyway. Mtn. Home is set in the desert part of Idaho. During some of the wind storms you can find tumbleweed walls up against your house. It's a small town right off the interstate about 40 miles from Boise, it doesn't have a Home Depot(that's in Boise). It has a small hospital, but if you need it for anything crucial than it's safer to travel to St. Lukes in Boise. My mom had the same kind of allergies-she lived on base with my sister, and it was hard for her at times, but she was used to living in Ontario, Oregon (about 2 hrs. north of Mtn. Home), not as deserty as Mtn. Home, but caused some allergies.
If you like to go to the bases to shop, I would just live on the outer part of Boise that's not far from Mtn. Home, but close enough to travel. The base is about 10 miles from Mtn Home itself. Good luck on your decision.

[scottishbloom]

TopKnot

PLEASE PLEASE check out Great Falls before you move there - it's AWFUL !! Plateau, windy living and the stench (yep not smell!) from the oil refinery is really bad. The people are friendly enough but the employment choices are not great. The base there, Malmstrom AFB, doesn't offer much, and it is hard to get appointments even as deps. It's just over an hour to Helena (not even worth the drive) and 4-5 hours (dep. on weather) to Billings, which has more to offer retail wise. My hubby loved the fishing though and yes the gateway to the mountains is close by (30 mins) and quite lovely.

[TopKnot]

Originally Posted by scottishbloom

TopKnot

PLEASE PLEASE check out Great Falls before you move there - it's AWFUL !! Plateau, windy living and the stench (yep not smell!) from the oil refinery is really bad. The people are friendly enough but the employment choices are not great. The base there, Malmstrom AFB, doesn't offer much, and it is hard to get appointments even as deps. It's just over an hour to Helena (not even worth the drive) and 4-5 hours (dep. on weather) to Billings, which has more to offer retail wise. My hubby loved the fishing though and yes the gateway to the mountains is close by (30 mins) and quite lovely.

ScottishBloom: I lived in Great Falls for 6+ years and loved it. In the last 4 months we had all but decided to move to Great Falls. Then the job fell into my lap at Mountain Home. Thanks for your words of wisdom on Great Falls. Goes to show you the old statement of "diiferent strokes for different folks" remain true to this day. Hopefully I will enjoy Mountain Home at least half as much as I enjoyed Great Falls...then I'll be happy.