[magellan]

Originally Posted by MGD

See what I mean...as the sole breadwinner in my family, that's the kind of job I need right there...

Thanks for the news on Goodwill etc.



Thanks for that heads up on the 7-11!

Got married...sigh...maybe I will be so lucky. To remarry that is.



Great news! And good to know I may actually have a good shot at being able to STAY there with the RN training!

(It's also only 7 hours from Toronto...whenever I get to do a road trip again that's ON the list! I love road trips!)

Be sure to check out Cross Village and Legs Inn when you're up there, and take M-119 to get there. Just google map it. Mackinac Island is also worth the trip.

[MGD]

Originally Posted by magellan

Be sure to check out Cross Village and Legs Inn when you're up there, and take M-119 to get there. Just google map it. Mackinac Island is also worth the trip.

You sure you don't work for the area tourist board?

lol

[magellan]

Originally Posted by MGD

You sure you don't work for the area tourist board?

lol

Haha! No. I don't even live near Traverse City. But if they'd like to pay me, I'd certainly consider it.

Our family has a cottage near there, so we're up 4 to 5 times a summer.

[suydam]

I have to agree with Magellan, there was a point in my life (earlier in my career) where I considered relative poverty just for a chance to live in TC year-round. Winters are harsh, but you'll actually be able to get out and enjoy them too.... more snow and less mud, if you know what I mean.

I don't know that you'll find it all that tough to acclimate (then again, I've never lived in Florida). Buy yourself some sleds and take your kids out to enjoy it. They'll love it and look forward to winter I suspect (mine do, and we're 2.5 hours south of TC).

As for the local economy, don't immediately write it off. You may find you like it up there and find yourself a Nursing job locally.

I'll tell you, in terms of having a nice little downtown and nearby natural beauty, Traverse City is probably the best spot in Michigan. The only downside (in my opinion) is that it's expensive to travel away once you live there. The airport is tiny, so you're either paying top dollar to fly or you're stuck driving 4 hours to DTW, 2.5 hours to GRR or 6 hours to MDW in order to catch a flight.

[MGD]

Originally Posted by suydam

I have to agree with Magellan, there was a point in my life (earlier in my career) where I considered relative poverty just for a chance to live in TC year-round. Winters are harsh, but you'll actually be able to get out and enjoy them too.... more snow and less mud, if you know what I mean.

I don't know that you'll find it all that tough to acclimate (then again, I've never lived in Florida). Buy yourself some sleds and take your kids out to enjoy it. They'll love it and look forward to winter I suspect (mine do, and we're 2.5 hours south of TC).

As for the local economy, don't immediately write it off. You may find you like it up there and find yourself a Nursing job locally.

I'll tell you, in terms of having a nice little downtown and nearby natural beauty, Traverse City is probably the best spot in Michigan. The only downside (in my opinion) is that it's expensive to travel away once you live there. The airport is tiny, so you're either paying top dollar to fly or you're stuck driving 4 hours to DTW, 2.5 hours to GRR or 6 hours to MDW in order to catch a flight.

How much are sleds?

And how come you just said up top you considered relative "poverty" to live there...then tell me not to write off the local economy? lol...Seems a big bad warning not to expect much...

Yes the town sounds like a better version of where I am living now...here the town has grown to a small city, and is too spread out in florida style to walk anywhere (public transport is rather sketchy too)...but it's still small enough that it only has a regional airport, therefore normal-price flights require a 2.5 mile drive to jacksonville, or a 4 hour drive to tampa or orlando, or atlanta.

And it does slow down the ability to get out of here...but that hasn't been an issue as i haven't had the money to anyway, lol.

I didn't want to write off the local economy, so it's good people feel there is high hope for a job in the field i am going into there...I just didn't want to get my hopes high unrealistically. The fact that as slow as peopl say it is there,they still feel I'll do fine with nursing...speaks volumes as to whether I am doing the right thing...plus while I hate uprooting my kids...living in a good school zone and becoming something useful and needed so we don't end up in the ghetto HERE, is definitely a better route. Long as they get to go to a good school and see me everyday they will be fine.

[MGD]

Originally Posted by suydam

As for the local economy, don't immediately write it off. You may find you like it up there and find yourself a Nursing job locally.

.

Oh I'm an adjustable kind of woman, so unless the people there are racist, I already feel like I will love it there.

Might be a little isolating if I find after starting work fulltime years are going by and I am meeting no interested, eligible men for company though.

[Rapunzll]

Suydam, when I worked at the CVB, I always told people to price airfare two ways directly into or out of Cherry Capital Airport, which is small, but nice, or Detroit or Grand Rapids. I have found that if I am switching planes, very often the difference in airfare is negligible, whereas if I was flying direct, flying from TVC was very pricey. If you are flying into or out of GR or DTW, you have to take into account your drive time, and gas, the possibly a hotel if you have an early flight. I very rarely drove somewhere to fly somewhere else.

[MGD]

Originally Posted by Rapunzll

Suydam, when I worked at the CVB, I always told people to price airfare two ways directly into or out of Cherry Capital Airport, which is small, but nice, or Detroit or Grand Rapids. I have found that if I am switching planes, very often the difference in airfare is negligible, whereas if I was flying direct, flying from TVC was very pricey. If you are flying into or out of GR or DTW, you have to take into account your drive time, and gas, the possibly a hotel if you have an early flight. I very rarely drove somewhere to fly somewhere else.

Thanks for the heads up.

I seriously doubt I will be flying anywhere at all for the 2 years of nursing school though...and probably for the first year on the job as well, while I get finances sorted out. If I can't rent a car and get there for a weekend or an extended weekend, it likely isn't happening for now. Seems to be lots to explore and get to know in the area, so I should be okay.

Also, why does Greyhound not seem to have a stop there? I figured if I wanted to head to Detroit I may not necessarily want to be bothered renting and driving, especially in the winter...but Greyhound either uses some kind of partner company or simply doesn't go there at all?

[Rapunzll]

Originally Posted by MGD

Thanks for the heads up.

I seriously doubt I will be flying anywhere at all for the 2 years of nursing school though...and probably for the first year on the job as well, while I get finances sorted out. If I can't rent a car and get there for a weekend or an extended weekend, it likely isn't happening for now. Seems to be lots to explore and get to know in the area, so I should be okay.

Also, why does Greyhound not seem to have a stop there? I figured if I wanted to head to Detroit I may not necessarily want to be bothered renting and driving, especially in the winter...but Greyhound either uses some kind of partner company or simply doesn't go there at all?

Greyhound/Trailways does stop in TC, but I used to tell callers that I wouldn't wish the bus trip on my worst enemy! I haven't checked in a few years, but it used to take something like eight hours by bus to get to Petoskey, which is an hour and a half drive. That's because it was a 'puddle jumper' and stopped at a lot of small towns on the way, and they were not exactly taking a direct route.
Transportation - - Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau

[MGD]

Originally Posted by Rapunzll

Greyhound/Trailways does stop in TC, but I used to tell callers that I wouldn't wish the bus trip on my worst enemy! I haven't checked in a few years, but it used to take something like eight hours by bus to get to Petoskey, which is an hour and a half drive. That's because it was a 'puddle jumper' and stopped at a lot of small towns on the way, and they were not exactly taking a direct route.
Transportation - - Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau

Ohhhh no no...I want to reach there sometime in my lifetime, lol...

4 hours for a 1.5 hour trip?

So times that by 4 to get to Detroit then. OUCH.

I'm just thinking if I want to travel in the deep snow, it would be nice to simply get on board and let others worry about the driving. Ah well. I doubt I will have much reason to leave though.

What about getting hair done? Where in Traverse City does black people's hair? For that matter what's the percentage of the city that isn't white, and what are they?

(Yes, I was originally assuming I would need to head to Detroit about once every 2 or 3 months to get my hair done, cause the town's population says 14,000 and nothing that small usually has somebody to handle my hair)