Choosing between Kalispell,MT/Pagosa Springs,CO/Sandpoint,ID (Livingston: home, employment)

[mgold]

My husband and I are trying to decided between Sandpoint, ID, Kalispell, MT and Pagosa Springs,CO. We now live in Frisco,CO (near Breckenridge). We have never been to Sandpoint but will be going there in June to check it out. We will also be going to Kalispell during that trip too but we've spent time there before and enjoyed it even though it snowed in September. Some things that are important to us are: Schools, hospitals,& employment in area, and I would like to have change of seasons (a defined summer, fall, winter and spring). Don't get me wrong, I can handle a hard winter as long as the snow melts before May so we can have some spring. Any help would be appreciated! Thank you.
-Mgold

[bigtrees]

Can't tell you about Pagosa Springs or Sandpoint.

I can tell you about hard winter as defined by Kalispell. Much different than Colorado. It's basically Seattle weather except about 20 degrees colder so it snows instead of raining. The winters are very gray and you may go a long time (frequently a week, sometimes a month) without seeing the sun come out to shine. It's not cold like eastern Montana, so the snow will melt (doesn't melt away but goes from light fluffy snow to dense heavy snow) a bit between storms and the temperature will rise to about 35. It may get down to 0 or -20 for a week or two each winter but usually the temperature stays in the mid-teens to upper 20's for the low, and the upper twenties and mid thirties for the high.

Hope that helps.

[theRain]

Don't know about the Co. town, but Sandpoint is very nice, and reasonable distance to the AWESOME C'ouer D'Alene and then to Spokane. Nice region up there in Sandpoint, nice weather, you will have your seasons, but will be nicer than Kalispell, as the last poster stated, it is very dreary up in Kalispell for long stretches. And it is a long way to any major city from Kalispell. THat may be nice for vacations, but not for life.

[jimj]

Just be sure and do a google on sandpoint. If I'm not mistaken the militia groups and white supremasists that were chased out of MT ended up there.

[mgold]

Originally Posted by jimj

Just be sure and do a google on sandpoint. If I'm not mistaken the militia groups and white supremasists that were chased out of MT ended up there.

I heard about those. I also heard they rounded them up and are still trying to move them out. I will definitely look into those when we go up there in June. Thank you for reminding me of that issue.

[theRain]

Originally Posted by jimj

Just be sure and do a google on sandpoint. If I'm not mistaken the militia groups and white supremasists that were chased out of MT ended up there.

some years ago, for a brief time, you might have needed to think twice about this, but just about anywhere you go, you will find groups of morons such as the white supremacists/neo-nazis. There is a lot more to Sandpoint than that bit of notoriety!

[Galt]

Of the three, Kalispell is the biggest city, a very good sized city IMO. There are all the shopping conveniences you would need, plus lots of activity. The drawback is the gray skies in the winter.

Sandpoint is a very small town, without much employment and without many shopping resources. It is also very expensive. There is a lot of traffic going down to CdA and it's a long enough drive, it wouldn't be much fun to do it all the time...it's about 50 miles.

I'm not as familiar with Pagosa Springs, but it also is a small town. I think it's the prettiest of the three areas you mentioned, but it is remote and lacking in conveniences.

How important is shopping convenience? With the price of fuel now, I now value having plenty of stores near me, not only for groceries, but also for lumber, gardening supplies, misc. hardware, etc.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by jimj

Just be sure and do a google on sandpoint. If I'm not mistaken the militia groups and white supremasists that were chased out of MT ended up there.

Shhhhhhhh. Nobody was supposed to know where we went. hahahaha Just kidding.

That's a good point. I've heard something of the kind. Not that it would be a bad place to live, I mean, look at all the fire power around you. But it would be a place that I would be worried about my kids hearing and learning things at school or from classmates and not learning it from me.

I don't mind living in a neighborhood like that, but I know what I know and I'm not going to be influeinced by something I don't believe in.

[jimj]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

Shhhhhhhh. Nobody was supposed to know where we went. hahahaha Just kidding.

That's a good point. I've heard something of the kind. Not that it would be a bad place to live, I mean, look at all the fire power around you. But it would be a place that I would be worried about my kids hearing and learning things at school or from classmates and not learning it from me.

I don't mind living in a neighborhood like that, but I know what I know and I'm not going to be influeinced by something I don't believe in.

I just did a quick google search on various hate groups in Sandpoint and was kind of shocked at what came up. Glad I'm here and not there...

[AcornCrown]

We too are intersted in Sandpoint. It seems that we are looking at the same types of places & want simular things. We have a 2 year old & another baby on the way. The idea of militia scares the living daylights out of me...Not as much for me or my husband, but I am afraid of other kids & parents influencing my children when they are at school, etc. Although, both my husband & I are school teachers & will have a good idea of who our kids friends are. I too, wonder if these groups are as strong as they used to be several years ago.
We are also planing a trip in late June to visit the area. Other places of intrest are Dillion MO, Sherridian, WY, Livingston, MO..we will visit all this summer. Of anyone can advise about these places, I would greatly appreciate it. We want an artsy small mountain town with good education programs.
We plan to find/build a home that is partially solar (but not off the grid). Right now we are anglos living on the Navajo Reservation and the nearest food market is over a hour away. Shopping is not a big concern for us.