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Rruff, I’ve become more introverted over the years, but I think I have an inner gregarious spirit longing to come back out, lol.
Rodentraiser, I hear Spokane is lovely. I bet you’ll find the perfect spot to live and to go stargazing. It sounds like you were grocery store deprived at one time. Been there!
Retire and live in a van or RV like a lot of seniors are doing. That way you can roll around from place to place as the weather suits! LOL
I don't know if that would suit many people (although it suited me for 13 years when I was a youngster), but I think it's an excellent idea to spend a good portion of the year traveling.
For instance. Get a house in a nice place where everything is great except the summers are too hot. Then spend the summers traveling places where it's nice.
St George UT came to mind. Absolutely gorgeous area IMO, love southern UT. Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Lake Mead and Powell not too far. Conservative, affordable, low crime. Great climate except for summer. http://www.city-data.com/city/St.-George-Utah.html
St. George is still pretty Mormon. Conservative is one thing - and the community tends to be on the elder edge rather than the younger edge like it is in Northern Utah. It's just not diverse - but I realize many people like that. The tendency to get in your personal business is probably less - but it's still a nanny state.
And now that the current federal administration wants to mine and drill in public lands I suspect Southern Utah will be a target for that as well.
Someone said that "the culture of the place" was important. I agree wholeheartedly. Where we moved has a VERY conservative and privacy oriented population, and I'm having trouble relating to them. They seem to like me, but I don't feel very comfortable here because I feel like I have to watch every word I say (and I do). No one talks about any current events, even the horrible school shooting in Parkland. They are surface friendly only, even those we socialize with on a regular basis. Maybe everyone everywhere is like that now??
This is why we are leaving Utah. The culture is drab and it took a lot to "fit in". We still have not achieved that. I have trouble relating to people who are all up in your personal business about some things - but not others. It's a mindset after 28 years here that will be hard to shake.
I am very careful who I discuss current events with and I know the church line.
We're ready to go back to diversity of thought and community.
I don't know if that would suit many people (although it suited me for 13 years when I was a youngster), but I think it's an excellent idea to spend a good portion of the year traveling.
For instance. Get a house in a nice place where everything is great except the summers are too hot. Then spend the summers traveling places where it's nice.
St George UT came to mind. Absolutely gorgeous area IMO, love southern UT. Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Lake Mead and Powell not too far. Conservative, affordable, low crime. Great climate except for summer. http://www.city-data.com/city/St.-George-Utah.html
The dryness and relative lack of green would be a problem for me here.
St. George is still pretty Mormon. Conservative is one thing - and the community tends to be on the elder edge rather than the younger edge like it is in Northern Utah.
I admit, I've never lived there (have been there maybe 20 days total) and I know that southern UT is pretty Mormon. But there have been a lot of Californians moving there the last couple decades and the town has been booming. Maybe it isn't ideal for young and wild singles, but I think a retired person would get along just fine.
Pretty much all religions discriminate into "us" and "them" to a degree. They won't be your intimate friend unless they want to save your soul, which is really annoying. But I've found Mormons to be quite benign and courteous as a religious group. I've worked at a place where a majority were Mormon, and I had no complaints.
Regarding the dryness, right around town it's a desert, but it's a beautiful desert IMO. Very pretty colors and enough green to set it off. And it isn't far at all to pine covered mountains, just north of town.
Rruff, I’ve become more introverted over the years, but I think I have an inner gregarious spirit longing to come back out, lol.
Rodentraiser, I hear Spokane is lovely. I bet you’ll find the perfect spot to live and to go stargazing. It sounds like you were grocery store deprived at one time. Been there!
Spokane has come up a few times. If considering that area, Highly recommended is the Liberty Lake area.
Can anyone give me some ideas for retirement areas that tick my boxes?
1. Four seasons;
2. Mild winter (a few snows a few inches at a time is ideal);
3. Not hot or humid summer;
4. Conservative (fiscally AND politically);
5. Reasonably priced housing;
6. Low cost of living;
7. Possible waterfront living available;
8. No weird bugs, snakes or crocs in lakes/rivers, etc.
I'm having a hard time finding places to go that might match this wish list.
Thanks!
EDJ
1. Four seasons: Should be more specific. I had 4 seasons in NY, MD and TN but in TN the summer is very long (May feels like summer and it still feels like summer in September) and the Fall and Spring are short. I'm usually still in short sleeves the first two weeks of October.
3. What temperature do you consider to be hot? If you ask someone formerly from Florida they are going to give you a different answer than someone formerly from Minnesota. Personally, I start thinking it's too hot in the early 70s and put the air conditioner on. Others don't think it's too hot until it's 90 degrees.
4. You can look up voting. Here's the Election Map for the 2016 Presidential race. Click on the State you are interested in and the page that comes up will be a list of the counties in that State and the breakdown of the voting.
You might want to view online the newspapers of the towns' you are considering. See what the people do for fun. You should get a pretty good clue if the town is conservative or liberal by the town events and parades. Are the parades traditional i.e., Christmas/Independence Day/Memorial Day or something made up and generic (so no one is offended).
5. What's reasonably priced housing to you? Give some dollar range. "Reasonably priced" is subjective.
6. What's low COL to you? Give some examples.
8. Weird bugs?
You didn't mention it but you might want to say if you want to live in a tourist town or not. Some retirees like all of the offerings of tourist towns and others want to be as far away from them as possible.
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