Am I dreaming? Lower humidity WV

[snorpus]

A lot depends on which side of Elkins you're starting on, I imagine. Google puts it at 1 hr 8 minutes from downtown Elkins, via 33 and 79. But from the east(south) side, towards Beverly, would have to add another 10 minutes at least.

At any rate, not a fun commute, especially in the winter.

[Threerun]

I'm actually considering looking in West Union (Dodridge). I've been in Bridgeport 3 months and I'm not sure I 'fit in'. A guy with a diesel truck, a bluetick coonhound and a penchant for hanging my own food in the backyard, lol.

[GottaHerdOn]

Originally Posted by snorpus

A lot depends on which side of Elkins you're starting on, I imagine. Google puts it at 1 hr 8 minutes from downtown Elkins, via 33 and 79. But from the east(south) side, towards Beverly, would have to add another 10 minutes at least.

At any rate, not a fun commute, especially in the winter.

We live 10 miles east of Elkins, our actual mailing address is Bowden. But we don't live like around all the campers and stuff. Ever hear of Alpena? or the Alpine Lodge. We moved out and built out there about 5 years ago to get away from people in Elkins and have "some" privacy. I checked my zip code stuff on here, 26254, and it like gained 1/2 its population in the 90's so I guess its slowly getting built up.

[mtneeratheart]

Gottaherdon it's so funny you mentioned the Alpine Lodge, our family has a vacation cabin near Moorefield and when I lived in Charleston we would always drive past that place on our way up. That entire area from outside Elkins up through Germany Valley is some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen.

[GottaHerdOn]

Originally Posted by jfronz

Gottaherdon it's so funny you mentioned the Alpine Lodge, our family has a vacation cabin near Moorefield and when I lived in Charleston we would always drive past that place on our way up. That entire area from outside Elkins up through Germany Valley is some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen.

My family owns a lot of land in the Alpena area, so yeah, I agree it is as close to heaven as it gets I think. I love the summers at home!!! I'm glad I've grown up and attended college in Huntington and everything, and I may go to like Florida for grad school. But I know I'm coming home eventually, and I can't wait!!!

[AliceT]

I have had respiratory problems since I was in diapers (long time ago). I found out after buying a house in WV that this is not a good place for me. It's not the humidity that bothers mine, but the coal dust from mines and smoke from house chimneys in the winter. Fine time to find out, huh? But the house I bought is between two active mines. My advice would be to steer clear of the coal mines and look around during the winter in the early morning. That way you will be able to see if any nearby houses use wood burning stoves.

Oh, and no matter what the Chamber of Commerce would like everyone to believe, the summer of 2007 was the hottest and dryest summer anyone in WV had ever seen. Bluefield serves free lemonade when temperatures soar to 100*F and they usually set that up maybe five times each year. In 2007, they did it every day for nearly two weeks and at least once a week the rest of the summer. Creeks dried up and even the spring where a lot of people get their drinking water went completely dry. Not a trickle.

I tried out west. California is where my respiratory problems started. Sierra Blanca, TX right near the Mexican border caught my fancy, but the trouble with small towns in the lack of employment opportunities, especially for people who just drive in and use a motel for a home address when applying for a job. Bad timing on my part. I tried further west and could only barely breathe in Arizona. So that stuff you hear about anywhere in the west is not necessarily true for everyone across the board.

I had a horrible time in Ohio.

I was fine in Florida.

I have very few problems with my breathing in Maine. Go figure.

I don't think anyone, myself included, can really make the determination of where would be best for you. It's a very individual thing. Different people have different triggers. Is it possible to rent a place on a month-to-month basis so you can get an idea how the area feels to you before deciding to buy? It's a buyers market during a housing slump, but if it turns out that the area isn't good for your COPD, trying to sell during a slump could become a nightmare.

[Two-Rivers]

I'm convinced, that by mid-Sept. each year, I'm conditioned to be able to breathe underwater due to the humidity in the Mid-Ohio valley. In 1995, we had a heat index of 112 degrees for several days in a row.