Want to leave FL, is this the place (Wife and 2yr old, too)

[ijwyo]

I would agree that finding a house in that range would be tough, unless you want a trailer or an older home that needs work, even then it will likely be 1,000 sq. feet or less, atleast in Casper, it could be cheaper in smaller towns, but those might not offer the lifestyle you are used to in Florida. When I lived in FL, a small town was on the edge of a big town, and there was not much driving needed to access a variety of shopping, WY is spread out in comparison. I would consider the altitude, which can make you sick if you are from sea level, the dry air, and the wind... hurricane gusts without the hurricane. It is sunny most of the year, it gets hot in the summer in central and southern WY, but the altitude by the mtn. towns will drop the temps. We don't have all the bugs and humidity, and cereal doesn't go stale in 2 days here, which is nice. The people tend to be friendly, there is more open land, you can still camp in many areas without fees and seeing tons of people. The attitude out west really is different, and I would not go back to Florida, I like it out here. Hope that helps!

[I_Brennus]

Originally Posted by ijwyo

I would consider the altitude, which can make you sick if you are from sea level

Is this a real problem? I was in Denver for two days in 1991 and didn't get sick but that is the extent of my experience with the Rocky Mountains. I lived in the blue ridge mountains of Virginia for a few years with no problem.

What does the altitude do to a person and how long does it take to get used to it?

[MHT]

Originally Posted by I_Brennus

Is this a real problem? I was in Denver for two days in 1991 and didn't get sick but that is the extent of my experience with the Rocky Mountains. I lived in the blue ridge mountains of Virginia for a few years with no problem.

What does the altitude do to a person and how long does it take to get used to it?

No it is not a problem. I moved here from MN and did not get sick - neither did my family. Some people have more trouble with it than others though. It does not take long to get used to it. If you didn't get sick before you shouldn't get sick the next time either.

[ijwyo]

MoMark, if Yellowstone blows there will be several feet of ash in NY everywhere! The air will be toxic to breathe in the whole U.S., the climate could change, food supplies will be in danger, and the rest of the world will even feel the effects in some way or another. The Yellowstone calendera has only shifted by about two inches in the past few years, yes, there is activity, but it is not likely to blow for over 100 years. I get my info. from a local Geology professor who has worked and lived in the state for decades. I would consider driving too fast in the snow or ice or being unprepared for the weather and altitude when doing outdoor activity to be a more serious consideration for danger in the state. You are very likely to hit a deer on the interstate at night here, or have a flash flood, or hail and wind that damage your roof, these are the things that would be more likely. If I'm wrong you can email me when the whole country is trying to get into Mexico, ha, ha.

[ijwyo]

Note on altitude, healthy people without respiratory, allergy, or other concerns likely will not notice, I mention it because I had family come from Florida to visit at 8,000 feet and they were sick and could not stay on the local mtn. and had to go into town at 5,500 feet. They experienced headaches, tiredness, dizziness, and a little nasuea. They were 20 years old and had no prior breathing problems. You can get used to it in a few hours of aclimation, or weeks, it depends. I have been to 16,000 ft. and was fine, but got alt. sickness at 10,000 feet another time, it wears you out. It is only dangerous at extreme elevations, I would say over 12,000 feet, it can put your body into shock close to 20,000 feet elev. and cause you to become so sick you can't eat, walk, focus, your brain is actually starved of oxygen, and this can be very serious, though not a concern in WY. I have known people who had to sleep with oxygen here to offset the elev. and their dr. told them to move, but this was a medical, not general, situation.

[ijwyo]

MT getting crowded? That's really funny, I don't know where you get that from, towns are 100+ miles apart in most of the state, I have never driven through FL for that far without running into more shopping centers, residential areas, towns, ect. I don't know if you could drive from Orlando to Miami and see on stretch of hwy without signs of life more than 20 miles apart. TOPO is WY, cheaper than FL? Try Casper, Lander, Buffalo you could find a home for under 160,000 for say a ranch style 2-4 bedroom with garage. Be prepared for a very different culture and less amenities.