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OK, I'm making progress in my quest to relocate to a cooler, low humidity climate. Starting on the south end; Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, ... skip Denver ... and Fort Collins on the north. Only 508 miles from end to end <g>. I would love to spend 1 to 2 weeks in each location this winter and "may" be able to make that happen? I've been HOT my whole life and I want some relief!
Fort Collins appeals because of the Land Grant University as I am a product of one and just retired from another one.
Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Pueblo have a southwest flavor (to some extent) which appeals to me. Santa Fe may just be too expensive on further analysis? Albuquerque may be warmer in the summer than I want ... or think I want. Pueblo may be the least expensive of the entire group.
I'm currently living in a town of 50,000 (caring for my father) and it's the biggest town I've ever resided in. Colorado Springs has many appeals IF I can urbanize? Age and medical limitations have me considering more urban areas for the medical care. I'm just not as mobile and self reliant as I was.
Each of the locations offer an excellent variety of day trips to new areas, assuming gasoline costs do not become prohibitive. All seem to offer many hiking possibilities ... for the good arthritis days. All would have more restaurants and entertainment than I'm used to.
I started this post thinking I had a question to ask but it seems to have turned into more just thinking out loud. Since, by submitting this thread I'm soliciting input ... a few more details: male, recently retired and single, outdoor oriented within physical limitations, day tripper to almost any "new" area, wood working hobbyist, target shooting (pistol and rifle), photographer want-to-be, new activities to be discovered?
I will give you my opinion but I am sure it won't come as a surprise. (Drum Roll) Pueblo!
I think my analysis might be more informative as I will back my opinion up.
1) Pueblo is the most affordable city on the front range.
2) Pueblo is centered between all the cities you talk about making the trip easier to visit them.
3) Pueblo has great medical facilities from Parkview Medical Center and St. Mary Corwin Medical Center. The Parkwest Medical campus is growing as well.
4) Pueblo does get hot but nothing like Texas and it cools down at night. But in the winter we are more mild then the rest of Colorado with the least amount of snow.
5) Pueblo has a lot of outdoor activities all year round with biking and hiking trails, Riverwalk, golfing etc.
6) Pueblo is home to Colorado State University - Pueblo. It is the sister school of CSU Fort Collins.
These are some but if you have more specific questions feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer them!
I will give you my opinion but I am sure it won't come as a surprise. (Drum Roll) Pueblo!
!
Surprise, surprise ... as Gomer used to say, or was it Gobber? I'll be by sometime this winter for a little reconnaissance ... and a "slopper" of course. I'll holler as my trip gets closer as I'm sure I'll have questions.
4) Pueblo does get hot but nothing like Texas and it cools down at night. But in the winter we are more mild then the rest of Colorado with the least amount of snow.
Pueblo's all-time record high is 109 (July), and in Dallas-Fort Worth it's 113. Pueblo also has a monthly record high of 108 in June.
It's definitely not as hot in Pueblo for a sustained period of time like it is in DFW, but out of all the cities the OP is looking at, Pueblo is the 2nd hottest behind Albuquerque.
Pueblo, for its size, has a pretty high crime rate - likely because it's a reasonably depressed economic area. Unemployment is a full point higher than the state average and both the median income and median house value figures are about 50% less than the rest of the state.
Don't get me wrong, Pueblo's a nice place to stop and visit for a few hours, but I wouldn't want to put down roots there. It's somewhat isolated and too hot and barren for my tastes. Factoring in the OP's health concerns, though, the climate in Pueblo is probably a little more suited for arthritis than Fort Collins or even Colorado Springs.
If I had to rank the cities in the OP's list in order of my own biased preference the list would be:
1) Fort Collins
2) Colorado Springs
3) Santa Fe
4) Pueblo
5) Albuquerque
Last edited by bluescreen73; 06-28-2011 at 12:15 AM..
COLO SPGS does have at least pistol/rifle range (Dragonman's) and a lot of outdoor stuff right at the base of the Rampart Range / Pikes Peak.
For public transit as one ages, you HAVE to consider Denver, as public transit here in COLO SPGS is extremely limited.
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Pueblo's all-time record high is 109 (July), and in Dallas-Fort Worth it's 113. Pueblo also has a monthly record high of 108 in June.
It's definitely not as hot in Pueblo for a sustained period of time like it is in DFW, but out of all the cities the OP is looking at, Pueblo is the 2nd hottest behind Albuquerque.
Pueblo, for its size, has a pretty high crime rate - likely because it's a reasonably depressed economic area. Unemployment is a full point higher than the state average and both the median income and median house value figures are about 50% less than the rest of the state.
Don't get me wrong, Pueblo's a nice place to stop and visit for a few hours, but I wouldn't want to put down roots there. It's somewhat isolated and too hot and barren for my tastes. Factoring in the OP's health concerns, though, the climate in Pueblo is probably a little more suited for arthritis than Fort Collins or even Colorado Springs.
If I had to rank the cities in the OP's list in order of my own biased preference the list would be:
1) Fort Collins
2) Colorado Springs
3) Santa Fe
4) Pueblo
5) Albuquerque
You are leaving out humidity and that is a big factor in why Dallas is a lot hotter then Pueblo.
Let's look at today for a example:
Dallas:
Currently 90 with 52% humidity making the heat index 95. The forecast high is 100 with a heat index of 105. Forecast lows are around 78 with a heat index about 80.
Pueblo:
Currently its 76 with 33% humidity so no heat index. That is high for Pueblo and as it gets hot, our forecast high is 97 at the airport 100 to 102 in the city, there is no forecast heat index as the humidity will go down as well. In my opinion dry heat is much easier to tolerate then humid heat. Pueblo's forecast lows are in the low to mid 60's. Much cooler then the overnight temperatures in Dallas.
About our unemployment rate. It is high and that is why I am hoping as the economy continues to recover some of the large developments happen so it goes down but as of now I will admit that is not a good point for Pueblo.
As far as crime. I have said this many times its not bad here. I go out all the time in downtown on the weekends and have never once had anything happen to me that would give me a reason to rethink going out.
Last edited by Josseppie; 06-28-2011 at 12:07 PM..
[quote=Josseppie;19791731]You are leaving out humidity and that is a big factor in why Dallas is a lot hotter then Pueblo.
[quote]
Believe it or not, humidity actually prevents Dallas from being hotter than it already is because humidity acts like an insulator - the more of it you have, the harder it is for air to heat up and cool off. If the humidity level in Dallas were 20-25% instead of 40-50% you'd be looking at Las Vegas-like high temps (110+) for a good part of the summer.
The same weather pattern that keeps Dallas hot is also responsible for the constant barrage of 100 degree-plus days in places like Lamar. Pueblo is affected as well, but not as much because it's on the outer edges of .
Quote:
Originally Posted by Josseppie
As far as crime. I have said this many times its not bad here. I go out all the time in downtown on the weekends and have never once had anything happen to me that would give me a reason to rethink going out.
I wasn't trying to insinuate that Pueblo is on par with East St. Louis or Gary, Indiana, but in violent crimes per capita Denver and the Springs are statistically safer than Pueblo.
OK, I'm making progress in my quest to relocate to a cooler, low humidity climate. Starting on the south end; Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Pueblo, Colorado Springs, ... skip Denver ... and Fort Collins on the north. Only 508 miles from end to end <g>. I would love to spend 1 to 2 weeks in each location this winter and "may" be able to make that happen? I've been HOT my whole life and I want some relief!
Another Texan after my own heart, LOL!! I'll throw in a few thoughts based on my recent experience.
For starters, I am used to low humidity, having grown up in West Texas, and having lived most of my life in the general vicinity.
I knew that New Mexico would fit the bill as far as low humidity goes, but there is one thing that I really didin't consider....elevation. Even though I had spent many a summer in Ruidoso to escape the Texas heat, all other high elevation experiences were during the WINTER ski season!
So, do consider elevation. That is where Pueblo comes in. I moved to Alamogordo (to be sort of close to Texas and aging parents). Even though Alamogordo's temperatures are not quite as high as West Texas, the added elevation made it feel just as bad or WORSE than West Texas. It was just so intense.
Pueblo's elevation is not that much greater than Alamogordo's (roughly 4400 vs 4800)...and when you have temperatures in the 100s, you ARE going to feel it. It is just BAKING, dry notwithstanding. If I am mistaken about this as far as Pueblo goes, I'm sure that Jossepie will correct me, LOL!!
I left Alamogordo. I got sick of the heat/intensity, and things changed at home, so I came way north about a month ago. I will split my time between northern NM and Durango, CO.
If you are able to spend quite a bit of time in each location, that would seem to be your best bet!
Last edited by Cathy4017; 06-28-2011 at 08:53 PM..
Another Texan after my own heart, LOL!! I'll throw in a few thoughts based on my recent experience.
For starters, I am used to low humidity, having grown up in West Texas, and having lived most of my life in the general vicinity.
I knew that New Mexico would fit the bill as far as low humidity goes, but there is one thing that I really didin't consider....elevation. Even though I had spent many a summer in Ruidoso to escape the Texas heat, all other high elevation experiences were during the WINTER ski season!
So, do consider elevation. That is where Pueblo comes in. I moved to Alamogordo (to be sort of close to Texas and aging parents). Even though Alamogordo's temperatures are not quite as high as West Texas, the added elevation made it feel just as bad or WORSE than West Texas. It was just so intense.
Pueblo's elevation is not that much greater than Alamogordo's (roughly 4400 vs 4800)...and when you have temperatures in the 100s, you ARE going to feel it. It is just BAKING, dry notwithstanding. If I am mistaken about this as far as Pueblo goes, I'm sure that Jossepie will correct me, LOL!!
I left Alamogordo. I got sick of the heat/intensity, and things changed at home, so I came way north about a month ago. I will split my time between northern NM and Durango, CO.
If you are able to spend quite a bit of time in each location, that would seem to be your best bet!
I suppose elevation does make a difference on the perception of the heat as the sun is more intense. That might make the summers seem a little warmer but it also makes the winters seem more mild. Especially when Pueblo is one of the sunniest cities in the country. The big difference between Pueblo and the south west like Phoenix and Texas is we cool down at night. Right now it is above 100 in Pueblo and tonight's forecast low is in the low 60's. That means the evening will be nice and not hot or cold.
The big difference between Pueblo and the south west like Phoenix and Texas is we cool down at night. Right now it is above 100 in Pueblo and tonight's forecast low is in the low 60's. That means the evening will be nice and not hot or cold.
Exactly. That is also why Farmington is nice in the mornings and late evenings after the sun goes down.
West Texas/Panhandle cools off more at night than other parts of Texas, but less so now because of the added population. Greater population means greater humidity (lawns, golf courses, etc.), and that prevents some of the evening cooling that was more common 30 years ago.
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All would have more restaurants and entertainment than I'm used to.
