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- we raised our family on a sailboat in the Caribbean after leaving South Africa ,
would like to be able to grow something, maybe keep bees and see the mountains,? Just ready for a rural lifestyle! Tired of 5 years of suburbia after the open oceans..
I keep bees in the northwest part of NM. If you're planning on keeping them in the southernmost parts of the state you need to be aware of AHB. But then if you're FROM South Africa, maybe you're used to feisty bees.
Now, let's assume for a moment that a fellow who has lived in NM all his life is considering doing a bit of sailing. What do you think of the Morgan 41' Out Island sailboat for a beginning sailor who plans on sticking around the Florida Keys and venturing down into the Caribbean on occasion?
I keep bees in the northwest part of NM. If you're planning on keeping them in the southernmost parts of the state you need to be aware of AHB. But then if you're FROM South Africa, maybe you're used to feisty bees.
Now, let's assume for a moment that a fellow who has lived in NM all his life is considering doing a bit of sailing. What do you think of the Morgan 41' Out Island sailboat for a beginning sailor who plans on sticking around the Florida Keys and venturing down into the Caribbean on occasion?
Well have never kept bees before, promise not to bring in the feisty SA bees!
On the sailing - please feel free to PM for any advice - we were out there for many years - and yes, it is well worth it. We sailed in a older Tartan 41 - 1978 about the same year - ours had a very deep draft - over 6ft. The Morgan is not a bad boat for what you want to do, stable and roomy and with a shallow draft and normally abigger engine, will make the Keys enjoyable. It is also comfortable for living aboard. The disadvantages would be it does not sail to weather very well, even tacking can be a challenge. Off the wind they are very fast and comfortable. Gentleman never sail to weather! A good choice, read Bruce's book a Thorny Passage south. We were beginner sailors when we started ( with an 18 mth old) and just learned the steps along the way - you can do it!
attitude and culture are a big issue for us - we raised our family on a sailboat in the Caribbean after leaving South Africa , spent a year living in the Dominican Republic (loved it) and for some we are just "strange"
Jazzlover pretty much nailed this thread from an empirical angle. From a more intangible angle, I'd say the statement above makes a good case for NM. I have not spent much time in CO, but from living in NM, I can say that it's a good place for oddballs. I'm one of them, and I feel very much at home here. And that's even considering that I'm in a fairly politically conservative area, in the southern mountains. I live at 9,000+ feet here, which can be harsh at times but not brutally punishing. For growing food, just head downhill to about 6,500 or 7,000 feet and you'll be good to go.
Hmm, you might look in Lincoln County, near Ruidoso (southern NM). The town of Ruidoso is a bit touristy-trendy-glitzy for my own small-town tastes, but rural towns nearby would get you out of that fray yet keep you close to shopping, the hospital, etc. For schooling, there is a university branch in Ruidoso, while Alamogordo and Las Cruces are not far away. And 12,000-foot Sierra Blanca Peak is just outside of town for winter skiing and other snowplay.
I'm near Cloudcroft, which is even closer to Cruces and Alamo, but it's not a good place to look at starting a business in, IMO. With only 800 full-time residents, it's a nice little rural outpost with a few tourist attractions, but I've seen so many businesses come and go here in the mere 3.5 years since I arrived. I'm mostly retired, so the economy doesn't concern me as much.
The more rural areas outside Alamogordo might be worth considering if you don't mind warm winters and hot summers. I would even look at Tularosa (5,000+ people) if that's not too big a town for you. To me, it feels much smaller than it is.
I am not sure that we can match the triangle around Pueblo area yet in New Mexico - wanting to be rural, but not too far from city services and work opportunities.
There is a fairly obvious choice here -- stay in Colorado where you seem to be quite happy.
Devin - we wish we were in Colorado or just west! But still stuck on the East coast...we'll get there - just need to be patient.
JECC - thanks for the different spots - will do the good old google and research them - it is difficult to get the balance when you have kids at home ( but they do not need the malls!), need to make a living, but want a small peaceful environment...we'll eventually find it.
I have heard that the New Mexico State college in Las Cruces is not a bad choice for research and engineering- is that so?
Sorry, don't know much about the universities. I'm sure other folks can comment on that. You'll find the "small peaceful environment" almost anywhere in NM. The main exceptions would be ABQ and Santa Fe (the bigger cities), plus Las Cruces and maybe a couple of other places. The rest of the state is mostly rural. It's more a matter of picking your climate (by simply choosing your elevation and latitude) and deciding how many amenities you want (colleges, shopping, medical care).
I have heard that the New Mexico State college in Las Cruces is not a bad choice for research and engineering- is that so?
It's about 18,000 students so it's a decient size University. It's always been mainly an Agriculture type school with most of the research leaning that way but now it's going into the Aerospace research and technology as they are building as i type a brand new high tech research park there run by former governor Gary Carruthers.
Hving lived in both places I'd pick colorado over NM anyday. I like them both but I really prefer Colorado.
As far as winters go Pueblo Colorado is in the banana belt and has much milder winters than Las vegas New Mexcio.
Job wise it's better in Colorado as well. I've lived all over ..in four different countries and at least 7 States and Pueblo Colorado was my favorite town!
Hving lived in both places I'd pick colorado over NM anyday. I like them both but I really prefer Colorado.
As far as winters go Pueblo Colorado is in the banana belt and has much milder winters than Las vegas New Mexcio.
Job wise it's better in Colorado as well. I've lived all over ..in four different countries and at least 7 States and Pueblo Colorado was my favorite town!
Pueblo, Colorado isn't much warmer in winter than Las Vegas, NM, according to the city-data.com site (about 5 degrees of difference). Certainly not warm enough to grow bananas.
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