[Bass&Catfish2008]

Originally Posted by Goodpasture

Did you say Boomer?

YouTube - Oklahoma fight song


You do know the first OU game is September 4, don't you?

[Annemieke Roell]

I would think that Texas, TN, SC would be better suited for you. Not only is their climate more moderate, they are also much more conservative. Oklahoma has a good number of Yellow Dog Democrats.

[nightbird47]

Originally Posted by ClaireE

My husband and I are recently retired and want to leave CA. We just started looking at other states and like what we've learned about Oklahoma being a fairly conservative state. CA has been destroyed by its liberals and we want to live somewhere that people are friendly and believe in personal responsibility. I won't go into the other problems in CA.

Is there anywhere in Oklahoma that doesn't get a lot of snow or tornados? We don't want to live in a big city but good medical care is important since we are getting older. We'd love to live near a lake, if possible.

I will appreciate any information you'd like to share.

Thanks!
Claire

You don't say which part of California you live in, but two years ago this week I found and offer accepted on this house in Cushing. It was in need of work, but I've been here close to two years.

I lived in Riverside, where the smog is the worse in the nation. Unless you live in a place where the air is breathable, you'll be astonished by skies that stay blue unless there are clouds. I went from living in a town with 300 thousand and next to the next city to one that has open space around it with a population (I believe) of about 900. What a difference... I've gotten where I no longer say wow look at the trees when I go somewhere but inside... I still notice. And from a city where the growth in population is having huge negative effects on what was a fairly laid back attitude, to a town where the neighbors who didn't know me at all greeted me with a smile and an offer of help if needed. I have been to nocal once where people were friendly, and didn't want to leave. But its delightful to live in a place where your neighbors are not strangers and do not automatically see you as a mystery to be avoided.

Where I lived was in the center of the santa anna wind tunnel, so the wind here doesn't strike me as other than normal, and the first winter was different. But its not like the deep snow you get in the midwest. This last winter was memorable and I had my first white Christmas, but it wasn't the norm.

I still feel uneasy when they talk about tornados, but I fully remember all the big quakes I have experienced. You get tons of warning about severe weather. You'll be saturated with news. Take a map and learn where towns are so when they talk about a pathway of a storm you know if its near you or not. I've noticed the attitude is not so different than what you must be used to with quakes. People here do not walk around afraid of a tornado hitting them that day, just like people in California don't worry about the Big One being that afternoon.

Be prepared for it to be colder in the winter than your probably used to if you live in socal. (Unless its big bear) But its colder not freezing. Gather some warm clothes and have a good heater and you'll be fine. The summer temps here are muggier to a degree than Riverside, but not nearly as hot. Spring and Fall are wonderful.

Stillwater is a nice town, lots of stores but not huge and impersonal. If you want something smaller you'll have to drive to a town like Stillwater for all the stores except Walmart. If your retired and want a quiet and calm town, the smaller ones are great.

You'll notice that Oklahoma is a world away from California in more ways than the politics and a really nice place to live once you get used to "soon" meaning a lot different than in California. But once you get used to the pace of life its not something you want to leave.

Take a trip out here and just drive around, and check out areas. Where I live is between the Central area of the state and the NE areas, hilly and more green than the OKC area, and less green than Tulsa. Normally a couple of snowstorms. Ice just kind of goes with Oklahoma. Further north and west is more snow.

But if you can, take a trip and just look around and see what appeals to you.

[knrstz]

Originally Posted by Goodpasture

Did you say Boomer?

YouTube - Oklahoma fight song


You do know the first OU game is September 4, don't you?

If you move to Oklahoma be prepared to meet a large amount of people that measure their personal self worth based up on the success of 18-22 year old boys that play football.

[StillwaterTownie]

Originally Posted by Annemieke Roell

I would think that Texas, TN, SC would be better suited for you. Not only is their climate more moderate, they are also much more conservative. Oklahoma has a good number of Yellow Dog Democrats.

You'll find some local conservative Oklahoma thinking here at Home.

[ClaireE]

Thanks Nightbird and Stillwater, I really appreciate the info. I live north of San Diego and I know the weather will be nearly impossible to beat anywhere we move to, but there is so much more to life than weather. The traffic congestion is horrific; people are so stressed and rude here as they attempt to keep up with the fast pace of life. I believe in personal responsibility and California has abandoned that. With the nanny state philosophy and hostility to business it is getting too expensive to live here. California is rapidly heading toward bankruptcy but the politicians just won't rein in their spending and cutback. I have my house for sale and will move when or "if" it sells. There are three houses on my street in foreclosure and things seems like they are getting worse, so I fear moving may not be an option for some time. But hubby and I are planning a trip to Ok this fall. Meantime I keep researching on the net.

Thanks again!

[karibear]

It just depends on where you are and what you're used to. I don't think there is much in the way of snow anywhere in OK, but then, I spent over 30 years in Alaska.

[Bugqueen]

Moved there recently for the very things you desire; conserative, but friendly and tolerant not liberal. Everyone talks to you like they have known you most of their lives. The people whose house we bought couldn't find their house keys at first, since they never locked their doors! Weather is great most of the time, rare tornadoes, little snow. They say they bbq on New Years and that snow 3x a year on average and it melts in one day. Great new very modern hospital and medical care is first rate. And the Grand Lake of the Cherokees is phenomenal. On top of that it is just at the foothills of the Ozark Mountains, beautiful views. Coming from CA you will be shocked at the prices of houses directly lake front. We did and bought on the lake, incredible. Gets hot but humidity is so much lower than Illinois and there is a breeze most of the time. It sure got our vote, we traveled all over the area from Texas Padre Island and then kept ending up in Grove, just something about the atmosphere and beauty draws you.

[StillwaterTownie]

Originally Posted by karibear

It just depends on where you are and what you're used to. I don't think there is much in the way of snow anywhere in OK, but then, I spent over 30 years in Alaska.

Some winters, maybe, but surely a lot of Oklahomans will never forget the Christmas Eve blizzard of 2009.

[nightbird47]

Originally Posted by StillwaterTownie

Some winters, maybe, but surely a lot of Oklahomans will never forget the Christmas Eve blizzard of 2009.

A friend of mine is moving here from Minnesota. Now she might not find our blizard as memorable but I for one am glad it is rare. The most memorable part was when a direct blast blew the front door open and I was only able to almost close it due to all the snow built up around the door. One project this summer is a NEW DOOR.