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The mail service you use is in California!!! Do you really want a California address if you are traveling?
After retiring I drove to South Dakota. A receipt from a single night at a campground was enough to establish residency. The mailing service, Alternative Resources, helped us get new driver's licenses, vehicle registration and insurance. Everything can be done that day or within 24 hours. Advantages of a South Dakota residency are many: no State income taxes, low costs of vehicle registration and insurance, and no annual vehicle inspection. Due to the low South Dakota cost, the costs of services from Alternative Resources are also very low. They have lots of different plans and services. As an example, I think they charge $10 to handle my annual vehicle registration. They notify me my email well in advance, they handle the renewal, charge my account, and send me the new paperwork and license plate stickers. In addition the State is really friendly for visitors and for residents who travel. Visit South Dakota. You might find that it is a better State to live in than you thought. There are some great scenic areas such as The Badlands, Mt Rushmore, Custer State Park and the Wind Caves.
When I lived in California I still remember the nightmare of dealing with the DMV. When I went to South Dakota the DMV was a quick and friendly experience. When I was traveling in Oregon, my driver's license, all other ID's, credit cards and check book were stolen. I contacted the DMV in South Dakota. They immediately arranged for a temporary driver's license which I received by email and was able to have printed at a UPS store. I needed to mail in some notarized paperwork, the DMV processed my application for a duplicate license the day they received the request and I had my permanent license received general delivery at a local post office within 1 week of the theft. Since becoming a resident I have spent most of my time traveling but I can say without doubt that I am happy to be a South Dakota resident and to have my mailbox in the State.
wow-envy having seen Pompeii. Not enough to go there-but still.......
I agree Pompeii would be awesome to visit. it is on the list but.... not at the top.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Curmudgeon
Us too. We're still exploring our new state and region as well as venturing into other states (eight of them border ours). Traveled a lot for work, the military and as a military dependent. Still working on seeing America first.
Very much like us, though my wife being the military dependent didn't travel as much as me. I spent most of my military time Army National Guard so my trips were usually in short durations. I have promised my wife to bring her to every stateside location I went to. These include Las Vegas, Palm Springs CA, Seattle Wa, Keystone CO, Helena Montana, Little Rock AR, DesMoinse IA, Atlanta GA, Charleston WV, Jacksonville FL, New Orleans LA, Omaha NE. All of those locations I spent some time at doing training of some sort. I asked her to accompany me on some of those, in particular Palm Springs and Keystone Co were particularly nice for different reasons. Time wise she had none for those trips so we will compromise and I will bring her to those places.
We are not retired yet. I still have a few more years and she wants to work a couple more after I retire. That will give me time to detail the house for a better resale price. Two years of doing room by room each and every little detail will make for a very nice house for someone to buy. It should make that sale much quicker.
Anyway as to trips on another post to this thread if we keep it active we should talk about some of our adventures in travel. I have a story that rivals Steve Martin and John Candy in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles"
Okay, this is just an excuse to talk about travel and how much retirees travel, assuming the funds to do so.
We've been taking trips for years, but once the kid was old enough, we did some nice high-end trips while we were both working. Now that we're retired, we have to budget for these things a little more, but still love to travel.
This fall we'll fly to Barcelona for a week in that area, then take a 14-day TA cruise back to Miami. Next spring we'll go to Asia for a month (partly on business--dh being paid to go), then in the fall we intend to do the Paul Gauguin cruise in French Polynesia. Carpe diem is our current motto! Last spring we hoofed around Lisbon and Porto for 10 days--at some point we imagine that the "hoofing" will get too much for us.
So how much do others who are retired travel, and where to? If you used to travel, when did you slow down because of mobility issues or other issues related to aging?
Sure wish I liked to travel, but just not in the cards for me. My son, however, is going to be traveling with his inlaws who are both retired. They are going to Italy in the Fall and he is beside himself excited about it all. They are both in their 70's mid 70's so I am thinking that perhaps the extra company will be good for them. I retired about 5 years ago and am content with my home, pets, husband who still works and spending time with my friends. We have a BIG inground swimming pool that is set away from our house so it is almost like we are away somewhere. There is a small cabana down there with a little kitchen, electricity, cold drinks, I play music, bring books with me and just kick back and relax. Good for me.. Enjoy your travel time...I am envious that I can't seem to enjoy it more!
The mail service you use is in California!!! Do you really want a California address if you are traveling?
After retiring I drove to South Dakota. A receipt from a single night at a campground was enough to establish residency. The mailing service, Alternative Resources, helped us get new driver's licenses, vehicle registration and insurance. Everything can be done that day or within 24 hours. Advantages of a South Dakota residency are many: no State income taxes, low costs of vehicle registration and insurance, and no annual vehicle inspection. Due to the low South Dakota cost, the costs of services from Alternative Resources are also very low. They have lots of different plans and services. As an example, I think they charge $10 to handle my annual vehicle registration. They notify me my email well in advance, they handle the renewal, charge my account, and send me the new paperwork and license plate stickers. In addition the State is really friendly for visitors and for residents who travel. Visit South Dakota. You might find that it is a better State to live in than you thought. There are some great scenic areas such as The Badlands, Mt Rushmore, Custer State Park and the Wind Caves.
When I lived in California I still remember the nightmare of dealing with the DMV. When I went to South Dakota the DMV was a quick and friendly experience. When I was traveling in Oregon, my driver's license, all other ID's, credit cards and check book were stolen. I contacted the DMV in South Dakota. They immediately arranged for a temporary driver's license which I received by email and was able to have printed at a UPS store. I needed to mail in some notarized paperwork, the DMV processed my application for a duplicate license the day they received the request and I had my permanent license received general delivery at a local post office within 1 week of the theft. Since becoming a resident I have spent most of my time traveling but I can say without doubt that I am happy to be a South Dakota resident and to have my mailbox in the State.
It doesn't matter where the mail service is from. We weren't living in California at the time and they will send wherever you are. I know the point you are getting at with taxes. I did in fact get a letter from the CA franchise tax board inquiring about why I didn't fill out a tax return but I just explained we didn't live there and cited this mail service and this was enough. No hassles at all after they verify you don't live in California.
We travel as much as possible! Most trips are a month long, although after 3 weeks I'm ready to go home. We are fit, healthy and still quite young at ages 61 and 64.
Very much like us, though my wife being the military dependent didn't travel as much as me. I spent most of my military time Army National Guard so my trips were usually in short durations. I have promised my wife to bring her to every stateside location I went to. These include Las Vegas, Palm Springs CA, Seattle Wa, Keystone CO, Helena Montana, Little Rock AR, DesMoinse IA, Atlanta GA, Charleston WV, Jacksonville FL, New Orleans LA, Omaha NE. All of those locations I spent some time at doing training of some sort. I asked her to accompany me on some of those, in particular Palm Springs and Keystone Co were particularly nice for different reasons. Time wise she had none for those trips so we will compromise and I will bring her to those places.
My wife was also a military brat but didn't travel nearly as much as my family and I did. One of our planned trips, once I can travel long distances again, will begin in Maine and go down the eastern seaboard. My family was all from New York and New England so I've been in the area numerous times as well as to Maine. My wife wants to see all of it and we'll come far enough south to hit the Chesapeake Bay, D.C. and Virginia. I lived in VA twice and was stationed at the Pentagon so that area is familiar to me as well.
The next trip will be from North Carolina (lived there twice as well) and the Outer Banks on down to the tip of the Florida Keys. My wife can show me that state as she did live there for awhile. On the way, of course, is GA where I was stationed once. Coming back we'll drive along the Gulf Coast to New Orleans (never been though she has) before heading north to home again.
For right now while I'm healing from the neurosurgery it will just be day trips or maybe one overnight at a time.
Where? Perhaps others who have been to those places can comment. Robyn
Okay, I'll bite.
Galapagos Islands
Egypt
Petra
New Zealand
Ireland
Bali
Wales
Japan
Danube river cruise to Budapest
Some kind of African safari, Botswana perhaps
Brazil (been to Rio and up the coast, but would like to see more)
Places I would love to go back to, explore more locations:
Italy
Oxford, England and England in general
Scotland
Greece
Norway (would like to do the fjord trip on Hurtigruten)
Portugal (was just there and already plotting a way to go back)
France (particularly Normandy and Picardy where some of my ancestors came from)
Baltics (spent a week in Vilnius, Lithuania, would love to see the countryside and the other countries)
But heck, if my husband said, "I've got a conference in [name a place]", I'd be there, as long as it wasn't Mogadishu, Afghanistan or somewhere like that!
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Anyone here do 'adventure treks' as a retiree? (I need some excercise...and a bit more adventure in travel)
Bit over the top... but
I met a gal running a very fun Hostel in South Dakota who started her retirement transition from NYC life, by taking a 1 yr Round-the-world Bicycle trek (via a tour of several hundred people) So they were shuttled continent to continent and did some 'land based' shuttles too. Main Street Manor Hostel, Lead South Dakota
Another friend climbed all the 14,000 ft mtns in Colorado after he retired.
I have considered re-doing a bicycle trip from Bar Harbor to Washington DC. But have had too many friends killed or maimed by getting hit while riding. (I wouldn't mind the former, but not keen on the later).
Appalachian Trail
Pacific Coast?
I had friends that retired and did each, but it didn't sound like much fun, just an accomplishment. (painful one)
I'm a bit of a 'lightweight', not looking to KILL myself or prove anything. Fun and memorable is important (and survivable).
One group of 5 friends (over age 70) took an Alaska backwater raft trip (no guide). They were flown in and dropped at a lake, to be picked up at a downstream lake 10 days later... They lost their rafts the second day into the trip and hiked a couple weeks before they found their rafts, and eventually got out... I don't need so much excitement.
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