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Old 01-15-2013, 09:14 PM
 
Location: New Jersey
16 posts, read 33,392 times
Reputation: 18

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My wife and I have been fervently reading posts about Wyoming for some time now. We have both lived and worked on the East coast (NJ)for over 50 years. I have been longing to move west since I was 17. I have hunted in Colorado several times. We have ridden motorcycles through South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana. I can think of no place I would rather be. The beauty and wonderment I have seen in my short visits, calls me like a Lovestruck Loon or the bugle of Bull Elk and the cry of the American Bald Eagle.
I can hardly contain myself or stay focused on daily tasks due to the excitement of finally exploring the Great West.

My wife is due to retire in June of 2013 and we are looking into finally making the move. We have been looking into flights, rentals and hotels. The data to say the least has been overwhelming. My request is that some locals may recommend what to do or not to do so to speak, concerning a rental vehicle or temporary lodging.

My business here is closed for the winter and I am entertaining a possible sale. My wife has quite a bit of time to use, so we are flexible.

Our tentative idea is to fly from Philadelphia PA to Sheridan WY sometime between February 8th to the 22nd. Stay in the Sheridan area for 10 days then travel to the Cody area and stay for 10 days.
We hope to find a community where we could make a positive impact, live quietly and enjoy all that mother Earth has provided.

I am an avid outdoorsman and exercise fanatic. My wife shares many of my interests and has been my loyal companion for the better part of 25 years. I hope to at least find part time employment as retirement is not much of an option for me. We think we would like to live in a nice small home with an out building or two where we can stretch our legs, store our bikes and play with our dog.

The epitomy of my Western dreams was a 2 or 3 bedroom log home on a few acares. Homes and land seem to be quite expensive in the West. Homes in town are much closer together than we would prefer. Although living too far outside town may be too isolated. These are questions we will only be able to address once we get there.

My immediate query concerns rental car and lodging options. Any advice or warnings would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for any help you may provide.

Sincerely Randy & Bernadine Rose
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Old 01-15-2013, 10:21 PM
 
Location: Cody, WY
10,420 posts, read 14,560,595 times
Reputation: 22017
Rental cars in this part of the country are generally more expensive than on the coasts. Check any discounts you may have, e.g., AAA, and take the cheapest rate for a 4WD. We can have snow at the time of the year you're planning to come, particularly at high elevations, and a 4WD is only prudent. Some motels and hotels in the Cody area will be closed for the winter. The high end places will all be open but you didn't say what accomodations you seek.

There are all sorts of different properties around Cody. I suggest you talk to some realtors and let them show you some places. There are few log homes here because of the high maintainence but there are plenty of two and three bedroom homes on lots and parcels of any size you'd like. 500k buys a great deal here. I have two dogs and it's as if I have my own dog park. They can run and play on my property in complete safety. Taking them for a walk doesn't even involve leaving my property although they do enjoy a daily ride.

You said one thing that bothers me, to wit, making a positive impact. Almost all of us who came here from someplace else were seeking what Wyoming has to offer just as it is. We're not looking to make any impact by changing it. The only newcomers who find themselves unwelcome are those who try to make Wyoming into someplace on the benighted east or west coasts. If you don't like it just as it is you will not be happy here.
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Old 01-15-2013, 10:51 PM
 
Location: Spots Wyoming
18,700 posts, read 41,965,616 times
Reputation: 2147483647
I would seriously look into flying into Billings Montana and getting a rental car. Sheridan has 2 rental car agencies and neither one of them has unlimited miles. They cap at 200 miles per day and it's $ .35 a mile after that.

Billings Montana would be a lot cheaper to fly into and out of and is just 2 hours North of Sheridan and about the same from Cody. So driving down to Sheridan on the Interstate would be very easy, lots of site seeing and visiting, drive over to Cody and do the same, and then drive up to Billings to drop off the rental car and fly out. The rental car would also be a lot cheaper.

Recently, I needed a rental car and reserved one, 3 weeks in advance in Sheridan. The day I needed it, they didn't have it. They said that they could have another one brought up, but it wouldn't get there until late afternoon. I had reserved it to be picked up at 8am. You would think that 3 weeks of advance reservations would have been ok, however, it wasn't. So I drove my old pickup truck to South Dakota. I don't have a lot of faith or respect for the car rental agencies in Sheridan. The limit on milage is rediculous but in a small town and both rental agencies are the same, what can you do? Also, the full sized car was going to cost me $105. per day.
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Old 01-16-2013, 07:59 AM
 
Location: New Jersey
16 posts, read 33,392 times
Reputation: 18
Please excuse the word "impact" I was referring to becomming a positive addition to the community. We are not looking to change a thing. We only seek to be good and helpful neighbors and become part and parcel of the land. Thanks for pointing that out, I would not wish to be misunderstood.

Thanks also to you Elk Hunter. I doubt we would have ever considered that. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.


Randy
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Old 01-16-2013, 09:36 AM
 
Location: Spots Wyoming
18,700 posts, read 41,965,616 times
Reputation: 2147483647
Sheridan Airport is notoriously expensive. ALL, both, flights, go to Denver and then you connect to wherever you want to go. Billings, on the other hand, has a lot more choices and not just Denver, so their flights are a lot cheaper.

On the drive down from Billings, you go right past the area of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. Custer's Battlefield. It's a nice drive, 120 miles, all interstate and absolutely no traffic. hahahhaa I did a project in Oakland New Jersey and spent about a week in one of your traffic circles. hahahaha You won't find that kind of nonsense around here.
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Old 01-16-2013, 01:36 PM
 
1,872 posts, read 4,209,677 times
Reputation: 948
I was going to suggest flying into Billings & renting a car but EH beat me to it! That's the only way to go! I saw a log home on some acreage listed outside Cody for a pretty good price. I know a great realtor in Cody so if you want contact info let me know!
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Old 01-16-2013, 06:51 PM
 
Location: Wyoming
9,724 posts, read 21,186,837 times
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I too was going to recommend flying into Billings. Great minds think alike!

When you're in Sheridan, I'd suggest you check out some of the really small towns around it, namely Story, Ranchester and Dayton. All are within 15-20 miles of Sheridan and all are closer to the mountain.

Story is one of Wyoming's few true "mountain towns", nestled high in the foothills of the Bighorns with a couple small streams that meander through it and tall pines throughout. It's hard to find the residential areas, because many of the "streets" are really no more than paths that wander here and there through the pines. If you watch closely, you'll see a 1x4 board with a street name painted on it and nailed to a tree here and there. Most of the lots are fairly generous in size, and I'd guess nearly half the homes are log. Deer and wild turkey are everywhere, and black bears aren't too uncommon from what I hear. I think the town's population is 800+.

Dayton and Ranchester are both a few miles out of the mountains but not far. They're only about 5 miles apart and share some of the schools, but I think each have their own character. They're on one of the main highways that cross the Bighorns (U.S. 14) so have a little more traffic and much larger business districts but are still tiny towns. Dayton seems to be growing faster (more new homes), probably because it's a bit closer to the mountains, but I think either town would be great for "retirement". ElkHunter knows all about these two towns.


Incidentally, my late wife was from Westwood, NJ (northern). She LOVED Wyoming -- said her biggest regret was that she didn't find it earlier in her life. (She moved here in her mid/late 40s.)

Last edited by WyoNewk; 01-16-2013 at 07:02 PM..
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Old 01-16-2013, 07:33 PM
 
Location: New Jersey
16 posts, read 33,392 times
Reputation: 18
Thanks everybody for the insider info on flying into Billings. And georgiainwyo, we'd be very interested in realtor info. Regarding renting a vehicle, Randy's cursory search into this came out to be about $3k for 20 days. For $3k, he's wondering if he couldn't buy a a beater (I call it a "hooptie") although I'm no so sure we'd get a decent 4WD for $3k. I'm anxious to experience your "dry" snow/cold weather. Here in Cumberland County (I'm familiar with Oakland, thanks to a college roommate, and Westwood!), winter precipitation is usually rain -the damp, raw, chill you to your bones kind, and when we do get it, the snow is "heavy" as well - not the powder I hear so much about.

We'd been reading alot of the queries and responses for different areas of WY and have found them to be very insightful and helpful. Thanks to you all for taking the time to read our post and for helping us out. We're looking forward to a whole new vista and a less hectic, simpler way of life.

Bernadine
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Old 01-16-2013, 09:17 PM
 
Location: Spots Wyoming
18,700 posts, read 41,965,616 times
Reputation: 2147483647
Personally, I don't think you need a 4 wheel drive. I would get a full size car so you have the weight. If roads are going to be a problem, they are going to be a problem due to visibility, not deep snow. Because you are used to snow, you should get by, just fine with a full size car.

I took a quick look at Billings Car Rentals and you are looking at around $250-$300 a week for a nice car.

It is apparent that you are not in any kind of a hurry, so even if a storm moves in, it would delay you a day at most.

Wyoming does an excellent job of keeping the highways bladed off.
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Old 01-17-2013, 08:45 AM
 
1,872 posts, read 4,209,677 times
Reputation: 948
Quote:
Originally Posted by WyoNewk View Post


Incidentally, my late wife was from Westwood, NJ (northern). She LOVED Wyoming -- said her biggest regret was that she didn't find it earlier in her life. (She moved here in her mid/late 40s.)
My mom and dad were from New Jersey, too Both were raised across the Hudson from NYC. Dad's parents immigrated there from Czech and Mom's from Holland in the early 1900's. Dad was the first in his family born in the U.S. In 1949 they got tired of the "crowds" (I wonder what they would think now!) in NJ and packed up & moved to Wyoming. They ran out of gas in Manderson, where there was a little bar/cafe for sale that they bought. End of story!!! My sister was born in NJ but the rest of us in Wyoming. I still have an aunt who is 90 in Little Ferry (yes, she was flooded during the hurricane) and cousin in Hoboken. Very different world there than here, for sure!!! Small world, though....I've met a lot of people here who came from NJ or their parents did.
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