req ideas of who to see on a recon trip (Sheridan: for sale by owner, insurance)

[volosong]

I'm taking the second and third week of December to visit some of the places to which I am seriously considering as my retirement home. I've visited enough to have a pretty good idea of the area in the spring and summer, (fantastic), but have only made one winter trip.

Primarily, my focus will be on several towns in the Big Horn Basin, then to visit a friend in Three Forks, MT, (not really considering MT for retirement), and maybe a swing through eastern ID. I figure that I need to talk with some realtors, visit the city planning department, talk to some deans at the colleges, (might continue teaching in retirement, not planning on it, but good to keep the option open), and attend some church services and chat with the members. Who else would it be good to interact with and ask questions of? (Don't drink, so won't be going to any local watering holes.)

One post of a thread in the retirement sub-forum, a poster mentioned asking locals what the one thing was that bugged them about where they live. What is the one thing they would change if they had the power and means to do so. I'll have to remember that, but also will have to be careful, lest it is received as a criticism.

Thanks.

[StealthRabbit]

Spend some time in Powell. Nice town, nice people, diverse economy (not only tourism and energy), medical, and a Jr College + close to MT (when necessary to fly or go to Costco instead of 'The Merc"). Try to time your trip to meet with some of the college staff and program heads.

mixed results with this... as with many Co-ops... some need Co-op developers (and business manager advisors without direct ownership) to 'ride herd'. There is tremendous opportunity still...
For Sale By Owners | People & Places | Smithsonian Magazine
Merc to consolidate into one building

The Powell city park is EXCELLENT for Camping, tho Dec... Don't recommend that option, maybe some nice townsfolk will invite you home for Christmas! They have offered me free breakfasts when I camped there!

[volosong]

One more to add to the list. Need to visit the hospitals and see which insurance plans they accept. I'm covered now through work, but when I retire, will have to switch to something else because Kaiser is not in WY.

[StealthRabbit]

While you are in the neighborhood and an early looker, U might consider SD areas of Spearfish and Rapid. Quite different in many ways from WY, but similar as well, (no state income tax, mini-mtns, for those in the early phases of recon.

[Rescue3]

Volosong:

As most people on this board know, I am a big advocate of Sheridan, just to the east of the Big Horn mountains, for retirement. Powell, Cody and Greybull are wonderful towns, but Sheridan has a bit more. And the mountains protect us from the worst of the weather from the northwest.

She-who-must-be-obeyed and I retired here last year and we love it. Everything we need and ALMOST everything we could want (an Olive Garden would be nice) is here. The people are friendly beyond belief. I took a friend to the emergency room last weekend and was seriously impressed... and I'm a retired paramedic. I wanted a job application by the time I left. It was that good.

I suspect ElkHunter will jump in here with his thoughts, but those are ours. We looked all over Wyoming before we decided to retire here. We selected it because of the low taxes, the weather and the great people who live here. And we're very happy.

We invite you to visit.

Best, R-3

[ElkHunter]

I understand you are visiting the basin on this trip, but I honestly think you are cutting yourself short if you don't hop over the mountain and at least cruise through Buffalo and Sheridan. You can pop over on Hwy 16, see Buffalo, 30 miles North and see Sheridan, and head back over on Hwy 14. I think it would be well worth your time.

[volosong]

Thanks all for the help and suggestions.

I've never heard anything negative about Sheridan, only good things. If I have time, I can hop over the hill for a look see. Will the 16 over the Bighorns be open? The road is kept open during the winter?

- - - - -

Have to modify one item on my list. It's not worth going to a hospital to see what insurance plans they accept. Instead, I should go to the medical groups that are usually located near the hospitals.

[WyoNewk]

Yes, Hwy 14 and 16 are kept open year-round barring major snow storms. I think they still pull the plows off the roads from sunset-dawn, so it's wise to try to drive them before dark. 14A (alternate) does close for the winter and will likely be closed by the time of your visit.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by volosong

Thanks all for the help and suggestions.

I've never heard anything negative about Sheridan, only good things. If I have time, I can hop over the hill for a look see. Will the 16 over the Bighorns be open? The road is kept open during the winter?

- - - - -

Have to modify one item on my list. It's not worth going to a hospital to see what insurance plans they accept. Instead, I should go to the medical groups that are usually located near the hospitals.

If you come over on 16, you'll first hit Buffalo (pop 4800). Going North you will encounter Story (pop 800), Big Horn (couple hundred), Sheridan (pop 18,500), then Ranchester (pop 850), then Dayton (pop 800).

So there are a few choices. Buffalo has a nice hospital and good medical facilities, but it is a small town so medical is not going to be what Sheridan is. Sheridan has a cancer center, surgical center, dialisys center, etc, in addition to the Hospital. For medical in Ranchester or Dayton, the small grocery stores do sell bandaids. Ranchester does have a dentist office.

[volosong]

Is there much difference in the climate between the Bighorn Basin and the Powder River Basin? Up close to the Montana border.

I would think that they are pretty similar, except that the Powder River Basin would get more "stuff" from the southeast when the conditions of the jet stream allow.