Where to live?

[jrnsuz]

The wife and I have been discussing moving in a couple of years after the kids are grown and gone (we hope). Currently living in Missouri about 40 miles east of Kansas City, we have access to the advantages provided by a big city but live in a small community (5,000 aprox) with ready access to good hunting, fishing and other outdoor recreation.

The biggest problem we have with the area is, the climate is VERY unpleasant for most of the year due to high humidity and the molds, mildews, pollens, etc we have to deal with. My allergies seem to get worse every year.

What I'd like to hear about from other folks is, where can we find a similar lifestyle without the lung fungus? We have looked a little at Boise and Coeur d'alene ID. Any info from those areas and others would be appreciated.

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive allways regretted not moving to whyoming when i was younger. thats probably were id like to have settled. Im to old to move now though. That been said my father had a buddy who was stationed here in the service and comes back to vist occasionaly. Hes from idaho and from what he tells of it it would fit the bill too.

[Sourdough]

A lot of people were retiring in alamogordo New Mexico when I was stationed there.  A few weeks of really hot weather during the summer.  And about two or three weeks of nasty weather during the winter.  Rest of the year not too bad.  4400 ft elevation, so it did not get hot like Phoenix or Las Vegas.

I decided to retire in North Pole Alaska back when I was on active duty.  Hunting and fishing is great.  But the winters are beginning to wear me down.  Looking at moving when our son finishes school in two years.  The wife wants to go back near her brothers and sisters in Virginia.  I am looking at Tennessee, Florida, or Texas.  Three states with no state Income tax.

[sidewinder319]

I like living here in the Rocky Mtns.  That said the winters can be very long and mean. When moving from the low country you will have some real adjustments. Depends on what you are looking for.  Boise is a fine city.  The area around Boise is urban and farm country for miles.  It will also come down to what you need to make a laving.  If you can afford living in smaller towns near the Mtns. it is much better. The women folk often find the sparsely populated west a little too much to bear.  I hope it works for you the Mtn states are great for outdoor life styles.

[jrnsuz]

Lloyd, what does your friend have to say that impresses about Idaho?

Sourdough, can't do NM, she refuses to deal with "weird bugs", already tried that one! We had talked about AK for a while, but, the cost of living seems prohibitive.

Sidewinder, hear you on the winters, but we both prefer the colder weather and Boise doesn't seem to get ridiculous amounts of snow. And the sparse population is the reason for being near a city, although sounds like the Boise area may be a little to flat and populous for me.

We are both in healthcare so employment is not usually a problem, although pay is not as lucrative as some imagine. Still, we make a decent living and live simply for the most part. Anybody know anything about the Coeur d'alene area or other areas, states that might fit the bill?

[OldSchoolRanger]

Don't laugh when I tell you this. Try upstate NY, or NW New Jersey, you won't believe the difference,  it's not at all like NYC.  If you like mountains we have the Adirondacks and the Catskills.  And if you want, you can usually get to one of the big metropolitan areas by car.  The only draw back is the state taxes, NJ is higher tax wise than NY.
Don't know exactly what amount of land you are looking for, but the further away from NYC the less expensive the land.

[Old Fart]

I think I'll just stick it out here in Oklahoma.
I could stand the winters being a little warmer.
I could stand the summer being a little cooler.
But all in all the weather is nice enough.
Oh and I could do without the tornado's, but that ain't gonna happen.

I'd be happy moving down along the gulf coast, but momma don't want to live that far away from the g'kids.

[mcwoodduck]

I think you should find a climate that you and the wife like and then a place you can afford and take extended vacations there at different parts of the year.  Palm Springs CA is great in january but the 120 in August is a Killer - Litterally!.
But hunting oppertunities are going to be all over.  Some just may be a little smaller than you want.
Having just moved from Southern CA, to Northern CA.  Lots of small game (rabbits mainly) varmint shooting, and Birds.
The most abundant big game is the pig and can be hunted year round. 
Access to larger cities of LA and San Diego, Ski resorts with in sight.  It is something to stand in the back yard in shorts and a Polo shirt in Feb and look at Big Bear Mountain and see it snowing and think of going skiing on the weekend.
Mold and mildew were non existant where I was and now living on the coast in Northern CA is a constant battle.
But hunting and shooting oppertunities are everywhere, you just have to adapt to what is in the area.

[jhm]

Jr  cour d'alene is a Beautiful town, I only passed thru it in the winter and it was really snowing so if snow is a problem then maybe it could be a real problem, from what I have read abt. the town it has alot of retired police officers from California living there, so that could be as bad as the SNOW I like central Arkansas but I have only been here for 30+ yrs so I am still adjusting.   Jim

[Cabin4]

I love Idaho and would move there in a heartbeat and likely will some day soon. I'm very familar with the area around Coeur d'alene and have hunted both north of there and to the south east of there. I like the area just north of Sandpoint and one of my favorite towns of all is Wallace. Wallace is about 30min east of Coeur d' alene. I could live in that area no problem. Mountains and dry western climate is what I like best. I live in northern California and have become spoiled by the dry arid climate. Humidity just does not exsist here and it never rains from May to November. Every day is like a carbon copy of the last. Now in that part of Idaho you will get a more season climate but I'm fine with winter & snow. I still have not ruled out moving back to the midwest and although the climate is far differant, I still really like Wisconsion. Its hard to get out of your blood the places you grew up and spent most your life. Especially if it was a good time.

[Lloyd Smale]

mostly the great hunting and fishing opportunitys and the pictures hes shown me sure looked beutiful.

Lloyd, what does your friend have to say that impresses about Idaho?

Sourdough, can't do NM, she refuses to deal with "weird bugs", already tried that one! We had talked about AK for a while, but, the cost of living seems prohibitive.

Sidewinder, hear you on the winters, but we both prefer the colder weather and Boise doesn't seem to get ridiculous amounts of snow. And the sparse population is the reason for being near a city, although sounds like the Boise area may be a little to flat and populous for me.

We are both in healthcare so employment is not usually a problem, although pay is not as lucrative as some imagine. Still, we make a decent living and live simply for the most part. Anybody know anything about the Coeur d'alene area or other areas, states that might fit the bill?

[Blue Duck]

I live north of Hayden Idaho.  Im about 15 miles north of CDA.   I like it.  We have good hunting and fishing for most species, and its not too croweded by most standards.  Boy you should  have seen it here in the 60's befor the rush.  We have pretty nice summers where it can get into the 90's at times and even 100 once in a while.  Winters can be winters.  This year was about average, with quite a bit of snow early and cold enough to icefish by christmas.  Some people wine about our winters, but what do they expect less then 100 miles from Canada.   Befor you move to Idaho you want to check the wages in your line of work.  Idaho is not known for paying alot.  Good luck.

[BBF]

After looking at the pix'es of the most recent storms in several States those would not be on my list. What is the sense of moving to a place with mild winters if the chance of your hooch taking wings is very real.

[Lloyd Smale]

good point. Alot of my southern freinds think im nuts for living in norther mich with our tough winters but we dont have tornados, earthquakes, or anything poisonous. We also dont have a summer so hot that a guy has to hide in an ac building and the biggest advantage to the harsh winters is that it keeps all the rift raft out of here.

After looking at the pix'es of the most recent storms in several States those would not be on my list. What is the sense of moving to a place with mild winters if the chance of your hooch taking wings is very real.

[DANNY-L]

Don't laugh when I tell you this. Try upstate NY (quote from oldschoolranger)
 
I live 30miles from canada,the winters are always different sometimes really cold with hardly any snow and next year it could be the opposite. We get spells of high humidity in the summer but not too bad and it don't last long. There is plenty of land for sale usually can be had for $1000 or less per acre unless you want something on a lake then it's high.

[Empty Quiver]

Buy a coat and move to North Dakota. They are not participating in this whole recession thing, thank you very much. West it's an oil boom, labor in demand, East it's a tech sort of boom. Much simplified  of course.


Waterfowl hunting is legendary, pheasant hunting can be excellent and if compared to anywhere but South Dakota would be legendary as well I believe. Missouri river reservours, and others have great fishing opportunities. You might just want to buy a lifetime license before moving, honestly Mo. is hard to beat for deer hunting N.D. has Whitetail, Mule Deer, Pronghorn and Elk. Not everyone gets to hunt for all species though, and certainly not every year.


They have about two weeks of what you would call summer, 5 months of winter though. Humidity is non existant, natives will likely argue that,  I'm from Central Il. and have a pretty good idea what you are living through. The rest is spring and fall. I pulled the pin and left Illiana ten years ago and moved to Mn. (took a transfer) I love the cool weather never did like summer now it's a pretty nice time of year. 


Much of the above applies to South Dakota... more or less

[BBF]

I used to love the cool to cold seasons, not any more. I don't handle heat all that well either. Once it climbs into the mid eighties I'm looking for A/C .
 
There are very few areas in Canada that would qualify to some point. That would be the lower mainland and Vancouver Island on the west coast. Very expensive to ridiculous real estate prices.
 
If I had my choice although having to put up with a Democrat State is unpleasant I'd go and live in the Aloha State.

[sidewinder319]

Empty Quiver, The last time I was back in ND I noticed you had completed your mountain removal projects as well.  Very nice no mountains to block your views, nice!!