Where would you move to...

[k2bdeutmeyer]

Just throwing out season info for IA.

 

Winter usually lasts from the end of November through mid/end March. Spring in April and May. Summer is June through early September. And fall from mid/late September through mid November.

 

Snow fall and heat really depend on the year. Last summer (2009) was VERY mild and almost "cold". Highs were only in the 70's most days. This year has been a hotter year with highs in the 80's and low 90's most days. Same thing can be true for snow fall and cold.

[Debbie in OR]

I would consider what *kind* of seasons you want. Do you like really hot summers that cool down a lot or stay warm? Mild summers? Mild winters? Do you do all the winter sports? Summer sports? Is access to both summer and winter sports important?

 

We have 4 very definite seasons here (high desert of Oregon) but the summers are relatively mild (average high 80's/low 90's) and once the sun goes down, very cool...usually down into the 40's. I have to put on a sweatshirt and hang out at the fire pit if we are outside in the evenings. But I know people who want that warm summer evening feeling and would hate how chilly it can get. Personally, I love it. We've lived here for 12 years and have never used AC. For us, we know that we need to live in the mountains for this kind of cool/dry climate. We also don't have a lot of bugs so you can sit outside in the evenings and not be swatting things.

 

For all of those considerations, we have chosen the high desert of Oregon. We have 20 minute access to great skiing and winter sports, 20 minute access to all summer sports and the ocean is within 3.5 hours. We have cool evenings, mild summers, definite winter but not miserable; lots of cloudless, sunny days (summer and winter). If we didn't live here, we would choose the Collegiate Peaks area of Colorado...same climate/lifestyle just no access to the ocean.

 

There are two major drawbacks though: the airport thing as we have one within 30 minutes but it is small and very expensive to fly out/in. If we want cheap airfare, we have to drive 3 hours to Portland. Not terrible but not great. (However, IKEA is right next to the airport so....I'm just sayin' is all....) The other is cost of living: we live in a tourist town with lots of retirees and it is expensive to live here. However, you can drive 18 miles in two different directions and the COL goes down somewhat.

Edited July 20, 2010 by Debbie in OR

[Ginevra]

We moved to southern VA three years ago from Colorado. I loved CO; I love it here. We are far enough west that we don't get the swampy humidity from the coast. The weather is fabulous and the scenery beautiful.

 

There is definitely history and lots of land. VA has dozens o

:iagree:

 

VA is my favorite as far as weather, beauty, history, colleges and not being terribly far from where we live now. My brother lives in Colorado Springs and that is my second-favorite place. It wouldn't be likely that I would move there because I don't want to be completely cut off from the deep roots we have here.

[mycalling]

Four seasons to me means 4 seasons of roughly equal length. Not just the inclusion of snow. A week of non-snowy spring does not a season make, imo.

 

That said, we only get a dusting of snow a few times throughout winter here in central NC, so we don't really qualify either.

[milovany]

We're in north central WA - I think I know city you are talking about, milovany! :) Housing prices are much more reasonable on our side of the mountains. And we have 4 seasons (absolutely beautiful autumns) and most everything else on the list, too! It would be easy to come here from Alaska.

 

Sarah CB - we are just down the road from you!

 

Yeah, I'm sure you know where I mean. You can't really talk about the "middle of the state" and not get where we're at (if you're familiar with Washington). My "location" tag above also helps give it away ............. focus on the "blown" part! :lol:

[The*A*Team]

My ideas would be:

 

Johnstown, OH (near columbus, tons of great shopping and great schools/universities nearby, but far enough to live on good amount of land, 4 seasons, close to fun stuff )

 

Atlanta, GA area is nice

 

Powell, Oh is nice

[Rhea]

My question: Why do you want to move from ALASKA?

Having never been to Alaske, I daydream about living there. I read books about it, watch movies about it, search the 'net.

I haven't been enough places to know where I want to go, I just know that it is not where I am right now -- I just don't like 100 degree days, day after day. :D

 

Parts of my post have been eaten multiple times as I type this, some weird quirk of my laptop, so this may be a bit disjointed.

 

Alaska is wonderful. I love it. I'll have lived here for 24 years this August. There are so many things I appreciate about it. Low population. We can drive and drive and see nothing but mountains covered in... mountain things! Not houses. I grew up in S. California so raw land and nature are biggies for me. I love the wildlife. I love the gorgeous views that are everywhere around me. I could go on and on.

 

So why we are thinking about moving...

 

• Airfare is expensive and it takes longer to fly anywhere from Alaska. (Okay, there are exceptions such as Hawaii, but on the whole...)

• There is no driving to another state to visit a historic site or go camping in a beautiful national park. (Alaska has it's beauty, but you are limited to Alaska unless you have the time and money to drive out, or the money to fly all 5 family members out.)

• We would like to grow more of our food, and while there are areas in Alaska with good growing seasons, we don't live in one of them and moving to one of them doesn't solve the other things on this list.

• There is the University of Alaska (locations across the state, most notably Juneau, Anchorage, and Fairbanks) and APU (Anchorage only). My oldest two do not want to live in Anchorage; they tolerate the place for short visits only. (We lived there for several years and the older two remember it and much prefer the beauty of where we now live.) Juneau is reachable by boat or airplane only. Fairbanks is a nine hour drive from here, has beautiful and hot summers, and wickedly cold winters. Neither place appeals to my older two which leads me to…

• My older two want to go to college out of state. The third will probably want to also. I’d rather live closer to more options for upper level education.

• My older two want to live somewhere other than Alaska. The third will probably want to also. Many kids stay or return to Alaska, but somehow I don’t see mine doing that. I know there is much about Alaska they will have greater appreciation for after they’ve lived other places, but I think they will seek out what they love in less isolated parts. I don’t think Alaska will be their first choice. Even if they all ended up rich and the cost (in money and time) to travel out of state wasn’t an issue, I don’t see it.

• It’s not all about living nearer my kids when they are grown. I’ve imagined down the road when they are all living around the country or world, and I’ve imagine myself here in Alaska, and I still want to be somewhere less isolated and with more options.

• The lack of large parcels of land. The majority of the land is locked up; it is either Federal, State, or Native. What land is for sale, is usually expensive, not all, but those that aren’t would mean a move and if we’re going to move… there’s all the other things on this list.

• It is expensive to live here. The cost of food is higher and we eat mostly vegetables, vegetables shipped in except in summer when the farmer’s market is going. The cost of hay – not enough hay is grown in the state. Local hay runs $5 and up per bale (about 35 pounds) in the field, (meaning you are there the day they bale and pick it out of the field) but most everyone I know has to purchase shipped in hay to get through the year. Last summer we missed every baling day we were made aware of because we’d be in the wrong town when the call came in. So all our hay this past year has been out of state. We’ve been paying $19.95 + tax for $55 pound bales. It can be purchased cheaper if you buy a ton or more at a time.

• Where we live we travel an hour north or south for any shopping (including groceries) and for all music lessons. We’ve thought about moving an hour north or south, but there’s still the rest of this list. ;)

• Something that is of concern is that Alaska is one of the least sustainable places to live. Perhaps not the least sustainable, but certainly not good.

• We would like to travel. See Europe. It’s a dream. It’s just a more expensive dream from Alaska.

• Something that has bothered me since I moved here is the lack of architectural history. Laugh if you must, but I miss it. Everything is young here and much of it is ugly (IMO, please fellow Alaskans, don’t kill me. And I’m not talking about homes, I’ve seen some beautiful homes.) The mountains and volcanoes will take my breath away, but never, ever since moving here has a building moved me. (I should point out I’ve not been to Juneau or Fairbanks, they might have beautiful architecture.) (Dh just informed me that in his opinion Fairbanks does not have anything architecturally to recommend it, but that the Fred Meyers there is nice.)

• Art opportunities abound in Anchorage, but we don’t want to live there again, nor do we want to live near it. It’s not a bad drive – 4 hours from where we now live – if there are no road closures and the weather isn’t too bad. We would like more diversity though.

 

 

This got long, I'll stop there. Alaska is WONDERFUL. When we contemplate leaving both my husband and I are sad, and yet... we feel it's what we need at this point.

 

Rhea

Edited July 20, 2010 by Rhea
Quote was in twice.

[creekland]

Parts of my post have been eaten multiple times as I type this, some weird quirk of my laptop, so this may be a bit disjointed.

 

Alaska is wonderful. I love it. I'll have lived here for 24 years this August. There are so many things I appreciate about it. Low population. We can drive and drive and see nothing but mountains covered in... mountain things! Not houses. I grew up in S. California so raw land and nature are biggies for me. I love the wildlife. I love the gorgeous views that are everywhere around me. I could go on and on.

 

 

 

Upon reading this last post, you might like the Adirondack or St Lawrence Valley region of NY. I grew up there... it's still very rural, yet closer to things you miss... and less expensive for many things, including property. Hay is cheap and we had a good vegetable garden every summer. "I" think winter is too long there, but compared to Alaska, you'd probably marvel at how short it is.

[littlebug42]

Even though I live in Ohio now, I am a Kentucky girl at heart. There is so much beauty in that state, it is unreal. I personally love the southeast, more mountainous side. I am from Northern Kentucky where there are beautiful spots close to Cincinnati. You would have the major airport, the arts, universities - all of those things that you mentioned.

[Outdoorsy Type]

Another vote for Bend, Oregon. I lived in that area for a few years and it will always be my other "home". :D

[mammaruss]

Twin Cities area, MN. We've got all of that. And it's a lovely place to homeschool. Lots of cultural and educational resources at your disposal!

:iagree:

[lisabelle]

I grew up in the Central Valley in CA and it was pretty hot and buggy for my tastes. Here now, West Coast of Washington I am mostly very happy, but am finding, the longer I live here, that the winters are a little excessive for me. I don't mind the rain, but it's when we have snow and you can't get anywhere and the roads are icy once you can. I don't like the long stretches of lows in the teens and highs in the 20s even if it's dry.

 

I think I might be happier in OR (Papa CA is too hot, Mama WA is too cold, maybe Baby OR will be just right)...if only there was a good job for the dh there. But even so, I *am* very attached to my community.

 

And strangely, this has happened twice in the past couple of weeks...I've dreamed that we were looking for a home in the Berkeley hills. I went to UC Berkeley for grad school, but I commuted 60 miles each way, so it's not like I really developed an affection for the place. Weird.

[imeverywoman]

ahhh... the good ol' days. :)

[elizabeth]

Ireland. Nova Scotia.

[gaillardia]

My husband always points out the isolation, expense, never being able to leave Alaska once we get there and other negative things. Beautiful, yes. Maybe someday I'll get to take a trip there.

If I could live anywhere without having to worry about expense, it would be Virginia. High property taxes there on everything you own (land, home, cars, boats, etc.) make it a bit steep. Am I right, Virginians?

My choices have to do with greenery, hills, smaller mountains, trees, and I'd want the ocean within a day's drive.

[AlaskaGrownFamily]

I read your original post and thought, "Oooh! Here! Alaska!" And... then I kept reading. LOL!

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

I would not want to move! We live in the black hills (the wyoming side) and I LOVE it here! We moved from Michigan and we do not plan on moving unless work or something else major makes a move needed.

[HollyB]

Michigan is wonderful! We have exactly what you're looking for: Lots of land, 4 seasons (great year for agriculture), good arts scene around metro areas, gorgeous beaches, good colleges and universities, museums, not too expensive, major airport in Detroit, and I could go on and on about the Great Lakes! We're relatively close to Chicago and Toronto.

 

Homeschooling is a dream here; very hands-off.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

Traverse City, Michigan. Some seasons are longer than others but over all very beautiful, clean, surrounded by lakes....overall a great place to live! Also not very expensive :)

 

 

My dh has a very dear aunt that lives there. It is so beautiful! We moved from Michigan though and do not think we could go back.. we are loving the Wyoming side of the Black Hills!!!

 

 

To the OP the upper penninsula of Michigan is beautiful also!

[Chocolate Lover]

Somewhere outside of Portland, Oregon.

[Margo out of lurking]

If I could live anywhere without having to worry about expense, it would be Virginia. High property taxes there on everything you own (land, home, cars, boats, etc.) make it a bit steep. Am I right, Virginians?

 

Before we began researching, this was my misconception also. I live in the Roanoke valley. Roanoke City and County taxes, imo, are excessive, but that's only related to the rest of the area. In the two neighboring counties I've lived, property taxes are about $500 per $100K of home/land. (Roanoke is about 2x as much.) Taxes on our cars are considerably less than whatever we were paying in (reasonable) Colorado, I'm guessing ~$200 for my new car.

 

My choices have to do with greenery, hills, smaller mountains, trees, and I'd want the ocean within a day's drive.

 

Yes, we do have it all here. (Sighing happily.)

[NaturalMomma]

if you could move anywhere? Why there? Assume your work could be done anywhere, but money is still a consideration. (Not suddenly wealthy.)

 

 

 

These are things my husband and I would like:

 

• Near a major airport (within a 5 hour drive)

• 4 seasons

• An actual growing season

• Near Arts

• Variety of upper educational choices

• History

• Beauty

• Land. We like our animals.

• My dh adds, "When civilization collapses, I don't want to be the first stop the city dwellers make on their way to the countryside.":001_smile:

Can you recommend an area that fits those criteria? We are in Alaska and want to move. This is our first step, finding areas to investigate, and I would love input.

 

 

I would love to go somewhere on the Arab Emirates like Dubai or Qatar. It is so beautiful there. If not there, than I would settle for Northern California in the mountains.

Edited July 21, 2010 by NaturalMomma

[gaillardia]

Before we began researching, this was my misconception also. I live in the Roanoke valley. Roanoke City and County taxes, imo, are excessive, but that's only related to the rest of the area. In the two neighboring counties I've lived, property taxes are about $500 per $100K of home/land. (Roanoke is about 2x as much.) Taxes on our cars are considerably less than whatever we were paying in (reasonable) Colorado, I'm guessing ~$200 for my new car.

 

 

 

Yes, we do have it all here. (Sighing happily.)

 

Thank you for posting that info on taxes and homes. I do keep my eye on that area for ancestral interest and it's so beautiful.

So, Rhea, have you narrowed down any choices yet?:tongue_smilie: