If you could live anywhere in the United States, where would you live?

[Mrs Tiggywinkle Again]

I would live on Anna Maria Island in Florida. However, that is probably always going to be out of my budget.

I remind myself that over 1 million people visited my very small town in 2021, so there is clearly something there that I am overlooking.

 

Edited June 13, 2023 by Mrs Tiggywinkle Again

[lynn]

Somewhere in the blue ridge mountains maybe around Boone, N Carolina.  For now I'm content living in northern Alabama and enjoying being close to my kids.

[luuknam]

Not sure. We just bought a house in NM after traveling around for 3 years, but, I'm not convinced that that's the best option wrt COL and climate change. We lived 8 years in Western NY and it's better on those two counts (climate change will likely make lake effect snow a bit worse though for a decade or two before making it less). 

[WildflowerMom]

Probably East Tennessee/West NC. It's in my blood.   Dh and I were just talking about it last night and how ready we are to go now.   We'll have to wait until retirement though.  We're mid-40s now.   

[popmom]

2 hours ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle Again said:

I would live on Anna Maria Island in Florida. However, that is probably always going to be out of my budget.

I remind myself that over 1 million people visited my very small town in 2021, so there is clearly something there that I am overlooking.

 

I love A.M.I., too. 🙂 Not enough to live there though. lol I'm good with being within driving distance. I couldn't afford it for sure. If I had to live in Florida, I would choose Sarasota though. Not sure it's much more affordable. 

Edited June 13, 2023 by popmom

[Lucy the Valiant]

21 hours ago, bookbard said:

I always wonder why everyone doesn't move to Hawaii. Sounds like a great place, fewer guns, nice weather, healthcare was good I think when I looked.

This sounds funny, but Hawaii is actually classified as a "hardship posting" at many employers in our area. (In other words, if they send you there for work, you get TONS of "extras," because it's so hard to get people to go there for 1-2-3 yrs.)

[Sneezyone]

22 hours ago, bookbard said:

I always wonder why everyone doesn't move to Hawaii. Sounds like a great place, fewer guns, nice weather, healthcare was good I think when I looked.

It’s still our pick. Respectful toward the elderly, friendly locals, amazing outdoor adventures to be had plus gateway to the east for more/different travel. Only downside is the COL.

[wintermom]

If Hawaii was an option, I could handle that for a while. 😉  Alaska would be pretty cool, too. 

[Pam in CT]

I like where we are except cost of living and stoopid winter (not unbearably cold, just stupid -- lots of ice, not much snow you can actually have fun with). 

Within New England, I'd be happy in either coastal Maine or the Cape; and I also fantasize about gardening in a couple zones warmer, like Maryland.  But my husband only ever longs to move back to NYC. So I expect we'll probably stay where we are.  At this point pretty near everyone on both sides of extended family, including aged elders, are all clumped between Boston and WDC so I really can't see us moving out of that corridor.

[Spryte]

I love northern NM, my soul put down roots there after living all over the place. The juxtaposition of desert and mountains makes me happy. Living there again is not in the cards at the moment.

HI has its appeal as well, and is more likely than NM. COL, though, and unless our adult kids go, too — the travel would be an “ouch!”

New England is looking more attractive, too, but I really don’t love that sort of wet cold.

 

[Sneezyone]

21 minutes ago, wintermom said:

If Hawaii was an option, I could handle that for a while. 😉  Alaska would be pretty cool, too. 

I fantasize about visiting Alaska on the *cusp* of winter. LOL.

[wintermom]

Just now, Sneezyone said:

I fantasize about visiting Alaska on the *cusp* of winter. LOL.

Maybe a combination of Alaska during the summer, to take advantage of the super long days, then Hawaii in the summer. Hey, if we're dreaming, this sounds like a wonderful solution. 😉 

[Mom_to3]

Are people here taking account natural disasters (potential for hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires)? I see quite a few votes for Florida, hence the question... . 

[TheReader]

33 minutes ago, Mom_to3 said:

Are people here taking account natural disasters (potential for hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires)? I see quite a few votes for Florida, hence the question... . 

some parts of Florida are not so super prone to hurricanes, and even then, you do at least have warning unlike with other disasters. 

[popmom]

Hurricanes are the least scary of natural disasters--to me at least. Where I live we get tornadoes. We may get warning, but not enough to get out of the way. Just enough warning to let you know you may be a sitting duck, so go to your basement. We also get an occasional hurricane. We get tropical storms/depressions more. The scariest thing about the tropical systems is that they can spawn a brief tornado lol.

Wild fires and earthquakes scare me the most out of natural disasters. You may get some warning with a wildfire, but nothing (personal belongings) is going to survive if your home is in the path. 

So if I had to choose between CA and FL--definitely picking FL.

 

Edited June 14, 2023 by popmom

[bibiche]

On 6/13/2023 at 8:21 AM, Scarlett said:

Maine is on my bucket list to visit and I could see myself being happy there.  I have a friend who lives in Wells ME and I always intended to visit.  
 

 

Well, it is “the friendliest town in Maine.”

[Starr]

I’m starting to realize that good healthcare needs to be factored in as we age. That excludes some affordable options for us. 

[Storygirl]

If I'm dreaming, I have at least three homes.

One in Chautauqua, NY. They have the summer institute there, where you can go to concerts, performances, and lectures daily, and I'd have a home on the lake. In the winter, DH would ski.

Another in Orlando, FL, because we love Disney and would like to be able to get away from NY winters.

A third here, where we live now in the Midwest, assuming that our kids will stay in this area. Otherwise, I would have an apartment or small home near each kid, so that we could visit them and grandchildren whenever we wanted. 

This, of course, is a dream plan that would never happen.

Oh, if my life were completely different, and I had unlimited money, and DH and I had no immediate family to stay close to, I would like to have a condo on that luxury cruise ship on which people can own their cabin. We would just travel the world all of the time.

[KungFuPanda]

On 6/12/2023 at 10:18 PM, Caroline said:

Columbia, Maryland

It’s where I grew up. I love that place. 

I'm sitting over here in Columbia, MD trying to imagine anywhere else I'd rather be.  I'd like to live somewhere exactly like here with lower taxes and homes my daughter can afford.  She and her husband make six figures combined and can't even get a condo here.  (They live in Alexandria and they won't just GIVE me their baby to raise!) I do love  it and try not to take our amenities for granted.  Did you know our county is the first LEED Platinum Community?  

[Caroline]

21 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

I'm sitting over here in Columbia, MD trying to imagine anywhere else I'd rather be.  I'd like to live somewhere exactly like here with lower taxes and homes my daughter can afford.  She and her husband make six figures combined and can't even get a condo here.  (They live in Alexandria and they won't just GIVE me their baby to raise!) I do love  it and try not to take our amenities for granted.  Did you know our county is the first LEED Platinum Community?  

Every time you post, I think of home. I always wonder if we have people in common. 
 

My parents moved us there in 1971. They were choosing between Columbia and Reston. I agree that it’s really expensive, and that’s one reason my parents moved after my dad retired. My parents’ house was worth more than 10x what they paid for it in 1978 when they sold it in 2004. (It was our second Columbia house.) I haven’t been back since my high school reunion in 2018. I would like to visit soon. 

[mommyoffive]

People who live in Maine do you find your area diverse?  I haven't been there since right after college and I was there for a summer and found the diversity very lacking in the area that I was in.  So much so that when I walked into a store or restaurant that it was hushed staring at me.  

[MEmama]

14 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

People who live in Maine do you find your area diverse?  I haven't been there since right after college and I was there for a summer and found the diversity very lacking in the area that I was in.  So much so that when I walked into a store or restaurant that it was hushed staring at me.  

It's getting better, but racial diversity is definitely lacking. Still, no one would be treated that way in my area anymore, though I can't speak for some of the state. 

When we moved from a big city in central Ohio to New Brunswick when DS was 5, one of the first comments he made while walking around our closest "city" was that he was sad because he missed all the beautiful dark skinned people. Omg my heart, I had no idea he paid attention like that, it just wasn't something that come up yet. I guess that experience "acclimated" us for living here, but yeah, it's something we do struggle with. 
 

We are getting a lot of refugees even our little town and the community is embracing it. Like we've built housing and the schools are working to integrate various new cultures and kids with different experiences, we've formed an official outreach program, the farming community is working with those who have agricultural knowledge--in addition to hiring them, a bunch of farms even created a fund to help a Somali family (maybe it was several families, can't remember all the details) purchase their own farm in an adjacent town; our CSA was part of the collective raising money. 
 

When DS was in high school the school had several new members from refugee families and it was big news. Like, the local kids were so excited and accomodating; his XC and track coaches helped get interested kids participating in running and the athletes totally took them in. It probably isn't always that way, but overwhelmingly I hear only good positive stories. DS loves learning about other cultures and was always excited to share stories he'd learned from his new friends.
 

Portland is the most diverse and getting more so. It's a foodie city and has foods and restaurants from everywhere; even my small town grocery carries frozen greens from Africa that I'd never heard of. Refugees are referred to as New Mainers, which I love with all my heart.

[vonfirmath]

I love right where i live. I'd like to edge northward out of Travis into Williamson County -- but not at the cost it would take to move/buy houses right now.

 

[MEmama]

17 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

People who live in Maine do you find your area diverse?  I haven't been there since right after college and I was there for a summer and found the diversity very lacking in the area that I was in.  So much so that when I walked into a store or restaurant that it was hushed staring at me.  

I realize I kinda went a different direction in my post above than what you might have been asking, lol. I mean, there's no escaping the fact that Maine is one of the "whitest" and oldest populations in the country. But also, it's a big state and those are truer in some areas more so than others. I live in the part where most of the population lives and economy is generated. It's bright bright blue and more diverse here in *all* the ways than up north, for example. 

If you wanna come up and visit, let me know! 🙂 

Edited June 15, 2023 by MEmama

[QueenCat]

1 hour ago, Caroline said:

Every time you post, I think of home. I always wonder if we have people in common. 
 

My parents moved us there in 1971. They were choosing between Columbia and Reston. I agree that it’s really expensive, and that’s one reason my parents moved after my dad retired. My parents’ house was worth more than 10x what they paid for it in 1978 when they sold it in 2004. (It was our second Columbia house.) I haven’t been back since my high school reunion in 2018. I would like to visit soon. 

I wonder the same thing with KungFuPanda...

And when I think of you, I think of one of my crazier small-world connections... although, I think we found a few. One just crazier than the rest. 

My parents made a crazy amount of money when they sold their house in 2001. They needed it, as they moved to a town ironically near Reston.

[QueenCat]

I always have a hard time with this. There has been good and bad everywhere we've lived. We LOVED the Atlanta area but I don't think I could deal with the summer heat anymore. Middle TN was nice in many ways but I am no longer conservative and really need somewhere more blue/purple. The cost of living was great there. The Hampton Roads area was great. A little less conservative, near the beach, has good weather most of the time, and lots of history. We're in the SW Ohio area now. The weather is great most of the time. Low humidity most of the summer. People are kinder in general than anywhere we've lived. The cost of living is okay. I worry as it gets redder than it used to be. How far that goes may determine if we stay here for retirement. 

[MEmama]

10 minutes ago, QueenCat said:

I always have a hard time with this. There has been good and bad everywhere we've lived. We LOVED the Atlanta area but I don't think I could deal with the summer heat anymore. Middle TN was nice in many ways but I am no longer conservative and really need somewhere more blue/purple. The cost of living was great there. The Hampton Roads area was great. A little less conservative, near the beach, has good weather most of the time, and lots of history. We're in the SW Ohio area now. The weather is great most of the time. Low humidity most of the summer. People are kinder in general than anywhere we've lived. The cost of living is okay. I worry as it gets redder than it used to be. How far that goes may determine if we stay here for retirement. 

You probably already know that Columbus is a blue haven and has some terrific neighborhoods. Funny you think the summers there are tolerable--the humidity is one of the biggest reasons I couldn't move back, lol. State politics is another, sadly. Can't live somewhere that wants me dead. 😞 

I sure do love Columbus though! If I could pick it up and move it to say, western Massachusetts, that'd be pretty close to ideal lol.

[QueenCat]

1 hour ago, MEmama said:

You probably already know that Columbus is a blue haven and has some terrific neighborhoods. Funny you think the summers there are tolerable--the humidity is one of the biggest reasons I couldn't move back, lol. State politics is another, sadly. Can't live somewhere that wants me dead. 😞 

I sure do love Columbus though! If I could pick it up and move it to say, western Massachusetts, that'd be pretty close to ideal lol.

We're about 1.5 hours from Columbus. In between Cincy and Dayton. The politics are becoming more concerning. That said, we're here for at least ten years. What happens next will depend on a variety of things, including the state politics. 

The humidity is much lower here than it was in Georgia, Tennessee, or Virginia. 

[Bambam]

We've been talking about this too - but for after retirement. 
Weather must be not too cold, would prefer not too hot/humid, but we will see.
Near a big city with excellent health care. We have no health concerns now, but we live in a small town with mediocre health care, and this is not what I want when I might actually need a good doctor/surgeon/rehab place. 
Low cost of living.
Tax friendly to retirees. https://smartasset.com/retirement/retirement-taxes
I'd also like somewhere fairly close to a large airport (which is covered if it is by a big city with excellent health care). 
I'd like a mix of ethnic restaurants as well and great grocery stores. 
Good church.

I know many folks move closer to their kids, but I don't see my kids staying in one place, so I don't think that will work. 

I figure we will end up in the suburbs of some large metroplex in the southeast. Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, maybe Mississippi, possibly Arkansas

[wintermom]

nm

Edited June 14, 2023 by wintermom

[mom2scouts]

We've lived in the same general area our entire lives. There are many things I like about living here, but I dislike our cold, grey winters more and more every year. We've talked about moving to NC near the beach in retirement (I love the beach!), but it seems like such a big step for someone who's lived her entire adult life in one community. My SIL (husband's sister, who I really like) lives there with a group of friends who all retired to the area together, so we would have a small group of built in friends and relatives. They're all nice and go off on frequent adventures together. Several of my kids and my only grandchildren live near me now though and I don't know if I want to move away from them.

[Clarita]

On 6/13/2023 at 7:37 PM, Mom_to3 said:

Are people here taking account natural disasters (potential for hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires)? I see quite a few votes for Florida, hence the question... . 

I mean are there areas without any potential for natural disasters. I think generally people get comfortable with disasters they know. I know a lot of people are scared of earthquakes but it doesn't really phase me. I know "the big one" can be quite devastating and you don't see it coming but also most earthquakes (even the ones you can feel) don't result in anything. 

On the flipside blizzards seem really scary to me. Watching the disaster happen for days in the cold where you just slowly freeze to death... 

[wintermom]

On 6/13/2023 at 10:37 PM, Mom_to3 said:

Are people here taking account natural disasters (potential for hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires)? I see quite a few votes for Florida, hence the question... . 

Where in the world are there no "natural disasters?"  Stuff happens everywhere. I'd be more afraid of the humans and wildlife I would potentially encounter on a daily basis than focusing on avoiding weather events. I mean, daily rain would bum me out, so the PNW is gorgeous but it would make me long for sunny, freezing cold days from Alberta. 😉 

[dsmith]

I'd stay right here in Northern NJ. I'm a Jersey girl, what can I say! But my second choice would be coastal Maine. I just wish it were more affordable and less conservative in my town. I like the convenience of where I live - everything is close by, but I'm in a smaller town without a highway running through it. We have decent gun laws - I think we're the 2nd strictest state. Coastal Maine I've only visited during the summer through late September, so I don't know what winters are like, but the people seem super friendly. There's just something about the sound of the lobster boats, and looking at the water that I find so relaxing. If I had the money I'd at least own a vacation home on the water! 

 

Edited June 15, 2023 by dsmith
adding reason why

[rebcoola]

1 hour ago, Clarita said:

I mean are there areas without any potential for natural disasters.

 

1 hour ago, wintermom said:

Where in the world are there no "natural disasters?"  Stuff happens everywhere. I'd be more afraid of the humans and wildlife I would potentially encounter on a daily basis than focusing on avoiding weather events. I mean, daily rain would bum me out, so the PNW is gorgeous but it would make me long for sunny, freezing cold days from Alberta. 😉

We live in the inland northwest and there is not much.  Wind storms but no tornados.  Earthquakes not really. Volcanoes but only the kind that would be more or less world ending.  Even though its hot/ sunny dry we dont get tons of wildfire. We do get smoke from other places that settle over our basin.  We get some very mild drought conditions if the mountains dont get enough snow but nothing like California.  Very few places flood like if you live directly on one of the smaller rivers.

[Corraleno]

When we moved back to the US from Europe, we did have the choice of living anywhere in the country and I chose northern NM. I love the landscape there, and the incredible light — there's a reason it attracts so many artists. IMO nothing beats fall in northern NM, with bright yellow cottonwood leaves against a turquoise sky and the smell of piñon smoke and roasting chilis permeating the air. We lived a short walk from the Rio Grande, on 3 acres with horses, dogs, and chickens. I absolutely loved it and would have preferred to stay there, but we needed to move for several reasons, mostly outside of my control.

For the second move, I chose Oregon for the amazing homeschool community, top coaching for DS, mild weather, blue politics, and relative affordability (compared to CA). The gloomy weather does get to me, but I will most likely just stay here because it's close to everything, including top hospitals/specialists and a major airport. And although it's often gray and rainy, at least there's not much snow and temps are mild enough that heating & cooling the house doesn't cost a fortune. If either of my kids somehow ended up in northern NM though, I would move back there in a heartbeat.

[MEmama]

5 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

When we moved back to the US from Europe, we did have the choice of living anywhere in the country and I chose northern NM. I love the landscape there, and the incredible light — there's a reason it attracts so many artists. IMO nothing beats fall in northern NM, with bright yellow cottonwood leaves against a turquoise sky and the smell of piñon smoke and roasting chilis permeating the air. We lived a short walk from the Rio Grande, on 3 acres with horses, dogs, and chickens. I absolutely loved it and would have preferred to stay there, but we needed to move for several reasons, mostly outside of my control.

For the second move, I chose Oregon for the amazing homeschool community, top coaching for DS, mild weather, blue politics, and relative affordability (compared to CA). The gloomy weather does get to me, but I will most likely just stay here because it's close to everything, including top hospitals/specialists and a major airport. And although it's often gray and rainy, at least there's not much snow and temps are mild enough that heating & cooling the house doesn't cost a fortune. If either of my kids somehow ended up in northern NM though, I would move back there in a heartbeat.

I've never been to New Mexico but it's near the top of our list. Now I'm even more excited to plan a trip. What season would you suggest (to someone who doesn't tolerate heat well)? 

I loved living in Oregon too, one of few places I would consider moving back to. It suited us very much (politically of course, and  also lifestyle wise).

[Corraleno]

22 minutes ago, MEmama said:

I've never been to New Mexico but it's near the top of our list. Now I'm even more excited to plan a trip. What season would you suggest (to someone who doesn't tolerate heat well)? 

Definitely October! Beautiful sunny weather with daytime temps in the 60s and 70s and nighttime temps in the low 40s. The clearest, crispest fall air, and colors so bright they seem unreal. The light there really is different — at a mile or more of altitude the thin air + the lack of haze from humidity = really saturated colors. Indian fry bread for sale at roadside stands everywhere and chilis being roasted outside every grocery store and farm stand — if only someone could make a candle that perfectly replicates the combination of roasting chilis, crisp fall air, and piñon smoke! 

The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is usually the second week of October, so if you go that week just be aware that you'll need to book flights/hotel/rental cars well in advance. The Fiesta is lots of fun if you don't mind getting up before dawn to drive to the launch site and wait in the dark until the balloons start to take off. It's usually quite cold that early, but they sell hot chocolate and funnel cakes to warm you up! For people who don't want to wake up so early, they also usually have one or two nights when they do a "Balloon Glow," where people inflate their balloons but keep them tethered and people can walk around and see them close up. 

Of course there's lots to do in Santa Fe, too, and definitely plan a trip up to Ghost Ranch, where Georgia O'Keefe painted. People think her paintings of the local landscape are abstract and the colors are made up, but that's literally what the landscape looks like there. Ghost Ranch is one of my absolute favorite places on earth and the place I'd most like to have my ashes scattered.

If you like archeological sites, there are lots to visit, like Bandelier National Monument just west of Santa Fe, and if you're up in the Four Corners area, there's Mesa Verde just over the border in CO and Canyon de Chelly over the border in AZ. Chaco Canyon in NM is also really interesting, but it's a long drive in the middle of nowhere, and the last part of the drive is really rough road (or at least it was the last time I was there). One place I used to like to take visitors was the Puye Cliff Dwellings, near Espanola, because it wasn't as well known and had very few visitors, but I think they now have a visitor center and only allow guided tours.

[kathyl]

On 6/12/2023 at 8:55 PM, mommyoffive said:

Dh keeps asking me where I would like to live and I need to do some thinking about where I would like to live.  Politics, gun control, cost of living, and climate change all come into mind of things I would want to look for.

Where would you live if you could pick anywhere in the US?  And why? 

I feel like I've been moving my whole life.  The longest I've lived anywhere is 15 years.  Much much less in all the other places.

I like where I'm at (TX).  And it's not because it has beautiful scenery or wonderful weather, although I do love the constant sunshine.  Or any other geographical allure.  It's the people. 

After moving so many times in my life, a couple of decades ago I realized it's not the location that makes or breaks a place for me.  It's always and forever about the people.  We've lived in some absolutely stunning places over the decades where ...  I just. could. not. stand. the. people.  All the beauty in the world couldn't make up for every interaction feeling like a fight just to get the simplest of things done.

The only other factor I've recently had to take into consideration since 2019 (cancer) is decent medical care.  And we have excellent medical care here.  So, I'm exactly where I want to be. 🙂

[Clemsondana]

19 hours ago, wintermom said:

Where in the world are there no "natural disasters?"  Stuff happens everywhere. I'd be more afraid of the humans and wildlife I would potentially encounter on a daily basis than focusing on avoiding weather events. I mean, daily rain would bum me out, so the PNW is gorgeous but it would make me long for sunny, freezing cold days from Alberta. 😉 

I wouldn't choose a location based on severe weather, but, having grown up in the southeast where there are hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, and ice storms - I was shocked during our decade in Albuquerque.  There really isn't severe weather.  They do have drought, but there isn't anything that causes extended power outages or requires you to stock up on flashlights and batteries.  During the entire 10 years that we were there, there was one 2-3 day stint where ice didn't melt so the roads weren't great and things were canceled because parking lots were icy.  But, any other events were over in 1/2 of a day - a snowy morning, an afternoon thunderstorm that overwhelmed the roads temporarily.  They get 300+ days of sun.  

[Dianthus]

14 hours ago, Corraleno said:

 

What if i want to go to the Balloon Fest and Carlsbad Caverns? Actually would enjoy Mesa Verde too. I've been there before but kids haven't.

[Corraleno]

7 minutes ago, Dianthus said:

What if i want to go to the Balloon Fest and Carlsbad Caverns? Actually would enjoy Mesa Verde too. I've been there before but kids haven't.

Mesa Verde and Carlsbad are each about 5 hours from ABQ but in opposite directions. You need to make a reservation for a tour at Mesa Verde in order to visit the cliff dwellings, and the tours stop in mid October or so, so if you want to include that I'd do that before the Balloon Fiesta. You also need a reservation to see the caverns, but they are open all year, and September/October is a great time to visit because it's much less crowded after Labor Day and the bats are still flying until late October.

[Laura Corin]

20 hours ago, wintermom said:

Where in the world are there no "natural disasters?"  Stuff happens everywhere. I'd be more afraid of the humans and wildlife I would potentially encounter on a daily basis than focusing on avoiding weather events. I mean, daily rain would bum me out, so the PNW is gorgeous but it would make me long for sunny, freezing cold days from Alberta. 😉 

We are pretty close to that.  The worst snow is about a foot.  Worst winds that I've seen were around 75mph.  We do get dry summers and there are sometimes small wildfires, The starting weather range is pretty moderate.  We aren't warm enough for hurricanes.  We apparently have about 30 tornadoes per year in the UK, but they are very small.  There was a big storm in 1987 that people still talk about, but so far that's a one-in-200-years event.  There can be flooding, but so long as you don't live right by a water course or in a flood plain, you are pretty safe. 

None of these are what I would call natural disasters in the North American model. 

[Spryte]

All this NM talk makes me homesick! We are heading out for our NM fix in a few weeks, thank goodness. Northern NM is my favorite place on the planet.

Fall is my favorite time in NM, too. Roasting green chile everywhere (drool).

Random thought: Bandelier has bats, if anyone is looking for bats, though not as many as Carlsbad. It’s pretty impressive to watch them emerge. I have not been to see the bats as a tourist, though, and one would need to be sure they are accessible to people not working with the park system. If that’s part of the Carlsbad draw, Bandelier might be a good option. 

[Condessa]

Wild Rivers area of the Oregon coast.

And I would go visit my family in San Diego from January through March each year.  🙂

[TravelingChris]

I  love living where I am.  As dh and I are always talking about, there is so much to do here every single weekend.  Way too much so while we go to some fun stuff, we are always missing a lot too since there are so many choices.  It is a well run city and yes, like popmom, I love the diversity of my state.   This area is super welcoming to new people which why it was different than moving to many places in the south.   And another thing I love about here is that it is a geek city.  Al my children live within 30 miles of where I live too- a great bonus.

[ScoutTN]

On 6/12/2023 at 10:47 PM, fairfarmhand said:

Right where I am, middle Tennessee. I love it here.

Me too!I do not want to move anywhere else. (Though I wouldn’t mind a couple weeks in FL mid-winter!)

[fairfarmhand]

1 hour ago, ScoutTN said:

Me too!I do not want to move anywhere else. (Though I wouldn’t mind a couple weeks in FL mid-winter!)

Yes! February here is the pits!

[Faith-manor]

On 6/15/2023 at 5:28 PM, Corraleno said:

When we moved back to the US from Europe, we did have the choice of living anywhere in the country and I chose northern NM. I love the landscape there, and the incredible light — there's a reason it attracts so many artists. IMO nothing beats fall in northern NM, with bright yellow cottonwood leaves against a turquoise sky and the smell of piñon smoke and roasting chilis permeating the air. We lived a short walk from the Rio Grande, on 3 acres with horses, dogs, and chickens. I absolutely loved it and would have preferred to stay there, but we needed to move for several reasons, mostly outside of my control.

For the second move, I chose Oregon for the amazing homeschool community, top coaching for DS, mild weather, blue politics, and relative affordability (compared to CA). The gloomy weather does get to me, but I will most likely just stay here because it's close to everything, including top hospitals/specialists and a major airport. And although it's often gray and rainy, at least there's not much snow and temps are mild enough that heating & cooling the house doesn't cost a fortune. If either of my kids somehow ended up in northern NM though, I would move back there in a heartbeat.

We really enjoyed living in Oregon in the early 90's, Newburg area. We ended up following Mark's career which took us back to Michigan, but man, some days I really miss Willamette Valley. Sadly, three of our four adult children, plus our honorary kids are likely to always live in Michigan, Illinois, of Minnesota, and our other child and her family, our grandsons, are in the Huntsville area, so I don't see us ever moving back.