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Post by ohiohiker84 on Aug 27, 2015 17:21:35 GMT -8
Except for a 2 year stint in Bucks County, PA I've lived in OH my whole life. Mostly it's flat, I like the mountains. We do have 4 seasons so that's a plus, but my favorite season is winter and winters here are blah. The grandkids are here so I like it and we will stay here. I don't love it.
Mr. Ohiohiker always wanted to move to FL, but I'd melt. For the past 20 years he's wanted to move to AZ, but I'd melt there too. Our daughter & SIL just moved to FL so I'll spend more time there. Although never in July or August, I almost melted 2 weeks ago when we moved her there.
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whistlepunk
Trail Wise!
I was an award winning honor student once. I have no idea what happened...
Posts: 1,446
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Post by whistlepunk on Aug 27, 2015 19:09:45 GMT -8
I live in a small town no one ever heard of. Even google maps gets us wrong. We are so small we do not have a town drunk, so we all take turns. No traffic lights, no sidewalks, no Starbucks. The Entering and Leaving sign are on the same post.
Westwood, CA.
No, not the ghetto around UCLA, the real one in Lassen County.
Population is around 1500 or so. We were higher before the recession.
Within a 5 minute drive of my house I can paddle on a lake and be the only one on the water. I can mountain bike from my front door to zillions of acres of public and corporate timberlands. Lassen Volcanic National Park is about an hour drive. A Wilderness Area 30 minute drive. Trails are numerous and cross country hiking is easy. Easy to get solitude as this area is not 'trendy' and remains undiscovered by the tourists. I recently spent a week just hanging out in my RV out in the woods and did not see a soul -- not even a car drove by. Lots of fishing (in normal years, not so much this year). The terrain is varied. I live at the intersection of the Sierra Nevada, Cascades, and Great Basin. Yet major shopping and all the amenities are about an 1.5 hour drive.
The down side is I live in California, with the sky high taxes and wacky state government.
But my house is paid for (I am a prop 13er so my property taxes are negligible) and family and friends are all here. So I'll stay. If I ever move it would probably be to a Reno, NV outlying community.
Don't try to move here without a firm job offer in hand. Major employers are a prison and a military base.
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Post by bradmacmt on Aug 27, 2015 19:35:46 GMT -8
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walkswithblackflies
Trail Wise!
Resident terrorist-supporting eco-freak bootlicker
Posts: 6,952
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Post by walkswithblackflies on Aug 28, 2015 4:28:42 GMT -8
We are so small we do not have a town drunk... Don't try to move here without a firm job offer in hand. Major employers are a prison and a military base. Can I apply for Town Drunk?
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no_granola
Trail Wise!
Eating f***ing pie. Duh.
Posts: 88
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Post by no_granola on Aug 28, 2015 8:11:37 GMT -8
We have a thread about where you'd like to live, but what about where you currently live?
Although I'd love to live in Lake Placid because 1) location, location, location, 2) the international vibe from so many foreign tourists, and 3) its a small village but there is always something going on (Olympic events, Ironman, etc.)... I have to admit I really like being near Syracuse. That statement usually results in a lot of raised eyebrows, so I'll explain:
1) A medium-sized city with very little urban sprawl. I live on the edge of a small village east of the city... kinda suburban-rural... I have neighbors but I also live next to an alpaca farm. But I can be in downtown Syracuse within 15 minutes. My work commute is less than 10 minutes.
2) TONS of hiking opportunities in many different landforms / ecosystems. North: swamps and ancient lake plains (ie - flat), East: rolling hills that look like the Shire from the Hobbit, South: hills that rise nearly 2000', some call them "mountains", West: rolling hills, then Finger Lakes.
3) Four true seasons.
4) Snow, snow, and more snow. Several downhill ski areas within 30 minutes, lots of XC skiing and snowshoeing opportunities. I don't partake, but lots of snowmobiling and ice fishing opportunities, too.
5) More snow.
6) Several state parks / forests within 30 minutes. One just a couple miles from my house is a geologic wonder. Scientists from all over the world come to study it. Plus, a lot of varied terrain and the largest stand of old growth forest outside the Adirondacks.
7) Hunting and fishing opportunities everywhere.
8) Plenty of lakes, navigable streams, beaches, and waterfalls.
9) Natural disasters are rare... snowmelt and the occasional hurricane-associated rainfall are typically the only extreme events.
10) A short drive to another country (Canada). Being in Quebec is a like still another country. As is Vermont.
11) Several different cultures... urban, suburban, redneck, tourist, college student/hipster ; Irish, German, Italian are the predominant ethnicities, with some African-American and Mexican, and pockets of Polish, Bosnian, and Sudanese.
12) Several great universities (SU, SUNY ESF, SUNY Upstate Medical, Cornell, Colgate)... all of which have staffs that are very accessible to nerds like me who constantly wonder "why?" or "what?".
13) Although Syracuse City schools are atrocious, the surrounding school districts are generally very good.
14) Low cost of housing... even with waterfront.
15) Some of the cleanest air in the US. Some of the best municipal water in the US... and no shortage of it.
16) Although the people here will bitch, whine, moan, and complain about EVERYTHING... they will also give you the shirt off their back.
You're making me homesick. A$$****!
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Post by lukethedrifter on Aug 28, 2015 9:02:55 GMT -8
I live in the DC suburbs probably not to far from Jim in MD and Reuben. I have lived all over the world, Ohio, Arizona, Africa, Asia, Minnesota (ok, maybe not all over the world but several places)but never before in the suburbs. I thought I would hate it. But I have really come to like if not love it. This weekend we are debating going to the Museum of American History or hike Sugarloaf Mountain. For a day trip we can hit the National Mall, the AT, or a Civil War Battlefield. For a long day trip we can head to NYC and see a few sights. In a weekend we can go to the beach or hit the Blue Ridge. Maryland has good schools. DC is a great place to see live music and there is good public transport. The area is very diverse and I can eat food from all over the world. Jobs aren't exciting but they are plentiful. And there is good relatively good biking infrastructure. Sure I wish there were funky coffee shops on every corner, more family owned businesses and grand scenery but I have found the good tends to outweigh the bad. The weather sucks though. But being a human being, I can adapt. Pandas seem to have a rough go of it though.
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sarbar
Trail Wise!
After being here since 2001...I couldn't say goodbye yet!
Posts: 1,030
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Post by sarbar on Aug 28, 2015 9:15:28 GMT -8
That list of small town wealth....ummmmm.... Oak Harbor, WA? Seriously? NO WAY. If you have lived on Whidbey Island, you know the north end where OH is a wasteland for the Navy. Sure, there are plenty of beach houses, but there is little industry beyond the military. It isn't tourist driven. Wealthy people don't move there thinking "OMG! This place is gorgeous!!!". No, they move to the bottom half of said island where it actually is pretty. Lived there many, many years....and while where I lived was pretty it was under the flight path, as most of the town and outlying is.
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rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
Posts: 12,711
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Post by rebeccad on Aug 28, 2015 9:29:10 GMT -8
I live in a small town no one ever heard of. Even google maps gets us wrong. We are so small we do not have a town drunk, so we all take turns. No traffic lights, no sidewalks, no Starbucks. The Entering and Leaving sign are on the same post.
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tarol
Trail Wise!
Redding, CA
Posts: 582
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Post by tarol on Aug 28, 2015 9:57:59 GMT -8
Yes I love it here. We live at 3,500' in the high desert land of Joshua trees behind the San Gabriel Mountains, which is now a National Monument. I can see 10,000 and 11,000' peaks from my street. The weather is great. It does get warm during summer days, but it cools off at night, so we don't have to run the air conditioner at night and instead just open up the windows. We live in a newer energy efficient house with a wall of double-pane windows facing south, which is the perfect design for the desert. Low humidity and often a breeze makes summertime nice. Spring and Fall are perfect. Winters are mild, not much snow here. But Wrightwood is 20 minutes away if we do want snow. We're 15 minutes from the PCT and there are many other places to hike and camp within very easy reach, both in the mountains and the desert. And if that gets boring it's 1.5 hours to the beach where the weather is mild year-round. No matter what season you can find the ideal temperature for a hike just by varying the elevation. And with a wide variety of elevation comes interesting geology, flora, and fauna. I can be in the Eastern Sierra, Joshua Tree NP, Mojave NP, Death Valley NP, Santa Monica Mountains NRA, San Jacinto Wilderness, San Gorgonio Wilderness in 2 hours or less. Housing here is inexpensive, and my husband has a quick commute. My commute isn't ideal, it isn't far as the bird flies, but I gotta go down and around the mountain so it takes me 1/2 hour. Fortunately it's all highway driving and the scenery along the way is pretty nice. My parents, my favorite Aunt and Uncle, and my favorite Cousin live nearby. Ontario International Airport, which is a great airport to fly in and out of, is less than an hour away. Every type of restaurant or store (including REI) is within 45 minutes of where I live, 15 minutes of where I work. We have good tasting ground water, and are in a good school district, the best in our area. Lots of friendly people in our neighborhood and it's family-centered. Oh, and where I work there are lots of fruit stands, I love being able to buy 4 avocados for $1
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Post by bradmacmt on Aug 28, 2015 15:21:15 GMT -8
Sarbar, when did you live there?
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desert dweller
Trail Wise!
Power to the Peaceful...Hate does not create.
Posts: 6,291
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Post by desert dweller on Aug 28, 2015 16:11:28 GMT -8
We've lived in the Napa Valley for the past 35 years or so. Great food and wine, obviously, and pretty much year round cycling and hiking with this climate. My grandfather lived in St. Helena in Napa Valley. I went to visit him in 1985. Certainly a beautiful area.
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Post by tallgrass on Aug 28, 2015 18:47:02 GMT -8
In northeast Iowa. Can't really complain. Have nearly endless options & variety of river paddling and good fishing within an hour's drive. Some very nice & diverse prairies & parks close by where I can be with the living when need be. "Big boy" hiking is non existent in the state, but I have a good job I walk to every day. Things are cheap. Family, both mine & wife's, is close which has gotten important with kids. Lived here nearly my entire life, it's home and very likely will be for the foreseeable future. We do talk quite a bit about downsizing and have roaming summers (we both teach) once we have an empty nest (with an 18 month old is still quite a ways away).
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Post by packdad on Aug 29, 2015 16:40:31 GMT -8
I have retired to the smokes. Literally in the smokes. Go to the NPS Webcam at Look Rock. I live on Happy Valley Ridge according to the park service. Its the first ridge in the cameras view. locals call it Hurricane Ridge part of Chilhowie Mtn. I am surrounded by the Nationals park. I love it here.
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Post by fifeplayer on Aug 30, 2015 5:46:26 GMT -8
I live in the middle of nowhere about an hour northwest of Austin, TX. I like it quite well. I am originally from Austin, but it has grown so much in the last 50 years that I can hardly stand being there anymore. Now I get to live in the Texas Hill Country that I love without having to deal with city life, but I can get into Austin pretty easily if I need anything. Summers are miserable here, but the rest of the year is quite beautiful. I am within a half hour of several beautiful rivers for flyfishing. It is a great area for running, and the folks in these parts are kind and down to earth. Most of my dissatisfaction with living here comes from two areas. First, politics. Texas is the home of George W, Rick Perry, and Ted Cruz. 'Nuff said. Second, there is very little public land here. If I want an actual backpacking experience, I've got to drive all the way to Big Bend or the Guads, and I greatly prefer wilderness to national parks, so I normally drive to New Mexico for my backpacking trips. This is my home and I love it, but it is only a matter of time before we move, almost certainly to the mountain west. Looks like Trinity and I are just 'bout neighbors. Been here in central TX 3 months and loving it so far - the people are great, the grocery store's close, and it dried up enough this summer that I'm not mowing grass. I'm going to need to know where those fishing rivers are though... And, yep, the backpacking areas appear to be few and far between, but I'm a whole lot closer to high ground than where I moved from. :-)
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Post by 1camper on Aug 30, 2015 15:27:55 GMT -8
I live in Virginia Beach. Lived here my whole life (nearly 50, gasp, years) and seen it go from a population of about 85,000 to nearly 500,000. It used to be called "the largest resort city in the world" in sq miles, and was a quaint seaside town but now seems just crowded everywhere. That's the Con. On the plus side the schools are excellent! There is so much to do here, so much history and interesting places to go. There is an excellent mix of people here, it being a military hub. My kids have made friends that are all over the world now. My daughter lives in Spain because she married her high school sweetheart and newly commissioned navy man. So in that respect, this place is great. My family has lived here for a long time. My dad and granddad were home builders and I like that I can ride by and see those homes and remember those times. It makes me feel part of this place even tho I'm in the small minority of natives that are still here. We know each other and wave on occasion.
However the older I get the more I'd like to try living out west. Both my sisters moved to Cheyenne. I may end up out there one day. My wife takes the paper from Cody just to keep in touch with Wyoming but the more I read it the less I think I'll fit in, lol.
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