Where would you like to move?

[Jim]

So, if you were like me, and were living in a place that was OK for the time being, but not a long term location, it had a few interesting things, but wasn't a place you would ever want to be living in long enough to buy a house, where would you want to go? I had wanted to go back to AZ, and part of me still wants to do that, probably the Tucson area, but I have my doubts about a few things. Part of me is thinking Colorado. Sure, Northern New Mexico might be better for it's climate, but there aren't places to work there, or very few and the towns are small, often tiny. I'm wondering, which would be a better place to think about living in: CO or AZ. My expectation is most lean to AZ, but I often notice so many seem to want to leave. Then again, those often live in the valley.

It's sort of a curious thing, that I'd like both, but each has it's drawbacks, usually when the other is at it's best, one is at it's worst. I'm not a skier, and am not terribly interested in snow, but I question my commitment to desert living and heat. I like big mountains, but realize it isn't all a measuring contest and really enjoy the lesser peaks that are fun. 65 in January can be nice, but so can it not being 100 in July. Alpine flowers are nice, but so are desert poppies in March. Hey, at least I don't have to deal with blowing dust and 70 mph winds on Memorial Day.

I

[azbackpackr]

Ugh, Sedona. Ugh, Boise. Here's why: I have a pal who recently fled Boise after living there for less than a year. She moved there with high hopes, knowing it's a university town and has many interesting things to see and do. She had been living in WA state in a cold wet little town. But then, Boise was a LOT colder than she expected, and very expensive to heat her house. And also the ultra-right-wing faction Idaho is so famous for, (in addition to potatoes) is very evident there, she said.

Sedona is a place that the rest of Arizona makes fun of. I would never live there even if I could afford it. If I won $100 million in the lottery I would never live in Sedona. (Nor would I drive an Escalade or Mercedez or any other conspicuous vehicle.) I recall my daughter saying when she worked in a clothing store in Flagstaff, she and her co-workers really did not like dealing with the la-di-da rich women from Sedona. She said she could tell where they were from the minute they walked in the door. You could place bets on it. And once they got to the counter with their purchases, then you had to deal with them and their attitudes--snobby pumpkins. Plus there is that truly anti-intellectual, anti-science, silly, fluff-headed New Age thing: the vortexes, etc. I don't even like hiking there all that much because all the views are so cluttered with oh-so-self-consciously-Southwest-style McMansions. The only reason I used to hike there was because Flag is too cold and snowy in winter, and Sedona is close enough to Flag for a winter dayhike.

I lived in Hawaii for 8 years, on the Big Island, in Kona, pre Wal-Mart. I would never live there again, but I would be happy to visit for a month or two. The job market is terrible, the ethnic problems and prejudice are very real, and you definitely don't want to put your kids in those public schools. Those are the kinds of things which begin to wear on you after being there for several years. At first, of course, you are full of awe and wonder. Then reality sinks in.

There is no paradise on this planet.

Sticking to Arizona, I would like to experience another summer in Flagstaff, a winter in old Cottonwood, a summer working or volunteering at North Rim, a winter in Tucson, a winter at Lake Havasu City or other Colorado River area, a summer working or volunteering at maybe South Rim, etc. Which is why I want to buy an RV. I am not too interested in Prescott, which seems to be a favorite of Californian ex-pats, although it does have some attraction. I'm definitely not interested in settling in another very small town full of inbred rednecks.

[azbackpackr]

@Kwai Chang
That would be Cottonwood,but don't tell anybody . I don't want it to be too crowded by the time I get there ;)

I like it. It's a normal place, unself-conscious, and has places for everyone from very poor to very rich. And it has a river running through it! And it has fantastic hiking nearby. It's big enough to have an economy, a bit of a job market.

[SpiderLegs]

Would move back to Boise in a heartbeat.

I enjoyed my stay in Boise very much. Mrs. big_load is skeptical, but I've been trying to get her to see it some time.

Told everyone thinking about moving there that the weather is a little colder than Prescott but warmer than Flagstaff. Plus it's only a long day's drive or hop on a 2 hour flight to go back to Arizona. Only real negative about Boise is that it is the most isolated city of over 500,000 in the country. It's a 6+ hour drive to SLC and over 7 hours to either Portland or Seattle. So if you want to get away to a larger city to see a concert or other big city amenities it can be a pain. Because Boise is so isolated it makes stuff a little more expensive, so $100 of groceries in Phoenix costs $125 in Idaho.

[azbackpackr]

Don't be fooled by the internet statistics Boise is MUCH COLDER than Flagstaff. My pal found that out, in spades. She studied it on the internet, and thought it would be warmer than it actually is. Boise is very cold, and also has the northern long, dark days. This same friend has lived in Flagstaff as well.

[Jim]

Interesting question - the original CO vs AZ one, that is.

I've lived in both areas, and you're right, there are some big differences. I guess it all depends on your job and the job market of each place in the end, but all that being equal (I should qualify that I'm only talking about the Front Range cities of CO here)...

AZ's got the variety and ability to choose between activities and environs almost year-round. Being a fellow summit-seeker myself, this place is incredible in that respect, something I wasn't sure about when I first moved down here. Desert peaks in the winter, sky islands/north in the summer - it's almost always comfortable! Also, Colorado-esque weather is within easy reach of PHX or Tucson in the summer. CO's a little more restricted by seasonality of activities, and many of its outdoor portals and trails feature larger crowds and traffic. Though - as it is here - if you know where to go, you can avoid that with some effort. The winters in the high country can drag on and on and on.

I know you're pretty interested in summits, and Colorado certainly can provide you with a lifetime of entertainment on that front and a plethora of partners to be found that are chasing 14ers/13ers/other peak lists. There are some amazingly beautiful areas there, too. I would personally miss the better year-round options and variety here in AZ if I went to live in CO, but it's not like you've got a bad choice one way or the other. My $.02

And that is exactly where I find myself when I consider the options. One thing I thought, was that there are more outdoor activity type people in places like CO, because of the outward appearance of activities to people from other states who will chose to move there, than in places like AZ. People from outside AZ always seem to think it's flat and 110 all the time and no one does anything but sit inside or play golf at 0700. Colorado has more options for outdoor living, or seems to, to most people. I'm not sure if that is true or not. Winter dragged in Flag, for me, and I hated that. It did not drag down here, and I loved that. In fact, my trip to Tucson in May was almost a waste of time for me, except that I bought food at Wholefoods (best part of the trip). My March trip was awesome and I really enjoyed it to the point that I wished I could have had another few days to soak it in. By May my allergies were bothering me, there was a severe dust storm (ironically originating in NM, it seemed) that left Tucson very hazy the first few days, and I camped, which I hate doing for more than a day as I don't sleep. The net result was, I started thinking that maybe the rush to Tucson and back to Arizona need not be so fast, and perhaps with a <15 minute commute life can be pretty good over here. As you can infer, I am considering if it will happen at all, or maybe after a few years elsewhere. Hey, big plus: I'm not trapped in Kayenta! In fact, when I hear people complain about Alamogordo, and transplants frequently do, I can usually point out I have lived in far worse.

While I do not feel nearly as positive about Alamogordo as Mike (he lives in Alamo, not Cloudcroft) it really has a lot of potential. It is just that I know I don't want to be here for more than I have to be. Not if better is out there. Ironically, a large part of it is that so many of the people I like who live here are military and will leave soon, or some are just sort of transient and have already done so. Potential is not a reality, however, and so, I have started thinking more methodically of where to go next.

One big thing for me, is the City Market stores in CO (and maybe northern NM) have a wide selection of Bison, as they slaughter them in NE CO. Not just the selection Wholefoods has, but a wider selection and the price per pound in Durango and Cortez works out to being lower. It would be nice to buy a pound or two of meat for the week, instead of stocking up for a month and a half.

[Jim]

Boise: low elevation far northern Great Basin town with long cold winter nights and not so warm winter days due to less solar recovery since it is at lower elevation, and much hotter summer days with less night time radiational cooling due to lower elevation and denser air. No monsoon season, so there is that plus if you hate summer rains, but you'll have to irrigate any garden you want to grow. You're a little far from the mountains, but have low rolling hills all around you. It is very isolated for a bigger city, but all of Idaho's towns are right on the Interstate corridor running along the Snake River.

[SpiderLegs]

Don't be fooled by the internet statistics Boise is MUCH COLDER than Flagstaff. My pal found that out, in spades. She studied it on the internet, and thought it would be warmer than it actually is. Boise is very cold, and also has the northern long, dark days. This same friend has lived in Flagstaff as well.

Best description that I heard about Boise's weather when I moved there is that you get 3 weeks of really cold weather, 3 weeks of really hot weather and the rest of the year is tolerable. I've lived all over the country and found Boise's weather to be the best 4 season climate I've ever lived in. The first year I lived there I did not even need to buy a snow shovel. If I did not have extenuating circumstances keeping me in Phoenix I would move back there next week. You have hiking, climbing, peak bagging, fly fishing, white water, skiing, trail running, mountain biking, hunting and camping all within 30 minutes of downtown.

[PatrickL]

Saw a sticker in Tuscon yesterday that said, "I'd rather live in denial than live in Phoenix."
Seems relevant here.

[Alston_Neal]

@Kwai Chang
That would be Cottonwood,but don't tell anybody . I don't want it to be too crowded by the time I get there ;)

You're too late.. ;)

[azbackpackr]

Don't be fooled by the internet statistics Boise is MUCH COLDER than Flagstaff. My pal found that out, in spades. She studied it on the internet, and thought it would be warmer than it actually is. Boise is very cold, and also has the northern long, dark days. This same friend has lived in Flagstaff as well.

Best description that I heard about Boise's weather when I moved there is that you get 3 weeks of really cold weather, 3 weeks of really hot weather and the rest of the year is tolerable. I've lived all over the country and found Boise's weather to be the best 4 season climate I've ever lived in. The first year I lived there I did not even need to buy a snow shovel. If I did not have extenuating circumstances keeping me in Phoenix I would move back there next week. You have hiking, climbing, peak bagging, fly fishing, white water, skiing, trail running, mountain biking, hunting and camping all within 30 minutes of downtown.

All sounds nice, but the very short winter days would kill me, or I'd kill me, or someone else. I couldn't do it. I want out of 4 season climate, actually. Although I like xc skiing, I don't care for the cold at all.

[Jim]

My problem is, I don't really know what I want. I flop around a lot on that, and can only say I know what I definitely do not want. Mostly, I want it all, and I want it now!!! I've got to break free, cause we are the champions, my friend. But mostly, fat bottom girls make the rockin' world go round.

[rwstorm]

fat bottom girls make the rockin' world go round

Not for me they don't!

[chumley]

I'll take Overplayed Song Lyrics for $1000 Alex.

[Al_HikesAZ]

Now that this topic is careening off the rails, I'll add my
It's probably just the old cowboy in me, but wherever I can lay my head down with a clear conscience and without worrying about getting shot at, that's paradise for me. I ain't gonna run all over the countryside like a durn fool trying to find paradise. I'm going to decide to be happy and let happiness follow me rather than chasing after it. Besides, at my age I don't think I could run fast enough to catch it anyways. Can I get an Amen!

[Grasshopper]

@Uncle Jack
Amen! :FG:

[Jim]

Then again, both of you two guys are living in a place that is part of the OP question, so you've staked your claim and settled with it even if it didn't meet 100% of your ideals because you still preferred it above other places. It is your preference, I expect, not simply the place you chanced to lay your hat or fell off the horse.

[gummo]

I would like to move in with my girlfriend who lives in Wickenburg, but I have to wait for the restraining order to expire. Hopefully, she'll divorce her husband by then, too.

[Al_HikesAZ]

It is your preference, I expect, not simply the place you chanced to lay your hat or fell off the horse.

Well as a 4th Generation Arizonan, the roots ran deep and that was a big reason for being here. I also saw the business potential here and business has been very good to me. Now whoever told you I fell off a horse is a lying pumpkin. I never fell off a horse, it was a mule.

I would like to move in with my girlfriend who lives in Wickenburg, but I have to wait for the restraining order to expire. Hopefully, she'll divorce her husband by then, too.

Now that would trouble my conscience a mite. And I would be worried about getting shot. Your choice does not meet my criteria.

[imike]

when younger, I found that the only way to enjoy the right place in a timely fashion was to live light... and mobile. I moved too many times to count, Major moves: living on the American River in California for the kayaking... to Tucson for the hiking... to Utah for the trail running and mountain biking. Cloudcroft for the hiking, running and biking. Big Bend for the Adventure.

1978 thru 1986... 1998 thru 2007 found me living out of motorhomes, travel trailers, my car... or just a backpack. Those were great years.

I may vest a few more years living mobile... probably going for just my truck or truck and small trailer, but I doubt I'd let go of my current home, assuming I ever finish (start!) the project... it is perfect for an older outdoors person... especially after I add back in a cabin up in Cloudcroft!

[azbackpackr]

A couple of realtors are coming by tomorrow to look at my house in Eagar. I hope to get a "for sale" sign on it soon! I want to sell it as quickly as possible.

It's a great big old house, a fixer-upper, in the middle of town. It's about 2600 square feet or so, with a garage and almost half an acre. The property has good soil, and there are fruit trees and shade trees. There are a couple of sheds and a garage with an office in it.

It's in the irrigation district, but I don't have irrigation on the deed, I have to rent it--very cheap to rent for two months, an hour a week, May and June.

Some people who want to move out to the country want to live way, way out in the boonies, with no one around, but I have been there and done that and I found it to be extremely inconvenient. My house is in town but has pastures around it. People have horses, cows and chickens all around my place, so it's semi-rural. There's lots of privacy, but I can walk to work and to Bashas' if I want to.

But, it's time to move on.