Best Place To Live?

[Scottybdivin]

Benson, AZ; Payson, AZ; Prescott, AZ or anyplace in AZ around 5000 feet

[twogypsies]

Benson, Payson, Prescott, etc. will not have 70 deg year-round. They get winter temps.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by frankdamp

It's not 70 all year around here (Anacortes, WA), but it's a very nice location. We moved here after I retired from Boeing in 1998. We like it because we do get four "real" seasons and it's similar to our home area in the UK.

We rarely get snow, I think 4 times since we moved, and it didn't stick around for more than a day except for one year it was on the ground for 4 days.

Most winter days the high is in the 40's or low 50's and overnight frost isn't frequent. Summer daytime highs are rarely above 75 and the humidity in summer is about 20%. We can get weeks at a time in winter when its dull, grey and rainy, but our rain is mostly light. 24 hours continuous rain gets us about 0.75 inches! We do have quite a lot of "snowbird" residents who leave town between Christmas and mid-March (sometimes longer) for sunnier, warmer climes. Friends of ours leave for Mexico after Thanksgiving and stay until April 1st.

We have good medical care in town, with an excellent hospital and good doctors. The town functions as a support location for the San Juan Islands, and it's not unusual for folks to fly in with our local "airline" to go see a doctor.

It can get busy in summer with tourist traffic, but the majority of the time it's fairly laid back. A friend who was born and raised here says it's the kind of place that, if you get into trouble on your way home from school, your Mom knows about it by the time you get home. Population nowadays is around 18,000 with retirees being the prominent demographic. Housing is fairly expensive - not much under $250K and lots of big view homes up around the $1 Million mark. Our 1700 square foot rambler, no view but across the street from waterfront homes, is worth about $275K.

I've never checked into residential RV parks in the area, but if you're interested, I'll do that for you.

My sister, who lives in NW England, says that Anacortes is "where God goes on vacation".

I was going to say Sequim (pronounced Squim) WA. That's where my daughter and her brood live. Nice are but it does get a little snow once in a while.

[jb60]

Originally Posted by MRUSA14

You can run from a hurricane. Earthquakes, not so easy.

I didn't realize so many replies came in!

Thanks to everyone who wrote, I'm still reading through the replies...

Yes, besides hurricanes, I'd be concerned about earthquakes, and parts of southern California, 'falling into the ocean'.

Not that I'm going to live much longer or going to be around when that happens, but with my luck, no doubt it will happen right after I move there.

I was actually born in San Diego, but my parents relocated to the Chicago area before I was one year old, so I don't remember anything about it.

I know the weather is nice out there, but that causes housing costs, (even things like a simple 'lot'), to be higher than other areas.

I know that the closer you are to a major city, the closer you are to an ocean or lake view, the higher the housing costs will be.

I know the effects of hurricanes can be felt all the way up to the subrubs of Chicago, where there are a couple areas that frequently spawn tornados. And from local weather to those hurricanes.

I know hurricares cover a large area, I would just want to be out of the direct path of a hurricane, or where it would cause people to 'have to' go running off somewhere.

I'm not going to want to drop my RV off leveling jacks and blocks, unhook everything, and join all the traffic to drive out 100 or so miles, to 'where'?

Then what about my daily driver, golf cart, shelter and the such? I can't move everything off my lot, each time a hurricane comes.

There has to be something in-between?

[WheelingIt]

What are your budget limits in terms of how much you want to spend per month?

It's extremely tough to find somewhere with 70-degree year round weather and no chance of natural disasters in the US. You may need to compromise.

There is middle Florida, which is Inexpensive, great winter weather, but will get hot and humid in summer. However many options there, including some clothing optional resorts.

There are many parts of southern Texas, but again summer can be hot.

Arizona gets lots of sun, but lower elevations get very hot in summer and higher elevations do get cold in winter. Maybe something at 5000 feet or so like someone else mentioned? If you can deal with the cold months?

San Diego is darn near perfect year round weather, as others have mentioned, but can be pricey. I haven't found anywhere in the U.S. with better weather. If you are physically able to do any work (e.g. Office work?) you might be able to find a long-term workamper position in a San Diego RV park so the site would be free. That would be a beautiful option IMHO.

Pacific Northwest, especially southern Oregon and parts of WA do have milder weather in both winter and summer, but will have more rain than other parts. There are pockets of drier areas (like Sequim), but there will still be rain and temps down to 30s (average low) in winter. Lots of options for parks and spots to stay though. If you can't afford CA and want to be west OR and WA are a great option.

[YC1]

Not one mention of Central Florida yet? Inland from Hurricanes or just get out with an rv. As a native Kalifornian the worry of earthquakes is really over rated. Fires and floods will get you first. The cost of living is high and finding full time rv parks can be a bit of a task. You can even buy your own lot and put up small buildings on many of them. Plenty of medical facilities for us aging folks. Shorts most of the year for me. No shirt a lot of the time.

[frankdamp]

JB:

There has been one minor earthquake and one volcano blowing off in the 44 years we've lived in WA. We regularly saw more rain in Hampton VA on a single summer afternoon than we get in all of January here! One day, just before we left to return here, the afternoon thunderstorm stayed overnight and dumped almost 13" of rain.

Compare our yesterday (a high of 59 F, clear skies, sunshine, a gentle breeze and 20% humidity) with the nasty stuff hitting the mid-west and east coast. Same again today! So, it's not 70 F, but it's not bad. We may have a couple of soggy days before the weekend.

Anacortes is an expensive place to buy housing, but that's because a lot of it is view and/or waterfront. RV site prices are reasonable, at least for short stays and there are some areas around town where you can buy a smallish lot and live on it in your RV or manufactured home. There are two State Parks within 10 miles and a half-dozen privately-owned CGs around also.

[WheelingIt]

Originally Posted by YC1

Not one mention of Central Florida yet? Inland from Hurricanes or just get out with an rv. As a native Kalifornian the worry of earthquakes is really over rated. Fires and floods will get you first. The cost of living is high and finding full time rv parks can be a bit of a task. You can even buy your own lot and put up small buildings on many of them. Plenty of medical facilities for us aging folks. Shorts most of the year for me. No shirt a lot of the time.

I mentioned middle Florida and totally agree on the earthquake fear thing. Way overrated. We lived in CA for 15 years.

[aauummm]

I have chosen Silver City, New Mexico as my recommendation for you. We have personally stayed there numerous times to check it out. We had chosen it for a retirement home base but elderly parents need us in Iowa for the time being.

Medical facilities are top notch, excellent. Gila Regional Medical Center: Your Community Hospital

Weather is very moderate, the town is located at 6,000 ft. Average highs in January are 50F and 85F in July. Snow is rare and doesn't last but a couple of days. They have no earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, or floods, etc. Air quality is excellent. Within 35 miles you can go one direction and be at elev. 4,000 ft or the other direction and be at 9,500 ft.
Silver City, New Mexico - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The town is quiet and laid back with an emphasis on healthy lifestyles, natural healing and has an open minded attitude. It is known as a health and rehabilitation center because of it's clean air and water and it's healing spas. New Mexico School of Massage Therapy, Reflexology, Herbal, Natural, and Alternative Healing: Career
AVESA Holistic Therapies

It is not overly commercialized as there is no interstate access to the town. However all of the amenities and services that are needed are located there. It's development has centered around the downtown and it's unique shops and boutiques. Prices are reasonable and there are a lot of RV parks and mobile home courts located there.

The people there tend to be very open, friendly and accepting. There is a very active herb growing industry as well as organic fruit and vegetable production. The population ranges through all age groups as the city attracts retirees but they do not completely overwhelm the population.

The town is surrounded by National Forests and National Wilderness areas and the scenery is beautiful year around. The population tends to be very outdoors oriented as there is so much to see and do, explore and enjoy in their area. Official Web Site for Silver City and Grant County, New Mexico, presented by the Silver City - Grant County Chamber of Commerce!

Silver City would be relatively easy for you to get to from NW Indiana. You wouldn't have to lug that motorhome over any mountains at all. Go to Albuquerque, Lordsburg, then Silver City.

Gila Wilderness - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Good luck! May you find peace, happiness, and well-being.

SilverWeb - Silver City and Southwestern New Mexico's Best Web Site

[Old Car Nut]

Originally Posted by dlovitt

Lots of clothing optional parks in south Texas. Just don't look for me in one!

Ditto. Pretty sure I'd be asked to leave anyway.

[aauummm]

Forgot this website and it's probably the best one!

SilverWeb - Silver City and Southwestern New Mexico's Best Web Site

[pagosajoe]

Originally Posted by MRUSA14

You can run from a hurricane. Earthquakes, not so easy.

Sure ya can. After living through way too many earthquakes in Alaska (including the "big one" of 9.2), we packed up and headed to Colorado. Not many here...

[Alrv]

I put this in in the wrong place the other day. Check out the Citra Florida area. Lots of parks good fishing central part of Fl reasonable prices.

[Scottybdivin]

For me, the ideal place to live, my No. 1 criteria is no humidity. I can handle a little heat or a little cold, as long as there is no humidity. I've been living in it for 36 years, and the older I get, the more I dislike it.