Rethinking SE Appalachia

[Gene Howe]

Being a desert rat and loving it, I would recommend the Tucson area. Where else can you snow ski in the morning and swim in the afternoon?
Not nearly as hot or expensive as Phoenix. Still have the four seasons....if you watch close. And, the summer humidity is practically nil except during the monsoons. Heck, you can cut some mesquite and it'll be dry by the time you get it home.

[roopurt5]

Being a desert rat and loving it, I would recommend the Tucson area. Where else can you snow ski in the morning and swim in the afternoon?
Not nearly as hot or expensive as Phoenix. Still have the four seasons....if you watch close. And, the summer humidity is practically nil except during the monsoons. Heck, you can cut some mesquite and it'll be dry by the time you get it home.

But don't expect to have an easy time driving anywhere in Tucson. There's essentially no freeway system to speak of, and the surface streets are a nightmare!

[bill50cal]

having spent most of my life in Orlando and seeing pre Disney and post it has its pro's and con's. I prefer a much slower life style than is here now. I am building a house in shady as our retirement home. the better half is a school teacher and will retire @ the end of 2020 and we will sell out here and give the Appalachian life style a go. as I have been spending 7 months there since 2005 I love it BUT it is a wait and see with her.

[bill50cal]

I am NOT a believer in man made climate change. as we have had warming and an ice age than another warming cycle where was the SUV's ,coal fired power plants when we came out of the last ice age? do we have input? maybe but I don't think it is nearly as much as the scaremongers say. so IMHO climate is doing what it does CHANGE

Find a location that you like and that serves your general needs and settle.

Quit thinking about climatic changes. Those are going to occur no matter where you settle. Snow this year at this time but last year there was sun shine and warm temperatures.

The weather is definitely not a constant and never has been. This was true way back when there was minimum air pollution from industry and nearly no pollution from transportation. Well, maybe not so. Sometimes, when riding in that carriage, it got pretty bad - but then it was momentary and I don't believe it adversely effected the carbon foot print.

[Ed in Tampa]

having spent most of my life in Orlando and seeing pre Disney and post it has its pro's and con's. I prefer a much slower life style than is here now. I am building a house in shady as our retirement home. the better half is a school teacher and will retire @ the end of 2020 and we will sell out here and give the Appalachian life style a go. as I have been spending 7 months there since 2005 I love it BUT it is a wait and see with her.

Almost every native Floridian that I know and have retired and moved have moved to Tenn North Carolina area. Murphy NC seems to be very popular to retired Floridian.

Worst part of Florida is when the snowbirds come, traffic doubles and prices soar!

I think the biggest consideration most people overlook when they retire and move is 1. family and friends. 2. medical care and distance to Hospital. It gets real old real quick driving a hour or more to visit a loved one in the hospital.

Also consider what happens if you can't drive. How far is groceries and basic needs. If you can't drive and can't walk for food you are going to have to move again at an old age. Not fun!

[dusty]

Being a desert rat and loving it, I would recommend the Tucson area. Where else can you snow ski in the morning and swim in the afternoon?
Not nearly as hot or expensive as Phoenix. Still have the four seasons....if you watch close. And, the summer humidity is practically nil except during the monsoons. Heck, you can cut some mesquite and it'll be dry by the time you get it home.

But don't expect to have an easy time driving anywhere in Tucson. There's essentially no freeway system to speak of, and the surface streets are a nightmare!

I could probably start a war or words here but it is hard for me to understand how anyone who lives in the suburbs of Phoenix could speak harshly of traffic and road conditions in Tucson. I'll bet that you are also a Sun Devil supporter.

[roopurt5]

Nah, don't care for the Sun Devils. If there's a college team in this state that I do like, it's the Lumberjacks, but only because my wife got her degree there.

I find getting around Tucson to be incredibly frustrating. There's not any good freeway routes unless you're going NW-SE. The surface streets ( when not ripped up) are full of pot- holes, and the traffic lights are not synced in any kind of logical fashion.

It's not bad if you don't need to go across town ever, and stay near the same area, but outside of that, I can't stand driving around there.

Phoenix has a LOT of traffic, for sure, but the grid and freeway system generally do a lot to alleviate that.

[bill50cal]

Ed
what you bring up was on our mind's as we currently have her bed ridden mother living with us and see some of what can happen. Some of the things with the new house is NO door's less than 36 inch's and curbless showers to name a few.

[Gene Howe]

Now, hold on Roopert. I can get from Houghten and Speedway to Rt 77 and only hit maybe 15 lights, half will be red....on a lucky day.
You are absolutely right. There is no light synchronization in Tucson. Unless, they've synchronized them to turn red just as I get to one.
But, that's not bad. Try driving from the airport to the federal building on Congress at 9:00 AM on a Monday.

[dusty]

All I can say is that the lights are synchronized to the speed limit. If you hit one green light and then don't deviate from the speed limit, it's green all the way.

Did it this morning. Went to the base (DMAFB) pharmacy to pick up medications and was back home in a little over an hour and half. That is 42 miles round trip and a line at the pharmacy window.

Don't try the same trip at 7:00 in the morning, noon time or 4:30 in the afternoon. It could take well over two hours then with no line at the pharmacy.