Off-topic fantasy post

[LERCA]

Since this is the off-topic section I hope I won’t be deleted. I am engaged in a bit of fantasy as I sit in my cold car and study my Norwegian, read, meditate and knit. When I turn 59 ( but probably won’t touch it unless the money is back) I can tap into my lifelong retirement savings. At 63 I can get full retirement. So I will be able to fulfill my dream of leaving California and living somewhere else. I am tired and bored to the bone of the West. I love Western NY and E. PA. but because they are more rural there isn’t much medical care which is an issue for me.

Please don’t lecture me on snow I have lived in snow. But I am curious as to the Midwest. Has anyone lived in Nebraska, Iowa, the Upper Peninsula, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota? I’d like to keep this positive and diplomatic ( for example I was very disappointed in the people of Ohio) But any experiences or advice. I’d like to find a place with a sense of community. TIA

 

[1shemp]

Hello lerca.We spent the summer in Wi last year.Nice cool summer.Excellent fishing.Great beer on tap.People were friendly.Mostly red neck trump types.Being from Ar.I was used to that.Good luck.

 

[GraceinMotion]

Mostly red neck trump types.Being from Ar.I was used to that.Good luck.

LOL, Ja up nort an da SW corner of WI maybe, but Madison, my hometown, where I'm currently stuck, and points east ain't. The beauty of weather in the summer is that you get a break from the humidity now and then. Winters...ach no! There are folks who vehicle dwell in winter, God bless em, but it cant be fun. We have some beautiful NF areas you can hang out in, but be prepared for skeeters and ticks. Lots of public recreation spots for fishing, hunting, etc. Since the C-19 oitbreak, law enforcement, at least in my area, has relaxed about vehicle dwelling and I'm seeing people living in tents in the city and around the county. I've noticed in the past year or so less enforcement related to vehicle dwelling. Not too far down the street from my house there are several RVs that have been living in the same area for about a year. They only seem to move according to parking regs. Anyhoo, if you can stand winters up here, give us a try.

 

[maki2]

Roam around try things out for yourself based on where free camping is available. You might even find a new home base just because you love a place that was not even on a list. Sometime those are the best choices as they are not overcrowded.

As to medical care if you need frequent visits to a doctor then you will have little choice but to be near a city. But if you are talking an every 2 to 3 month visit you can be located a hundred miles or more away from a city.

 

[tx2sturgis]

If I could just pick a place in the USA where all of my stuff would jump to, and I'd have a few acres and a nice little house out in the country but still close to a developed area with lots of amenities, it would be the area around Rapid City SD....I love it up there.

But...I'd still travel in the winter...head south in December, and sit by warm campfires in the desert southwest...then head back up to the Black Hills in late spring. 

Dang....where is that magic lamp?....I sure need to tell the genie my three wishes!

 

[LERCA]

Thank you! I’ve heard lots of good things about WI and MN. They are at the top of my list.WI and MN have lots of my hobbies and interests available (all long gone in California) Including lots Scandinavian connections and classes etc which I’m still into 100 years after living in Denmark.
Also interestingly Philadelphia but it’s too urban. Interesting you mentioned SD. I’ve been obsessed with North and South Dakota for years but as my back has worsened my travel for fun has become limited greatly. I’m curious about Nebraska and Iowa as well. Partially because the people are so nice. ( I do have to say I loved the people of Colorado and I love the state but again I’m done with the West long term)
Anyway if you are from a really nice Midwestern state and have any thoughts let me know where to focus. TIA

 

[user 423]

Back in the 70's we lived in Winthrop Harbor,IL which was about 2 miles E. of Lake Michigan and 2 miles south of the Wisconsin line and were there for 7 months from July to January while my wife completed an internship.

With a lot of down time on our hands we did a lot of exploring in the SW part of WI around Milwaukee, Madison and Kenosha. It's pretty country and I found most people to be nice enough.

We left on Jan.31 when the wind chill was -60. Coldest I've ever been in my life.

 

[user 423]

...we did a lot of exploring in the SW part of WI around Milwaukee, Madison and Kenosha. I

Oops. That should read "the SE part of WI".

 

[crofter]

I think it is telling that so many northerners spend their winters in warm places, like the desert southwest, Florida, etc. Ultimately your choice only has to work for you.  -crofter

 

[crofter]

.... the area around Rapid City SD....I love it up there.

But...I'd still travel in the winter...head south in December....

I will never forget having snowdrifts over the rooftop ( I lived about 100 miles from there. World's worst weather IMHO) But I thought people were friendly and I love the plains when it's not blowing a winter gale.  -crofter

 

[LERCA]

I don’t mind cold. If I work it would be from home. I’m looking at a country in South America but I’d prefer the US.

 

[crofter]

I don’t mind cold. If I work it would be from home. I’m looking at a country in South America but I’d prefer the US.

Bonus : After the big storms, you can ride your skiis to town.  And there is ice fishing. 

If you move to Wyoming or the Dakotas, there is hunting and you can see herds of buffalo and the big game animals. -crofter

 

[Cammalu]

What country Lerca? I used to live down south.


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[riptorn]

They don't call South Dakota a Fly over state for nothing.  After seeing the black hills & Bad Lands NP. there's nothing left but ice fishing, wind, drinking, wind, working (hopefully), wind, long cold winters and lots more wind.
3 years ago today we were in the middle of a severe ice storm and Wind

 

[LERCA]

I lived in Mexico which is North America and Colombia and Paraguay. But I am looking at another country now. I can teach part-time, translate and interpret among other things. I have traveled a lot in South America and I really feel at home there. My Spanish is as close to native as it can be. I was an au pair in Spain and been back over the years but I don’t love it.

 

[Cammalu]

What country are you looking at? I lived in Peru for a few years and visited Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador.

 

[LERCA]

What country are you looking at?  I lived in Peru for a few years and visited Chile, Bolivia and Ecuador.
I’m seriously looking at Chile. Housing is nothing and it’s a wealthier more developed country. I want someplace unlike Mexico and Costa Rica where there are fewer native English speakers.

 

[maki2]

I have always liked the vibe of community activities that comes from the communities that have a University in them. It seems to have an influence over the area surrounding that town. Of course you also get an influence in areas near bodies of water such as lakes or large national parks. The difference being a local economy which welcomes new people coming into it to stimulate sources of revenue versus communities which are very much insular and don't like to see new comers hanging around. I can't speak as to any particular location but the factors above can ameliorate attitudes of local populations.

But also you need to define what you mean by a sense of community. Are you trying to find people who are in similar living circumstances such as being seasonal or nomadic or are you looking to integrate into the existing sticks and bricks community population that stays there year around?

As to developing a sense of community with a local population I find I integrate more quickly when I approach it by seeking out others who like the same type of hobby/work that I enjoy as an activity. My own is woodworking and art. But at times I have also sought out going to places where the type of music I enjoy is featured in the local venues. There were some decades of my life when the focus was on airplanes and flying. At present I am in a community of people with boats although I don't participate in things such as sailboat racing which is a big one in my immediate location.

 

[nature lover]

I have never liked college or university towns. Too many pseudo intellectuals trying to prove they know more and are better than those around them. I have found more wisdom, genuine kindness and welcoming spirits in the poorest mountain settlements of Appalachia. If one could mix the joy of learning (without the pride) and the resources for the same that a university town offers with the common sense wisdom and genuineness of a appalation town you just might find utopia.

 

[Tony's Dream]

We are from Nebraska. I have traveled the world when I was in the military and returned to Nebraska when I retired. I started my second career and life is good. Outside of Omaha, Lincoln, and some of the other larger towns......living is relatively cheap. I live in a small town where $125,000 buys you a 2000 square feet house on a corner lot that measures 100 x 200 feet. We paid off our house and are only a couple of years from full retirement. We have set aside a good nest egg.

The best part of Nebraska is that is it in the middle of everything. Lots of towns with 2,000 or less populations. Two days travel to most locations in the US. There are 4 seasons, each lasting about 3 months. So winters are cold 115-30, but the snow melts quickly and only a couple of days this year where driving was too bad. The summers are hot 80-95. Not a high crime area and most people are laid back.

The bad part of Nebraska, is that there really isn't anything wonderful about the state. No amusement parks, no national parks to brag about, its mostly flat and people often drive straight through it. Most entertainment (theater, gambling, concerts) are located in Omaha and Lincoln and are too crowded.

That is why when I retire I plan to travel to see the rest of the US. It's easy to plan 1-2 week jaunts from here and return.