Thinking of a Move

[Dirtmechanic]

I believe western N. Dakota had less crime than anywhere i’ve lived but after spending my first winter in Alaska; i tell people “this is like Miami next to where we moved from! We have 15 more frost free days here than in No-Dak.
And they had snakes!

I went to a biker party at Eagle River. I was just a fresh out of high school grunt but had made friends with a carpenter on the jobsite for the Eagle River school. Is it still still there from 1984? Anyway he and some equipment guys had dug a pond out big enough to float a wood fired sauna he built and I got invited because I helped a little. Somebody shot the volleyball as it flew up over the net so I had to ease up out of there. It was a freedom thing but still...

A whaling processor was washed up on Kodiak in 1964 from what I was told. Anyway here is this big ship on the beach and somebody goes in there and pours level concrete floors and makes a rocknroll bar. I was working the coast guard base Personell Activities Center and had met a surveyor fresh out of college that had my description so I used his id not that they really cared. That place was memorable. Not much to do on an island except fish or go to bars. They only had one decent road. Add construction guys and fishermen and oh my.

 

[baymule]

Well I guess you are finding where you DON’T want to move to!

 

[canesisters]

I was going to dispute this - Richmond alone has enough violent crime to put us way up in the red.. but then I saw the 'per 100,00 residents'. Between the non-residents and the rural western & southern edges, I suppose that averages it out a bit.

 

[AMKuska]

I was going to dispute this - Richmond alone has enough violent crime to put us way up in the red.. but then I saw the 'per 100,00 residents'. Between the non-residents and the rural western & southern edges, I suppose that averages it out a bit.

@canesisters you live in one of the areas we are thinking about. What is the actual growing like there?

 

[Rhodie Ranch]

Major lives in North Carolina.

 

[canesisters]

@canesisters you live in one of the areas we are thinking about. What is the actual growing like there?

When I first saw your post I almost jumped in, but since I haven't really done much serious gardening I didn't feel like I had a ton of helpful info.
I'm south of Petersburg not too far from the I95 corridor.
We often are still getting nights in the 40's all the way to June, so a green house is probably a good idea if you really want to get tomatoes and peppers all summer. You can count on a random week of -0 during the winter and +100 during the Summer. Network weather folks freak out, schools close.. it's nuts - but happens every year. We usually get 1 'snow event' each year - which is usually less than 5", and sometimes never happens.
Spring and Fall can go on for months - Mar-June and Sept-Dec. So if you're a fan of cole crops they're going to LOVE it.
The soil in my area is often clay-ish. Although just a bit east of me you'll start to see much more sandy-type, and a little bit west you start to get into the foothills of the Blue Ridge. We usually get a lot of rain Nov-Mar and usually have a bit of a drought Aug-Sept.
Support for Ag type stuff is fairly easy to come by. So getting land cleared & getting lime/fertilizer delivered & spread isn't a problem IF you have enough acreage. My experience has been that most places leave you to the mercy of Tractor Supply if you have less than 10acres.
With no real experience in other states, it's hard to say, but I think Virginia is GREAT for gardeners. We have 4 VERY distinct seasons. Don't get long periods of any extreme temps. Have a variety of soil types.

 

[Crealcritter]

Here's a pretty good article

Living in the country ~ Best rural places to live

Escape to the country and Best Places to Live in USA. If you are planning to relocate from large city or suburb, you will find country living

rurallivingtoday.com

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸

 

[AMKuska]

Well I guess you are finding where you DON’T want to move to!

Pretty much! Right now we're just kinda looking at houses off and on in the area looking to see if something special shows up. We have all the time in the world so it's no rush to pick the right one.

 

[digitS']

I took a look at the rural living lists. Interesting how the West is viewed/ignored on both. I won't take offense and if I was looking a little closer, suspect that other US areas are given short shrift.

Eagle, Colorado. First off, it's mighty close to the very large city of Denver. Secondly, it's between all those people and its transportation hub and Aspen & Vail in a narrow valley. I spent a Summer night in Eagle. It was very pleasant. Above 6,000 feet there on the river. Move away from the river in any direction (except towards Denver) and you are soon at 10,000'.

Kiplinger's list. Arizona. Arizona?? With its water problems? One town south of Tucson. Tucson is another place where I have spent a night while traveling in November. Very nice and I enjoyed my visit; also camped one more night in the desert. My uncle and cousin both had homes there later and both moved back to Cally after a few years. The other AZ town is further north but it is officially designated as a ghost town ...

Gillespie Texas. Central Texas? I found Central TX as a place that was exhausting! So many miles of the same sage brush covered miles.

There, I have probably offended someone. I will go off incognito as ... digitS'

 

[Crealcritter]

I took a look at the rural living lists. Interesting how the West is viewed/ignored on both. I won't take offense and if I was looking a little closer, suspect that other US areas are given short shrift.

Eagle, Colorado. First off, it's mighty close to the very large city of Denver. Secondly, it's between all those people and its transportation hub and Aspen & Vail in a narrow valley. I spent a Summer night in Eagle. It was very pleasant. Above 6,000 feet there on the river. Move away from the river in any direction (except towards Denver) and you are soon at 10,000'.

Kiplinger's list. Arizona. Arizona?? With its water problems? One town south of Tucson. Tucson is another place where I have spent a night while traveling in November. Very nice and I enjoyed my visit; also camped one more night in the desert. My uncle and cousin both had homes there later and both moved back to Cally after a few years. The other AZ town is further north but it is officially designated as a ghost town ...

Gillespie Texas. Central Texas? I found Central TX as a place that was exhausting! So many miles of the same sage brush covered miles.

There, I have probably offended someone. I will go off incognito as ... digitS'

I love our little rural community we have the best neighbors anyone could ever ask for. And church is a short walk away. According to my neighbor on our west side she prayed us in.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸