Where do You Want to Retire... and Why?

But I tagged what @Faust29 stated as a significant cost difference.
You gotta remember, I ain’t no city boy. So what I may be seeking may absolutely not be on others radar. 2 to 3 acres on a obscure river front. Poll barn to park my Travel trailer under when I’m there. One story garage with electricity’s/solar with a few toys in it. I’m good!

 

This summer it is starting to get to me. Heat is not the biggest issue. My route being to big is.

 

Just F'n with ya. I am a terrible arguer. Always have been. Ever have a shitty little brother. I am him.
I live way different than most. Cheap little house 120,000 when I bought it. Great neighborhood that our neighbors and us look after. We chase bad folks away.
My wife and I do very well at our respective jobs. Have plenty of expendable income. Life has been great to this point. That could change at any moment. I am a survivor and will figure it out quickly if and when it does change. I plan very little and live day to day. Tomorrow can easily be our last or be the 1st of many to come. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

 

You sure bitch and moan plenty about living here for an adult. You can drive away anytime, except for that CalPERS thing you seem to take for granted.

 

Doh

 

If you ever see my name on a bid for CEQA in Long Beach, tell your traffic engineer i’m working on getting my house in order. If people go to work to make a living and don’t work, you know, should they keep living? Our Country is soft, and that is why refugees come here for asylum. Assignments abroad for everyone!

 

I apologize Mark @Runs with Scissors. I had more written here but kept tending to derail. Anyway, I’m sorry about my rants. I’ll go back to thinking abut bicycles now and retiring later.

 

All good. It's just the interwebs.

 

One thing about traditional retirement is that it comes at an age when priorities are likely to change, especially with athletic endeavors. Sure, we can still ride, but generally at a reduced intensity or with a more risk-averse mentality. Every place I'm currently looking at has proximity to great trails and trail-building opportunities. But how much longer will I care? I've ridden waves of passion through backpacking, road biking, surfing, trail running, bike touring, skiing at resorts and in the backcountry, rock climbing, mountain biking and trail work. Part of me wants to continue with the latter, and part of me wonders if there isn't something new around the bend.

If we move (and I'm hoping we will), it's going to have to work for both of us and have good opportunities for change and growth. I like the idea of a college town. I'd like to be in or near a healthy forest (does that still exist?), but with wide-open views. I love fall colors. I've lived in a townhome for almost 20 years and don't want to live under the rules of a homeowner's association. I prefer sunshine to rain, and I'm pretty sure I want to be on the west side of the continental divide.

 

Yes, agree with all that you wrote. I know I'll want to ride a bike for as long as I'm physically able. I might vary my percentages from road to trail, and begin to pick out smoother/flatter dirt, but don't believe I'll ever not want to ride on dirt!

 

I believe you just described Durango, CO. The forest may not be healthy at the moment, but it just burned, so health is around the corner.
College town? - check
Wide Open views? - Check
Fall colors? - Quadruple check
Sunshine? 300+ days a year.
West of Continental Divide? - Check

 

Sounds more like Boise to me! Add in great medical facilities, Boise State, an international airport, Bogus Basin about 30 min. away, McCall 2 hrs away to get out of the summer heat and low cost of living!

 

I’m thinking more and more like you! We may be neighbors, although I do want to live a little outside of town.

 

Boise has no healthy forest. You can try to count Bogus Basin but it’s not in Boise, you can’t see it, it’s less than 30 miles but way longer than 30 minutes and a stunningly blah drive to get there.

@Mikie what do described further up, a couple acres on a river, is available 1/2 way to McCall. Very nice out that direction but don’t try to come into Boise on Sunday afternoon. You’ll think you’re back in LA at times. Boise itself is starting to have some traffic woes, especially near the mall which is where tons of restaurants are as well.

 

Durango > Boise

 

In the big picture, no question....at least for me and what I'd be after. If my in laws didn't have 40 acres there already where I can stay any time I want, that's where we'd be going...to Edgemont Ranch in particular. Durango has it's own issues though. Aside from housing prices to rival many areas in SoCal, they have traffic issues that get worse every year thru town and they have enough hipsters & granola eaters to get a jump start on another Berkeley. Reading the comments section of the Durango Herald makes by stomach turn.

 

Hard to find a beautiful college town with all the great outdoor activities that doesn't lean left politically. If you are surrounded by Subarus, you're probably in the right place for mt. sports. Start a bumper sticker business!

 

You're a tough crowd @mtbMike! Very few cities have a healthy forest within the actual city but the Boise River Green Belt comes real close! There's a paved bike path along almost the entire length of the river through Boise all the way to the west end of Eagle and you can raft or kayak on the river right through downtown and Boise State. The place got it's name from some French explorer who loved all the trees along the river after traveling for weeks through the prairie to the southeast. The word boise means trees in French or close to it since I don't par lay voo! True, the foothills don't have many trees, are brown in the dry summer months (sound familiar?) and the very curvy drive to Bogus does wind through some brown before you get to very green, verdant forest about half way up. From the High Valley RV park in Eagle, it did take me only 30 min. to drive to the Simplot Lodge at Bogus last summer so I guess the time depends on where you start from as do the views. I wouldn't call that drive blah either because there are great views of the valley and the higher peaks at every turn and some amazing houses up there. One can also ride a mountain bike up Boise Ridge Rd. to Bogus and take any of several trails all the way back to town through the Ridge to Rivers Trail system. One can certainly see the peaks and ridges surrounding Bogus if not the resort itself from many places in the valley.

Now the traffic is bad at times in certain places because of all those &%#@* Californians moving out there! But it's a basic grid street pattern with room to grow so I think the infrastructure will catch up. Our plan is to enjoy the area in the midweek and off peak times. McCall is simply outstanding as well as Cascade and the other places along the way from Boise. The Payette River, several lakes, campgrounds and tons of mtb trails and dedicated mtb facilities such as Jug Mountain, Bear Basin, Tamarack and Brundage Mtn. are just a few of the great recreational opportunities in that area. The bike parks are not comparable to Snow Summit yet but they're getting better each season. There is no perfect place but for my money and desires for retirement, Boise checks the most boxes with the least downsides. But the rest of you would hate it there as well as everyone else on the planet not already there so enjoy your $500k tiny house in Durango!

 

Unless you stumble upon Boise!

 

Sorry, I didn't mean to piss on your parade. As I mentioned before, my son went to Boise State so I've been to Boise several times. Heck, I just booked tickets for my wife to go back for the game vs SDSU in October. I've floated that river thru town several times and I think the parks are great but comparing that paved greenbelt to anything related to MTB'ing is a huge stretch. We'll just agree to disagree about that drive to Bogus since calling it "blah" was a nice way of saying fugly. Now once you get to Bogus, the views gets better since you're in an actual forest. Of course you're right about Californians moving there in droves which they're not crazy fond of as like everywhere else, they're pushing up housing prices and pricing out the locals....similar to Durango and Prescott. As far as politics, you better hurry because Boise itself will be going blue in a few election cycles. While Trump won Ada County, he didn't get 50% of the vote.

You ain't lying about housing prices in Durango proper either. I wish I could find something I liked for $500K there Prescott ain't getting any cheaper either. The house cost/estimates we're going to build has went up $80K in the last two years. Luckily, our house here in SoCal is keeping pace.

 

College town (Dixie State).
Forest (just north of town).
Beauteous countryside to drive and ride through.
Low housing prices.
Low taxes.
Only hot for a few hours in the afternoon, 3 months a year.

St. George FTW!!

 

On a side note.... My wife and I discussed moving to a red state, with the intention of helping to foster a new generation of.....non right leaning individuals.....

For all the talk of liberal snowflakes on here lately... It's kind of hilarious that so many want to run away and hide in a little like minded conclave.

 

A good suggestion. Your idea of hot and mine differ a bit, but I get it (over 80 is hot to me). St. George is pretty tempting. I like Cedar City better, but it's way more expensive.

Then there is the issue of living in a Theocracy. You really don't notice at first, but soon enough, you will know that if you are not a "member," you get less than preferential treatment. I think @Cougar can blend in for a while!

 

So @Maddog, do you like Boise?

 

I have a distinct advantage...I grew up within that theocracy.

 

Wife and I both want to live on or near a river somewhere surrounded by trees. I'd leave SoCal now if I could. Wouldn't mind a few acres, a nice house and a decked out shop. Housing in our tract is going crazy, I can only imagine what it's going to be in 25 years when I retire.

 

a few months ago I mentioned Ridgway Colorado as a possibility. I detoured there on the way home from Crested Butte last month, to check out some property. I decided it was too lonely for my wife and me, but based on Mikie’s stated desirements, I’d recommend you check it out.

It’s on the wrong side of the San Juans for Herz but much more affordable. There is a river, there is riding, there is forest up on the Mesa, and views off to ouray. As I drove up to the plots of land, I was greeted by deer and turkeys waiting to be shot.

We haven’t been to Crested Butte in winter yet, so that’s the next trip.

 

I love Ridgway. FWIW, I'm not planning to retire in Durango, I just said it met the criteria put forth by @kioti!

Crested Butte and Gunnison are friggin' COOOLLLDDD in winter. As in, rivaling Fraser, CO and International Falls, MN.

 

Roger that. Fluffy snow and bitter cold is fun for a week but maybe not for 6 months.

 

Interesting results. I thought there would be more peeps leaning towards OR and WA. I know quite a few who are heading to Idaho as well, I feel bad for the natives For a while there was a stampede for TX which I could not do..no sir-ee! I’ll take some acreage in the quiet mountains with sweet trails, close to the ocean or a clean lake and I’ll be happy.