Thursday, June 15, 2017

Note to Future Self

It started raining last night about midnight.  It has rained virtually without stopping since then.  In most places it rains and then it stops.  In the GPNW it can do this for days.  In 1999, it rained for 93 days straight.  I forget what year it was, but there was also the “bummer summer” when it was overcast every single day.

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Who has an exit plan from the RV life?  We keep searching for the final resting place for when we are too old to do this, but every place has a significant drawback. 

  • Arizona.  Too hot in the summer for three months.  State income tax, high property taxes, high vehicle license fees.  Nutbag politicians.
  • Washington.  It rains 8 or 9 months a year.  No state income tax.  Property values are increasing at the highest rate in the country.  It may be moot, we’re probably priced out at this point.
  • Oregon. Same weather as Seattle, same issue with property values.  They do have state income tax, but no sales tax.
  • Texas.  Too hot in the summer.  No state income tax, but really high property taxes.  Nutbag politicians.
  • California.  Costs too much on all fronts.

I’m writing this post as a reminder to my future self about how much I hate this weather!  I really really hate it when it rains for days on end.  We keep telling ourselves it wouldn’t be so bad if we were in a house, but I have to wonder about that.  Or if we’re really old and rickety, we wouldn’t get out much anyway, so would incessant rain really be an issue? 

Looking at the list, the GPNW seems to take itself out of the running because it has three bad seasons, instead of one.  Arizona and Texas are sort of indistinguishable, except for Texas is more humid. 

If you don’t mind me asking, what are you all thinking about doing when the keys must be hung up?

8 comments:

  1. We struggle with this question all the time. Southern CA has the best all-around weather, but the $$$ make it a tough choice. Part-timing would probably be our choice. A place in PNW for summer, then part-time the rest if the year? Who knows!
    Nina

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  2. Likely Mexico for us, though Florida and North Carolina are other possibilities. The latter only if I am widowed as my husband thinks the winters are too cold, and they can be, though with climate change, less and less so of late!

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  3. My thoughts, as a former full timer:
    I agree. There is no one perfect place...so an Rv will be necessary. You can downsize to something easier to drive when you get too old to feel comfortable driving the Bus... With that in mind:
    Pick a location that inspires you to get outside and walk/hike/bike
    Pick a place that is within an 8 hour drive from warm summer weather (Az., SoCal).
    Pick a place that you can come and go from even in the winter...a "little" bit of winter around Christmas is nice...and besides, it's only 8 hours or less away...or back to the desert.
    Pick a place that is near the center of a scenic haven so that a short drive gets you our of the house into beautiful country and maybe a short walk/hike.
    Pick a small town that is within 30 minutes of a bigger town...so you can buy cheaper food, etc.
    Pick a place that's easy on the eyes. Don't let a little snow scratch it from your list, but do let HEAT scratch it from your list.
    ;)
    Box Canyon

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    1. make that: "warm summer like weather during winter." :)

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  4. We are now focusing on Carson City/Reno. No state income tax. dry heat in the summer. Next to the mountains for quick escape from summer heat. Plus Reno is more progressive/liberal than other smallish towns we've been considering.

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  5. Marks points are very relevant and contain many of the factors that we used when retiring to where we are now. Something else that we looked for was good public transport facilities as there may come a time when you don’t fancy driving. If you are an active person then the bit about having good local scenery where you can walk and cycle is extremely important. A large town / city nearby means you have access to entertainment and shopping facilities if you want them.
    Living in Wales rainfall can be an issue in some areas, but being prepared to compromise on some of the points will mean you’ll find somewhere.
    Good luck.

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  6. Let us know when you figure it out. Jim is getting tired of living in an RV so who knows where we may end up on the spur of the moment!

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  7. Thanks for the responses! It's good to have an RV so we can look at areas for awhile before committing, although so far all we have done is rule places out.

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