Ready For A Move. Ideas?

glacked · August 2, 2009

Okay, we're thinking WY or mountains in TN. WY for the wide open spaces, fishing and hunting - have a 9wk old son who I need to raise right. TN due to proximity to family as well as fishing and hunting. We'd really love a hard winter, too. I was raised in SD, so I know what sledding off your house means. Wife did the Chicago thing for years, as well. We've both tried to leave Bama a few times and been sucked back in with a promotion for this or that thing we couldn't pass up for career. All the while really not liking the area or the climate - football is another story, Roll Tide. I mean, how many skinny pine trees do you have to see before you get tired?

Any suggestions for areas? I've looked at Rawlins, WY some online and would like to put a list of places to visit. I'm familiar with a lot of the areas in TN.

grampadirt · August 4, 2009

For sure stay away from Ca. unless you gots alot of $

VMax2007 · August 4, 2009

What line of work are you in?

ColoradoSkiCountry · August 4, 2009

Let me suggest a few places...

Star Valley, Wyoming (Afton area) What a beautiful valley, area, and friendly people!!!

Jackson, Wyoming

Hailey/Ketchum, Idaho (Sun Valley area)

Great Falls, MT

Laramie, WY It gets DANG cold there in the winter and is always windy, but it has alot more to offer then boring Rawlings or Rock Springs, not to mention your a 2 hour drive from Denver compared to a 4-6 hour drive should you need to go to a major city for a flight or something, and on top of that, the mountains are MUCH prettier with a Ski Resort within a hour drive. Rawlings and Rock Springs are too... boring in my opinion. Not really a place I would want to raise a family as the quality of education would not be as good, and hte available resources would be limited. With Laramie, you can move way out in the country but still be close enough to the city to go into town when needed. Besides, you'll want to get back into football and the University of Wyo is located in Laramie. (Come see what REAL football is all about out west, and up at altitude!)

Pueblo, Colorado

Bozeman, MT

Helena, MT

2000DV4.8 · August 4, 2009

New Jersey!

Oh wait, nobody else will fit. Sorry!

VMax2007 · August 4, 2009

New Jersey!

Oh wait, nobody else is that stupid. Sorry!

Fixed.

nbscanuck · August 4, 2009

Rawlins, WY is pretty desolate. I've trucked through there and there isn't much. If you want to "get away from it all", that would be the choice.

Great Falls, MT. kind of a dying, dirty city, not really a fan.

Billings, MT might be a place to look at

Rolling · August 6, 2009

make sure you check Alaska off your list. There are nothing but traffic jams everywhere all the time and no fish. Solid 24 hours of driving blinding sunlight but in a few weeks the government will flip the switch and then nothing but pitch black night...thats when the vampires come out. Shoveling the path so the dog sled can take me to my Silverado is an everyday chore, had to kill a polar bear the other night just to give something to my 34 kids to eat.

Seriously, south central Ak is very conservative, for the most part good schools, Anchorage has everything the rest of the country's big cities have and then some and its a quick (extremely beautiful) drive to get out of town and experience some things you will not see anywhere else. We have lots of military families here for four years at a time, quite a few plan on making this their last stop when they get out of the service. If its wide open spaces you are looking for, there are thousands upon thousands of acres of wilderness that is as remote as you want to get. 4wheeling, camping, world class hunting and especially fishing ( 50+ pound king salmon!!!!!) snow mobiles (snowmachines so some folks know I am not joking) all things an outdoors type couple can raise a family in.

Im not going to lie, its not cheap to live here. In Anchorage 1500 sq ft single family home with 2 car garage will start at 240k and that is on the cheap side.

Its a love or hate place, proximity to outside family is a challenge for a lot of young families. Its a bare minimum 4 hours to the lower 48, if you can get an emergency flight out. And that only gets you to Seattle. All joking aside, take a look at it, it might be right what your looking at.

but......if you do, you have to tell everyone you know exactly my first paragraph. Emphasize the "there are no fish" part...

glacked · August 6, 2009

Jeff, I'm a deputy. Been at it 11yrs. Wife is an attorney - prosecutor.

I love the idea of AK. We've discussed it a lot and need to get up there to check it out. I know the troopers are always hiring and the pay is decent.

Thanks for the input guys.

REV353 · August 6, 2009

Check out northern MN. Great hunting,fishing,snow,schools etc.B rainerd is the largest city and would have the best schooling and is where the Crowing County court house and law enforcement.

You can also check out Bemidji MN,

Bemidji, The First City on the Mississippi, Minnesota USA -

- where the mighty river begins its 2.552 mile journey to rendezvous with the famed city of New Orleans. Legend has it that those who step across the Mississippi River at its source will live a long and fruitful life and that great riches will come to them.... Visit Bemidji and you will see for yourself the truth behind the legend. For Bemidji truly is rich... rich in beautiful scenery, abundant recreations, spirited people, inspiring arts and enchanting culture.

While the statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox are at the top of every visitor's Attraction List,

the variety of things to do and see in the Bemidji area is as diverse as the culture and seasons.

There is truly 'something for everyone' to experience Bemidji's northwoods, all year around.

Coalbunny · August 8, 2009

Well, Rawlins is remote. 110 miles to Laramie, 132 to Rock Springs, 122 to Casper, and I think 135 to Riverton. Those are the only places for any cost effective supplies. Rawlins has (last I saw this last spring) no Wal Mart. No Kmart. No Target. They have two hardware stores, a grocery store (City Market), another grocery store owned by Mennonites (Discount Grocery), 2 drug stores (maybe 3), a Pamida, an Alco, bars out the ying yang, a dozen restaurants, a truck stop in Sinclair (6 miles east of Rawlins), "Rip Griffin's truck stop on the south end, and Flying J on the west end. When these guys say there's nothing there, they aren't far off. Next truck stop is a Love's in Wamsutter, about 44 miles west on I-80. The railroad has a small yard there.

I remember Rawlins well. A rancher was prosecuted for manslaughter because his son was accidentally crushed by a tractor on the ranch. And the DA there was so bored he went after the rancher for blood. In the mean time he pays little to no attention to the illegal aliens and drugs in town. Oh, and don't forget there is a Wyoming State Medium Security prison there as well.

Fishing? HA! Maybe something on the North Platte. Lakes? Few and far between. Rawlins is a high desert. Elk & deer abound, same with jack rabbits and antelope.

But there are so many ex-cons there, it ain't funny. Scary part is how many are pedos. Not where I'd want MY kid to grow up.

Go hit up Logan Utah. That is a really cool place.

Alljackedup408 · August 8, 2009

got a deputy in the house....

i love TN and the smokey mountain area.. too bad theres not alot of jobs and opportunities there.

Erichcb · August 8, 2009

hey, I live in Worland WY, I work in the for the Sheriff’s office in the detention center here for about 6 yrs.

The town population is 5,000+ And is a short drive from the mountains and many lakes and lots of wide open spaces to explore.

I like the small town life and I’m not too far from Cody (about 90 miles). I would not like to live anywhere along I-80. Rawlins is a S*** town and Rock springs is not any better.

Be sure you take a look around the state if you’re planning on choosing Wyoming.

WilliamBos · August 8, 2009

got a deputy in the house....

i love TN and the smokey mountain area.. too bad theres not alot of jobs and opportunities there.

I agree. Was through there once, and fell in love with it. Would love to go back and see it in more detail. Retire there??

Coalbunny · August 9, 2009

hey, I live in Worland WY, I work in the for the Sheriff's office in the detention center here for about 6 yrs.
The town population is 5,000+ And is a short drive from the mountains and many lakes and lots of wide open spaces to explore.

I like the small town life and I'm not too far from Cody (about 90 miles). I would not like to live anywhere along I-80. Rawlins is a S*** town and Rock springs is not any better.

Be sure you take a look around the state if you're planning on choosing Wyoming.

I withheld saying that about Rawlins, but since *I* ain't the first to say it, I'll endorse what you're saying! I lived there for a few years. In the winter it's not uncommon to have winds 50+ mph from the west.

did you ever hear about the illegal aliens that held up a store in Rawlins back around '01-'03? They tried getting away from the highway patrol, and thought they knew what they were doing. So they turned off at Rip Griffin's, and went south.

"A-hem".

Right into the state prison complex! They "no habla inglis", and couldn't read it either! But they did get caught, though!

Worland is ok. I was there for a couple days and wasn't impressed. Thermopolis isn't as great as you may think, the hot springs pool there, last I saw, was $12 admission, and it's nothing more than an oversized bathtub. Beautiful country though. Riverton has it's share of both neo-nazis and islam fundamentalists.

One thing I like about Wyoming is that fireworks are legal in most of the counties. But then, why bother shooting those off when the wind is always blowing?