looking for better summers...

oljim · 06-10-2008, 07:35 PM

Hi there, I'm a true Texan (living most all my life here) - but the Texas summers have been getting a bit hot for me here lately. In my younger days, heat didn't bother me so much - but now, at our ages (60's) - my wife and I have been talking about something a little different (for our summers).

My wife and i are considering spending the summers in a location (here in the USA) - that has great summers and a great lifestyle for retirees like us!

Suggestions and ideas are appreciated!

REWahoo · 06-10-2008, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oljim

Hi there, I'm a true Texan (living most all my life here) -

Hey, into every life a little rain must fall.

Quote:

Originally Posted by oljim

My wife and i are considering spending the summers in a location (here in the USA) - that has great summers and a great lifestyle for retirees like us!

It might help if you gave us a little more information on what type of lifestyle you enjoy. If you spend much time on this forum you'll discover there is no typical "retirees like us" lifestyle as personal preferences, interests, budgets and abilities vary widely.

For example, I once spent a great deal of time watching the Apache Belles perform. Might want to take that up again someday, but right now DW doesn't much approve of that particular lifestyle.

Dawg52 · 06-10-2008, 08:44 PM

I've been thinking the same thing. The mountains would do the trick for me. But a golf course would have to be within shouting distance.

hankster · 06-10-2008, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oljim

Hi there, I'm a true Texan (living most all my life here) - but the Texas summers have been getting a bit hot for me here lately. In my younger days, heat didn't bother me so much - but now, at our ages (60's) - my wife and I have been talking about something a little different (for our summers).

My wife and i are considering spending the summers in a location (here in the USA) - that has great summers and a great lifestyle for retirees like us!

Suggestions and ideas are appreciated!

We like to vacation to the Puget Sound region for great summer weather. Try Seattle if you like bigger city activities. The Olympic Penninsula or the San Juan Islands offer a bit quieter pace. There's usually not much rain in July and August and extreme heat is very rare. We live about 300 miles inland where the late summers can be quite hot and dry.

Boxkicker · 06-10-2008, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hankster

We like to vacation to the Puget Sound region for great summer weather. Try Seattle if you like bigger city activities. The Olympic Penninsula or the San Juan Islands offer a bit quieter pace. There's usually not much rain in July and August and extreme heat is very rare. We live about 300 miles inland where the late summers can be quite hot and dry.

Nothing like Snoqualmie Pass getting a FOOT OF SNOW today in JUNE!!!!

oljim · 06-10-2008, 09:04 PM

Thanks for the response REWahoo!

Have been doing some thinking about your comment about "what type of lifestyle we enjoy".

Great question for my wife and I to share and talk about more. I'll bring that up to her later this evening.

At this stage in our lives, we can afford a variety of different lifestyles - at various budget levels. So we're pretty much open to a variety of different places.

I'm thinking that - if we could locate a similar circumstance to where we live now - that had cooler summers. That might work for us.

Ummmm, maybe a community of around 80,000 or so - that had recreation and fitness opportunities for senior citizens. We enjoy water fitness classes, and exercise regularly. I'm a runner and my wife is a water aerobics teacher.

We enjoy movies and hanging out at book stores and coffee shops - and, we seem to enjoy university and college settings, and all the things that go on there.

Hope that gives a better idea of the type of lifestyle we enjoy. We'll be doing some more thinking about this though - and maybe can get a little more specific.

We've done quite a bit of hanging out in the Hill Country of Texas - usually in the Spring when all the wildflowers are out and about - (and plan to do more as the years go by!). We have several friends that live in that area and we usually visit there for a couple of weeks each year.

We love the Hill Country!

,,,and oh yes, Apache Belles rock!

hankster · 06-10-2008, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boxkicker

Nothing like Snoqualmie Pass getting a FOOT OF SNOW today in JUNE!!!!

Hey, all that cold air that they DON'T have back east had to go somewhere

Boxkicker · 06-10-2008, 09:34 PM

True..hahaha...

I was born in Seattle and lived there till I was 12. Most of my family still lives there (grandparents, father, a sister). I go up there about every month to continue to take care of my late mothers estate and house since she passed away in January.

I like it, but I have been spoiled since I have been in the Navy. Don't think I can do Seattle any longer. I am sticking to New Mexico for the time being after I retire from the Navy. Love talks...

kevin92610 · 06-10-2008, 10:00 PM

I moved to Colorado a year ago and, if you can handle the altitude I would highly recommend it. Summers eventually get hot (but dry) here during the day but it cools down by 30 or more degrees in the evening which makes it incredible. Based on some of your description you may want to consider Boulder or some of the nearby towns. I think it would have pretty much everything you are looking for and it is home to the largest university in CO.

haha · 06-10-2008, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oljim

Suggestions and ideas are appreciated!

Too bad Texas isn't next door to Seattle. It would be like going from a sauna into a snowbank. All you would need is s few birch switches.

Ha

mh · 06-10-2008, 10:55 PM

santa barbara and san luis obispo calif. are nice places in the summer usually

bigwonderfulwyoming · 06-10-2008, 11:50 PM

I'm partial to the West...

Couer d'Alene, Idaho
Olympic Peninsula in WA
Flagstaff, AZ
Pagosa Springs/Durango, CO
Kalispell, MT

Or, if you have money to burn:
Jackson Hole, WY
Aspen, CO
Santa Fe, NM
Lake Tahoe, NV/CA

I hear Asheville, NC and the MN Lake Country, Door County WI, and the area around Lake Superior in MI are also nice in the summer-

oljim · 06-11-2008, 05:54 AM

Wow!,,good stuff!

I've been checking out all the places that ya'll have mentioned on the internet. My wife and I talked a lot about this last night - and are still talking!

Interesting that the Seattle area was mentioned. My wife and I will be flying to Seattle in July (next month) to catch a big boat cruise to Alaska and back. We've never done this before (actually, never spent much time outside of Texas) and we sure are excited about it! This'd be a great time to check out the Seattle area!

Texarkandy · 06-11-2008, 06:40 AM

We're kind of having the same problem "oljim" - love E. Texas but it does get soooo hot & humid here in the summer - plus DW is a human mosquito magnet.

Have you considered getting a pool - that's the only thing that makes it survivable for us in July/August.

Problem is we don't want to have/maintain two residences & don't want to do the RV thing. We're not into living in a cold winter climate either.

S. Cali (San Diego) climate suits us - but that's out anymore as far as I'm concerned due to economy, state govt, overcrowding, etc

We like Hawaii climate too, but don't think that will suit our ER budget - & then there's the island fever thing.

Perhaps back to the desert? (hot in the summer, but low humidity) Of course we've counted out Phoenix & El Paso anymore either. Not what they used to be in our view.

I'll be watching this thread to see what suggestions develop.

Dawg52 · 06-11-2008, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texarkandy

Problem is we don't want to have/maintain two residences & don't want to do the RV thing.

Lease something for a couple of months a year. That is what I plan to do. You are not tied down to the same thing every summer this way.

brewer12345 · 06-11-2008, 07:31 AM

Why pick just one spot? You like where you live already, so maybe rent for the summer somewhere, possibly trying a different place every year. Deoending on your budget, you might have a lot of choices.

Alternatively, buy a travel trailer and make it your summer home.

**Want2retire** · 06-11-2008, 08:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oljim

Hi there, I'm a true Texan (living most all my life here) - but the Texas summers have been getting a bit hot for me here lately. In my younger days, heat didn't bother me so much - but now, at our ages (60's) - my wife and I have been talking about something a little different (for our summers).

My wife and i are considering spending the summers in a location (here in the USA) - that has great summers and a great lifestyle for retirees like us!

Suggestions and ideas are appreciated!

I lived in College Station for a while, and I have to admit that the summers there were brutal, to my way of thinking. (The property/school taxes were worse.)

I think just about anyplace would have more pleasant weather in the summer (well, maybe not Death Valley!

) Have fun exploring and visiting places while you decide.

REWahoo · 06-11-2008, 08:29 AM

We choose to go the RV route to get some relief from TX summer heat & humidity. However, due to ~~circumstances beyond my control~~ DW electing to help care for our three local grandsons when school is out, our ability for summer travel has been very limited. Our first RV trip of more than a week in length is coming up next month when we head for the mountains of New Mexico and Southern Colorado for three weeks. If that goes well and the grandsons reach the point where grandma can no longer handle them without ~~physical restraint devices~~ coming home totally exhausted each day, I'm hoping we can extend the length of our summer stays considerably in the next couple of years.

Coach · 06-11-2008, 09:20 AM

Colorado? I think half of Texas is up here already

Coach

ziggy29 · 06-11-2008, 09:32 AM

Funny, my wife and I were talking about this last night over dinner. Basically, we really like almost everything about where we live except the summers. And we're trying to decide if long term, the "everything else" that we like is enough to overcome the brutality of the summers here so we can figure out whether we plan to stay here.

06-10-2008, 07:35 PM	#1
oljim Dryer sheet wannabe Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Tyler, Texas Posts: 10	looking for better summers... Hi there, I'm a true Texan (living most all my life here) - but the Texas summers have been getting a bit hot for me here lately. In my younger days, heat didn't bother me so much - but now, at our ages (60's) - my wife and I have been talking about something a little different (for our summers). My wife and i are considering spending the summers in a location (here in the USA) - that has great summers and a great lifestyle for retirees like us! Suggestions and ideas are appreciated!

06-10-2008, 08:44 PM	#3
Dawg52 Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Mississippi Posts: 2,696	I've been thinking the same thing. The mountains would do the trick for me. But a golf course would have to be within shouting distance. __________________ Full time golf bum.

06-11-2008, 06:40 AM	#14
Texarkandy Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 571	We're kind of having the same problem "oljim" - love E. Texas but it does get soooo hot & humid here in the summer - plus DW is a human mosquito magnet. Have you considered getting a pool - that's the only thing that makes it survivable for us in July/August. Problem is we don't want to have/maintain two residences & don't want to do the RV thing. We're not into living in a cold winter climate either. S. Cali (San Diego) climate suits us - but that's out anymore as far as I'm concerned due to economy, state govt, overcrowding, etc We like Hawaii climate too, but don't think that will suit our ER budget - & then there's the island fever thing. Perhaps back to the desert? (hot in the summer, but low humidity) Of course we've counted out Phoenix & El Paso anymore either. Not what they used to be in our view. I'll be watching this thread to see what suggestions develop. __________________ *"Wanna buy my house?"*

06-11-2008, 07:31 AM	#16
brewer12345 Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ... Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 9,039	Why pick just one spot? You like where you live already, so maybe rent for the summer somewhere, possibly trying a different place every year. Deoending on your budget, you might have a lot of choices. Alternatively, buy a travel trailer and make it your summer home. __________________ "When caught between two evils I generally pick the one I haven't tried before." - Mae West

06-11-2008, 08:29 AM	#18
REWahoo Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Texas Hill Country Posts: 10,191	We choose to go the RV route to get some relief from TX summer heat & humidity. However, due to ~~circumstances beyond my control~~ DW electing to help care for our three local grandsons when school is out, our ability for summer travel has been very limited. Our first RV trip of more than a week in length is coming up next month when we head for the mountains of New Mexico and Southern Colorado for three weeks. If that goes well and the grandsons reach the point where grandma can no longer handle them without ~~physical restraint devices~~ coming home totally exhausted each day, I'm hoping we can extend the length of our summer stays considerably in the next couple of years. __________________ Some claim to have a crystal ball when it comes to investing in stocks and real estate. Me, I've got a disco ball... Retired in 2005 at age 58 - better FIREd late than never.

06-10-2008, 09:04 PM	#6
oljim Dryer sheet wannabe Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Tyler, Texas Posts: 10	Thanks for the response REWahoo! Have been doing some thinking about your comment about "what type of lifestyle we enjoy". Great question for my wife and I to share and talk about more. I'll bring that up to her later this evening. At this stage in our lives, we can afford a variety of different lifestyles - at various budget levels. So we're pretty much open to a variety of different places. I'm thinking that - if we could locate a similar circumstance to where we live now - that had cooler summers. That might work for us. Ummmm, maybe a community of around 80,000 or so - that had recreation and fitness opportunities for senior citizens. We enjoy water fitness classes, and exercise regularly. I'm a runner and my wife is a water aerobics teacher. We enjoy movies and hanging out at book stores and coffee shops - and, we seem to enjoy university and college settings, and all the things that go on there. Hope that gives a better idea of the type of lifestyle we enjoy. We'll be doing some more thinking about this though - and maybe can get a little more specific. We've done quite a bit of hanging out in the Hill Country of Texas - usually in the Spring when all the wildflowers are out and about - (and plan to do more as the years go by!). We have several friends that live in that area and we usually visit there for a couple of weeks each year. We love the Hill Country! ,,,and oh yes, Apache Belles rock!

06-10-2008, 09:34 PM	#8
Boxkicker Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 51	True..hahaha... I was born in Seattle and lived there till I was 12. Most of my family still lives there (grandparents, father, a sister). I go up there about every month to continue to take care of my late mothers estate and house since she passed away in January. I like it, but I have been spoiled since I have been in the Navy. Don't think I can do Seattle any longer. I am sticking to New Mexico for the time being after I retire from the Navy. Love talks...

06-10-2008, 10:00 PM	#9
kevin92610 Dryer sheet aficionado Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 39	I moved to Colorado a year ago and, if you can handle the altitude I would highly recommend it. Summers eventually get hot (but dry) here during the day but it cools down by 30 or more degrees in the evening which makes it incredible. Based on some of your description you may want to consider Boulder or some of the nearby towns. I think it would have pretty much everything you are looking for and it is home to the largest university in CO.

06-10-2008, 10:55 PM	#11
mh Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 170	santa barbara and san luis obispo calif. are nice places in the summer usually

06-10-2008, 11:50 PM	#12
bigwonderfulwyoming Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 532	I'm partial to the West... Couer d'Alene, Idaho Olympic Peninsula in WA Flagstaff, AZ Pagosa Springs/Durango, CO Kalispell, MT Or, if you have money to burn: Jackson Hole, WY Aspen, CO Santa Fe, NM Lake Tahoe, NV/CA I hear Asheville, NC and the MN Lake Country, Door County WI, and the area around Lake Superior in MI are also nice in the summer-

06-11-2008, 05:54 AM	#13
oljim Dryer sheet wannabe Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Tyler, Texas Posts: 10	Wow!,,good stuff! I've been checking out all the places that ya'll have mentioned on the internet. My wife and I talked a lot about this last night - and are still talking! Interesting that the Seattle area was mentioned. My wife and I will be flying to Seattle in July (next month) to catch a big boat cruise to Alaska and back. We've never done this before (actually, never spent much time outside of Texas) and we sure are excited about it! This'd be a great time to check out the Seattle area!

06-11-2008, 09:20 AM	#19
Coach Full time employment: Posting here. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Colorado, USA Posts: 622	Colorado? I think half of Texas is up here already Coach

06-11-2008, 09:32 AM	#20
ziggy29 Thinks s/he gets paid by the post Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Texas Hill Country Posts: 1,619	Funny, my wife and I were talking about this last night over dinner. Basically, we really like almost everything about where we live except the summers. And we're trying to decide if long term, the "everything else" that we like is enough to overcome the brutality of the summers here so we can figure out whether we plan to stay here. __________________ FIRE Clock: 11:37 PM. When it's midnight, I can be FIREd!