Help Me Scout Retirement Locations…. (2 Viewers)

[jamny]

I've been in Boise 3 years now and outside of the occasional smoke from fires, mostly coming from out west, I haven't had any issues with air quality. Most days are clear blue skies. Maybe it's because I'm from NY but I haven't even noticed any inversion yet.

That’s from boots on the ground, so good to know. Thank you. I do see that your area as well as @Gally is crazy hot. Showing 104 to 107! That’s uncool (literally) to me. In your time there is this typical?

I haven't been here long enough to know how normal it is but it is breaking records so I guess it's not typical, at least this early in the summer. Two years ago there were a couple of weeks in the 100s but that was late July/early August. I'll still take 100s with mid-teens humidity over a NYC 85 degrees with 60% humidity. There were days where I would leave my house in the morning in NY and it was like a swamp. I'd be sweating by time I got to work. Here in Boise, it's really nice in the morning, low 70s even when it'll be near 100 later. In the shade is a lot cooler. I do my running in the mornings. We actually had dinner in an outdoor patio when it was 102 degrees but in the shade it was fine. And it's weird because the hottest time of day is like 5 or 6pm, unlike in NY where it was like 2pm. One of the selling points moving here was the four seasons. Winters aren't as bad as NY and summers, while hotter in temp, are better without the humidity. Beautiful spring and fall too.

Thanks jamny. Yeah, nothing like opening the door at 630 am to go to work and it’s already 80 and feels like you’re breathing through a sponge…I’ve always heard the dry heat makes things much more tolerable, but just haven’t experienced it for myself yet which I guess will be part of out travel process. Do you mind sharing brief info on your home value and property taxes? No worries if you don’t want to put your stuff out there.

Dry heat is more tolerable than high humidity at the same temperature, though it comes with downside. I love desert and mountains, but every time I visit, my nose bleeds, lips and skin crack.

Nothing like getting off the plane returning to HI, where the tropical air instantly hydrates everything, and makes me feel/look 10 years younger. A little extra sweating is worth it, imo.

That said, there needs to be a breeze, and there's a ceiling on maximum temp/humidity. The east coast/SE are too high on both counts, while 95+ degrees in direct sun is always unbearable, even when humidity is low.

Fortunately I've had the opposite reaction. In the humidity in NY, once the sweat would dry up, it took away the natural moisture with it and my skin would be very dry. Now that I don't sweat nearly as much, it stays fairly neutral with no issues, no skin cracking. I do drink more water though. An added bonus is that I'm not affected by any allergies here yet. Spring in NY was rough for allergies.

 

[Chaos34]

I just got home (sadly) from two weeks in Tahoe. My sis has been retired there 8 years. She's rich. Zillow says her home is worth 10 million. Tough place to retire for us commoners. The winter is nice to visit but pretty rough to be stuck there, snowed in, etc. We had to drive down to Reno once (get someone at the airport) and Carson City twice (Costco run, eating). The road to Reno is awful. The road to Carson City is beautiful. I really like the two towns south of Carson City, Gardnerville and Minden. I could be happy retired there. Long beautiful Fall and Spring. Snows in winter but doesn't stick. Summer can have a couple heat spells but they're short and back to paradise. Four seasons for sure. All the amenities are 10 minutes away in Carson City. Real estate is 30% above national average but other cost of living markers are 10% below. I don't care for Reno in comparison. Feels dirty, but just 40 minutes away when needed. Tahoe is just an amazing place, 30 minutes away. That's the calling card. 30 minutes to Tahoe in an affordable very nice small town ten minutes from Costco and InNout. I looked at land. Again.

What are your thoughts on Carson City itself? Don’t see much real estate for the places you mentioned but more in CC.

Well, it is more affordable than the two small towns I'm enamored with, so that's good. And, it's pretty much the same idea, just busier and not as quaint and scenic. I drive the 395 north from the cali high desert and take the 50 west to Tahoe. That intersection is just after the two small towns and at the edge of south Carson City. So I miss most of Carson City. That intersection also has everything Tahoe-ers need - Costco, Traders, Home Depot, Walmart, Target, InNout, etc. So in dozens of trips, I haven't scouted Carson City, but I am curious and will this Fall when I go back.

My snobby sis and BiL love it and have considered moving down the mountain as the winters are getting a bit much in their old age. That lakeside resort they call home is 4 stories so the stairs are getting to them a little too, as is the elevation. They do not like Reno at all. I'm with DaRaiders on that place. It's gross, crimey, dirty, windy, poor access to Tahoe in comparison. Carson City deserves closer investigation. I'm interested in at least a couple acres which makes the little towns more interesting, but who knows? Maybe east of Carson City I can find it affordably.

Thanks chaos, in the times you were in the two other towns did you ever hear or see for yourself about if that area is prone to fires, smoke, etc? I’m with you preferring smaller away from it areas.

Yup. My sis was smoked out in 2021. Spent two weeks in Vegas. It was an evacuation. It didn't get down the mountain to CC, but the area is considered high risk. Since the mid 80s CC has been hit by 3 wildfires. Less than 40 buildings have burned and realtors will try hard to minimize the risk explaining the difference in vegetation at the lake and in the valley, but it's still a risky area, imo.

The drive in 2021 after the fires was sad. Soooo much forest burned along the way. The drive I just took was good to see. So much recovery. Those trees burn and mostly survive. They're smaller and stumpier now, but all green and beautiful again.

 

[Birdie048]

As a fan on the Carolinas, I noticed Raleigh/Durham were in the Lowest Stress Ranked zone (151 & 163 out of 182 total).
Lived in North Delaware / South Philly for a few years and hated the chaos and traffic issues.
I visited Philly, Newark, NJ & NY often in 2015-2018 and it is was a complete nightmare driving for numerous reasons (Tolls, congestion, driver behavior).

Central North Carolina - Love it here. Major difference in the easier, calmer life compared to Northern Areas.
Cost of living is similar, and housing is reasonable IMO.
Music, Sports, Walking Trails, Greenways, Parks, recreational activities are plentiful.
My area: Town of Cary has been ranked as Top 10 numerous times in various publications for Safest Place, Best Place to Live, Top "Livable" City.
The local towns of Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs are also good areas, but offer different takes on what some people are looking for in a community.

 

[MAC_32]

FWIW, most and least stressed cities per this measure:

Most & Least Stressed Cities in America in 2024

Most & Least Stressed Cities in America in 2024

wallethub.com

Top 5 are Cleveland, Detroit, Baltimore, Memphis and Gulfport MS. I haven't scrutinized their ranking methodology, but none of those are hotbeds for retirees, as far as I know.

Those are the 5 most stressed cities.

I don't see Cleveland ever coming off this list. As long as we're talking city proper anyway. Effort has been there to attract more 20somethings with varying success (local govt consistently makes it harder on themselves), but families migrate out to the burbs. In a vacuum not a unique dynamic relative to other metropolitan areas, but I'd be very surprised if the ratios elsewhere rival here. Direct metro population is 2.1m, add in Canton / Akron and it's 3.7m (inside the top 20 nationwide), compared to 360K and falling living in Cleveland proper (not in the top 50).

I love it here and while I'm happy working downtown ~60% of the time, no way I'd ever live anywhere around it.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

In Flagstaff, we are fortunate enough to have our own water reservoir so this isn't a major concern for us (except that it may mean more people moving my way).

That said, this has been a big deal for the areas I lived in along the Colorado River in Mohave County. The impact on Lake Mead is/was astounding. I do think it's stagnated a bit fortunately.

My understanding is that SoCal is to blame, but of course that could be Arizona's perspective.

Water is something constantly on people's mind in many western states.

As far as blame goes, the #1 thing to blame is really just bad luck.

When the water rights to the Colorado river were doled out way back in the past, they only had the technology to look at historic water flows for around 10 years so they based water allotments on those averages. Now we have the technology to look back much further and we can see that it just so happens that that 10 year stretch was the absolute peak of the natural cycle of rising and descending water flow for the area. Like almost down to the day. So they way overestimated what they had to give out, and every time period for many generations is going to have lower water flow than that (significantly lower for long periods). But those agreements are binding and of course none of the states are going to give them back voluntarily. So everyone is overdrawing based on what's ACTUALLY available, even if they're only taking what was actually agreed to.

The other main thing as @Sand mentioned is alfalfa farming. California is far from the only state with this issue. As @The Dreaded Marco mentioned here in Utah alfalfa farming is a huge issue. Alfalfa farming uses around 70% of our water, the majority of which is exported, while contributing only 0.2% to the state's GDP.

We've had big snow years 2 years in a row which has helped things a lot. But a few years ago when things were getting really tight it was certainly weird seeing resident water restrictions get tighter and tighter while driving around and seeing farms with those giant sprinkler things litering the landscape dumping untold amounts of water into a low-value crop that we already had way too much of.

And then there were other issues like the government's "use it or lose it" procedures for agriculture which in a perfect world would mean farms that have more water than they need would have it dispersed back into the water supply, but in practice meant the farms would intentionally waste the water so their metered water usage remained high and they would keep getting the same amount. People getting close to water becoming a real shortage issue while others are literally dumping all of their excess into the ground to make sure they keep getting their excess.

Like I mentioned back to back good snow years have really alleviated things in the short term and pushed these things to the backburner for a bit, but another stretch like 2018-2022 (or heaven forbid even longer) and things could get REAL bad.

 

[Kanil]

In Flagstaff, we are fortunate enough to have our own water reservoir so this isn't a major concern for us (except that it may mean more people moving my way).

That said, this has been a big deal for the areas I lived in along the Colorado River in Mohave County. The impact on Lake Mead is/was astounding. I do think it's stagnated a bit fortunately.

My understanding is that SoCal is to blame, but of course that could be Arizona's perspective.

Water is something constantly on people's mind in many western states.

As far as blame goes, the #1 thing to blame is really just bad luck.

When the water rights to the Colorado river were doled out way back in the past, they only had the technology to look at historic water flows for around 10 years so they based water allotments on those averages. Now we have the technology to look back much further and we can see that it just so happens that that 10 year stretch was the absolute peak of the natural cycle of rising and descending water flow for the area. Like almost down to the day. So they way overestimated what they had to give out, and every time period for many generations is going to have lower water flow than that (significantly lower for long periods). But those agreements are binding and of course none of the states are going to give them back voluntarily. So everyone is overdrawing based on what's ACTUALLY available, even if they're only taking what was actually agreed to.

The other main thing as @Sand mentioned is alfalfa farming. California is far from the only state with this issue. As @The Dreaded Marco mentioned here in Utah alfalfa farming is a huge issue. Alfalfa farming uses around 70% of our water, the majority of which is exported, while contributing only 0.2% to the state's GDP.

We've had big snow years 2 years in a row which has helped things a lot. But a few years ago when things were getting really tight it was certainly weird seeing resident water restrictions get tighter and tighter while driving around and seeing farms with those giant sprinkler things litering the landscape dumping untold amounts of water into a low-value crop that we already had way too much of.

And then there were other issues like the government's "use it or lose it" procedures for agriculture which in a perfect world would mean farms that have more water than they need would have it dispersed back into the water supply, but in practice meant the farms would intentionally waste the water so their metered water usage remained high and they would keep getting the same amount. People getting close to water becoming a real shortage issue while others are literally dumping all of their excess into the ground to make sure they keep getting their excess.

Like I mentioned back to back good snow years have really alleviated things in the short term and pushed these things to the backburner for a bit, but another stretch like 2018-2022 (or heaven forbid even longer) and things could get REAL bad.

Oddly enough, Loveland Colorado has some of the strongest water rights in the country. There were some very forward thinkers 100 years ago that solidified Loveland's water rights. They make a ton of money selling water to places like Greeley.

 

[steelerfan1]

I just got home (sadly) from two weeks in Tahoe. My sis has been retired there 8 years. She's rich. Zillow says her home is worth 10 million. Tough place to retire for us commoners. The winter is nice to visit but pretty rough to be stuck there, snowed in, etc. We had to drive down to Reno once (get someone at the airport) and Carson City twice (Costco run, eating). The road to Reno is awful. The road to Carson City is beautiful. I really like the two towns south of Carson City, Gardnerville and Minden. I could be happy retired there. Long beautiful Fall and Spring. Snows in winter but doesn't stick. Summer can have a couple heat spells but they're short and back to paradise. Four seasons for sure. All the amenities are 10 minutes away in Carson City. Real estate is 30% above national average but other cost of living markers are 10% below. I don't care for Reno in comparison. Feels dirty, but just 40 minutes away when needed. Tahoe is just an amazing place, 30 minutes away. That's the calling card. 30 minutes to Tahoe in an affordable very nice small town ten minutes from Costco and InNout. I looked at land. Again.

What are your thoughts on Carson City itself? Don’t see much real estate for the places you mentioned but more in CC.

Well, it is more affordable than the two small towns I'm enamored with, so that's good. And, it's pretty much the same idea, just busier and not as quaint and scenic. I drive the 395 north from the cali high desert and take the 50 west to Tahoe. That intersection is just after the two small towns and at the edge of south Carson City. So I miss most of Carson City. That intersection also has everything Tahoe-ers need - Costco, Traders, Home Depot, Walmart, Target, InNout, etc. So in dozens of trips, I haven't scouted Carson City, but I am curious and will this Fall when I go back.

My snobby sis and BiL love it and have considered moving down the mountain as the winters are getting a bit much in their old age. That lakeside resort they call home is 4 stories so the stairs are getting to them a little too, as is the elevation. They do not like Reno at all. I'm with DaRaiders on that place. It's gross, crimey, dirty, windy, poor access to Tahoe in comparison. Carson City deserves closer investigation. I'm interested in at least a couple acres which makes the little towns more interesting, but who knows? Maybe east of Carson City I can find it affordably.

Thanks chaos, in the times you were in the two other towns did you ever hear or see for yourself about if that area is prone to fires, smoke, etc? I’m with you preferring smaller away from it areas.

Yup. My sis was smoked out in 2021. Spent two weeks in Vegas. It was an evacuation. It didn't get down the mountain to CC, but the area is considered high risk. Since the mid 80s CC has been hit by 3 wildfires. Less than 40 buildings have burned and realtors will try hard to minimize the risk explaining the difference in vegetation at the lake and in the valley, but it's still a risky area, imo.

The drive in 2021 after the fires was sad. Soooo much forest burned along the way. The drive I just took was good to see. So much recovery. Those trees burn and mostly survive. They're smaller and stumpier now, but all green and beautiful again.

Thanks for info. definitely not what i wanted to hear though. Glad the area is coming back but being in a high risk area is not great, Bob...I remember reading @parasaurolophus nightmare. I know as Ivan posted upthread, we need to pick our poison, so will have to weigh risks I guess. Thanks again!

 

[steelerfan1]

As a fan on the Carolinas, I noticed Raleigh/Durham were in the Lowest Stress Ranked zone (151 & 163 out of 182 total).
Lived in North Delaware / South Philly for a few years and hated the chaos and traffic issues.
I visited Philly, Newark, NJ & NY often in 2015-2018 and it is was a complete nightmare driving for numerous reasons (Tolls, congestion, driver behavior).

Central North Carolina - Love it here. Major difference in the easier, calmer life compared to Northern Areas.
Cost of living is similar, and housing is reasonable IMO.
Music, Sports, Walking Trails, Greenways, Parks, recreational activities are plentiful.
My area: Town of Cary has been ranked as Top 10 numerous times in various publications for Safest Place, Best Place to Live, Top "Livable" City.
The local towns of Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs are also good areas, but offer different takes on what some people are looking for in a community.

Actually been to Cary. Nice area, but for us it comes back to the heat/humidity in most NC areas that started this. Cary is also a bit more pricey than our current place.

 

[steelerfan1]

In Flagstaff, we are fortunate enough to have our own water reservoir so this isn't a major concern for us (except that it may mean more people moving my way).

That said, this has been a big deal for the areas I lived in along the Colorado River in Mohave County. The impact on Lake Mead is/was astounding. I do think it's stagnated a bit fortunately.

My understanding is that SoCal is to blame, but of course that could be Arizona's perspective.

Water is something constantly on people's mind in many western states.

As far as blame goes, the #1 thing to blame is really just bad luck.

When the water rights to the Colorado river were doled out way back in the past, they only had the technology to look at historic water flows for around 10 years so they based water allotments on those averages. Now we have the technology to look back much further and we can see that it just so happens that that 10 year stretch was the absolute peak of the natural cycle of rising and descending water flow for the area. Like almost down to the day. So they way overestimated what they had to give out, and every time period for many generations is going to have lower water flow than that (significantly lower for long periods). But those agreements are binding and of course none of the states are going to give them back voluntarily. So everyone is overdrawing based on what's ACTUALLY available, even if they're only taking what was actually agreed to.

The other main thing as @Sand mentioned is alfalfa farming. California is far from the only state with this issue. As @The Dreaded Marco mentioned here in Utah alfalfa farming is a huge issue. Alfalfa farming uses around 70% of our water, the majority of which is exported, while contributing only 0.2% to the state's GDP.

We've had big snow years 2 years in a row which has helped things a lot. But a few years ago when things were getting really tight it was certainly weird seeing resident water restrictions get tighter and tighter while driving around and seeing farms with those giant sprinkler things litering the landscape dumping untold amounts of water into a low-value crop that we already had way too much of.

And then there were other issues like the government's "use it or lose it" procedures for agriculture which in a perfect world would mean farms that have more water than they need would have it dispersed back into the water supply, but in practice meant the farms would intentionally waste the water so their metered water usage remained high and they would keep getting the same amount. People getting close to water becoming a real shortage issue while others are literally dumping all of their excess into the ground to make sure they keep getting their excess.

Like I mentioned back to back good snow years have really alleviated things in the short term and pushed these things to the backburner for a bit, but another stretch like 2018-2022 (or heaven forbid even longer) and things could get REAL bad.

Thanks for the knowledge FBG. I know a lot of people thinking i'm a whack a doodle with the water talk, but stuff like this is why it may be higher on a list than most.

 

[Birdie048]

The local towns of Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs are also good areas, but offer different takes on what some people are looking for in a community.

Actually been to Cary. Nice area, but for us it comes back to the heat/humidity in most NC areas that started this. Cary is also a bit more pricey than our current place.

Cary does have some pricey aspects I agree.

Apex & Holly Springs are not as ritzy as Cary but still offer good value.
Morrisville has a clear cultural migration distinction (not a bad thing but clearly different)
Housing is very dependent on the region. Cary is more upscale but I have been here long enough to be part of the growth

There are other regions outside Raleigh/Durham that are getting good talk:

• Zebulon / Knightdale (not Garner)
• Pittsboro in Chatham County is building a good business platform (EV sites)
• Mebane in Durham area
• Roxboro north of Durham

Good areas depending on what you are looking for ...

 

[Osaurus]

Spent some time in Tahoe/Carson City/Reno/Sparks in June. We’re thinking of moving to Carson City or maybe Virginia Foothills if it’s viable (uber-pricey). Really liked most of Carson City and agree with many of you on Reno, it needs work, but it is getting better. We spent
a little while in Midtown and I’ve experienced worse. I did not like Sparks at all. Thing I like most about the entire area is there are less than half a million people. I think there’s more people than that in the part of Hillsborough County (Florida) I live in.

We’ve been doing research on the area and are now actively trying to move there. Mrs. O and I have both lived out west before and really liked what we saw in Carson City. I have some job interviews for remote western work and need to apply for a couple more. Ideally, we’d like to be out there by the end of this year or early next year at the latest. I haven’t chimed in at all during this thread until now hoping there is less interest in the area so others don’t want to move there. Don’t move there. It’s awful.

 

[steelerfan1]

Spent some time in Tahoe/Carson City/Reno/Sparks in June. We’re thinking of moving to Carson City or maybe Virginia Foothills if it’s viable (uber-pricey). Really liked most of Carson City and agree with many of you on Reno, it needs work, but it is getting better. We spent
a little while in Midtown and I’ve experienced worse. I did not like Sparks at all. Thing I like most about the entire area is there are less than half a million people. I think there’s more people than that in the part of Hillsborough County (Florida) I live in.

We’ve been doing research on the area and are now actively trying to move there. Mrs. O and I have both lived out west before and really liked what we saw in Carson City. I have some job interviews for remote western work and need to apply for a couple more. Ideally, we’d like to be out there by the end of this year or early next year at the latest. I haven’t chimed in at all during this thread until now hoping there is less interest in the area so others don’t want to move there. Don’t move there. It’s awful.

Wow! Thanks O! You guys are a lot further along than we are. So, being in the humidity capital of the states and all, what’s your comparison to the Carson City heat in June? A lot more tolerable?

 

[Osaurus]

Spent some time in Tahoe/Carson City/Reno/Sparks in June. We’re thinking of moving to Carson City or maybe Virginia Foothills if it’s viable (uber-pricey). Really liked most of Carson City and agree with many of you on Reno, it needs work, but it is getting better. We spent
a little while in Midtown and I’ve experienced worse. I did not like Sparks at all. Thing I like most about the entire area is there are less than half a million people. I think there’s more people than that in the part of Hillsborough County (Florida) I live in.

We’ve been doing research on the area and are now actively trying to move there. Mrs. O and I have both lived out west before and really liked what we saw in Carson City. I have some job interviews for remote western work and need to apply for a couple more. Ideally, we’d like to be out there by the end of this year or early next year at the latest. I haven’t chimed in at all during this thread until now hoping there is less interest in the area so others don’t want to move there. Don’t move there. It’s awful.

Wow! Thanks O! You guys are a lot further along than we are. So, being in the humidity capital of the states and all, what’s your comparison to the Carson City heat in June? A lot more tolerable?

It’s cake compared to this sweltering hellscape I currently reside in. 20% humidity there is a lot for them. The breezes we experienced were wonderful

 

[steelerfan1]

Spent some time in Tahoe/Carson City/Reno/Sparks in June. We’re thinking of moving to Carson City or maybe Virginia Foothills if it’s viable (uber-pricey). Really liked most of Carson City and agree with many of you on Reno, it needs work, but it is getting better. We spent
a little while in Midtown and I’ve experienced worse. I did not like Sparks at all. Thing I like most about the entire area is there are less than half a million people. I think there’s more people than that in the part of Hillsborough County (Florida) I live in.

We’ve been doing research on the area and are now actively trying to move there. Mrs. O and I have both lived out west before and really liked what we saw in Carson City. I have some job interviews for remote western work and need to apply for a couple more. Ideally, we’d like to be out there by the end of this year or early next year at the latest. I haven’t chimed in at all during this thread until now hoping there is less interest in the area so others don’t want to move there. Don’t move there. It’s awful.

Wow! Thanks O! You guys are a lot further along than we are. So, being in the humidity capital of the states and all, what’s your comparison to the Carson City heat in June? A lot more tolerable?

It’s cake compared to this sweltering hellscape I currently reside in. 20% humidity there is a lot for them. The breezes we experienced were wonderful

Sounds great! curious where in VA foothills you were looking, as i have a friend who purchased quite a bit of land in Fancy Gap that was fairly cheap, and they are in the process of building now.

 

[Osaurus]

Spent some time in Tahoe/Carson City/Reno/Sparks in June. We’re thinking of moving to Carson City or maybe Virginia Foothills if it’s viable (uber-pricey). Really liked most of Carson City and agree with many of you on Reno, it needs work, but it is getting better. We spent
a little while in Midtown and I’ve experienced worse. I did not like Sparks at all. Thing I like most about the entire area is there are less than half a million people. I think there’s more people than that in the part of Hillsborough County (Florida) I live in.

We’ve been doing research on the area and are now actively trying to move there. Mrs. O and I have both lived out west before and really liked what we saw in Carson City. I have some job interviews for remote western work and need to apply for a couple more. Ideally, we’d like to be out there by the end of this year or early next year at the latest. I haven’t chimed in at all during this thread until now hoping there is less interest in the area so others don’t want to move there. Don’t move there. It’s awful.

Wow! Thanks O! You guys are a lot further along than we are. So, being in the humidity capital of the states and all, what’s your comparison to the Carson City heat in June? A lot more tolerable?

It’s cake compared to this sweltering hellscape I currently reside in. 20% humidity there is a lot for them. The breezes we experienced were wonderful

Sounds great! curious where in VA foothills you were looking, as i have a friend who purchased quite a bit of land in Fancy Gap that was fairly cheap, and they are in the process of building now.

Sorry. Virginia Foothills is south of Reno and north of Carson City

 

[steelerfan1]

Spent some time in Tahoe/Carson City/Reno/Sparks in June. We’re thinking of moving to Carson City or maybe Virginia Foothills if it’s viable (uber-pricey). Really liked most of Carson City and agree with many of you on Reno, it needs work, but it is getting better. We spent
a little while in Midtown and I’ve experienced worse. I did not like Sparks at all. Thing I like most about the entire area is there are less than half a million people. I think there’s more people than that in the part of Hillsborough County (Florida) I live in.

We’ve been doing research on the area and are now actively trying to move there. Mrs. O and I have both lived out west before and really liked what we saw in Carson City. I have some job interviews for remote western work and need to apply for a couple more. Ideally, we’d like to be out there by the end of this year or early next year at the latest. I haven’t chimed in at all during this thread until now hoping there is less interest in the area so others don’t want to move there. Don’t move there. It’s awful.

Wow! Thanks O! You guys are a lot further along than we are. So, being in the humidity capital of the states and all, what’s your comparison to the Carson City heat in June? A lot more tolerable?

It’s cake compared to this sweltering hellscape I currently reside in. 20% humidity there is a lot for them. The breezes we experienced were wonderful

Sounds great! curious where in VA foothills you were looking, as i have a friend who purchased quite a bit of land in Fancy Gap that was fairly cheap, and they are in the process of building now.

Sorry. Virginia Foothills is south of Reno and north of Carson City

yeah, i thought that was kind of a different 2 choices. thanks for clarifying...

 

[Terminalxylem]

In Flagstaff, we are fortunate enough to have our own water reservoir so this isn't a major concern for us (except that it may mean more people moving my way).

That said, this has been a big deal for the areas I lived in along the Colorado River in Mohave County. The impact on Lake Mead is/was astounding. I do think it's stagnated a bit fortunately.

My understanding is that SoCal is to blame, but of course that could be Arizona's perspective.

Water is something constantly on people's mind in many western states.

As far as blame goes, the #1 thing to blame is really just bad luck.

When the water rights to the Colorado river were doled out way back in the past, they only had the technology to look at historic water flows for around 10 years so they based water allotments on those averages. Now we have the technology to look back much further and we can see that it just so happens that that 10 year stretch was the absolute peak of the natural cycle of rising and descending water flow for the area. Like almost down to the day. So they way overestimated what they had to give out, and every time period for many generations is going to have lower water flow than that (significantly lower for long periods). But those agreements are binding and of course none of the states are going to give them back voluntarily. So everyone is overdrawing based on what's ACTUALLY available, even if they're only taking what was actually agreed to.

The other main thing as @Sand mentioned is alfalfa farming. California is far from the only state with this issue. As @The Dreaded Marco mentioned here in Utah alfalfa farming is a huge issue. Alfalfa farming uses around 70% of our water, the majority of which is exported, while contributing only 0.2% to the state's GDP.

We've had big snow years 2 years in a row which has helped things a lot. But a few years ago when things were getting really tight it was certainly weird seeing resident water restrictions get tighter and tighter while driving around and seeing farms with those giant sprinkler things litering the landscape dumping untold amounts of water into a low-value crop that we already had way too much of.

And then there were other issues like the government's "use it or lose it" procedures for agriculture which in a perfect world would mean farms that have more water than they need would have it dispersed back into the water supply, but in practice meant the farms would intentionally waste the water so their metered water usage remained high and they would keep getting the same amount. People getting close to water becoming a real shortage issue while others are literally dumping all of their excess into the ground to make sure they keep getting their excess.

Like I mentioned back to back good snow years have really alleviated things in the short term and pushed these things to the backburner for a bit, but another stretch like 2018-2022 (or heaven forbid even longer) and things could get REAL bad.

Why is alfalfa so thirsty, and why is it being grown in the US (?by Chinese) for export?

 

[Rodrigo Duterte]

I've been in Boise 3 years now and outside of the occasional smoke from fires, mostly coming from out west, I haven't had any issues with air quality. Most days are clear blue skies. Maybe it's because I'm from NY but I haven't even noticed any inversion yet.

That was my experience on multiple visits.

@Rodrigo Duterte can you elaborate on "If air quality is an issue, then take Boise off that list."?

Smog. People would never think it's there but it is. I read an article about it, forget where, but I'm sure Google will help.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I've been in Boise 3 years now and outside of the occasional smoke from fires, mostly coming from out west, I haven't had any issues with air quality. Most days are clear blue skies. Maybe it's because I'm from NY but I haven't even noticed any inversion yet.

That was my experience on multiple visits.

@Rodrigo Duterte can you elaborate on "If air quality is an issue, then take Boise off that list."?

Smog. People would never think it's there but it is. I read an article about it, forget where, but I'm sure Google will help.

If you have a link on the air quality being so bad as to take Boise off the list, that would be helpful. Thanks.

 

[jamny]

Huge fire in Oregon right on the Idaho border. Worst air quality since we moved here to Boise.

 

[SFBayDuck]

Huge fire in Oregon right on the Idaho border. Worst air quality since we moved here to Boise.

Yup, it's PurpleAir season already here in the PNW. Over 100 fires burning in Oregon right now, with 4 of them "megafires" (over 100K acres) including the Durkee and Cow Valley fires out near the Idaho border. At least Cow Valley is over 70% contained, but Durkee is still at 0%.

I'm supposed to go camping this weekend up near the McKenzie River, we'll see if that happens.

 

[Desert_Power]

The local towns of Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs are also good areas, but offer different takes on what some people are looking for in a community.

Actually been to Cary. Nice area, but for us it comes back to the heat/humidity in most NC areas that started this. Cary is also a bit more pricey than our current place.

Cary does have some pricey aspects I agree.

Apex & Holly Springs are not as ritzy as Cary but still offer good value.
Morrisville has a clear cultural migration distinction (not a bad thing but clearly different)
Housing is very dependent on the region. Cary is more upscale but I have been here long enough to be part of the growth

There are other regions outside Raleigh/Durham that are getting good talk:

• Zebulon / Knightdale (not Garner)
• Pittsboro in Chatham County is building a good business platform (EV sites)
• Mebane in Durham area
• Roxboro north of Durham

Good areas depending on what you are looking for ...

I would think both High Point and Greensboro are poised to continue growing as well. That Toyota battery site is going to be a big draw and I expect the Triangle and Triad to grow closer together.

 

[Birdie048]

The local towns of Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs are also good areas, but offer different takes on what some people are looking for in a community.

Actually been to Cary. Nice area, but for us it comes back to the heat/humidity in most NC areas that started this. Cary is also a bit more pricey than our current place.

Cary does have some pricey aspects I agree.

Apex & Holly Springs are not as ritzy as Cary but still offer good value.
Morrisville has a clear cultural migration distinction (not a bad thing but clearly different)
Housing is very dependent on the region. Cary is more upscale but I have been here long enough to be part of the growth

There are other regions outside Raleigh/Durham that are getting good talk:

• Zebulon / Knightdale (not Garner)
• Pittsboro in Chatham County is building a good business platform (EV sites)
• Mebane in Durham area
• Roxboro north of Durham

Good areas depending on what you are looking for ...

I would think both High Point and Greensboro are poised to continue growing as well. That Toyota battery site is going to be a big draw and I expect the Triangle and Triad to grow closer together.

I am in agreement with High Point and Jamestown areas. My In-Laws grew up /live there. Add Kernersville to that list (20 min West).
But Greensboro city area is not a friendly place. Street panhandlers, accident fraud issues daily, horrible congestion and debris on the streets.

The Liberty site for that massive Toyota EV plant will change that whole landscape from Sanford thru Greensboro (especially Siler City area) up Hwy 421.

 

[steelerfan1]

Huge fire in Oregon right on the Idaho border. Worst air quality since we moved here to Boise.

I see Jasper, Alberta Canada is getting it bad as well.

 

[steelerfan1]

The local towns of Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs are also good areas, but offer different takes on what some people are looking for in a community.

Actually been to Cary. Nice area, but for us it comes back to the heat/humidity in most NC areas that started this. Cary is also a bit more pricey than our current place.

Cary does have some pricey aspects I agree.

Apex & Holly Springs are not as ritzy as Cary but still offer good value.
Morrisville has a clear cultural migration distinction (not a bad thing but clearly different)
Housing is very dependent on the region. Cary is more upscale but I have been here long enough to be part of the growth

There are other regions outside Raleigh/Durham that are getting good talk:

• Zebulon / Knightdale (not Garner)
• Pittsboro in Chatham County is building a good business platform (EV sites)
• Mebane in Durham area
• Roxboro north of Durham

Good areas depending on what you are looking for ...

I would think both High Point and Greensboro are poised to continue growing as well. That Toyota battery site is going to be a big draw and I expect the Triangle and Triad to grow closer together.

I am in agreement with High Point and Jamestown areas. My In-Laws grew up /live there. Add Kernersville to that list (20 min West).
But Greensboro city area is not a friendly place. Street panhandlers, accident fraud issues daily, horrible congestion and debris on the streets.

The Liberty site for that massive Toyota EV plant will change that whole landscape from Sanford thru Greensboro (especially Siler City area) up Hwy 421.

I've been to Potent Potables in Jamestown a few times. seems like a nice little town...I agree, Greensboro isn't a great place.

 

[Osaurus]

Huge fire in Oregon right on the Idaho border. Worst air quality since we moved here to Boise.

I see Jasper, Alberta Canada is getting it bad as well.

Bummer. I love Jasper

 

[nirad3]

Huge fire in Oregon right on the Idaho border. Worst air quality since we moved here to Boise.

I see Jasper, Alberta Canada is getting it bad as well.

Bummer. I love Jasper

Fun fact: Jasper is the alias I use when using the self-order kiosk at Taco Bell.

 

[steelerfan1]

Huge fire in Oregon right on the Idaho border. Worst air quality since we moved here to Boise.

I see Jasper, Alberta Canada is getting it bad as well.

Bummer. I love Jasper

Yup, Jasper and Banff are about the only places I’ve been that I didn’t want to leave.

 

[Osaurus]

Huge fire in Oregon right on the Idaho border. Worst air quality since we moved here to Boise.

I see Jasper, Alberta Canada is getting it bad as well.

Bummer. I love Jasper

Yup, Jasper and Banff are about the only places I’ve been that I didn’t want to leave.

I like Jasper better than Banff

 

[waiver wire]

Huge fire in Oregon right on the Idaho border. Worst air quality since we moved here to Boise.

I see Jasper, Alberta Canada is getting it bad as well.

375 fires in BC right now , we average about 1600 a year

Huge fire in Oregon right on the Idaho border. Worst air quality since we moved here to Boise.

I see Jasper, Alberta Canada is getting it bad as well.

Bummer. I love Jasper

Yup, Jasper and Banff are about the only places I’ve been that I didn’t want to leave.

I like Jasper better than Banff

Banff is more beautiful and touristic while Jasper is smaller, less touristic and way more wildlife that come through the city

 

[Sand]

Why is alfalfa so thirsty, and why is it being grown in the US (?by Chinese) for export?

It just is thirsty - some plants are more water intensive than others. As to why it's being grown in arid areas - part of it is that it's close to livestock. But the export part of it is a kind of a WTF question.

 

[steelerfan1]

Huge fire in Oregon right on the Idaho border. Worst air quality since we moved here to Boise.

I see Jasper, Alberta Canada is getting it bad as well.

375 fires in BC right now , we average about 1600 a year

Huge fire in Oregon right on the Idaho border. Worst air quality since we moved here to Boise.

I see Jasper, Alberta Canada is getting it bad as well.

Bummer. I love Jasper

Yup, Jasper and Banff are about the only places I’ve been that I didn’t want to leave.

I like Jasper better than Banff

Banff is more beautiful and touristic while Jasper is smaller, less touristic and way more wildlife that come through the city

I think I feel the same. The night we got to Jasper we saw a huge elk just strolling down main st. Never knew they were that big. Was really hoping to see a grizzly, but it wasn’t meant to be. I think I could spend a week just driving ice fields parkway. Beautiful country. Very sad about all the wildfires. They had some going when we went as well.

 

[steelerfan1]

Why is alfalfa so thirsty, and why is it being grown in the US (?by Chinese) for export?

It just is thirsty - some plants are more water intensive than others. As to why it's being grown in arid areas - part of it is that it's close to livestock. But the export part of it is a kind of a WTF question.

Yes, this. And even to what Marco said earlier about towns/states telling citizens to conserve water while business just waste theirs to be able to get the same amount given….just have to hope that common sense will prevail eventually, but I’ll bite my tongue before I say more….

 

[Brunell4MVP]

As a fan on the Carolinas, I noticed Raleigh/Durham were in the Lowest Stress Ranked zone (151 & 163 out of 182 total).
Lived in North Delaware / South Philly for a few years and hated the chaos and traffic issues.
I visited Philly, Newark, NJ & NY often in 2015-2018 and it is was a complete nightmare driving for numerous reasons (Tolls, congestion, driver behavior).

Central North Carolina - Love it here. Major difference in the easier, calmer life compared to Northern Areas.
Cost of living is similar, and housing is reasonable IMO.
Music, Sports, Walking Trails, Greenways, Parks, recreational activities are plentiful.
My area: Town of Cary has been ranked as Top 10 numerous times in various publications for Safest Place, Best Place to Live, Top "Livable" City.
The local towns of Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs are also good areas, but offer different takes on what some people are looking for in a community.

That is a great area. Durham too UNC Chapel Hill area has a great vibe on Franklin St. Durham has good restaurants. Nice golf. And solid healthcare. Short trip to beaches or mountains. The idea to me is things to do so you don't get bored, yet a calmer more peaceful lifestyle. And Cary has that.

 

[NutterButter]

Huge fire in Oregon right on the Idaho border. Worst air quality since we moved here to Boise.

I see Jasper, Alberta Canada is getting it bad as well.

Bummer. I love Jasper

Yup, Jasper and Banff are about the only places I’ve been that I didn’t want to leave.

Did you do these as separate trips? Banff is on the shortlist but wasn't aware of Jasper until it was mentioned in this thread.

 

[jamny]

Yeah, we're planning a drive up to Glacier next year and heading north to Banff. Looks like I might have to consider Jasper too.

 

[steelerfan1]

Huge fire in Oregon right on the Idaho border. Worst air quality since we moved here to Boise.

I see Jasper, Alberta Canada is getting it bad as well.

Bummer. I love Jasper

Yup, Jasper and Banff are about the only places I’ve been that I didn’t want to leave.

Did you do these as separate trips? Banff is on the shortlist but wasn't aware of Jasper until it was mentioned in this thread.

Hi NB, we did it together on 1 trip. Split time equally. landed in Calgary, then went to Banff and took Icefields parkway (what a great drive!) to Jasper. Definitely recommend both. each have a different vibe.

 

[steelerfan1]

Yeah, we're planning a drive up to Glacier next year and heading north to Banff. Looks like I might have to consider Jasper too.

We had booked that same trip right before covid and sadly had to cancel. Our plan was Glacier then north to Waterton, which is right over the border and looks absolutely beautiful. (Tin Star TV show was filmed there) and keep heading north to Banff, then Jasper. Look into Waterton too as that is less than a 3 hour drive from Glacier and on your way to Banff anyway.

 

[NutterButter]

Yeah, we're planning a drive up to Glacier next year and heading north to Banff. Looks like I might have to consider Jasper too.

We had booked that same trip right before covid and sadly had to cancel. Our plan was Glacier then north to Waterton, which is right over the border and looks absolutely beautiful. (Tin Star TV show was filmed there) and keep heading north to Banff, then Jasper. Look into Waterton too as that is less than a 3 hour drive from Glacier and on your way to Banff anyway.

Wow, you added glacier as well; also on the short list. How much time did you spend each in glacier, banff and jasper? That's an epic trip.

 

[Desert_Power]

The local towns of Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs are also good areas, but offer different takes on what some people are looking for in a community.

Actually been to Cary. Nice area, but for us it comes back to the heat/humidity in most NC areas that started this. Cary is also a bit more pricey than our current place.

Cary does have some pricey aspects I agree.

Apex & Holly Springs are not as ritzy as Cary but still offer good value.
Morrisville has a clear cultural migration distinction (not a bad thing but clearly different)
Housing is very dependent on the region. Cary is more upscale but I have been here long enough to be part of the growth

There are other regions outside Raleigh/Durham that are getting good talk:

• Zebulon / Knightdale (not Garner)
• Pittsboro in Chatham County is building a good business platform (EV sites)
• Mebane in Durham area
• Roxboro north of Durham

Good areas depending on what you are looking for ...

I would think both High Point and Greensboro are poised to continue growing as well. That Toyota battery site is going to be a big draw and I expect the Triangle and Triad to grow closer together.

I am in agreement with High Point and Jamestown areas. My In-Laws grew up /live there. Add Kernersville to that list (20 min West).
But Greensboro city area is not a friendly place. Street panhandlers, accident fraud issues daily, horrible congestion and debris on the streets.

The Liberty site for that massive Toyota EV plant will change that whole landscape from Sanford thru Greensboro (especially Siler City area) up Hwy 421.

For sure. I’m mostly speaking from an investing lens. Could be a lot of high earners moving to those areas.

 

[steelerfan1]

Yeah, we're planning a drive up to Glacier next year and heading north to Banff. Looks like I might have to consider Jasper too.

We had booked that same trip right before covid and sadly had to cancel. Our plan was Glacier then north to Waterton, which is right over the border and looks absolutely beautiful. (Tin Star TV show was filmed there) and keep heading north to Banff, then Jasper. Look into Waterton too as that is less than a 3 hour drive from Glacier and on your way to Banff anyway.

Wow, you added glacier as well; also on the short list. How much time did you spend each in glacier, banff and jasper? That's an epic trip.

I apologize, I wasn't clear. We only went to Banff/Jasper in 2018. Right before covid we were planning another trip deciding between the PNW, traveling into British Columbia, or going to Glacier and heading back to see Banff/Jasper and then adding Waterton. We decided we wanted to see the area again, hopefully without the remnants of the smoke from some of the fires they had just had. So covid hit and we didn't get a chance to see Glacier or go back to my favorite place on Earth

 

[NutterButter]

Yeah, we're planning a drive up to Glacier next year and heading north to Banff. Looks like I might have to consider Jasper too.

We had booked that same trip right before covid and sadly had to cancel. Our plan was Glacier then north to Waterton, which is right over the border and looks absolutely beautiful. (Tin Star TV show was filmed there) and keep heading north to Banff, then Jasper. Look into Waterton too as that is less than a 3 hour drive from Glacier and on your way to Banff anyway.

Wow, you added glacier as well; also on the short list. How much time did you spend each in glacier, banff and jasper? That's an epic trip.

I apologize, I wasn't clear. We only went to Banff/Jasper in 2018. Right before covid we were planning another trip deciding between the PNW, traveling into British Columbia, or going to Glacier and heading back to see Banff/Jasper and then adding Waterton. We decided we wanted to see the area again, hopefully without the remnants of the smoke from some of the fires they had just had. So covid hit and we didn't get a chance to see Glacier or go back to my favorite place on Earth

Gotcha. Well now you at least planted the seed in my head that it makes sense to knock out all 3 in the same trip.

 

[steelerfan1]

Yeah, we're planning a drive up to Glacier next year and heading north to Banff. Looks like I might have to consider Jasper too.

We had booked that same trip right before covid and sadly had to cancel. Our plan was Glacier then north to Waterton, which is right over the border and looks absolutely beautiful. (Tin Star TV show was filmed there) and keep heading north to Banff, then Jasper. Look into Waterton too as that is less than a 3 hour drive from Glacier and on your way to Banff anyway.

Wow, you added glacier as well; also on the short list. How much time did you spend each in glacier, banff and jasper? That's an epic trip.

I apologize, I wasn't clear. We only went to Banff/Jasper in 2018. Right before covid we were planning another trip deciding between the PNW, traveling into British Columbia, or going to Glacier and heading back to see Banff/Jasper and then adding Waterton. We decided we wanted to see the area again, hopefully without the remnants of the smoke from some of the fires they had just had. So covid hit and we didn't get a chance to see Glacier or go back to my favorite place on Earth

Gotcha. Well now you at least planted the seed in my head that it makes sense to knock out all 3 in the same trip.

Check Prince of Wales hotel out in Waterton in your search as well. Location looks super nice.

 

[NutterButter]

Yeah, we're planning a drive up to Glacier next year and heading north to Banff. Looks like I might have to consider Jasper too.

We had booked that same trip right before covid and sadly had to cancel. Our plan was Glacier then north to Waterton, which is right over the border and looks absolutely beautiful. (Tin Star TV show was filmed there) and keep heading north to Banff, then Jasper. Look into Waterton too as that is less than a 3 hour drive from Glacier and on your way to Banff anyway.

Wow, you added glacier as well; also on the short list. How much time did you spend each in glacier, banff and jasper? That's an epic trip.

I apologize, I wasn't clear. We only went to Banff/Jasper in 2018. Right before covid we were planning another trip deciding between the PNW, traveling into British Columbia, or going to Glacier and heading back to see Banff/Jasper and then adding Waterton. We decided we wanted to see the area again, hopefully without the remnants of the smoke from some of the fires they had just had. So covid hit and we didn't get a chance to see Glacier or go back to my favorite place on Earth

Gotcha. Well now you at least planted the seed in my head that it makes sense to knock out all 3 in the same trip.

Check Prince of Wales hotel out in Waterton in your search as well. Location looks super nice.

Location is amazing which is obviously what you're paying for, but $500 is pretty steep for those accommodations. But that might also be the going rate for the limited options in that area. Too late to check out airbnb for this year and too early for next.

 

[steelerfan1]

Yeah, we're planning a drive up to Glacier next year and heading north to Banff. Looks like I might have to consider Jasper too.

We had booked that same trip right before covid and sadly had to cancel. Our plan was Glacier then north to Waterton, which is right over the border and looks absolutely beautiful. (Tin Star TV show was filmed there) and keep heading north to Banff, then Jasper. Look into Waterton too as that is less than a 3 hour drive from Glacier and on your way to Banff anyway.

Wow, you added glacier as well; also on the short list. How much time did you spend each in glacier, banff and jasper? That's an epic trip.

I apologize, I wasn't clear. We only went to Banff/Jasper in 2018. Right before covid we were planning another trip deciding between the PNW, traveling into British Columbia, or going to Glacier and heading back to see Banff/Jasper and then adding Waterton. We decided we wanted to see the area again, hopefully without the remnants of the smoke from some of the fires they had just had. So covid hit and we didn't get a chance to see Glacier or go back to my favorite place on Earth

Gotcha. Well now you at least planted the seed in my head that it makes sense to knock out all 3 in the same trip.

Check Prince of Wales hotel out in Waterton in your search as well. Location looks super nice.

Location is amazing which is obviously what you're paying for, but $500 is pretty steep for those accommodations. But that might also be the going rate for the limited options in that area. Too late to check out airbnb for this year and too early for next.

OUCH! shows you how long ago we were looking. can't remember what it was, but it wasn't that high. Might not want to look at the Fairfield Inn in Banff then lol. That was about 1k a night. Incredible place though. we went and ate at the restaurant for lunch one day to see the property. think we dropped $100 for a couple burgers and drinks...

 

[NutterButter]

Yeah, we're planning a drive up to Glacier next year and heading north to Banff. Looks like I might have to consider Jasper too.

We had booked that same trip right before covid and sadly had to cancel. Our plan was Glacier then north to Waterton, which is right over the border and looks absolutely beautiful. (Tin Star TV show was filmed there) and keep heading north to Banff, then Jasper. Look into Waterton too as that is less than a 3 hour drive from Glacier and on your way to Banff anyway.

Wow, you added glacier as well; also on the short list. How much time did you spend each in glacier, banff and jasper? That's an epic trip.

I apologize, I wasn't clear. We only went to Banff/Jasper in 2018. Right before covid we were planning another trip deciding between the PNW, traveling into British Columbia, or going to Glacier and heading back to see Banff/Jasper and then adding Waterton. We decided we wanted to see the area again, hopefully without the remnants of the smoke from some of the fires they had just had. So covid hit and we didn't get a chance to see Glacier or go back to my favorite place on Earth

Gotcha. Well now you at least planted the seed in my head that it makes sense to knock out all 3 in the same trip.

Check Prince of Wales hotel out in Waterton in your search as well. Location looks super nice.

Location is amazing which is obviously what you're paying for, but $500 is pretty steep for those accommodations. But that might also be the going rate for the limited options in that area. Too late to check out airbnb for this year and too early for next.

OUCH! shows you how long ago we were looking. can't remember what it was, but it wasn't that high. Might not want to look at the Fairfield Inn in Banff then lol. That was about 1k a night. Incredible place though. we went and ate at the restaurant for lunch one day to see the property. think we dropped $100 for a couple burgers and drinks...

Fairmont Springs in banff? Yeah, I won't be staying there. LOL. Looks like staying in Banff is out of the question. Even basic airbnbs there are that price. I think I'll be staying in Calgary and making the drive.

 

[steelerfan1]

Yeah, we're planning a drive up to Glacier next year and heading north to Banff. Looks like I might have to consider Jasper too.

We had booked that same trip right before covid and sadly had to cancel. Our plan was Glacier then north to Waterton, which is right over the border and looks absolutely beautiful. (Tin Star TV show was filmed there) and keep heading north to Banff, then Jasper. Look into Waterton too as that is less than a 3 hour drive from Glacier and on your way to Banff anyway.

Wow, you added glacier as well; also on the short list. How much time did you spend each in glacier, banff and jasper? That's an epic trip.

I apologize, I wasn't clear. We only went to Banff/Jasper in 2018. Right before covid we were planning another trip deciding between the PNW, traveling into British Columbia, or going to Glacier and heading back to see Banff/Jasper and then adding Waterton. We decided we wanted to see the area again, hopefully without the remnants of the smoke from some of the fires they had just had. So covid hit and we didn't get a chance to see Glacier or go back to my favorite place on Earth

Gotcha. Well now you at least planted the seed in my head that it makes sense to knock out all 3 in the same trip.

Check Prince of Wales hotel out in Waterton in your search as well. Location looks super nice.

Location is amazing which is obviously what you're paying for, but $500 is pretty steep for those accommodations. But that might also be the going rate for the limited options in that area. Too late to check out airbnb for this year and too early for next.

OUCH! shows you how long ago we were looking. can't remember what it was, but it wasn't that high. Might not want to look at the Fairfield Inn in Banff then lol. That was about 1k a night. Incredible place though. we went and ate at the restaurant for lunch one day to see the property. think we dropped $100 for a couple burgers and drinks...

Fairmont Springs in banff? Yeah, I won't be staying there. LOL. Looks like staying in Banff is out of the question. Even basic airbnbs there are that price. I think I'll be staying in Calgary and making the drive.

That's just stupid. Hotel we stayed at back then was $300 per night. Not sure what the rates would be, but maybe split the difference and look in the Canmore area?

 

[jamny]

Speaking of Jasper.

Famous Rockies resort of Jasper on fire as thousands flee​

 

[SFBayDuck]

Speaking of Jasper.

Famous Rockies resort of Jasper on fire as thousands flee​

Was just on a work Zoom this morning with someone who isn't far from there, pretty devastating.

 

[waiver wire]

Speaking of Jasper.

Famous Rockies resort of Jasper on fire as thousands flee​

Was just on a work Zoom this morning with someone who isn't far from there, pretty devastating.

from the early videos and reports , it seems Jasper is almost completely gone. I hope its not that bad