I'm scoping out possible retirement locations - but perhaps with a move ahead of actual retirement.

I'm looking at spending 3-4 weeks at a location or two this year.

Criteria:
1) Clearly free state: not wishy washy on this.
2) No pervasive mosquito problem - hate them.
3) Cold and a little snow okay. No snow where I have to shovel the driveway or may get snowed in. Need to always be able to drive anywhere.
4) No drought issues - decent water supply
5) Nearby places to enjoy easy hikes, kayaks, biking
6) 1 hop to international airport (SFO, PDX, SEA)

I have no clue but here's some places (+50 miles radius) that are on the list pending further info:
1) Coeur d'Alene but sounds like a lot of snow.
2) Twin Falls, ID
3) Provo, UT
4) St. George, UT

UT keeps coming up but not sure which corner is ideal - AZ, ID/WY or CO (probably keep close to one of the interstates).

Any suggestions where I should vacation first?

Of those on your list, St. George is tops for what you're looking for in my opinion, but you better like the heat and there's a serious housing shortage. Anywhere north of there in Utah you're going to be shoveling and driving in snow.

https://www.deseret.com/utah/2...id19-pandemic-growth

Provo looks like it's not what you want. 43 inches per year pretty much says you'll be shoveling.

OTOH, it is a great place. I won my first regional tennis meet there.

https://www.bestplaces.net/climate/city/utah/provo

Climate in Provo, Utah
Provo, Utah gets 18 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Provo averages 43 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 222 sunny days per year in Provo. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Provo gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 90 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Twin falls doesn't look too good for snowfall either.

https://www.google.com/search?...ceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Twin Falls, Idaho gets 10 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Twin Falls averages 18 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 210 sunny days per year in Twin Falls. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Twin Falls gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 79 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

There are some nice places in Northeast Nevada, on the eastern edge of the Sierra, not far from Reno.

You guys are who got me out of California and to St. George. BUT it is full now, stay away.

Like was mentioned above, shortage of housing and it gets hot. I had a fear that when I retired and moved here I would get bored and want to go back to work. Hasn't and isn't going to happen.

Only a few things lacking here. Limited restaurant choices and no Trader Joe's. Other than that we love it here. Easy 2 hour drive to Las Vegas.

quote:

Originally posted by cne32507:
There are some nice places in Northeast Nevada, on the eastern edge of the Sierra, not far from Reno.

Since you're saying not far from Reno, I assume you meant Northwestern Nevada?

And some of those places are Gardnerville and Minden and a couple of others as well as Carson City.

However, they do get some snow each year, sometimes a lot.

Phuket, Thailand - your dollar will go further.

Or Moscow, ID. LOL

quote:

Originally posted by TomV:
Only a few things lacking here. Limited restaurant choices and no Trader Joe's. Other than that we love it here. Easy 2 hour drive to Las Vegas.

Our local Trader Joe's has kind of gone downhill. Even their Tri Tips no longer taste great.

Oh, and if you're going from St. George to Lost Wages, be aware that 15 miles or so of Arizona you go through is patrolled by the brother of a friend of mine, and he's bored because he drives 15 miles to the Nevada State line, turns around and drives 15 miles to the Utah State Line all day 5 days a week and is looking to write tickets.

Have a friend who used to live in Twin Falls (I've been there). Not for the snow-sensitive. Everybody basically owned at least 2 cars- one for normal driving, and a junker for bashing around in the snow. Otherwise he liked it.

How should I view open borders? For example, would illegal encroachment really be more of a concern for Page, AZ than for Provo, UT? Or do illegals tend to head to CA or TX once across? Where do they tend to congregate?

I also need to look into tax implications (state, sales, property, etc). I should probably hire someone to help me wade through this complexity. But don't know where to even start. Don't know who to trust.

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
Have a friend who used to live in Twin Falls (I've been there). Not for the snow-sensitive. Everybody basically owned at least 2 cars- one for normal driving, and a junker for bashing around in the snow. Otherwise he liked it.

My concern is not so much me and junkers. That's viable. My concern is mostly about my wife's safety - she's minimally safe in good conditions.

I only gave that as an example of how extreme the winters are there. Yes, your's wife's safety should be your primary concern.

quote:

Originally posted by konata88:
How should I view open borders? For example, would illegal encroachment really be more of a concern for Page, AZ than for Provo, UT? Or do illegals tend to head to CA or TX once across? Where do they tend to congregate?

I also need to look into tax implications (state, sales, property, etc). I should probably hire someone to help me wade through this complexity. But don't know where to even start. Don't know who to trust.

There's a ton of illegals in Alaska, so they go all over the place.

And as far as taxes, a lot of States brag about how they don't have income tax, but their property tax is two or three times as much as some states that do have income tax. It varies all over the place.

I'd suggest N Georgia, East Tennessee, Western North Carolina. Up in the mountains the mosquitoes aren't really a problem and you won't be anywhere near as cold and snowy as Utah.

quote:

Originally posted by YellowJacket:
I'd suggest N Georgia, East Tennessee, Western North Carolina. Up in the mountains the mosquitoes aren't really a problem and you won't be anywhere near as cold and snowy as Utah.

Thanks. I'll add N GA and E TN to the list to be checked out. East coast makes it a little more challenging maybe for 1 hop to key Pacific airports. I have favorable impressions of both GA and TN. NC is iffy - I have some relatives there that I don't care for. So, that makes me wary of NC.

My late sister several times took her company staff on a weekend to Grants Pass, OR. I was able to tag along on one of these trips. Certainly seemed like a nice place to spend a little more time. However, on re-reading the OP, it appears that requirement #1 may not be met.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
My late sister several times took her company staff on a weekend to Grants Pass, OR. I was able to tag along on one of these trips. Certainly seemed like a nice place to spend a little more time. However, on re-reading the OP, it appears that requirement #1 may not be met.

Oregon is a beautiful state, but it's run by GDC's.

Any thoughts on Sand Hollow near St. George? Looks nice near water, houses not too close together, .... Suburban yet near metro.

quote:

I'll add N GA and E TN to the list to be checked out.

I've been in my current location for 11 years now. With my own retirement in the not-too-distant future, I plan on sticking around. Low taxes, low cost of living, scenery, four distinct season weather, no GDCs.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:

I've been in my current location for 11 years now. With my own retirement in the not-too-distant future, I plan on sticking around. Low taxes, low cost of living, scenery, four distinct season weather, no GDCs.

East TN is on my list as well. Is there a Costco in your area egregore?