If not here, then where?

[sobo]

I considered Grangeville some years ago. Looks like a nice place to live. The remoteness was an attraction then. Out of the question for me now. Here's a video you might enjoy. It's not nearly as negative as the title implies.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpzLLoLQ2MI

Thanks for the excellent vid, CD! And I am on board with Earl all the way!

1. SHOPPING: Totally agree that we cold live with only 2 grocery stores and a monthly trip to Lewiston/Clarkston for the bigger store stuff. Not an issue...
2. WEATHER: A large part of the reason I want to move to north central Idaho is exactly that - four REAL seasons to enjoy! And we LOVE their winters!
3. HEALTHCARE: Both me and the GF/fiancé are quite healthy (most recently me). And, she has 30+ years as an ARNP, so I have my own live-in doctor!
4. JOB OPPORTUNITIES: Both the fiancé and I are retiring in less than a year, and we're financially well-set, so job opportunities are not a factor us. Plus, I'll be doing an expert witness gig for which all I need is an internet connection. Any trial testimony is done with fully paid airfare, lodging, meals, and transportation. I can drive to Lewiston to fly to Seattle (or anywhere else) to testify when need be. And did I mention my fiancé is an ARNP? Quite a bit of need for someone that knows healthcare in and out and can write prescriptions without needing a doctor to "cosign" them...
5. ISOLATION: The other large part of why we're moving to north central Idaho! And I can have my own personal gun range, like @2Wheels4Ever!
6. COMMUNITY: I'm not in need of one, but the fiancé says she'd like to have access to a nice one. So that works for both of us.

Regarding the questions in the middle of the vid:
Where are you moving from? (eastern) Washington.
The reason you're moving? POLITICS!

Earl got me 2 for 2 on that one!

 

[josiahve]

Im a huge fan of Northern Idaho and Western Montana. Id move there if i could.

 

[Idaho44]

Just announced today! Courtesy of donny and petey, Qatar gets their own airbase at Mountain Home, Idaho (40 miles east of Boise) for training (?) purposes! Say what!
Guess that's another vulnerability to add to the list for the potential security issues of the Dams! There goes the 'loveliness"!

 

[echo1]

I like Idaho. My first visit was in '85 to my buddy's place in Rathdrum, north of CDA, and have visited yearly ever since, Was just there for his grandson's wedding last month. My boy gave the ceremony. and has lived in that part of the country for years until falling in love and moving to Portland. For the last 6 years I had an ag gig in Pingree, near Blackfoot, explored from Yellowstone to Twin Falls. If you're retired there's a lot to do, if you're outdoorsy. PAX

 

[ma96782]

Admittedly......the PNW is a beautiful place except that the politicians have done a lot to screw it up.

View: https://youtu.be/FJCZbXqbkBc?si=Vhtb0BR6xSJaDB1B


Or maybe perhaps.......take more vacations?

Aloha, Mark

 

[MichaelH]

If I could afford to live in Coastal CA I'd happily surrender every + 10 magazine I have and sell all my ARs.

 

[Cavedweller]

Thanks for the excellent vid, CD! And I am on board with Earl all the way!

You're welcome. The only negative I see, and this is after purchasing a rural property here in OR years ago, is the stated need for tradesmen. It helps if one is a handy jack-of-all-trades type who can do his/her own home repairs and such. You can't always get an electrician, plumber, carpenter or appliance repairman to come out at the drop of a hat. It can be hard finding help. Perhaps not an issue if you buy new construction. For sure make any purchase contingent on passage of a thorough home inspection.

 

[Tlock]

You're welcome. The only negative I see, and this is after purchasing a rural property here in OR years ago, is the stated need for tradesmen. It helps if one is a handy jack-of-all-trades type who can do his/her own home repairs and such. You can't always get an electrician, plumber, or carpenter to come out at the drop of a hat. It can be hard finding help. Perhaps not an issue if you buy new construction. For sure make any purchase contingent on passage of a thorough home inspection.

What do you know about homes? You live in a cave!!!

 

[Cavedweller]

What do you know about homes? You live in a cave!!!

Touche.

 

[Cavedweller]

You live in a cave!!!

Did I mention stone masons?

 

[WillametteWill]

Did I mention stone masons?

Well played sir

 

[isaac6585]

Recently in the M114 thread I mentioned that I have some co-workers looking to leave Oregon because of M114. Some other users replied saying they're leaving, others replied saying they'd leave if they could. My wife and I have tossed around the idea of leaving but its hard when most of our family is located in the PNW. Many different places have come to mind - Alaska, Utah, Wyoming, Iowa, Texas, Missouri, and Idaho. However, all those places have some sort of downside that makes us unsure if they're the right choice for us. So I'm curious.. for those who are leaving or wish they could leave - where will/would you be going? Why there?

oregon man. theres city country in between and non fluoridated water.

 

[Hotdog 7]

My family and I are on the return from a few days in Salt Lake City. It was my first time ever visiting Utah (besides layovers in the airport) and I have to say that it seems like a great place. The first thing I noticed is the apparent lack of traffic. We drove all through the SLC area at all hours of the day for several days and never encountered excessive traffic. I'm no expert in roadway design but it appears that the roadways were intentionally designed in a way that would allow for expansion as the population grew (as opposed to something like I-84 through Portland where there is no room to expand despite it being way over capacity). The next thing I noticed was that SLC seemed very clean and there was a visible lack of homeless individuals. We spent a few hours walking through Liberty Park and it wasn't filled with needles and tents. During the trip I repeatedly commented to my wife on the lack of needles, tents, and visible drug use in SLC. Next, I was surprised by the number of police officers in SLC proper; this probably ties into part of the why for the previous point. I felt like there was a cop on every city block. Within our first 45 minutes driving around the city I counted 15 different cop cars (city police, transit police, and county sheriff). Throughout the trip I continued to spot cops everywhere I looked, the only exception being when we drove out to see the salt flats. It felt like the polar opposite of Oregon where I'll drive to Portland on a day trip and on my ~400 mile round-trip journey I might be lucky to spot 2 cops during the day. We also found a bunch of great local restaurants and everyone we met was very nice. Being from Oregon I thought I knew mountains - I was wrong. Utah has incredible mountain views!

All in all it was a great trip. Utah has shot to #1 on our list of places to move. Unfortunately it has gotten really pricey there the last couple of years (they seem to be experiencing a population boom since COVID) and we'd probably have to downsize to afford it. Instead of a single-family home with a quarter acre lot, we'd be in a townhome with a backyard maybe the size of our guest bedroom. If you have never been to Utah, I highly recommend visiting because it seems like a great place. We intend to visit again in the future and see if it still has the same draw that it has for us right now.

 

[Ura-Ki]

My family and I are on the return from a few days in Salt Lake City. It was my first time ever visiting Utah (besides layovers in the airport) and I have to say that it seems like a great place. The first thing I noticed is the apparent lack of traffic. We drove all through the SLC area at all hours of the day for several days and never encountered excessive traffic. I'm no expert in roadway design but it appears that the roadways were intentionally designed in a way that would allow for expansion as the population grew (as opposed to something like I-84 through Portland where there is no room to expand despite it being way over capacity). The next thing I noticed was that SLC seemed very clean and there was a visible lack of homeless individuals. We spent a few hours walking through Liberty Park and it wasn't filled with needles and tents. During the trip I repeatedly commented to my wife on the lack of needles, tents, and visible drug use in SLC. Next, I was surprised by the number of police officers in SLC proper; this probably ties into part of the why for the previous point. I felt like there was a cop on every city block. Within our first 45 minutes driving around the city I counted 15 different cop cars (city police, transit police, and county sheriff). Throughout the trip I continued to spot cops everywhere I looked, the only exception being when we drove out to see the salt flats. It felt like the polar opposite of Oregon where I'll drive to Portland on a day trip and on my ~400 mile round-trip journey I might be lucky to spot 2 cops during the day. We also found a bunch of great local restaurants and everyone we met was very nice. Being from Oregon I thought I knew mountains - I was wrong. Utah has incredible mountain views!

All in all it was a great trip. Utah has shot to #1 on our list of places to move. Unfortunately it has gotten really pricey their the last couple of years (they seem to be experiencing a population boom since COVID) and we'd probably have to downsize to afford it. Instead of a single-family home with a quarter acre lot, we'd be in a townhome with a backyard maybe the size of our guest bedroom. If you have never been to Utah, I highly recommend visiting because it seems like a great place. We intend to visit again in the future and see if it still has the same draw that it has for us right now.

Next time, drive south to Spanish Forks, or further down toward Cedar City, lots of way more affordable property/homes down in the southern parts, even around St.George it's really nice!