Mr Burns has the answer! Look at the smile on the kids face. That there is priceless!

My wife and I are emptyish nesters. Both in our early 50's. I grew up in the midwest hence MW185. I do really love the time in the back country but as I age and see all the the curves life can throw at you its dawned on me that wherever you feel you can feel can call home is the place to be. It may be NYC, it may be MCI, it may be ANC. Each and every place has certain advantages and adventures. As pilots we have the luxury of being able to explore the unique niches that those of us on this forum share. I'm grateful for that opportunity.

I'm grateful for what I have and where I am.

MW.

I agree, there's god points (and bad) about living anywhere.
I believe that we all "have the choice" to live wherever we want.
Choice of locale can be a trade off between quality of life & what you earn / what you do for a living.
When I was 35, I moved from the South Bay area of Los Angeles to rural western Washington.
Much fewer job oportunities here (I worked in commercial building construction),
but with that came what I consider to be a much higher quality of life.

You’re in God’s country for sure. We have close friends in Hamilton and they say the same thing you do.

Shearer! Way better than most anything in the Frank

DBI wrote:This is a great thread to keep going. I faced this question about 10 years ago as I approached that age where I wanted to be somewhere that was not solely driven by my employment. I chose the Bitterroot Valley in Montana. I moved here knowing nobody about 9 years ago. It has been nothing short of fantastic. Mild winters, great flying community and incredible and nearly direct access to the Frank Church and Sellway Wilderness areas w/ all the associated airstrips! No regrets!

JamieG wrote:NZ!! Beautiful Mountains, lakes, rivers, beaches. Temperate climate and Covid free. Jump in your plane and come on down.

fyi - before you consider NZ, keep in mind they just elected a hard left government. Some might like that sort of thing, others may not.

C180_guy wrote:

JamieG wrote:NZ!! Beautiful Mountains, lakes, rivers, beaches. Temperate climate and Covid free. Jump in your plane and come on down.

fyi - before you consider NZ, keep in mind they just elected a hard left government. Some might like that sort of thing, others may not.

Don't worry, most of us on this forum wouldn't pass muster on the NZ "Good Character" requirements to get a long term visa, much less the cash outlay required...

Idaho. Trees, mountains, backcountry strips, residential air parks, beautiful lakes, three seasons, great winter snowmobiling, tax levels I can accept, and a trifecta conservative state.

Having lived in many different places in the world, my dream was to end up in Alaska in some remote location. Unfortunately life and it's accompanying roadblocks have a way of diverting a person to other locations. When I left Northern MN for the military in the 70's, I told myself I wasn't going to be back. Well, I ended up back here and while I can think of better places to live, I have nearly fulfilled my dream of having my own airplane, on my own strip with a hangar, living in a log house that I built in the wilderness. It's taken me many years of hard work and a DIY attitude to accomplish, but I now feel like I am in paradise. Deer, Bear, Wolves, and a plethora of small game in the area.

Sure, it get's colder than heck in mid winter, but I can always visit the kids in AZ during that time.

I can fly at a moments notice if I want, or just take a walk through the woods to spy on critters. It's my own hunter's/outdoorsman's dream.

Having lived in many different places in the world, my dream was to end up in Alaska in some remote location. Unfortunately life and it's accompanying roadblocks have a way of diverting a person to other locations. When I left Northern MN for the military in the 70's, I told myself I wasn't going to be back. Well, I ended up back here and while I can think of better places to live, I have nearly fulfilled my dream of having my own airplane, on my own strip with a hangar, living in a log house that I built in the wilderness. It's taken me many years of hard work and a DIY attitude to accomplish, but I now feel like I am in paradise. Deer, Bear, Wolves, and a plethora of small game in the area.

Sure, it get's colder than heck in mid winter, but I can always visit the kids in AZ during that time.

I can fly at a moments notice if I want, or just take a walk through the woods to spy on critters. It's my own hunter's/outdoorsman's dream.

I just bought a cheap game camera, set it up on my bike trail about 1/8 mile from the house. The next day, saw a good sized cougar pic on it, and according to the time stamp, just 10 minutes after me and my 10 pound dog were there. Makes you think.....but I still like it here.

Pinecone wrote:Idaho. Trees, mountains, backcountry strips, residential air parks, beautiful lakes, three seasons, great winter snowmobiling, tax levels I can accept, and a trifecta conservative state.

"Three seasons"?
Which season don't you get there?

[quote="courierguy"]I just bought a cheap game camera, set it up on my bike trail about 1/8 mile from the house. The next day, saw a good sized cougar pic on it, and according to the time stamp, just 10 minutes after me and my 10 pound dog were there. Makes you think.....but I still like it here. [/quote

We are suppose to have the highest population of large cats in North America in my area I have many video and photos of them from game trails on my land and for some reason I still feel safer walking the bush here than walking or driving in any city at night.

hotrod180 wrote:

Pinecone wrote:Idaho. Trees, mountains, backcountry strips, residential air parks, beautiful lakes, three seasons, great winter snowmobiling, tax levels I can accept, and a trifecta conservative state.

"Three seasons"?
Which season don't you get there?

Correct to four, or pick one you don’t like and pretend it never happens.

Trifecta=three? Dangled if I know where three seasons came from!