Posted: 8/9/2007 10:50:02 PM EDT
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Just got back from a two week cross country drive averging 700 -900 miles a day. Part of the trip was to look for areas to build a vacation/retirement home. Nevada and Arizon...we've all been there. I do like the flagstaff area though. I enjoyed the scenery of Utah a lot. I was also very suprised to see that Utah doesnt have much of an illegal immigration problem. There were actually people who spoke english working in the hotels and restaurants. Clean rest areas. Southern Wyoming was nice. Nebraska is mind numbingly boring. did stop at the Cabelas store in sydney. its smaller than the one in Michigan. State fair and a baseball tournement were going on which made it hard to find decent hotels that were not sold out. The east side of the state has some potential. Colorado might as well be California. Especially Denver and anything off the 70 or 76. Denver has their own city assault weapons ban and you cant possess an AW in the city limits.  Illinois, Ugh! The entire county that Chicago is in prohibits assault weapons and high capacity magazines. FOID. Don't speed there, especially if you have out of state plates. I refused to even stop for food or gas in that state. Not going to spend my money there. Michigan was really hot and humid. My allegies were very bad there. Lots of crops are dead as well as most homeowners lawns. A non resident may not bring a handgun into Michigan unless he has a CCW permit or is a police officer. Any firearm under 30" long, like a folding stock AK or M1 Carbine, or a pistol grip shotgun is a "handgun" under state law. Leave those home if you are travelling to Michigan. Nice Cabelas store in Dundee and plans to build another in Grand Rapids. The roads are terrible. The economy is terrible. Crime is really bad. Big unions (D) dominate the politics. But you can buy a nice house for about $114K that would sell for $750k in So Cal. I bought a one year membership to a target range for $10.00  Had the place to myself for two days in a row. Going to look into Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Wyoming more. Illinois, Michigan and Colorado have definately been ruled out. |
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Although the Cason city /Reno areas are growing up like CA I think that is a nice area. I went shooting there last year and the SWAT guys gave us a towel to lay on for shooting prone. The SWAT guys were shooting balloons towed by a remote controlled car after running a mile in all the gear. I hear the NHP gives out tickets for speeding so pay attention to speed and I think you would be ok. I noticed they dont seem to be going after pot smokers like they did in the past so Im guessing the folks from CA are changing things in that state. I just hope they dont mess it up like this state.  If you guys are looking for a place to shoot in the Carson area there is a county run range at the landfill but remember to bring your paperwork for your FA stuff..at least that is what the sign says.  Also no tracers at that range.
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Thanks for the AAR AR15Fan. Scouting possible vacation/retirement area. I have bumped into out of state people that have moved here due to military or job reasons that dislike California. I just tell them California is not for everyone. But we do have good cheese, excellent wines, nice coastal beaches, and very cheap labor. I do get a chuckle on the cheap labor part. I've looked into Nevada, Arizona, and Texas for possible future move. All three shows promise in my book. |
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My folks spent 1.5 years full-timing in their 5th wheel doing what you did in 2 weeks.... They started in New England, dad retired from job in Mass, and came west spending several months in spots they liked - Flagstaff & Sedona were some of those stops. Both parents are native Texans and lived there until their mid-30s when we moved to CA. Folks lived in CA for ~20 years before moving to the Boston area. They ended up settling in Vancouver, Wa - just across the river from Portland, Or. One of the big pluses with Washington is no state income tax but look carefully at what they define as income.... Brian |
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My second home is in Bullhead City, AZ. River, Lake, Laughlin, endless off-roading trails, shooting. Area is still somewhat conservative. A lot of nice retirement housing developments have gone in. Only downside is the heat, wind, and white trash. I.D. card, 4473, and instant check to buy a firearm (instant check waived if you have your CCW). 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hour drive from O.C. About 1 1/2 hours to Vegas or 1 hour to Lake Havasu (better gun shops). I think Kingman is also a decent area. 10 to 15 degrees cooler than BHC. I'll probably just keep both houses after I retire. Can't beat the So. Cal weather. Hopefully all the illegals & transplants from CA into the Phoenix area don't ruin the rest of the state.
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