I totally agree. Some people cant’ wait to retire and get to Florida. As I’ve gotten older, the heat and humidity bother me more than they used to. I can do “dry heat” better than Florida heat, but when it’s 100 degrees, it’s still HOT.
My husband says he wouldn’t mind if he never saw another snowflake, but he doesn’t like the high heat and humidity either.
San Diego really does have about perfect weather, but it has its own set of issues.
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Then there’s folks like us who want to follow the weather. My comfort zone is 50-80. H’s is 60-90. Both of us need greenery rather than desert scenery, so much of the west is out. We visit it, then love returning back to our natural outdoor green carpet.
In our ideal world when the last leaf falls, we head south. As the flowers emerge, we head north. We like spring and fall here in PA. Summer would be ideal in the Canadian Maritimes. Winter in the Caribbean.
We used to spend Feb in FL (lived there entirely for 5 years of our lives with all of my kids being FL natives), but now FL doesn’t appeal at all for other reasons.
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Decades ago my great-uncle, who had relocated to FL after living in Queens/NYC and LongIsland/NY lamented, “we have two seasons, green grass and brown grass”.
Yea, it is much drier in the west. When we visit family back east, we often comment about the dense greenery. I’ve been know to say, “did the NY Thruway always look this green? I did not appreciate it back then.” |
Having said that, my part of CO is not too bad. I snapped this sunset photo during a backyard dinner this evening (though in honestly we rarely capture a perfect moment like that, perfect temp & no insects & pretty sky) …
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That is one amazing sagaro bloom. Cholla as well. This spring? Superstitions in the distance? My famly lived in Mesa for a long while so I knew that part of the valley well. But not so much the newer developements.
@Jolynne_Smyth - Look at Whitefish, Montana. Base of Glacier National
Park, great town with nice independent stores and restaurants, easy access to Kalispell (with lots of chain stores), nice people and still not crazy expensive like Sun Valley or Jackson. Well known theater group in neighboring Big Fork. Ski area right there too.
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I’d want a home base where the temp ranges from 50-85 and there’s little humidity. Where is that?
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Coastal southern California.
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Plenty of islands with the temperature range, but the humidity is a problem. I suspect anywhere Big Water affects temperature there will be higher humidity. The desert areas (like much of CA) will probably have less, but then you’re living in the desert and there are water issues to be considered (lack of water issues for so many people).
Not Mesa, but yes to Superstitions. The cactus pics were taken last spring in our front yard. We have lovely ocotillo, hibiscus, lemon, and orange trees as well. When they are all in bloom, the colors and aromas are breathtaking.
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What cactus is that last photo? The short, multi stemmed one. It is gorgeous!
@coffeeat3 - thanks!! Whitefish looks beautiful w/the mountains, nature!
It’s a type of Argentine giant cactus. Each bloom lasts only 24 hours, but the plant flowers multiple times. Different plants produce different colors. The brilliant red ones are stunning.
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We are concerned about finances and family/friends and access to medical care and airport. But ignoring all those factors, I think we might like to live in… not sure. Hubby really liked Portugal when he took a trip there with his brother. After Covid I’ll need to visit too 
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We just returned from Portugal and really enjoyed the trip…so many interesting cities to visit and we also loved the desserts, food and wine!!
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Portugal is the easiest EU country to get into. It has crossed my mind more than once. I feel like the last several years, for many reasons, have made me think that having a second passport would not be a bad idea.
I think that feeling is universal across the political spectrum. I get almost daily emails from a company with the opposite take from mine, but their end analysis is the same as mine - it wouldn’t be the worst thing to have an escape route.
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In the event an escape route is needed, our plan is to be on an Island most people can’t find on a map - hence - contemplating various Caribbean islands. This coming Feb we’re trying one more people can find due to Covid, but other trips…
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For us the biggest “holdback” would not be financial or family/friends but religion. Not that we are religious but we are Jewish and most European cities would be a no go. Yes those cities have Jews but We have clients there who are Jewish and we regularly hear about the anti Semitism they face. And these are very wealthy people with many resources. But their names can’t appear on ownership documents. They are excluded from some clubs and groups. Hard no from us even though many of those places would otherwise be “dream” locales.
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One other thing to keep in mind, especially as we age is medical care and possibly needing more of it as bodies misbehave.
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