Sabbatical Of Sorts

[doctor712]

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Hi Gang

Quick question, anyone here intimately familiar with

1) Seattle, mostly its suburb of Bellevue?
2) Eden Prairie, MN (burb of Minneapolis, not too far)?
3) Fort Collins, CO?

If so, I'd love to hear from you. Either PM or here would be great actually. It seems I am about to embark on a year-long writing job, and I'll be able to do it from anywhere. But let's not get distracted, I'm not going to whisk the kids off for a year in the South of France or Tahiti. Though that does sound nice. Anyway, I'm kind of really really really really really tired of where I live (which is strange because it's a vacation destination in and of itself, but day-to-day, I'm not really enjoying it - at all). So, I'm searching for a place to save some bread (translation: house rental for low rent) while we live there (NYC is out, I already pay a stupid monthly nut where I am), that is CLOSE TO NATURE. And not somewhere I've been.

I have already asked a Doc on this board about his own hometown, he's not shy because he posts it on his Avatar (PeriopDoc), so, am just exploring options...

What are needed, and the following places seem to rank highly...

1) Excellent schools (I have 2 school-aged boys)
2) Low cost of living.
3) There has to be A,AA,AAA youth hockey within 30 mins as I have a little John Tavares at home in the making. (I use his name because if you know him you know hockey, everyone knows Gretzky...)
4) Land. I don't want to rent something where I can look into the neighbor's window and see them sticking knotting up their Prince Albert's and tonsils..
Doesn't need to be 10 acres, but 1/2 an acre or 1 acre sound nice.
5) Safe
6) A certain community feeling. I don't have a Glock, yet, but I'm not keen on the idea of living in the middle of NOWHERE just yet. I would rather the kids have a community where they can come home and ride their bikes to their friends in the same community rather than be dropped off in the middle of, literally, nowhere. Think Goonies. Only, the house isn't getting repossessed and I don't like Rocky Road.
7) Shopping. I love Whole Foods just like the next person. I've been to their website and they have em in Bellevue and Fort Collins, MN too I think. But also, and this is how I phrased it to PeriopDoc, if your favorite movie theater doesn't have a good movie time, could you goto another nearby theater, or is the next theater 45 minutes away? The usual, Dicks or Sport Chalet nearby?
8) Culture. It's DEVOID down here.
9) Selections of food and restaurants. It's not lacking in the big city down where I am, but I'm 40 minutes from that city. So, there is one decent sushi place in town. When it's closed and I'm craving sushi, I'm SOL.
10) I once visited a friend of mine, an anesthesiologist in Columbia, SC. It seemed to have what we like in all of the above. Small-ish feel, but good food and stores were plentiful. I am not really, per se, looking for Mellencamp's Small Town, but am not looking for a big city either. The thing is, beyond Wiki, I don't know bupkis about Fort Collins or Eden Prairie. I do know that Eden Prarie, I think is the home to USA Hockey and that is a big bonus (not to mention a real hockey hot bed as it is). CO too. All I know about Bellevue is that if WWIII ever came about I would be vaporized in a millisecond. And that's according to Dr. Hume in War Games, so, ya know. I don't know anything about it.
11) Sports wouldn't hurt in general, AHL, NHL, not deal breakers, we have the Hockey Package, and playing is more important than going to a game for my guys.
12) I'm Jewish. Just saying. I don't expect good bagels, but WHY NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I also would like to NOT live in the hotbed of anti-Jewish hatred. Which leaves out much of the US, I know. And the world lately, eh. What I'm saying is, I don't necessarily need to be the ONLY Jewish person in town...I've done that. Not too fun.
13) Out West. The next stop on my sojourn will exceedingly likely be LA. After the year. Unless I go movies FT, but I don't think that's going to happen. So, I don't wanna move to Vermont en route to LA. If LA is 2014, then I'd like to at least get 1/2 way, or more, to it.
14) Weather. I really don't care. I've done snow, I've done smog, I've done 100 degrees from June to September.
15) I love mountains. I feel safer there. What with the coming end of the world, I figure the aliens will find my mountain enclave last.
16) Skiing. Never been on skis in my life. Still. I know. Sorry Sevo. I know, shame on me. All the more reason to live close to this sort of place...
17) Did I mention good bagels? Oh, never mind, useless. And bialys, man, OUT OF THE QUESTION. Although, there is a company selling frozen bialys now at Publix. Nuke em for 15 secs then toast and they are actually, not bad. When I'm in NY, I literally hit up 5 bagel and bialy places only for the road. NYC (Kossars Bialys, H&H Bagels), Queens, Long Island. Gotta do it.
18) Grass. Well, not the kind of hydroponic stuff that JPP writes about. But the grass down here, it's not fun. Again, not the hydroponic stuff. You are always just worried about the damn fire ants etc. It's not fun to have a picnic or throw a football, you are always worried and I hate it. I hate the Florida grass :roll eyes: And I'd prefer my lawn not to be pebbles or desert red rocks. So, if this is the venue, I'd pass. I miss...grass (really, are you not going to touch that one?)

I'd love any insight on three the towns I've named, they list excellent schools year in and out and that's really key. If anyone else has excellent suggestions, I'm all ears and thankful in advance.

THANKS!

Doctor712

 

[Trisomy13]

Wait a minute... you're a writer?

 

[doctor712]

Cute.

 

[ColoDPT]

Doctor712,

Colorado native here, so here's my biased opinion....Fort Collins!
1) Schools...I don't have kids that I know of yet, but the schools in FoCo are excellent. Take your pick.
2) Cost of living.....about average. Cheaper than both coasts for sure.
3) Hockey......Not a hockey player, but there are many youth leagues in the area, from Cheyenne to FoCo to Longmont and down to Denver.
4) Land.....south FoCo or north FoCo towards Wellington are your best opportunities for some land. Also, towards the foothills at the outer west edge has some opportunities.
5) Safety......very safe.
6) Community feeling.....a college town (sort of), but it does not overtake the whole town. Lots of cultural events in and around the area, festivals, etc.
7) Shopping.....Yes, Old town and especially towards Loveland/Johnstown at Centerra
8) Culture....Yes, see above. Also, very active community.
9) Food...Yes, some great sushi joints (Suheiro, Japanga, etc). Also, Jay's bistro with a "wild game night" and other unique joints as well as your typical commercial places.
10) FoCo is spread out. There are urban areas and neighborhoods in and around that have a suburban feel and sense of community.
11) Sports....Colorado Eagles hockey, arena football, the big 4 in Denver, CSU sports, UNC sports, CU sports, amazing opportunities for mountain biking, fishing, bouldering, hiking, boating, etc. It's Colorado!
12) Not sure about the Jewish community in FoCo. I grew up next to a Jewish community in southeast Denver. I could ask some buddies that are Jewish for you though.
13) FoCo is out west.
14) Weather....300+ days of sunshine in FoCo. Bluebird.
15) Mountains....Rocky Mountains are literally just west of FoCo.Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park at the corridor to RMNP. Beautiful.
16) Skiiing. Yeah, FoCo has that too....in the Rocky Mountains....just west.
17) Bagels.....not sure. There used to be a good bagel shop in Old Town FoCo. Haven't been by in a bit of time. There are Einstein's and such. I'm sure there are others, but I cannot name names.
18) Grass....FoCo is a very green city. Grass, parks, trees, etc.

Hope this helps! I've spent some time in Seattle and Portland too....green grass (lots of "grass" otherwise too) 300+ days of rain (or so it seems).

 

[doctor712]

Thanks ColoDPT, cool reply. 👍

D712

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

Wait a minute... you're a writer?

 

[Noyac]

The only thing I'd add to ColoDPTs post is that I found Fort Collins to have more of a western feel. Kind of like a cowboy town if that appeals to you.

Seattle, I've spent a bit of time there. Very progressive and absolutely beautiful IMO. But not for everyone of course. I love Vancouver and Seattle gives me that same feel just not as diverse as Vancouver for what that's worth.

Portland, all I got to say is have you seen Portlandia? That show is spot on. It would drive me crazy living there for to long but I'd give it a shot if I knew it might be temporary.

 

[cchoukal]

I grew up very near Eden Prairie, MN. It is a decidedly white, new-money, upper-middle class town and is very suburban and provincial. You will find cheapish housing, inasmuch MN is cheap in general, but by Twin Cities standards, EP is probably on the higher end, even for rents. Rates should be easily google-able. Youth hockey abounds in the region. It is a very safe community with very good public schools (this is true of the twin cities in genera). The Twin Cities has professional sports (MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA), although they tend not to be very good.

The Twin Cities, in general, can be a great place. The cities, themselves, boast excellent museums, parks, lakes, schools, and the food scene has exploded in the last 5-10 years. There are great neighborhoods all around Mpls. The people in the city are diverse (huge Somali and Hmong populations, lots of latinos, a few Asians; it's not ALL white!). They may be a little standoffish, however, and it can be very difficult to make friends. The old joke is that a Minnesotan will give you directions to anywhere except their home, and it really is true.

Yes, there are Jews and synagogues, and even some good Deli (Cecil's in St Paul comes to mind, but it's everywhere). A person could live very well in that environment on a pretty modest income. Of course, you won't be in the cities; you'll be in Eden Prairie, where the culture consists of SUVs, highways, shopping malls, and chain restaurants. Mpls is at least 30 minutes by car.

Politically, the cities themselves are quite liberal, whereas the suburbs are intensely conservative. The rural areas are a mix.

I'm not sure if you have specific reasons for choosing EP over other Mpls suburbs. I guess if I had to relocate to the area but wasn't tied to EP, I'd probably live in Mpls itself, or in St. Louis Park, which is an adjacent suburb that has good schools, cheap housing (generally smaller houses/lots compared to EP; it's an older neighborhood), and it's right next to Mpls, so you could much more easily partake of the city's amenities.

citypages.com is the local indie paper, which may give you a flavor of the place. It leans liberal, but don't assume that represents the community at large. PM me if you have specific questions about the region.

 

[periopdoc]

Based on some of the slight differences in the way you worded things in this post, I would vote for Fort Collins. I think it fits what you are looking for better (in terms of daily life although it is a lot further from the ski areas than Seattle or Kalispell). If you are interested in league play for your kid you probably aren't going to find what you want in Seattle/ Bellevue or Kalispell, and you will have to go further out from Seattle than Bellevue to get the kind of space you are looking for.



- pod

 

[doctor712]

The only thing I'd add to ColoDPTs post is that I found Fort Collins to have more of a western feel. Kind of like a cowboy town if that appeals to you.

Seattle, I've spent a bit of time there. Very progressive and absolutely beautiful IMO. But not for everyone of course. I love Vancouver and Seattle gives me that same feel just not as diverse as Vancouver for what that's worth.

Portland, all I got to say is have you seen Portlandia? That show is spot on. It would drive me crazy living there for to long but I'd give it a shot if I knew it might be temporary.

Never seen Portlandia. 😉 Progressive is very cool to me. I loved Cambridge Mass and I consider that progressive. Transplant that to Colorado and I'd be happy, though not sure if Cowboy town appeals...hm. I know I would love Vancouver and believe me I would be well aware it is only 2 hours north of Seattle/Bellevue. Very cool!

I've been edging toward Fort Collins over Eden Prairie but I'd like to see both.
And Seattle. And Montana. Maybe I should just relocate the family to a JetBlue lounge...

D712

 

[Noyac]

Sorry, I don't know why I thought Portland was one of the options.

 

[doctor712]

I grew up very near Eden Prairie, MN. It is a decidedly white, new-money, upper-middle class town and is very suburban and provincial. You will find cheapish housing, inasmuch MN is cheap in general, but by Twin Cities standards, EP is probably on the higher end, even for rents. Rates should be easily google-able. Youth hockey abounds in the region. It is a very safe community with very good public schools (this is true of the twin cities in genera). The Twin Cities has professional sports (MLB, NFL, NHL, NBA), although they tend not to be very good.

The Twin Cities, in general, can be a great place. The cities, themselves, boast excellent museums, parks, lakes, schools, and the food scene has exploded in the last 5-10 years. There are great neighborhoods all around Mpls. The people in the city are diverse (huge Somali and Hmong populations, lots of latinos, a few Asians; it's not ALL white!). They may be a little standoffish, however, and it can be very difficult to make friends. The old joke is that a Minnesotan will give you directions to anywhere except their home, and it really is true.

Yes, there are Jews and synagogues, and even some good Deli (Cecil's in St Paul comes to mind, but it's everywhere). A person could live very well in that environment on a pretty modest income. Of course, you won't be in the cities; you'll be in Eden Prairie, where the culture consists of SUVs, highways, shopping malls, and chain restaurants. Mpls is at least 30 minutes by car.

Politically, the cities themselves are quite liberal, whereas the suburbs are intensely conservative. The rural areas are a mix.

I'm not sure if you have specific reasons for choosing EP over other Mpls suburbs. I guess if I had to relocate to the area but wasn't tied to EP, I'd probably live in Mpls itself, or in St. Louis Park, which is an adjacent suburb that has good schools, cheap housing (generally smaller houses/lots compared to EP; it's an older neighborhood), and it's right next to Mpls, so you could much more easily partake of the city's amenities.

citypages.com is the local indie paper, which may give you a flavor of the place. It leans liberal, but don't assume that represents the community at large. PM me if you have specific questions about the region.

Based on some of the slight differences in the way you worded things in this post, I would vote for Fort Collins. I think it fits what you are looking for better (in terms of daily life although it is a lot further from the ski areas than Seattle or Kalispell). If you are interested in league play for your kid you probably aren't going to find what you want in Seattle/ Bellevue or Kalispell, and you will have to go further out from Seattle than Bellevue to get the kind of space you are looking for.



- pod

Thanks Both. Eden sounds nice, I'm ready to suburb it up for the year. I know Twin Cities have a bunch to offer, but I'd just drive in. I've done LA traffic and I cannot imagine anything being worse. Brutal. No specific reason for choosing EP over Twin Cities other than the above and that EP is ranked as having a superb school system.

I forgot to mention in my post that I hate tornadoes and the whole basement, sirens, roofs-flying-off thing. Probably from my childhood. I'd rather weather a blizzard or cat 5 hurricane (who wouldn't.) From some PMs I understand EP has their share of twisters and the like. Another reason Fort Collins sounds more attractive, same with Bellevue.

Both FC and EP are fine with youth hockey, checked them out, actually they are well established, EP probably a little more. Certainly both offer same or better than what we have here. Bellevue/Seattle is fine too, they have one place up more by Kirkland and Redmond that seemed to be the youth hockey hub.

Yee haw!

(yeah, not so much rocking the cowboy feel...)

D712

 

[doctor712]

Sorry, I don't know why I thought Portland was one of the options.

Anything is an option at this point. I thought about Portland, but I did hear some very anti-Semitic stuff coming out of that area at one point. White Supremacy stuff and all. Can't hide from that though, anywhere you go.

D712

 

[doctor712]

Based on some of the slight differences in the way you worded things in this post, I would vote for Fort Collins. I think it fits what you are looking for better (in terms of daily life although it is a lot further from the ski areas than Seattle or Kalispell). If you are interested in league play for your kid you probably aren't going to find what you want in Seattle/ Bellevue or Kalispell, and you will have to go further out from Seattle than Bellevue to get the kind of space you are looking for.



- pod

And thanks PeriopDoc, I did research Kalispell and it seems like a lot of the league play was out of Missoula... and then across the vast state. We'll see. 🙂

D712

 

[periopdoc]

Bellevue/Seattle is fine too, they have one place up more by Kirkland and Redmond that seemed to be the youth hockey hub.

D712

Yeah, don't believe the hype. I lived 10 min from there until I moved to Montana just under two years ago. The big sports store that is five min from them doesn't even sell cheap skates much less hockey equipment, which should tell you something about the level of interest there. It is nothing like you would find in MN, AK etc. Our youth hockey program is about as active as theirs. Until Seattle gets it's NHL team there won't be any real youth hockey.


-pod

 

[doctor712]

Yeah, don't believe the hype. I lived 10 min from there until I moved to Montana just under two years ago. The big sports store that is five min from them doesn't even sell cheap skates much less hockey equipment, which should tell you something about the level of interest there. It is nothing like you would find in MN, AK etc. Our youth hockey program is about as active as theirs. Until Seattle gets it's NHL team there won't be any real youth hockey.


-pod

Good point! Nothing is going to come close to the MN or CO hockey (which follows New England of course). I also don't think Seattle will get an NHL team until after Quebec gets theirs. Sadly, my Islanders could very well be the team headed to either of these places. Or KC.

D712

 

[RT2MD]

... Sadly, my Islanders could very well be the team headed to either of these places. Or KC.

Don't know why you are vomiting about KC... aside from mountains, it has about everything you are asking for...

... I forgot to mention in my post that I hate tornadoes and the whole basement, sirens, roofs-flying-off thing.

Oh. Well... I guess that could influence your perception on KC.

 

[doctor712]

Don't know why you are vomiting about KC... aside from mountains, it has about everything you are asking for...



Oh. Well... I guess that could influence your perception on KC.

No no, ha. That projectile vomit was in reference to the team moving altogether. NO KC or Quebec or Seattle specifically.

And yeah, I don't do tornadoes. 🙂

Love for KC and the like. Just hate to see my Isles leave...the Island. And I think it's gonna go that way.

D712

 

[repititionition]

Interesting choices.

I'm familiar with all three, and they're so disparate (to me, anyway) as to be a confusing bunch to parse out or create a par comparison, though much of that may come from the fact that I am not plugged in to the world of youth hockey at all.

That said:

Seattle has traffic. I lived in the South Bay of Los Angeles, and it's not 405-bad, but it'll get to you - especially if living in in the areas you mentioned. Otherwise, Seattle is nearly unrivaled for a combination of cultural opportunity and outdoor recreation. This is not the place to go to pinch pennies, however.

Minneapolis (Eden Prarie!?!)... Where to begin? Unless this is like the USJO training center for Hockey, my advice is keep looking. Yes, it's cheap, but here price correlates to value. There is a decent endurance sports community (cycling, running, and XC ski) community around Minneapolis, but other than that, the suburban insanity is just far too much for me. Also, I find that as was pointed out above, conservatism basically grows as the square of distance from Minneapolis. Minneapolis proper is very cool, however.

Fort Collins: I love this town, but hate the way that it smells. Seriously. It's got a nice liberal vibe with the college there, fantastic outdoor recreation, and doesn't take itself too seriously, but ask yourself if you can truly deal with the smell of cow manure and meat processing for 250 days a year. My wife and I both really enjoyed this place and finally decided "NO" on the most pertinent question (above).

A few ideas, though: if you like the midwest, strongly consider Madison, WI and Ann Arbor, MI. These are both fantastic towns on their own merits and I imagine that hockey is going to be really big in both. In the front range, take a look at Golden, CO. Golden has a great combination of urban accessibility and access to the outdoors, with a more "realistic" attitude than ... ahem, some other notables in the area (BOULDER), and a cost of living that's more in-line with what you're looking for as well.

 

[Gern Blansten]

No no, ha. That projectile vomit was in reference to the team moving altogether. NO KC or Quebec or Seattle specifically.

And yeah, I don't do tornadoes. 🙂

Love for KC and the like. Just hate to see my Isles leave...the Island. And I think it's gonna go that way.

D712

If they kept the Islanders name, that would be about as cool as the Utah Jazz. Everyone knows that Utah is famous for their Jazz.

 

[doctor712]

Interesting choices.

I'm familiar with all three, and they're so disparate (to me, anyway) as to be a confusing bunch to parse out or create a par comparison, though much of that may come from the fact that I am not plugged in to the world of youth hockey at all.

That said:

Seattle has traffic. I lived in the South Bay of Los Angeles, and it's not 405-bad, but it'll get to you - especially if living in in the areas you mentioned. Otherwise, Seattle is nearly unrivaled for a combination of cultural opportunity and outdoor recreation. This is not the place to go to pinch pennies, however.

Minneapolis (Eden Prarie!?!)... Where to begin? Unless this is like the USJO training center for Hockey, my advice is keep looking. Yes, it's cheap, but here price correlates to value. There is a decent endurance sports community (cycling, running, and XC ski) community around Minneapolis, but other than that, the suburban insanity is just far too much for me. Also, I find that as was pointed out above, conservatism basically grows as the square of distance from Minneapolis. Minneapolis proper is very cool, however.

Fort Collins: I love this town, but hate the way that it smells. Seriously. It's got a nice liberal vibe with the college there, fantastic outdoor recreation, and doesn't take itself too seriously, but ask yourself if you can truly deal with the smell of cow manure and meat processing for 250 days a year. My wife and I both really enjoyed this place and finally decided "NO" on the most pertinent question (above).

A few ideas, though: if you like the midwest, strongly consider Madison, WI and Ann Arbor, MI. These are both fantastic towns on their own merits and I imagine that hockey is going to be really big in both. In the front range, take a look at Golden, CO. Golden has a great combination of urban accessibility and access to the outdoors, with a more "realistic" attitude than ... ahem, some other notables in the area (BOULDER), and a cost of living that's more in-line with what you're looking for as well.

Interesting.

Can you elaborate on the suburban insanity of Eden Prairie? Does it correspond to hoity-toity new money that was mentioned in previous post?
MN is a hot bed for hockey, but it's for a year. Any organized youth hockey AA or AAA team situation will be as good as what we have now.
I can handle liberal/conservative issue, but that's good to know! I spent a long week one night in Minneapolis and I actually did enjoy the city, and Denver too for that matter. Mountains outside of Denver BLEW MY MIND (on the ride to Aspen).

Fort Collins: can anyone else confirm the annoying smell of manure and meat packing? I'd like to get a second take on it, I'd not come across that description. Only time I smelled that was really driving across US and in Texas. For about 5 miles prior I was wondering, WHAT IS THAT. Then I hit it, the meat factory on the side of US40, or whatever it is down there. Brutal. That would be disappointing. Were you in close proximity or anywhere in town you smelled it?

I've been to Ann Arbor, it's cool. I remember many jails nearby. I don't remember it being cheap either. Amazing hockey scene. That's where they train USHL junior team I think. Kids live in billet homes in and around. Madison WI, if that's in the tornado belt, nope. (I'll check now). I'll also check Golden CO. Thanks.

What's the deal with Boulder, you don't like?

D712

 

[doctor712]

If they kept the Islanders name, that would be about as cool as the Utah Jazz. Everyone knows that Utah is famous for their Jazz.

KC Islanders, yeah. Shoot me now. Seattle Islanders would work because of the Puget Islands everywhere. I would actually rather they lose the Islanders forever (which of course they would) so I could at least have an excuse to abandon that team like it has abandoned its fans.

D712

 

[doctor712]

Well, yeah, there is a roaring smell issue with Fort Collins (the southeast area mostly).

Interesting.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/fort-collins-area/24242-does-fort-collins-smell.html

I'll still visit this city. But now I'll check into Colorado Springs CO as well. Continuing on with my WarGames adventure (hopefully some of you get that reference). 🙂

D712

 

[narcusprince]

Hey I am from Colorado Springs what do you want to know?

 

[doctor712]

Thanks Narcusprince. Just the usual, school systems, safety, kid friendly, outdoorsy, the best and the worst of the city - in your eyes. Nicest areas to get a little land and be a wee bit further from city center...

I can be a bit more specific after I've researched a little.


THANKS!

D712

 

[ColoDPT]

D712,

I did forget about the occasional smell in FoCo. It blows in from the east (Greeley, CO). The smell is infrequent though; worse in the winter months. Colorado Springs is nice; fairly conservative, Family First atmosphere with a strong military presence and Cheyenne Mountain....good luck getting in that place.
I grew up in Denver....nice place with lots to do but the traffic is terrible lately. Even the back roads are getting congested. Did my undergrad in Boulder....lots of hot Cali, Tx, NY ladies but seeing as you have children, probably not a big deal. Lots to do in Boulder too, but more congested and a bit snobby IMHO compared to FoCo. The Flatirons are gorgeous and there is plenty of hiking, fishing, Echo mountain ski resort, golf, lakes, etc nearby. A good place to go to school but an expensive place to live as an adult. The surrounding areas like Superior and Louisville (CO), are nice though so maybe check them out.
Good luck on your journey, wherever you go.

 

[doctor712]

Really sad news out of my soon-to-be new hometown, Colorado Springs. Signed papers about 2 months ago. Moving August 1. The darn town is in frigging flames. (at least the western border is). I enjoyed an amazing day there, it's everything I thought it would be, saw POTUS drive by, thunderbirds treat, AMAZING VIEWS of Pike's Peak from my new home, visited Garden of the Gods, most of this is in the fire zone. USAFA included. They had a 100 acre portion of the Academy on fire, but it was put out quickly. 15,000 acres burn in Western Co. Springs. Hundreds and hundreds of people have lost homes. Tragic.

D712

 

[Gern Blansten]

Really sad news out of my soon-to-be new hometown, Colorado Springs. Signed papers about 2 months ago.
D712

Hopefully your new house is not in the fire's path.

 

[IlDestriero]

Hopefully your new house is not in the fire's path.

X2. 🙁
I got used to the Southern California fires, didn't give it much of a thought, until a huge fire burned down ~300 homes in my hood. It was a miracle it skipped over my canyon while burning through others nearby. There was ash falling for a year and I had to wash my light colored stucco twice. A house we almost bought burned down.

-
"The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is."

 

[doctor712]

Thanks both! It would have to cross
The USAFA to get to me and I'd imagine the
Entire military would be there before they allow the
AFA to burn. so, hoping for the best.
10% contained as of today. A successful day.
350+ homes burned.

 

[kazuma]

Hey D712,

What brings you to C.S.? I have some family members there and they sure love it. Hopefully they get the fire contained soon.

 

[doctor712]

kazuma,
A nice place to sit and write with an excellent quality of living for my two boys.
4 hours closer to LA for work stuff.
Excellent school district that we found.
Seasons.
Snow. The desire to be 1/32 the snowboarder that Sevo is.
In that proximity to Aspen, Vail, breck is right there.
NORAD And my love of all things Matthew Broderick and global thermonuclear war.
Just kidding on that last one.
I love hiking. Looooove.
Outdoors.
weather.
Whole 9 yards.
Great youth hockey in Colorado for eldest. Puts Florida to shame.
I've never lived in anything other than ET or PT.
Let's keep in touch if ur in town!
D712

 

[tucker27705]

Madison WI

 

[narcusprince]

C.s. is a great place. After my navy time I will be back. My pastor back in the springs is a fire chief. Says things a really bad but getting contained. The fire is west of I25 which splits Upper middle class from the middle class east of I25. Mom says she can smell smoke on a breezy day. I was there for the Haymen fire which was pretty bad but this fire is worse.

 

[doctor712]

most recent news is 80% contained and the full containment date is moved up from 7/16 to 7/8. Steady wet weather yesterday helped. It is a devastating fire for the city.
I'm told many evacuated houses are being burglarized. people take advantage.
Sickos. And some people are also reporting fake city utility workers trying to gain access
In ok homes. Presumably to steal or house invade.

I need to buy my first gun. time to hop to that thread.
It'll be a .9mm. I've cancelled ADT They suck. And am going with the higher rated
Protect America alarm system. Even tho it's install urself. Wireless leads. Seem totally easy. Thoughts if anyone has protect am.

D712

 

[Jay K]

Bellevue is expensive. A lot of high-end shopping and restaurants. Oft heard, but who knows if it's true, is that all the wealthy Microsoft people drive up the cost-of-living in Bellevue. Good schools though.

 

[doctor712]

The Kalispell thread has moved me to post a photo update of my new locale (which I love)! Colorado Springs, CO. I have to say, the posters in this specific thread were VERY helpful, including Mr. Kalispell himself, and Sevo and everyone, in helping me find this great new corner of the world. Here goes...

When we first got to COS, it was hard to avoid a great outcropping aptly called the Garden of the Gods. SW area of town, about 15 mins from my house. Just a gorgeous place to hike and wander in nice weather. The kids LOVED it.

Then, after Garden of the Gods, we discovered the wonderful Manitou springs (20 mins from house). Manitou was the last stop to the Gold Rush towns in the mountains. Populated by hard cores gold hunters, it still retains its hippy, liberal feel, and it's a great contrast to the conservative side to COS. Manitou still has seven springs running (each with a different taste). Sparking water arrives in each spring, just bring your own small or large bottle. Sort of like having Perrier Springs in your backyard.

Manitou is a favorite of mine also because of the INFAMOUS, Manitou Incline. Which, I'm proud to say I tackled. Local athletes use this, as do olympic trainees from the nearby Olympic Center (home to USOC in the US). This was an old cog railway, now, all that is left at the railroad ties. It is a 2000 foot vertical climb in less than two miles. So, if you think you can climb this in 15 minutes, think again. Took me about 50 mins. And I was gasping most of the way. The MAX VERTICAL incline gets to 68%, let me repeat that, 68%. It is torturous. I think the record is 28 mins, and I have NO IDEA how that is accomplished. Most people take their time, relax, one step at a time, hands are used too at the really steep points, there is a false summit, and I was ADDICTED after making it to the top. 7000-9000 feet in under 2 miles. This was the hardest thing, physically, I have ever had to do. And I don't think I was up to altitude yet when I did it, starting at 12pm on a 90 degree day (idiot.) (note: this is the only photo I didn't take myself on these posts)

A distant shot of the incline:

After Manitou, we had to take the ride up to Pike's Peak, which is the center of all things COS and southern rocky mountains, by way of tourism. this first pic is at a corner called the bottomless pit, pretty obvious:

This pic gives a true view of certain points during the ascent:
Coloradoans don't really believe in guardrails. When I tell you that's a SHEER drop off at the side of the road, trust me, it's SHEER. Many other cool local hiking (dirt) roads are like this, and worse. One called Old Gold Road or Stagecoach Road or The Shelf Road will induce the heigh fearing group to wonder WHAT THE HECK they were doing up on these roads with no rails.

View of peak from house (zoomed and natural shots)

 

[doctor712]

Wildlife is plentiful:

Both the friendly kind:

And the rabid. ; )

Sometimes you just want to cozy up in Doc712's backyard and do some thinking:

We have a bear in the hood, but he hasn't visited us personally just yet.

We cannot forget that this is first and foremost a military town:

So we've seen POTUS twice, and also have a great view of the USAFA from the back deck:

Which is close enough to see some great college hockey (especially when the NHL have their heads up their butts!)

USAFA grounds are impeccable:

The chapel is a landmark:

 

[doctor712]

Hiking always ends up somewhere gorgeous (here, 2nd shot below, looking north over the Palmer divide toward Denver (which is visible on a clear day) shot taken from Mount Herman, just north of where the fires were and USAFA is, Monument CO

Monument Rock:

COS is also home to USA Hockey. So, my son's team gets to be a apart of their educational and promotional video shoots too! (not to mention just great coaching and development!)
Son is against boards here, demonstrating proper way to take a hit like this...)

COS is on the way to many old gold rush towns like Cripple Creek: (which are still pulling more gold out now than during the famed rush years!)

And of course, Breckenridge is 2 hours away, and Vail is 2.5 hours away. The aspens in Vail, in late October are UNREAL to see in person...

I cannot wait to see all these sites in the Winter under the cover of snow!!! I've decided on snowboarding as a winter hobby, and will have to learn!

Also, sunsets on any given day, can be really amazing as you face the Rockies!

D712

 

[Idiopathic]

nice

 

[Gern Blansten]

Cool pics.

 

[narcusprince]

Home sweet home. Will be back post navy tour. Enjoy. Be sure to make it to the Broadmoor for brunch I take my mother there everytime I am home.

 

[AngryBird69]

Wow I am in love with that place. That is EXACTLY how I want my surroundings to look!! Thank you for pics!👍😀

 

[doctor712]

Home sweet home. Will be back post navy tour. Enjoy. Be sure to make it to the Broadmoor for brunch I take my mother there everytime I am home.

Narcusprince! Thanks so much for the help with COS. really made a difference.

D712

 

[RT2MD]

Great pics! 👍👍