Where would you live if you could choose?

[p40whk]

I boat, waterski (Hydrofoil), Snowski, Hike, Rappel, Fly, and am looking into paragliding but can't do all of those things where I currently live. It seems that Southern Utah or close by with Arizona and Nevada may be a good place to relocate for all these things.

Since I probably can't afford lake front property I'd be towing my boat to wherever I needed to ride so somewhere within an hour or two of Lake Powell would be great.

Any suggestions?

[ibenick]

I think if I could live anywhere in the U.S. it would be Kanab or somewhere very near there. IMO it's the perfect location to have the best of every season within a reasonable distance. I've already started priming my wife to live there someday... we'll see.

[IntrepidXJ]

I'm living in my first choice :)

....but GJ's probably a little further from Powell than you would like to be.

[jman]

This isn't ideal but it works really well. Live south of salt lake, not like Provo (Scott Card will argue this) and lake Powell is about a 4 hr drive. Moab is about 3 hrs. Zion is 4 hrs. Ski resorts and 30min to an hr away (with numerous options).

And hyrdofoiling would work good on the great salt lake and also you have other numerous options with reservoirs and hiking destinations.

Plus, a major airport and smaller airports surround you for flying or skydiving...

Southern Utah is great, but if you want different hiking options (like alpine to desert) and more things to do-not to mention better night life or even city life...St. George wouldn't cut it. But if you are fine without that stuff, than st. George to kanab would work.

[p40whk]

I'm living in my first choice :)

....but GJ's probably a little further from Powell than you would like to be.

We drove through GJ on our way out to Zion last week, it's a nice town. Kanab sounds good as well. We did a Driving tour from Green River down 24 to 12 into Escalante then over to Zion back out through Kanab down to the Grand Canyon, back up to Page, Mexican Hat, over to Durango, up to Montrose through Gunnison and then home.

I liked Kanab a lot but didn't get to stop there. I noticed a real nice area on 89 between Mt. Carmel Junction and Hatch, It just seemed a bit far from and decent size municipality.

[Sombeech]

I'm pretty happy where I'm at. I love the red rock but I love even more the alpine stuff. Every summer activity and every winter activity up here in Ogden. International Airport just 35 minutes away, Ogden airport right here, less crowded than happy valley (and from what I can see, better mtn biking than the provo area), and still close enough to Salt Lake to catch an evening bike ride.

But if I were elsewhere, it'd have to be St George or nearby. I'd have to live close enough to Vegas to see the major events/concerts and the airport.

[ibenick]

I liked Kanab a lot but didn't get to stop there. I noticed a real nice area on 89 between Mt. Carmel Junction and Hatch, It just seemed a bit far from and decent size municipality.

Yeah, I would like it better if Kanab was just a tiny bit larger but it's getting close to the sweet spot for me. That area just north of there on 89 would be perfection if Kanab had just a few more good stores, etc.

The think I like the most about Kanab (aside from all the amazing desert scenery nearby) is that it is so close to the edge of the Colorado Plateau. At 5000' the climate there will always have distinct seasons, but if you want to find warmth in the winter all you have to do is drop into St. George down there at 2800'. The high mountain opportunities are good too, Skiing not too far away at Brian Head, high alpine lakes over near Escalante on Boulder Mountain. Mmmm... Kanab. :slobber:

[tanya]

Away from the cities, where the air is clean, traffic is mild, people are mostly drug addiction free, scenery is gorgeous, summers are not blistering hot, winters are mild, people are kind and I am the hottest female in town. ~laughing~ Granted there are few jobs that pay well, but to retire its nice. There is a new project up on Sugar Knoll for NICE log cabin homes.

East Zion!:clap:


I have never ever liked Kanab at all and assume most small towns have its problems. It floods often (why dont they fix that?), many of people are prejudice and cliquish - far more than the norm, the BLM types are mostly hated, - my belly dance teachers husband was Thom, the head scientist for the GSENM - they went to a dinner by the city, and whereever they sat down, the locals got up and left. The city council is run by the good ole boys, its not clean and quaint like Springdale (which I do like, but I don't know the inner workings there) and I would not get to drive through Zion every time I go to town. The only saving point was Boone, the Valley's Commissioner and good old boy, but he fought for what is right no matter what. I adore him, but his term is ending.

SLC area the air is too dirty and its just too BIG!

Vegas is too HOT! Too dirty and the people are crazy.

[Don]

This isn't ideal but it works really well. Live south of salt lake, not like Provo (Scott Card will argue this) and lake Powell is about a 4 hr drive. Moab is about 3 hrs. Zion is 4 hrs. Ski resorts and 30min to an hr away (with numerous options).

And hyrdofoiling would work good on the great salt lake and also you have other numerous options with reservoirs and hiking destinations.

Plus, a major airport and smaller airports surround you for flying or skydiving...

Southern Utah is great, but if you want different hiking options (like alpine to desert) and more things to do-not to mention better night life or even city life...St. George wouldn't cut it. But if you are fine without that stuff, than st. George to kanab would work.

Yep; American Fork. The only real problem is finding someone to date in mormon-ville. (Nothing against mormons; I'd date 'em, but it seems pretty clear that they don't want to date me. :rockit: + :drink: + :giveit: = :twisted: )

[ibenick]

:rockit: + :drink: + :giveit: = :twisted: )

:roflol:

That pretty much sums it up!

[Sombeech]

(Nothing against mormons; I'd date 'em, but it seems pretty clear that they don't want to date me. )

You're wrong. Some of them have very very very very very very low standards.










:haha:

[Don]

You're wrong. Some of them have very very very very very very low standards.

:haha:


:haha:

[CarpeyBiggs]

:roflol:

if i had a choice, i'd take alaska in the summers, and southern utah in the winters. if i could only choose one location? torrey utah.

[ststephen]

French Alps for the summer and winter (Chamonix?)
S. Utah for the Spring and Fall (Springdale? Escalante/Boulder?)

Problem is my wife is cold adverse and likes being near her family here in Nor Cal.

[denaliguide]

wanaka, new zealand. where i am at in new zealand has all that you are looking for within 30 minutes of my house.

otherwise i do like flagstaff.

[Scott P]

Torrey Utah for me.

[asdf]

Torrey
For sure

[Don]

Torrey is nice.

[CarpeyBiggs]

damn. if all you fools want to be in torrey too, i'm getting the hell out. i change my mind to loa. :nod:

[ibenick]

Damn. Torrey must be nice. I switch my vote to Torrey! :lol8:

I do enjoy the dummy in the cop car that is inevitably in one of those towns...

[ststephen]

I'm switching one of my seasons to Wanaka! Milford/Doubtful Sounds. Mt. Aspiring NP. Mt. Cook NP. West Coast glaciers. Yep, quite a bit all around there!

BTW, I did think about including Queenstown, originally Les.

[Cirrus2000]

I'm already there. :cool2:

[Scott P]

wanaka, new zealand.

New Zealand is nice-when you can see it. It’s like a rainier and wetter version of Washington State. Beautiful (one of the most beautiful places on earth) when it's not socked in with clouds.


if all you fools want to be in torrey too, i'm getting the hell out.

Fine. I’ll move up the street to Grover.


i change my mind to loa

Surprisingly, it has some of the coldest winters of the towns in Utah and it's not as nice as Torrey.

[stefan]

i'd say boulder, ut, but y'all can't move down there and overrun and develop the heck out of these utah towns, gosh darnit!

[CarpeyBiggs]

i'd say boulder, ut, but y'all can't move down there and overrun and develop the heck out of these utah towns, gosh darnit!

hahahaha. fortunately for you, you will probably be the only one who will ever be able to afford living down there of us... fairly certain us homeless hippie types don't have the cash flow. of course, unless someone wants to let me live in a yurt on their property. :haha:

[Sombeech]

your mom's house

[p40whk]

Damn. Torrey must be nice. I switch my vote to Torrey! :lol8:

I do enjoy the dummy in the cop car that is inevitably in one of those towns...

Saw one of those on my way through Kanab last week :nod:

I was checking real estate prices in and around the area and they are much higher than I had thought. Guess I may have to add a coulple more years of work into my retirement plan!

[Win]

Well, I moved from NJ to southern Utah with absolutely no regrets. If I could move again, Escalante would be on my list but Yo isn't going anywhere more rural than Toquerville.

We're about 2 1/2 hours from Lk Powell and about the same from Lake Mead, pretty perfect if you're towing a boat.:2thumbs:

Win

[DSTRBD]

I moved back here about 6 years ago, I just cannot leave southern Utah. I will travel all over the world but this will always be my "home base". There is so much to do here you cannot really beat it.

[uintahiker]

X2 for Boulder. Mountains on one side, desert on the other, close to Powell. Sounds good to me!

[BruteForce]

Marysvale for me. Right between Kanab and Richfield of US89. Mountains, desert and access to great fishing, hiking, snow shoeing, etc..

[Scott Card]

Where ever my wife wants to live! Kinda whooped I am. Of course this requires being close to shopping which isn't all bad. I quite enjoy Home Depot and Cabellas. Gotta stay put in Utah for so many reasons including my job.

[mtthwlw]

I live in Toquerville-- and it's close enough to St. George and Zion that I'm happy. If I had to move, I'd pick Ogden in a heart beat. I lived there for 4 years and loved it.

[denaliguide]

Saw one of those on my way through Kanab last week :nod:

i love the fake cops. i think the one in kanab looks like hitler.

kanab
37069


kanab
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kanab
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escalante
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these last two are in fredonia

[denaliguide]

New Zealand is nice-when you can see it. It’s like a rainier and wetter version of Washington State. Beautiful (one of the most beautiful places on earth) when it's not socked in with clouds.

scott, you must have been up the west coast. its a freakiing rain forest over there.


http://www.nzs.com/img/headings/script/heading-surround-green.php?heading=General%20Wanaka%20Weather%20Inf ormation General Wanaka Weather Information



http://www.nzs.com/img/icons/regions/regionmap.gif (http://www.nzs.com/new-zealand-maps/otago/wanaka/)


(http://www.nzs.com/region/otago/wanaka/)
Wanaka enjoys a continental climate with four distinct seasons and fairly dry weather conditions year round; the town's average annual rainfall of 682mm is just half the national average, with most rainfall occurring in spring months. During summer, days are hot and evenings cool, while in winter, days are cold with frost and snow in surrounding mountain ranges.
Average annual rainfall (mm): 682
Average annual sunshine hours: 2,000
[B]Average summer temperature (

[CarpeyBiggs]

mmm... wanaka. me likey.

[ststephen]

Plus Wanaka's got Puzzling World with that cool wooden maze thingy :nod:

(It's a sort-of-cheesy-but-fun tourist attraction with optical illusions and a pretty large wooden maze where you try to reach a tower in all 4 corners. My family liked it as a diversion when Aaron was about 2 and we carried him in a backpack).

http://www.puzzlingworld.co.nz/attractions.html

[accadacca]

San Diego

[savanna3313]

Depending on the time of year, I would love to divide my time between northern Utah, southern Utah and my home town of New Orleans. There is much that is wrong with New Orleans (before and after Katrina), but there is nowhere else on earth quite like it.

[ibenick]

mmm... wanaka. me likey.

x2

Nice looking pics there denaliguide... don't be holding out on us!

[ststephen]

A little off topic, but denaliguide - was there any earthquake damage in Wanaka? Where were you for the event? A 7.1 is a humbling thing having experienced the Loma Prieta event back in '89.

[denaliguide]

A little off topic, but denaliguide - was there any earthquake damage in Wanaka? Where were you for the event? A 7.1 is a humbling thing having experienced the Loma Prieta event back in '89.

none. never even felt it. i slept right through it. christchurch was hit really hard. major structural damage to several iconic buildings. lots of town with no water or sewer. luckily no deaths. it happened at 4:30am, if it had happened a couple of hours later when people were coming to work in the CBD there would have been several fatalities, i'm sure.

i was surprised fox news covered it quite extensively.

[tanya]

Cool picture Denali! :clap:

[Rented mule]

I have come to dislike St. George quite a bit in the last two years. Been here 13 years
and I have volunteered for almost every fund raiser or cancer freakin walk or little league, etc And every time, I quietly let the wards come in their groups and take over every thing. They push me out of the way with their seperatist actions. I have been to MO reunions, am officially adopted by an LDS family who even let me vote on their family issues. But, always, there is that
freeling that I am the only black man in the whitest place on earth.....sigh....
My son makes 40k owns a corvette, has a degree, is 24, good looking and the only girls who will date him are the ones rebelling. Again, think long and hard about St. George.
I love to feel like a part of the community. HIghway cleanup, I even said a prayer when their former president Hinckley died. I wish them all well. But, they have stomped on my feeling too many times. I am probably going to retire somewhere else where I feel more like a part of the town or community. I have lived all over the world. I am an Army Brat. We are the most open minded people you will meet.
When school segregation took place in the sixties? The Army base kids were the first ones to go to the all black schools. In two years, my best friend, a white guy was so accepted that he got voted class president. I don't see the people here bending at all to AMERICA..... this is still Deseret....goodbye....
I am logging off for good. I just want to be left alone. They came to annoint me when I was dying and when I didn't join their church? they forgot about me. NO one ever came to visit again.....

I will be on the trails, a happy wanderer. And when I die, my spirit will wander on.
CIAO! See ya on the trails....cheers

[Scott P]

scott, you must have been up the west coast. its a freakiing rain forest over there.


Maybe we were just unlucky. We were in NZ about a month and only had about a week of clear weather. Luckily (and surprisingly) that week of clear weather was when we were at Mt. Cook.

37170

37171

37172

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37175

It rained most of the time in Wanaka, Queenstown, Te Anua and of course the Milford Sound and West Coast areas. I never did get to see Mt. Aspiring.

This was all December though, so it may be considered late spring/early summer. January-February is supposed to be better.

Still, I think if I had to live outside the USA, New Zealand would be my #1 choice.

[ststephen]

How coincidental. My wife and I did a month in the S. Island when our son was little too (not quite as little as yours). And, we had tons of rain everywhere except Mt. Cook as well. Got a few good weather days in Abel Tasman and around Queenstown too. It was fine though, just hiked in the rain. :haha:

We did have a nice rain-free hike around Mt. Aspiring. I remember a Kea flying away with my son's banana when we stopped for snack! I need to scan my photos as this was 12 years ago and I shot film.

[Jaxx]

I have come to dislike St. George quite a bit in the last two years. Been here 13 years
and I have volunteered for almost every fund raiser or cancer freakin walk or little league, etc And every time, I quietly let the wards come in their groups and take over every thing. They push me out of the way with their seperatist actions. I have been to MO reunions, am officially adopted by an LDS family who even let me vote on their family issues. But, always, there is that
freeling that I am the only black man in the whitest place on earth.....sigh....
My son makes 40k owns a corvette, has a degree, is 24, good looking and the only girls who will date him are the ones rebelling. Again, think long and hard about St. George.
I love to feel like a part of the community. HIghway cleanup, I even said a prayer when their former president Hinckley died. I wish them all well. But, they have stomped on my feeling too many times. I am probably going to retire somewhere else where I feel more like a part of the town or community. I have lived all over the world. I am an Army Brat. We are the most open minded people you will meet.
When school segregation took place in the sixties? The Army base kids were the first ones to go to the all black schools. In two years, my best friend, a white guy was so accepted that he got voted class president. I don't see the people here bending at all to AMERICA..... this is still Deseret....goodbye....
I am logging off for good. I just want to be left alone. They came to annoint me when I was dying and when I didn't join their church? they forgot about me. NO one ever came to visit again.....

I will be on the trails, a happy wanderer. And when I die, my spirit will wander on.
CIAO! See ya on the trails....cheers

Man that is sad. Sorry to hear you (and your son) are treated that way.

[R]

Well, the gifts are so good in December that I'll have to go with North Pole.

[Sombeech]

http://www.bogley.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=37174&d=1283832059

That's a cool shot :mrgreen:

[tallsteve]

Panguitch. I keep telling my wife that's where we're retiring to. Awesome mtn. biking, fishing, camping, hiking, etc. I want to retire to a 1 stoplight town. Cedar City and St. George aren't that far away either.

[greyhair biker]

I don't mind Green River as a base of operations but I'd rather have condos all over the place. Kihei, Maui first and foremost, Moab second - actually would like a home there, then either of the three - Cranbrook, Kimberly or Nelson BC, Canada. Fell in love with the area last time through! I need 4 weeks of time in a good condo group so i can rotate through everywhere I want as often as I want:mrgreen:

[canyonphile]

I'm finally living in the place of my/our choosing: Durango! I haven't been on Bogley in a while because it was sort of depressing to read about all the cool stuff everyone was doing out here when I was stuck in my personal hell-hole of Connecticut.

Love Durango because it is a friendly town and small enough to have a sense of community but large enough to have a good selection of retail, eating and drinking establishments (we have *four* microbreweries in town - woot!). It also has the best range of recreational opportunities available either locally or within a day's drive of any place I've ever lived:

-Horse Gulch rec. area is a block away from where I live: 30 miles of trails in mesas and valleys with no development. It's called the "Central Park of Durango"
-Animas river runs through town: kayaking, fly fishing and rafting
-Singletrack trails are *everywhere* and the town is totally geared towards cyclists (bike racks everywhere, bike lanes, etc)
-Colorado trail starts in Durango
-For mountaineers, there are several fourteeners and tons of thirteeners within 2 hrs. drive.
-lots of wilderness areas (Weimenuche, Lizard Head, etc.)
-1 hr. drive to Mesa Verde
-3 hr. drive to Moab
-2-5 hr. drive to Lake Powell, depending upon where you want to go
-6 hr. drive to the Grand Canyon and Escalante area
-8 hr. drive to Zion

Durango sits on the eastern edge of the Colorado Plateau, and therefore, has close access to all the amazing southern UT/northern AZ canyon country that I live for. That is key for me.

There are places in UT I'd live if not for the fact that they are...not secular. I'm not LDS and therefore, I'm sure I'd ignored or shunned by the communities in towns like Boulder, Escalante or Kanab. I think Moab might be do-able; I get the impression it's not as insular and cliquish as other small towns in southern UT.

But for the OP from KY: I wish you luck in getting out, and you have my sympathies for being stuck there.

[snccoulter]

i love the fake cops. i think the one in kanab looks like hitler.

kanab
37069


kanab
37070


kanab
37072


escalante
37073


these last two are in fredonia


We had one when I was stationed in CA and a group of us got the bright idea to get a blow up doll and a bunch of empty beer cans. Put it in the car with the cops shirt off and his hands with beer cans all over. My commander IE the Cop commander did not find it funny.