If I win a major lump sum from the Lotto or 1-800-CALL-SAM I will leave Michigan, but for now I appreciate the stable cost of living and the fact that all my stuff is already here.
If I win a major lump sum from the Lotto or 1-800-CALL-SAM I will leave Michigan, but for now I appreciate the stable cost of living and the fact that all my stuff is already here.
I moved to SE Michigan from SW Ontario 12 years ago. I'd prefer a real winter to the mush we have most of the time, but otherwise I like it. Ann Arbor provides most of what I need to amuse myself. There are some decent roads to drive a little north and west of home, we can day trip Mid-Ohio,and I agree with Adrian's assessment of the northern part of the lower peninsula.If I lived further north,or over in Holland/Grand Rapids I'd just get a snowmobile to amuse myself. All I need now is a track day car to use at Gingerman, Gratton, and Waterford Hills.There's lots of good stuff in this state.
Toyman's right, except for July and August it's pretty decent down here. (Woops, shouldn't let the cat out of the bag...) it's TERRIBLE. After two fall days down here you'll be begging to go back to Michigan!
Sallys! Its pond hockey season.
alfadriver wrote: As for the south. How can you stand the heat? For a while, I thought of retiring in Puerto Rico (warm and mountains) but it's FAR too hot.
Doesn't really bother me. I have no A/C in my car. I don't understand how y'all can stand the cold up North. It gets below freezing down here and I am yelling hell no I won't go.
Curmudgeon wrote: Toyman's right, except for July and August it's pretty decent down here. (Woops, shouldn't let the cat out of the bag...) it's TERRIBLE. After two fall days down here you'll be begging to go back to Michigan!
Sorry, but that MYTH is BUSTED. 
Visited with the wife back in August and found it very pleasant. Sure it's hot, but it isn't humidity hanging in the air Florida/Michigan kind of hot.
Then you weren't in Chucktown. 
My gawd, 98 degrees with 90-95% humidity. You walk outside at 5:30 AM to get the paper and when you open the door it's like getting slapped in the face with a wet fish.
Nah, was never there. You didn't see me.
Toyman01 wrote:alfadriver wrote: As for the south. How can you stand the heat? For a while, I thought of retiring in Puerto Rico (warm and mountains) but it's FAR too hot.Air conditioning. I hate the heat, so my electric bill are kind of painful in the summer. On the other hand, it hasn't run but probably a week total in the last two months, the doors are open now to let the cool breeze in. And where you take the winters off from motorsports, we take July and August.
I hate having to live in air conditioning. I have to work in an office. I need to walk at lunch time and after work. I love to spend time outside. Wrapping up against the cold is easy, and I love being in the snow. Unwrapping against the heat is not so easy, especially when you come back into the office after a lunch time walk. "YEah, sorry boss, i know I'm drenched in sweat while wearing a speedo, but I'll go towel off and put my clothes on right now!"
93EXCivic wrote:alfadriver wrote: As for the south. How can you stand the heat? For a while, I thought of retiring in Puerto Rico (warm and mountains) but it's FAR too hot.Doesn't really bother me. I have no A/C in my car. I don't understand how y'all can stand the cold up North. It gets below freezing down here and I am yelling hell no I won't go.
Still t0o hot. I run, as well- and dead of Winter, Puerto Rico- I can do a fraction of what I can run normally in the summer in Michigan. Only if I run before 8am.
Summer? forget it. I've done it a few times, and I overheat very quickly, and very much.
My only real option is way up in the mountains down there. Which isn't a bad option considering that I have the idea of a coffee plantation. Or farm, being a lot more realistic.
As for the south- anything south of TN- too flat to find mountains to cool you off in July. Hills, maybe. But even those are far enough inland that they get super hot.
On the other hand, I am pretty stunned that running at -7F isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. The worst part is if we stop too long, and I start to sweat. Running again is pretty bad. But, as Adrian said- it's a lot easier to bundle up, than hope to cool off with nothing on.
Fall is awesome. Spring is very nice, and occasionally, winter can be pretty.
(the best looking winters are normally found in the Rockies, IMHO. especially if skiing is part of the things to do.)
I can't run in the cold at all my chest gets really tight and I can't breathe. I can go out and play ultimate frisbee or soccer or going running without any problem in an Alabama summer though.
John Brown wrote: If I win a major lump sum from the Lotto or 1-800-CALL-SAM I will leave Michigan, but for now I appreciate the stable cost of living and the fact that all my stuff is already here.
First thing I do is buy a second house in Harbor springs Mi, keep the current one and buy a vacation spot somewhere else. I'm not planning on leaving Mi no matter how much $$$ I have.
Honestly, if you don't like it move! I moved continents, so moving states isn't so bad.
Amongst my friends we’ve had a joke running through the ‘great recession’ Anyone living in Michigan now who’s stuck by the state through the tough times gets grandfathered in. Then those who suddenly wake up to what an awesome place it is as water becomes more scares in the south, and climate change improves the already fine by me climate while making is even more intolerable in the south have to pay an increased tax burden for coming here
I've come to the conclusion that SC (the southeastern US in general) really isn't that bad. Almost everywhere sucks in comparison.
You gotta watch out for these, though:
The whole lack of water thing is pretty upsetting when I think of living in the southern rockies.
I'd love to live in Arizona if it were not for the fact that I'd be denying Mexico its water. I really despise people who live in deserts and have lawns.
On the other hand, the landscapes (and forests) of Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Maine and Vermont are just awesome for someone who likes to spend time outdoors.
The problem is the day job...if you work during the day in the northerly parts of the continent you miss all the daylight. This sucks even more when the winter consists of more rain than snow. Cold, dark, wet. Ugh.
I live in Erie, PA. We're known for competing with Buffalo for amounts of snow. Downside? Business, Schools, and Government never close due to snow. We're prepared (not really), therefore we never close. This means that even if I do get to enjoy the snow...I have to do it after 4:30pm.
Oh, and we've got hills. No mountains. Hope you like to cross country ski!
I'd love to live someplace where there is a nice breeze, with lots of trees, nice mountains, and I can ride mountain bike year round.
Yea...that'd be nice.
Puerto Rico?
In reply to PHeller:
As long as you stay off the tiny mountain roads, the biking would be good on the Island.
For you drivers, I'll suggest that you go down sometime, rent a decent car, and take some time to drive through the mountains. Curvy. REALLY curvy. Scary curvy, when large trucks come from the other direction.
And they tend to be pretty well prepared for hurricanes.
How's the language? Is it a bilingual or would you need a pretty firm understanding of Spanish in order to work on the Island?
Spanish is needed. Lots of places can do English, but life would be a whole lot better fluent in Spanish. Or with a translator with you all the time (which is what I have)
The cure for the winter doldrums in the north is to get out and enjoy it. Skiing, snow mobile, white rabbit hunting on snow shoes etc. My favorite is ice racing. Going every weekend for a few hours sure shortens the winter.
Tell you what, I do envy the cold weather guys one thing: lots of long winter evenings for canoodling or working on project cars/bikes.
yeah, but on your back in the gravel with no carport/garage ... not really to be envied
Adrian_Thompson wrote:Toyman01 wrote:I hate having to live in air conditioning. I have to work in an office. I need to walk at lunch time and after work. I love to spend time outside. Wrapping up against the cold is easy, and I love being in the snow. Unwrapping against the heat is not so easy, especially when you come back into the office after a lunch time walk. "YEah, sorry boss, i know I'm drenched in sweat while wearing a speedo, but I'll go towel off and put my clothes on right now!"alfadriver wrote: As for the south. How can you stand the heat? For a while, I thought of retiring in Puerto Rico (warm and mountains) but it's FAR too hot.Air conditioning. I hate the heat, so my electric bill are kind of painful in the summer. On the other hand, it hasn't run but probably a week total in the last two months, the doors are open now to let the cool breeze in. And where you take the winters off from motorsports, we take July and August.
I got it easy. Shorts and a golf shirt during the summer. I also don't live in a office, less than 8 hours a week. The rest of the time I'm outside. I do like my A/C though. They run hard during the summer.
As far as climate, here on the coast, during the summer it's usually 90s during the day and 70s at night. That lasts about two months. During the winter, 50s during the day and 30s at night. That lasts about two months as well. The rest of the year it's 70-80s during the day and 50-60s at night and that's pretty close to perfect. Y'all can keep the great white, frozen, salted, slushy north. I love snow, as long as it's gone by 2:00pm.
Find me a place that's 60 year round and I just might consider moving. 
alfadriver wrote: As for the south. How can you stand the heat? For a while, I thought of retiring in Puerto Rico (warm and mountains) but it's FAR too hot.
I was born and raised in it. When I moved to Indiana the guys from here complained it was 90 with high humidity and I wasn't barely sweating. The down side is that once it hits 40 I need winter clothes and the guys from here still wear shorts.
Even though I was raised in it I don't really like the high '90's with high humidity any more even though I loved it as a kid. Maybe that's because I'm not a kid anymore (oh, say it ain't so!). But like Toyman says, after we do 2 months of that the rest of the year ain't half bad.
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