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gdjsky01

Kim's Rocketeer
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Looking like I am coming to a crossroads of sort in my life, see (what I did instead of rocketry thread)

  1. Reasonable cost of living
  2. Access to dark skies within an hour and usable skies from a backyard
  3. A decent percentage of clear nights
  4. Access to a LPR/MPR club that launches once (at least) a month
  5. Access to a club with HPR and a decent waiver (decent for me = 6k feet) that launches once (at least) a month
  6. Modest cost for a few (or an) acre(s) of land and a 3 bedroom house. (modest compared to Los Angeles or San Diego counties where this item would be ~$600k and 2 is pretty tough, and 1 is subjective)

Where would you be? In na na land? Fantasy? No place like it?
To be honest California has quite a few places that tick every box to a degree except 1 and probably 6 (tho it is locale/county specific). Is it Arizona? Nevada? New Mexico? West Texas? Certainly no place further north or east. Oz? Though I probably could not get a visa. OZ would be a dream.
 
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I'd research state crime rates above all else. From there you can start narrowing things down. NM isn't exactly the safest so little sense in starting off in a dangerous state to begin with when there are so many safer ones to choose from.
 
Looking like I am coming to a crossroads of sort in my life, see (what I did instead of rocketry thread)

  1. Reasonable cost of living
  2. Access to dark skies within an hour and usable skies from a backyard
  3. A decent percentage of clear nights
  4. Access to a LPR/MPR club that launches once (at least) a month
  5. Access to a club with HPR and a decent waiver (decent for me = 6k feet) that launches once (at least) a month
  6. Modest cost for a few (or an) acre(s) of land and a 3 bedroom house. (modest compared to Los Angeles or San Diego counties where this item would be ~$600k and 2 is pretty tough, and 1 is subjective)

Where would you be? In na na land? Fantasy? No place like it?
To be honest California has quite a few places that tick every box to a degree except 1 and probably 6 (tho it is locale/county specific). Is it Arizona? Nevada? New Mexico? West Texas? Certainly no place further north or east. Oz? Though I probably could not get a visa. OZ would be a dream.
North Texas maybe, Eastern Colorado.
 
Pueblo, CO, or just west maybe.

- SCORE for LPR and HPR 2x / month, 12K waiver
- west for close dark skies
- Starry Meadows (1.5 -2 hrs south) for great dark skies (join C-Springs Astro for regular access)
- lower cost than C-Springs
 
Pueblo, CO, or just west maybe.

- SCORE for LPR and HPR 2x / month, 12K waiver
- west for close dark skies
- Starry Meadows (1.5 -2 hrs south) for great dark skies (join C-Springs Astro for regular access)
- lower cost than C-Springs
Thanks I look! It'll be a awhile.. But I am lookin for ideas.
 
I'd research state crime rates above all else. From there you can start narrowing things down. NM isn't exactly the safest so little sense in starting off in a dangerous state to begin with when there are so many safer ones to choose from.
NM is known for crime??? Huh... remember I am in Los Angeles County, tho in a nice part of it for sure. But seeing loads of crime sort of comes with 13 million people.
 
Do NOT even consider coming to MN. If I did not live here I would not believe the things that are happening.

In my little town, a 15 yo boy was stuck and killed while riding his bike. The driver left the scene, was finally caught and went to trial. Sentence was just a week ago, they gave him 30 days in jail and then probation.
And more goes on every day. Just read about the Hennepin County Sheriff.
 
I live in Southern California about 2 hours from Lucerne. Orange County is expensive to live here, but if you wanted to launch you could always move closer to Lucerne, say Apple Valley or Victorville? The summers are brutal and not sure on the crime rate?
 
Looking like I am coming to a crossroads of sort in my life, see (what I did instead of rocketry thread)

  1. Reasonable cost of living
  2. Access to dark skies within an hour and usable skies from a backyard
  3. A decent percentage of clear nights
  4. Access to a LPR/MPR club that launches once (at least) a month
  5. Access to a club with HPR and a decent waiver (decent for me = 6k feet) that launches once (at least) a month
  6. Modest cost for a few (or an) acre(s) of land and a 3 bedroom house. (modest compared to Los Angeles or San Diego counties where this item would be ~$600k and 2 is pretty tough, and 1 is subjective)

Where would you be? In na na land? Fantasy? No place like it?
To be honest California has quite a few places that tick every box to a degree except 1 and probably 6 (tho it is locale/county specific). Is it Arizona? Nevada? New Mexico? West Texas? Certainly no place further north or east. Oz? Though I probably could not get a visa. OZ would be a dream.

Montana . . .

Dave F.
 
If I could leave Indiana, it would be either for the Northern part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula or Colorado toward the Front Range or at least being able to avoid Denver and the traffic on I70.

The good part about living in NE Indiana is the cost of living is low and we can easily get to alot of beautiful places. The beaches along Lake Michigan are great, the hills in Southern Indiana and Ohio have great hiking, and the Smokies are a short drive. When you want or need something from a big city, Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus, Cincinnati and Detroit are all close. Even Niagra Falls is only an 8hr drive.

The deep South and Texas would be among the last places I'd live. I've been the Houston, Florida and Georgia all in July and I cannot handle the heat and humidity. My body isn't built to handle thick, wavy air.
 
If I could leave Indiana, it would be either for the Northern part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula or Colorado toward the Front Range or at least being able to avoid Denver and the traffic on I70.

The good part about living in NE Indiana is the cost of living is low and we can easily get to alot of beautiful places. The beaches along Lake Michigan are great, the hills in Southern Indiana and Ohio have great hiking, and the Smokies are a short drive. When you want or need something from a big city, Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus, Cincinnati and Detroit are all close. Even Niagra Falls is only an 8hr drive.

The deep South and Texas would be among the last places I'd live. I've been the Houston, Florida and Georgia all in July and I cannot handle the heat and humidity. My body isn't built to handle thick, wavy air.
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Oh, you said "air."
 
I live in Southern California about 2 hours from Lucerne. Orange County is expensive to live here, but if you wanted to launch you could always move closer to Lucerne, say Apple Valley or Victorville? The summers are brutal and not sure on the crime rate?
Yep. Or Rosamond. Or Lancaster. Apple valley. Victorville... those are all familiar territory (it a way). However its CA. Which is a pretty high cost of living... not that I knock it. CA is a state that cares about all. And forsakes almost no one. However it has a gigantic budget to prove it (along with the taxes). OC (Orange County)? Been there done that. Lived in Fullerton. Too close to Downtown Disney... too many memories there. Dana Point. Lived there. La Habra Heights (LA County) as well. That was our dream home...

Thanks for the input.
 
The deep South and Texas would be among the last places I'd live. I've been the Houston, Florida and Georgia all in July and I cannot handle the heat and humidity. My body isn't built to handle thick, wavy air.
Yep. Not me either. Never further east I thought west texas because it is dark. Michigan? Too windy, cloudy, cold. I am from Rochester NY. I'd like to find a place like SoCal that does not have a 'building season'. ;)

I am spoiled. 90% of the time I can launch at least once a month here in SoCal and if I was more motivated, probably two or three times.
 
If you can take some snow in winter, consider Eastern OR or WA. There are several good flying clubs, relatively dark skies, and areas with low cost of living. And, if I’m permitted to be biased, some of the most beautiful places anywhere in the world.
 
It depends on how you vote. Lots of states are getting really (deeply) fed up with people dragging their horrific choices in politics from failed states, to other states to get away from what they helped create. Only to begin recreating it where they have moved to.

I want to state that I am not implicating you in this, but I am stating that this would be a major aspect of my choice.
 
West Texas? Certainly no place further north or east. Oz? Though I probably could not get a visa. OZ would be a dream.
Well, if you come to Texas, we'll welcome you with open arms. Don't let the "don't you move here and bring your ways with you" crowd deter you. We all have been moving here and evolving with ourselves and our fellow immigrants through enough consecutive nationalities that we get confused as to the count, plus countless peoples before anyone thought of nations here.
If I was moving to the US of A my first choice would be Texas.
Anytime you want to visit DFW (sadly there's actually nothing at all to see here) and come to a launch in North Texas, I have your lodging and meals covered, and the same goes for our other antipodean friends @OverTheTop @RocketScientistAustralia and others. Just let me know, we'd love to have you.

Through dirt track racing I've come to know a number of your countrymen, and so far as I can tell, you're just like us Texans except for all the blood rushing to your head from being upside down. That's probably what makes you box kangaroos and wrestle crocodiles and stuff. Our wildlife is miserably complacent by comparison.

Plus your folk tell me our toilets flush the wrong way, which having rebuilt my own every three to five years, I can readily believe.

Someday I hope to visit the land of running, reverse-oriented toilets and find some of that kangaroo boxing energy that is sometimes a struggle to find in everyday life.

And yes, I know all those Australian stereotypes are just stereotypes. Same with the Texan ones though. Yet another thing our peoples have in common. :cool:
 
And yes, I know all those Australian stereotypes are just stereotypes. Same with the Texan ones though. Yet another thing our peoples have in common. :cool:

Texas has a very interesting history, a cool flag, all the surviving Chaparrals and a bunch of cool people.

It is my intention to visit before I shuffle off this mortal coil.
 
all the surviving Chaparrals.
I see you are a man of refined taste. All racing cars should be white like "les oiseaux blancs de Texas" as a French magazine I read in the '90s described the bewinged Chaparrals. :cool:

Come. Let us make the pilgrimage to Midland.
 
Texas has a very interesting history, a cool flag, all the surviving Chaparrals and a bunch of cool people.

It is my intention to visit before I shuffle off this mortal coil.

I also want to meet Jim Hall while he’s still around, just to say “Thank you”.
 
I can’t believe no one has mentioned it yet. You’re looking in the wrong corner of the country: Maine.
 
Texas has a very interesting history, a cool flag, all the surviving Chaparrals and a bunch of cool people.

It is my intention to visit before I shuffle off this mortal coil.

Any time, mate!! You'll always have a place to stay with me.

I'm not too far from Dallas/Fort Worth. We can all gather for the pilgrimage to Midland!
 
NM is known for crime???

So is Pueblo.... but "crime" is kind of relative. Depends on what you're used to I guess.

One thing you didn't mention is climate. I'm not a fan of being a slave to air conditioning... that narrows down the options quite a bit.
 
Texas.

/sigh

Born in Houston. Moved to Georgia at the tender age of 16. Miss it still. HOWEVER, I would not move back to Houston. Too hot, humid, and flat. Central Texas, around San Antonio and Austin. I have a sister that lives in New Braunfels, married into one of the Old 300 families. If'n I were to win the lottery, probably pull up stakes and head back West. Find a couple of hundred acres and raise antennae and rockets.
 
Jeff, I'm so sorry.
Texas is good. My wife and I used to fly with Kevin and Cheryl and the gang at MDARS, and I spoke with Kevin the other day about my Level 3 project. Since it began in the Mojave Desert, it was designed to go high. That's not so easy to do here in Central Texas. Lots of trees, ponds, and enough power lines to get you frustrated. 5K - 6K is reasonable here though. My wife's two daughters live in Austin, and I wanted us to live within an hours drive for their benefit with the old age visits.
The San Angelo area might not be bad for you. They've got a high power group with a 10K waiver.
You'd be leaving the land of earthquakes and entering the world of "interesting" weather. Do a bit of research on the year round weather where ever you're thinking of settling. I follow these folks a lot. https://www.youtube.com/@texasstormchasers
I'd recommend renting for a bit so there's no surprises.
 
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