What's So Great About Your State?

[CedarCreek]

I live in MI and although I do get sick of winter, I must say that I would miss living here if I ever left! We have all four seasons with lots to do each season!
In the summer (my fav. season) we have lakes upon lakes, not to mention the Great Lakes, fishing, rivers, boating,we have a quad and there are the sand dunes, campgrounds-where you can actually have a camp fire if it's not too dry, outdoor concerts, festivals, etc... I could go on and on!
In the fall there are the apple orchards where you can pick apples and there are many festivities at the cider mills for kids and adults, beautiful foliage, wineries, pumpkin patches, etc..
In the winter there are ski lodges, tobaggan runs(sp?), ice fishing, winter carnivals.
In the spring there are festivals, etc...
In just about every season you can find a festival or even a zoo to go to!
We also have tons of museums and historical places to visit.
I lovethis MI!

That all sounds like soo much fun!! Especially the apple orchards! We have lots of festivals here but you can never take your children for long, they will over heat and sunburn in a minute! It makes it really not fun.

[sally]

I live in west central Iowa and its pretty beautiful here. We have 4 seasons, spring, a nice green summer, a colorful fall, and sometimes very cold- sometimes mild winters. Different parts of Iowa have different types of land.

[Willow]

To help BC in the picture dept.

These are a couple from my Saturday:






This one was from our late winter/early spring:




I may be a bit biased but I sure think it's puuurdy up here lovethis

[melilley]

agreed And you can easily go on vacation to "Up North" - in the same state.

Yes "up north"! My mom has a cabin up north and we love it! Even if it's just a couple of hours away, it is like a vacation! MI is so versatile, you could go an hour away in any direction and have a vacation! We go to Silver Lake a lot, so you have Lake MI on one side and the sand dunes on the other. It's so nice!

[MarinaVanessa]

I live in southern CA and I love the weather. It's usually between 60-80 degrees here almost year round. No snow (which suits me just fine), hardly rains and no we don't always get earthquakes. PS to us, nothing under a 5.0 is really considered an earthquake. You can barely feel those ;-)

[CedarCreek]

Willow, those pics are beautiful!!

[Willow]

Willow, those pics are beautiful!!

The first two were taken in Pequot Lakes, MN at a cabin resort on the Whitefish Chain of Lakes (Pig Bay to be specific). We vacationed up there Friday thru Monday. The last one was taken out my front door, sunrises like that are pretty typical and the sunsets are just as breathtaking. Not sure why but I don't ever argue with the view

Take your pick, there are lots of homes for sale around both (slim pickin's for daycare around here especially, you'd have a real easy go of setting up because there are literally droves of families waiting)

[Blackcat31]

Willow, those pics are beautiful!!

Here is my scenery from MN. Most the pictures are ones I have taken myself and all the locations are within 90 minutes of my home.

https://www.daycare.com/forum/album.php?albumid=165

As far as property taxes go, we live on 40 acres within 5 miles of town. My yearly property taxes are less than $1500.

I have two city lots in town for my daycare house. It is classified as "None homesteaded" because no one actually lives there. The property taxes on my daycare home are less than $800 per year.

[Lavender]

I currently live in Western New York and I'm loving it. I love the big trees, the green grass (yes, green even in the winter under all the snow), the way the temps don't get too high, the nature everywhere, the amazing schools, the amount of things to do that cost little to nothing. I love how small the class sizes are and how much more is spent on special services and classes.

I've also lived in:

Southern California - didn't care for the lack of real seasons, everything cost a lot to do, people seemed to care a lot about what they wore/how they looked, houses are on top of each other, even in our "good" school they did not have the resources to meet my daughter's special needs. The taxes were also high since all the houses in the area I lived had mello roos on top of property taxes. Traffic was a nightmare a lot of times.

Northern Virginia - loved the history and the trees. The weather was a nice blend of seasons. There was too much congestion for me, however. Traffic was a nightmare.

Minnesota - Minnesota was a lot like where I live in New York is except the area I lived in did not have all the trees and beautiful topography like where I live here. There was this HORRIBLE mosquito season though. Considering I have a phobia of them, it was a nightmare. Otherwise, it was great.

Nebraska - The people are so down to earth. I love that you can have land. I wish there were more trees. The schools were great, cost of living is great, and unemployment is very low. I like that the state govt is non-partison and unicameral. I wish more states did it.

Missouri - Missouri has a lot of trees and lakes and such. Cost of living is good and it seemed all around a good place to live. Not my top choice, but a good area for sure.

Ohio - Ohio was probably a lot like Missouri to me, but I was a kid LOL

Northern California - I love a lot of northern California. San Francisco is one of my very favorite places to visit. I don't know that I'd want to live there, however, given the cost of living and the problems with CA schools.

I've been to a lot of other states, but those are just the places I've lived in.

[CedarCreek]

I currently live in Western New York and I'm loving it. I love the big trees, the green grass (yes, green even in the winter under all the snow), the way the temps don't get too high, the nature everywhere, the amazing schools, the amount of things to do that cost little to nothing. I love how small the class sizes are and how much more is spent on special services and classes.

I've also lived in:

Southern California - didn't care for the lack of real seasons, everything cost a lot to do, people seemed to care a lot about what they wore/how they looked, houses are on top of each other, even in our "good" school they did not have the resources to meet my daughter's special needs. The taxes were also high since all the houses in the area I lived had mello roos on top of property taxes. Traffic was a nightmare a lot of times.

Northern Virginia - loved the history and the trees. The weather was a nice blend of seasons. There was too much congestion for me, however. Traffic was a nightmare.

Minnesota - Minnesota was a lot like where I live in New York is except the area I lived in did not have all the trees and beautiful topography like where I live here. There was this HORRIBLE mosquito season though. Considering I have a phobia of them, it was a nightmare. Otherwise, it was great.

Nebraska - The people are so down to earth. I love that you can have land. I wish there were more trees. The schools were great, cost of living is great, and unemployment is very low. I like that the state govt is non-partison and unicameral. I wish more states did it.

Missouri - Missouri has a lot of trees and lakes and such. Cost of living is good and it seemed all around a good place to live. Not my top choice, but a good area for sure.

Ohio - Ohio was probably a lot like Missouri to me, but I was a kid LOL

Northern California - I love a lot of northern California. San Francisco is one of my very favorite places to visit. I don't know that I'd want to live there, however, given the cost of living and the problems with CA schools.

I've been to a lot of other states, but those are just the places I've lived in.

Wow! You have lived in a lot of places! That's really exciting.

I like your point about schools. Special needs services are very important to us, our son is special needs as well.

[Blackcat31]

Wow! You have lived in a lot of places! That's really exciting.

I like your point about schools. Special needs services are very important to us, our son is special needs as well.

Here this might be useful to you then

http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/11870.aspx

[CedarCreek]

Thank you, BC! That is really helpful!

[Lyss]

I heart Oregon, BUT I don't currently care for the town were are in now ::

We're outdoorsy people and there is a lot to do here. We hike, camp, kayak, fish...

The state really varies in climate depending on where you go. We have lots of trees and mountain areas, plus the beach!

Recently on a trip back east I had someone from Pittsburgh ask me if we had running water and electricity? Also if we ate things like chips and regular cereal or if the stores just sold granola and trail mix? :confused:::





(can you tell we like the mountains? )

DH is a park ranger and we debate moving to other states someday, I'm totally adding MN to our list!

[Willow]

Ooooooo Lyss, I so wanna come visit you!!!!

[spud912]

I also have lived in several places and can give some input.

Wisconsin (we lived in Madison)

• The Good:Schools are excellent. Health care is excellent. It is very green and plush! There is a wonderful feel of community. There are a lot of things to do (fishing, camping, events, etc.). It is within driving distance of some neat vacation spots (Chicago, Canada, etc.). The food is good (a lot of Asian places to eat, lots of excellent dairy!). The cost of living is low.
• The Bad: The weather, the weather, the weather! The summer is not so bad but the winters are terrible IMO. It clouds over for 9 months of the year it seems and it gets freakishly cold (and it's not like the kids have a tremendous amount of snow like they would in a place like Colorado). Driving is bad in the winter also due to excessive black ice and fog. There are a lot of mosquitoes. There are a lot of farms so the smell is not entirely pleasant at times when you are driving out of town. There is not much variation in topography so no places to hike really. Not sure if this matters to you, but you won't find too much Mexican food or spicy food for that matter. The grocery store selection of salsa includes extra extra mild, extra mild and mild.
• Overall: I loved living in Wisconsin. If it weren't for the cold weather (my body just can't handle it), I would love to move back!

Colorado (we lived in Durango)

• The Good:The scenery is absolutely stunning! If you are an active person, there are a lot of things to do (biking, hiking, skiing). The temperatures are not TOO extreme (wonderful perfect summers and the winters are not over-bearingly cold). The health care is really good!
• The Bad: I lived in a very small community, so this influences a lot of my negative views. Everyone knows everyone and there isn't too much personal space. The town can become gossipy. There is very little to do besides active sports and it can get boring. The snow can become very burdensome in the winter. I absolutely hated driving in it and dreaded winters for this reason. I remember there were times we would wake up really early to shovel and by the time we were done shoveling the driveway, the beginning of the driveway already had ~6 inches of snow in it...argh! There are absolutely no places to drive to and therefore you feel like you are stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere. The closest "city" to drive to was Albuquerque, NM ~5-6 hours away. Plus, in the winter do you want to risk driving on snowy icy roads to get somewhere? The cost of living is extremely high! You are surrounded by tourists all the time and it gets old very fast. Due to it being a small town, variety is very limited. They had a big problem with meth a few years ago (thankfully after I left) and it really swept through the schools. The school system is not the greatest. This is probably ticky-tacky, but it is not very green or plush in Colorado. In fact, I always thought it was pretty brown.
• Overall: I love to visit there and have a lot of family living there still. I would never in a million years move back unless there was an apocalypse (as it would probably be isolated enough :::.

Georgia (we lived in Macon)

• The Good: The health care is great. The cost of living is extremely low. The scenery is absolutely stunning (very green, lots of flowers, plush, mountains up north, beaches down south). The winters are very mild. There is an excellent sense of community. Regardless of how big the city is, you still feel like you live in a small town. People live there their entire lives and never leave. The food is good and fried. You are within driving distance to a LOT of places (the beach, Florida, Disneyworld, New Orleans, other states).
• The Bad: The schools are pretty bad and many people resort to paying for private schools. The summers are extremely humid and hot! There are a lot of mosquitoes. The food is not very healthy and there isn't too much emphasis on health or exercise, resulting in a high prevalence of obesity.
• Overall: This was my favorite place I've ever lived. I really loved the way people are! Depending on your beliefs, this is the bible belt and it is a big part of people's lives, so definitely expect that. The only thing holding me back is that I really don't think my husband would like it is as much (and I am happy where we are too so no need to move).

Texas (I lived in Waco) You would know about this one already, but I figured I would add it for anyone else interested.

• The Good: I am not really sure how the health care or school system is as I was only here for my first year and a half of college. There did seem to be a good sense of community here. If you like BBQ and Tex-Mex food, Texas has some of the best. Depending on where you are in Texas, the cost of living seems pretty consistent and moderate (not super low and not high). Winter weather is fairly mild, but the wind can make it pretty chilly.
• The Bad: I felt like if you were not from Texas, you would never really fit in. The scenery really lacked. In fact, I would say this was probably one of the ugliest places I've ever been to (and I've been all over the United States). There are nicer places within Texas (like Austin and San Antonio and the East side), but it seems like the rest is all brown and flat. Maybe it's just where I was, but the people seemed somewhat fake. The summers are hot and fairly humid (depending on where you are in the state). In the fall, there was always a huge influx of millions of locusts, followed by thousands of birds. I always thought it was pretty freaky and reminiscent of Old Testament . At one point, you couldn't walk at dusk without stepping on bugs or being dive bombed by them. Then the migrating birds made you feel like you were actually in the Birds movie .
• Overall: Besides Colorado, this was also one of my least favorite places to live.

Arizona (We currently live in the outskirts of Phoenix)

• The Good: The winter weather is the most perfect! It is surprisingly green in the city due to all of our plants and water usage. The scenery is pretty if you like the desert landscape with saguaros (I do not really care for it but I figured so many do it must be a plus!). We are the melting pot of the United States....hardly anyone that lives here is actually from here. Many people retire to Arizona, but only for the non-summer months . As a result, you get quite a variety of everything (food, diversity, etc.). Besides the summer heat and the haboobs (if you don't know, they are walls of swirling dust that come every summer...fun to look at and not too damaging), there are no natural disasters of any kind. The cost of living is fairly low. You are within driving distance of a lot of different places...mountains and snow up north, Mexico down south, California to the west.
• The Bad: The health care is not the greatest (imagine waiting in an ER for 4-5 hours with a broken bone ) and neither are the schools (you have to scope out the good ones....many do not score well with national standards). Arizona has one of the highest crime rates for theft in the United States. It's not a matter of "if" you get something stolen...it's "when" and "what." The summers are the hottest in the United States. Imagine at least one week out of the summer where the highs are between 115 and 120 and the lows are in the 90's/low 100's. It is a dry heat so at least for that!
• Overall: I really like Arizona (maybe it's because I met my husband here....one of the few true natives of this state ). It's not my most favorite state, but I do really like it.