Where Should I Retire...?

[Mother mopar 3318]

All the people saying they want to live in the CO mountains haven’t spent much time there. Was in Telluride this past month. Pulled into the AirBNB one night, fucking huge ass bear hanging out by the garage, it bolted into the woods when it saw us. I don’t understand wanting to live in the territory of something that can easily eat you, and there’s a ton of them out every night. Not a safe place to live at all. The east and south denver metro make a little more sense. Safer from forest fires and bears, plus the weather is way better.

Don't mess with them they don't mess with you. Here's one on my back fence in Florida, out for a morning cruise.

[Chewbacca 7766]

On 8/19/2024 at 8:22 AM, mdmost said:

I think my issue with Denver is the places that would really interest me the most are pretty far away from that terrible airport so if we wanted to get to other destinations, it would take a bit of an effort. I guess if you're on the NW end you can use the tollroad to get there easily but man that airport is a beating. I really liked Idaho Springs.  That would be the vibe I'm looking for in a place to retire to. There is so much to do in and around Denver. I don't think visiting the mountains in the late spring through summer would ever get old. I also wouldn't mind be that close to other states with similar vistas like Utah and New Mexico. 

Why do people think DIA is a bad airport?  I think it's great. It's easy to get in and out. It's easy to navigate.  And you can get direct flights to most destinations.

[Chewbacca 7766]

On 8/19/2024 at 12:08 PM, Helobious said:

All the people saying they want to live in the CO mountains haven’t spent much time there. Was in Telluride this past month. Pulled into the AirBNB one night, fucking huge ass bear hanging out by the garage, it bolted into the woods when it saw us. I don’t understand wanting to live in the territory of something that can easily eat you, and there’s a ton of them out every night. Not a safe place to live at all. The east and south denver metro make a little more sense. Safer from forest fires and bears, plus the weather is way better.

Black bears aren't going to hurt you.  We don't have grizzlies in CO.

[mdmost 42999]

21 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

Why do people think DIA is a bad airport?  I think it's great. It's easy to get in and out. It's easy to navigate.  And you can get direct flights to most destinations.

The two lane highway to get into and out of there was a beating. The rail line is nice, I've used it before when I didn't rent a car so that gives it some points. I don't like linear layouts for airports like Atlanta and this one. I don't like having one massive TSA checkpoint for everyone and then you have to go in order to get your terminal out of numerous ones. It makes everything take longer, at least it did on the day we left. Maybe I'm just conditioned by airports like DFW where you have multiple terminals and multiple options for TSA lines. The car rental center being an almost 10 minute shuttle ride. I much prefer the setup at a place like SEA where you have the one large garage for all the cars. It wouldn't be a deal breaker for me, I just didn't like it. I have a buddy who used to live there and traveled on business for a living and he did not like the airport either for similar reasons. 

[Pato del Muerto 52485]

On 8/19/2024 at 11:08 AM, Helobious said:

All the people saying they want to live in the CO mountains haven’t spent much time there. Was in Telluride this past month. Pulled into the AirBNB one night, fucking huge ass bear hanging out by the garage, it bolted into the woods when it saw us. I don’t understand wanting to live in the territory of something that can easily eat you, and there’s a ton of them out every night. Not a safe place to live at all. The east and south denver metro make a little more sense. Safer from forest fires and bears, plus the weather is way better.

[Firemans4Horn 18034]

DIA is poorly designed. It’s surrounded by nothingness; you should be able to drive (and park), bus/train, Uber to each of the 3 terminals.

It’s idiotic that everything funnels into one area and you have to wait in 1 TSA line and then take a 5-10 minute train ride inside the airport to the terminals. 

When I was there in February the TSA pre-check line was about a quarter of a mile long snaked throughout the airport. 

[Dbeasy 15040]

On 8/15/2024 at 6:46 PM, South Austin said:

@SydneyCarton, I supplement my post above by saying that after my second day in Eugene, this place kicks all kinds of ass, and Oregon moves up bigly in the retirement fantasy rankings. Of course, I say this sitting on the patio of a local brewery enjoying a 75-degree sunny evening, before the eight-month rainy season starts.

But seriously, steer your kid toward University of Oregon. This school and this town is awesome.

 

On 8/15/2024 at 8:11 PM, Texzilla588 said:

We lived in Portland from 99-02. The rain is incessant and the cloud ceiling low. It’s fucking hell on earth weather wise. 44 and various forms of wet 9 months a year; you can not get warm. Summers were recruiting weather.

We were in the Bay Area when I interviewed for the Portland job. “Find out about the rain!” I asked the founder in the interview after he waxed forever on the wonderfulness of his town. What about the rain? “Thats a myth we use to keep Californians away or they’d fucking move here. It rains less here than Dallas!” Wife later asks “what about the fucking rain?!” It rains less here than Dallas. It’s looked it up!”

Moving van drove away. Rained the next 44 days.

 

On 8/16/2024 at 10:55 PM, Pato del Muerto said:

Yes Seattle is rainy and dreary so nobody move there. And expensive. And full of homeless and used drug needles.  And super high property taxes. And definitely a state income tax. I don’t know why anyone lives there. 

Fun fact that will blow your mind. There are areas in Portland, Eugene, and Seattle that have the same average annual rainfall as Austin. 

[Pato del Muerto 52485]

1 minute ago, Dbeasy said:

 

 

Fun fact that will blow your mind. There are areas in Portland, Eugene, and Seattle that have the same average annual rainfall as Austin. 

Hell the reported annual rainfall for “Seattle” is only like 4” more than “Austin” if you google. I’m assuming those values refer to metro areas and not the cities proper but either way. 
 

You just get it over 150 days instead of 50. 

[mdmost 42999]

7 minutes ago, Firemans4Horn said:

DIA is poorly designed. It’s surrounded by nothingness; you should be able to drive (and park), bus/train, Uber to each of the 3 terminals.

It’s idiotic that everything funnels into one area and you have to wait in 1 TSA line and then take a 5-10 minute train ride inside the airport to the terminals. 

When I was there in February the TSA pre-check line was about a quarter of a mile long snaked throughout the airport. 

TSA Pre line and standard check in line, both going to different areas of the same building, were each 30 minute waits on Sunday. The quickest option was TSA Pre + Clear which was 10 minutes. It just seemed to be a giant mess. Granted, there was construction in the lower area so maybe that had something to do with it but it did not seemed like a well laid out idea to efficiently move people through your airport. It felt more like what you have to do when you have to go through Customs after returning from an international destination. Sure, Sunday is a busy flight day but the layout just flat sucked. 

[Chewbacca 7766]

17 minutes ago, Firemans4Horn said:

DIA is poorly designed. It’s surrounded by nothingness; you should be able to drive (and park), bus/train, Uber to each of the 3 terminals.

It’s idiotic that everything funnels into one area and you have to wait in 1 TSA line and then take a 5-10 minute train ride inside the airport to the terminals. 

When I was there in February the TSA pre-check line was about a quarter of a mile long snaked throughout the airport. 

Precheck has been moved and works very smoothly these days.  I haven't waited more than 10-15 min in probably a couple of years.

DIA is a huge airport.  When compared to other huge airports, it holds up quite well.  Give me DIA over DFW or IAH any day.

[Pato del Muerto 52485]

35 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

Precheck has been moved and works very smoothly these days.  I haven't waited more than 10-15 min in probably a couple of years.

DIA is a huge airport.  When compared to other huge airports, it holds up quite well.  Give me DIA over DFW or IAH any day.

Plus there’s the secret lair that the shuttle goes to where the Illuminati convene. 

[JGrayDBU 338]

Re, someone a while back remarked about the need to consider that water is going to be tough to find in the future.  My retirement preference Texarkana offers low real estate prices and lots of square footage for the money.  Ex, right now there is a 2-2, 1700 s. f. home with a detached garage @ 85k.  Throw in rainfall collection, even if just from the house and depending upon the efficiency of the rainfall collection, I would guess the home value doubles in 10 years.  Big city lot by today's standards, .32 acre.  

Any experts on how to estimate price of rainfall collection?  Is it something that once you put it in is set and forget or is there maintenance every so often?  Does it only make financial sense for outside watering or would it work for inside water use as well?

 

 

[Incredulity 11650]

15 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Plus there’s the COUNTRY MANSION that the shuttle goes to where the PENTAVIRATE convene.

Well, it's a well known fact, Sonny Jim, that there's a secret society of the five wealthiest people in the world, known as The Pentavirate, who run everything in the world, including the newspapers, and meet tri-annually at a secret country mansion in Colorado, known as The Meadows.

 

fify

[fwtxbevo 91]

17 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

Precheck has been moved and works very smoothly these days.  I haven't waited more than 10-15 min in probably a couple of years.

DIA is a huge airport.  When compared to other huge airports, it holds up quite well.  Give me DIA over DFW or IAH any day.

I agree. No issues with DIA at all, and quite frankly, Pre Check is quicker there than at most airports. Not to mention the very convenient RTD train to downtown and beyond. 

[Aqua Buddha 14582]

21 hours ago, Firemans4Horn said:

DIA is poorly designed. It’s surrounded by nothingness; you should be able to drive (and park), bus/train, Uber to each of the 3 terminals.

It’s idiotic that everything funnels into one area and you have to wait in 1 TSA line and then take a 5-10 minute train ride inside the airport to the terminals. 

When I was there in February the TSA pre-check line was about a quarter of a mile long snaked throughout the airport. 

Yeah, this.  They built it in the middle of fucking nowhere.  Why can't the car rental place be somewhat close to the airport?

[Mother mopar 3318]

Precheck has been moved and works very smoothly these days.  I haven't waited more than 10-15 min in probably a couple of years.
DIA is a huge airport.  When compared to other huge airports, it holds up quite well.  Give me DIA over DFW or IAH any day.

Skylink>DIA train

[Chewbacca 7766]

11 minutes ago, Mother mopar said:

21 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

Precheck has been moved and works very smoothly these days.  I haven't waited more than 10-15 min in probably a couple of years.
DIA is a huge airport.  When compared to other huge airports, it holds up quite well.  Give me DIA over DFW or IAH any day.

Skylink>DIA train

They're pretty much the same thing, Skylink just has a few more stops.

[Beau Vine 54205]

On 8/19/2024 at 8:22 AM, mdmost said:

I think my issue with Denver is the places that would really interest me the most are pretty far away from that terrible airport so if we wanted to get to other destinations, it would take a bit of an effort. I guess if you're on the NW end you can use the tollroad to get there easily but man that airport is a beating. I really liked Idaho Springs.  That would be the vibe I'm looking for in a place to retire to. There is so much to do in and around Denver. I don't think visiting the mountains in the late spring through summer would ever get old. I also wouldn't mind be that close to other states with similar vistas like Utah and New Mexico. 

We spent a month in Idaho Springs a couple of summers ago.  It's a great little town, except for having to drive in to Evergreen every time you want reasonably-priced groceries.  It's actually only about an hour from DIA, which I couldn't believe.  And it's not that expensive, RE-wise compared to everything else close to Denver.  

[Chopper 17230]

One thing about DIA is it's actually, officially DEN.

[Hornius Emeritus 12450]

Just in case it hasn't been pointed out, Asheville, North Carolina is an exceptionally nice town, with more breweries per capita than any town in the United States.

[MrX 727]

I live in southern Denver suburbs so getting to/from DIA is a piece of cake using E470. It is a pain in the ass to get there from downtown. 
 

Security setup has improved dramatically in the past 24 months with the new construction.  
 

Overall, it’s fine. 

[fwtxbevo 91]

Arvada would be a good location to retire. My Texas Ex son and his wife have lived there for the past 2 years and love it. It's less expensive than Golden or Boulder, and basically halfway between Golden and downtown Denver. There are lots of parks and trails, and Olde Town Arvada is a really cool place for drinks and dinner. It has a couple of light-rail (RTD) stations with a short ride to downtown, and it's just north of I-70 making it an easy drive to the mountains for the weekend.

[Js1 85270]

6 hours ago, MrX said:

I live in southern Denver suburbs so getting to/from DIA is a piece of cake using E470. It is a pain in the ass to get there from downtown. 
 

Security setup has improved dramatically in the past 24 months with the new construction.  
 

Overall, it’s fine. 

Yeah, I hated it living there from 2019-21 but the last 2 years of flying in for work, it's way better

[Chewbacca 7766]

9 hours ago, MrX said:

I live in southern Denver suburbs so getting to/from DIA is a piece of cake using E470. It is a pain in the ass to get there from downtown. 
 

Security setup has improved dramatically in the past 24 months with the new construction.  
 

Overall, it’s fine. 

I-70 has the express lanes now, I don't think it's that bad from downtown anymore. But coming from the south it's super easy.

[Gil Bang 25907]

On 8/17/2024 at 5:41 PM, VABuckeye said:

Yeah. We’ve spent a LOT of time on St. John and in the BVI and came to realize it’s not for us as a place to live.  First, the hobby there is heavy drinking by pretty much everyone that lives there.  It’s also not an easy place to travel from to many of the other places we enjoy.  I love those islands but wouldn’t consider living there.  We also know a lot of people who went through Irma and I don’t desire that at all.  Ian when we lived in Naples was enough of that for me. 

The FL keys are the same thing.  I was down there last year for almost 3 weeks, and I was bored out of my gourd.  Spend the morning on the boat/jet ski, then go to lunch.  Back to the house for an afternooner, then back in the water until time to go to the bar and then to dinner.   Same shit day after day. 

[troph 24781]

On 8/21/2024 at 4:42 AM, JGrayDBU said:

Re, someone a while back remarked about the need to consider that water is going to be tough to find in the future.  My retirement preference Texarkana offers low real estate prices and lots of square footage for the money.  Ex, right now there is a 2-2, 1700 s. f. home with a detached garage @ 85k.  Throw in rainfall collection, even if just from the house and depending upon the efficiency of the rainfall collection, I would guess the home value doubles in 10 years.  Big city lot by today's standards, .32 acre.  

Any experts on how to estimate price of rainfall collection?  Is it something that once you put it in is set and forget or is there maintenance every so often?  Does it only make financial sense for outside watering or would it work for inside water use as well?

 

 

Rain water collection  systems wildly range in price depending on how stupid you get (raises her hand) but in the end the system is pretty simple.

Gutters, filters, tank, pump and pressure tank, more filters, and UV light. That system (assume 10,000 gallon tank) can be had for $15k (+/-) for a whole house system. There are calculators on line for roof square footage, expected rainfall etc to help determine if a house can supply itself. There are also a few threads on topic elsewhere on the board.  
 

In the right area it’s a fantastic way to supply your home’s water. 

go check out those threads and feel free to post there.

[troph 24781]

1 hour ago, Gil Bang said:

The FL keys are the same thing.  I was down there last year for almost 3 weeks, and I was bored out of my gourd.  Spend the morning on the boat/jet ski, then go to lunch.  Back to the house for an afternooner, then back in the water until time to go to the bar and then to dinner.   Same shit day after day. 

I could fish islamorada 150 days a year - 75 to the south in deep water and 75 to the north and skinny water, and even still not sure I could live there. Same with the carrib other islands.

[Gravy Train 974]

On 8/20/2024 at 7:15 PM, Chewbacca said:

Precheck has been moved and works very smoothly these days.  I haven't waited more than 10-15 min in probably a couple of years.

DIA is a huge airport.  When compared to other huge airports, it holds up quite well.  Give me DIA over DFW or IAH any day.

It's a damn shame they removed the security checkpoints upstairs-- that used to be my fix for the massive lines downstairs at the main checkpoints.  

I assume DIA will be massively improved when all the construction projects are completed.  Airport parking there still seems screwy, with all the recent vehicle breakins and catalytic converter thefts reported on site.

[Chewbacca 7766]

6 hours ago, Gravy Train said:

It's a damn shame they removed the security checkpoints upstairs-- that used to be my fix for the massive lines downstairs at the main checkpoints.  

I assume DIA will be massively improved when all the construction projects are completed.  Airport parking there still seems screwy, with all the recent vehicle breakins and catalytic converter thefts reported on site.

Yeah, we don't park at the airport.  When we travel, we have a guy who will just drive us out and pick us up.  Way less brain damage and no wondering if your cats will be there when you come back.  And it seems like construction will never be over.

[SurlyGator 865]

3 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

And it seems like construction will never be over.

You just described every major airport everywhere, amirite?

[crash_davis 23096]

On 8/22/2024 at 1:25 PM, fwtxbevo said:

Arvada would be a good location to retire. My Texas Ex son and his wife have lived there for the past 2 years and love it. It's less expensive than Golden or Boulder, and basically halfway between Golden and downtown Denver. There are lots of parks and trails, and Olde Town Arvada is a really cool place for drinks and dinner. It has a couple of light-rail (RTD) stations with a short ride to downtown, and it's just north of I-70 making it an easy drive to the mountains for the weekend.

For the month of July, I was up the mountains in Coal Creek Canyons just 15 mins west of Arvada. All months, we drove and experienced the front range from Ft Collins down to Golden. Wife and I decided that when we retire, we're moving to Arvada. I want to be close to the mountains but also be close to a major airport, city centers for doctors, and every day conveniences. In Arvada, you are 15 mins from the mountains, 5 mins to Golden, 15 mins to Boulder, 10-20 mins to Denver (depending on where you're going) and 45-50 mins to DIA. Yes I-70 sucks but when we are retired, I won't do I-70 during the weekends. I'll be going up to the mountains during the week and leave the weekends to the Denver people. 

People bitching about DIA are missing the bigger picture. I fly in and out of small ass airports all the time. From small airports, I can get to the airport 30 mins before my flight and easily get on my plane. But I'm having to make a connection anywhere I go. From DIA, you are flying direct to most US cities that you would want to visit. Fuck connections. I'd rather spend an extra hour through security in DIA than spend 1-3 hours in a connecting airport where I may miss my flight and get stuck there. And then I would still need to fly to the destination. 

My thoughts on the front range cities.

- Golden, the city itself is pretty small. Expensive. 

- Boulder, great city but it's the most expensive front range city. We would love to retire here but did I mention that it's expensive.

- Anything north of Boulder and you are getting further from the mountains. By the time you get to Ft Collins, you are 30-60 mins from the mountains, depending on where you want to go. Also the cities are basically suburbs of Denver/Ft Collins. Not much character.

- Ft Collins, we really liked the city. Nice walkable dtown area. We just didn't like how far it was from the mountains. Plus when you go, it'll probably be to Estes and RMNP. That area is a fucking zoo and filled with the Yellowstone tourists type of crowd. I want to do gorgeous hikes with fewer people on the trail. RMNP and that whole area are filled with car hike people, people who won't hike more than a mile from their cars. And there are a fuckton of them.

- Arvada is the Goldie Locks of the front range, imo.

[crash_davis 23096]

Spain is sending out the bat signal.

https://www.forbes.com.au/life/lifestyle/heres-how-you-can-get-paid-24000-to-move-to-spain/

Extremadura, Spain is paying people to move there.

Here, the local government has allocated €2 million (about AUD$3.44 million) to attract up to 200 digital nomads with grants of up to €15,000 (about AUD$24,789) to move to Extremadura and work. Women and men under the age of 30 can receive €10,000 (about AUD$15,858), while men over 30 years can make €8,000 (about AUD$12,686). After two years, women and men under the age of 30 will get another €5,000 (about AUD$7,929) if they stay in the region for another year. Men over 30 will get an additional €4,000 (about AUD$6,343) after two years and also must stay another year.

 

I did the google maps for you.

 

[crash_davis 23096]

Key comments from the reddit thread.

https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/1f1fel9/spain_is_offering_nomads_24000_to_relocate_to/

araujoms

I've just spent my summer vacations in Extremadura. It's a lovely region. Geography makes the it naturally isolated, and is the root cause of its emptiness. I hope they finish soon the high-speed train line to Madrid, it's taking ages. In the meanwhile attracting a couple of digital nomads would be nice, but clearly it won't solve anything.

 

mrjerichoholic99
who the hell wants to live in extremadura lmao?

Echochamberking
It has a dry climate, the infrastructure is lousy, the area is poor but in exchange you would live in a quiet area with more or less good internet connectivity and probably the best ham in the world.

[StassneyHorn 6573]

On 8/22/2024 at 6:24 PM, Gil Bang said:

The FL keys are the same thing.  I was down there last year for almost 3 weeks, and I was bored out of my gourd.  Spend the morning on the boat/jet ski, then go to lunch.  Back to the house for an afternooner, then back in the water until time to go to the bar and then to dinner.   Same shit day after day. 

No mention of Dante’s or the strip clubs?

[StassneyHorn 6573]

A+ decision on Idaho Springs. Yard’s Taphouse and the BBQ place across the street were a nice mistake when I was out riding around. 

[Chewbacca 7766]

2 hours ago, crash_davis said:

People bitching about DIA are missing the bigger picture. I fly in and out of small ass airports all the time. From small airports, I can get to the airport 30 mins before my flight and easily get on my plane. But I'm having to make a connection anywhere I go. From DIA, you are flying direct to most US cities that you would want to visit. Fuck connections. I'd rather spend an extra hour through security in DIA than spend 1-3 hours in a connecting airport where I may miss my flight and get stuck there. And then I would still need to fly to the destination. 

There are several direct international destinations as well.  We plan most of our trips around getting a direct flight somewhere.  It's great.

[Gravy Train 974]

BA flies direct to Heathrow out of DIA now... it's fantastic.

Also @crash_davis:  I've been studying the same front range relo dilemma as you but have different thoughts on priorities, based on current impressions and development trajectory over the next decade or so. 

[SimonBolivar 10957]

3 hours ago, crash_davis said:

Key comments from the reddit thread.

https://www.reddit.com/r/europe/comments/1f1fel9/spain_is_offering_nomads_24000_to_relocate_to/

araujoms

I've just spent my summer vacations in Extremadura. It's a lovely region. Geography makes the it naturally isolated, and is the root cause of its emptiness. I hope they finish soon the high-speed train line to Madrid, it's taking ages. In the meanwhile attracting a couple of digital nomads would be nice, but clearly it won't solve anything.

 

mrjerichoholic99
who the hell wants to live in extremadura lmao?

Echochamberking
It has a dry climate, the infrastructure is lousy, the area is poor but in exchange you would live in a quiet area with more or less good internet connectivity and probably the best ham in the world.

I wonder if people on a Real Madrid message board are dreaming about retiring in Tupelo, Mississippi.

[crash_davis 23096]

3 hours ago, StassneyHorn said:

A+ decision on Idaho Springs. Yard’s Taphouse and the BBQ place across the street were a nice mistake when I was out riding around. 

During our last week in Coal Creek Canyons mountains, there were 4 different wildfires happening. One to the south of us west of Golden, and one to the north of us just a couple of mountains over just outside of Boulder. We actually packed up a few days early in case we needed to quickly evacuate the mountain cabin. I did not sleep well the night that the Boulder fire was burning uncontained.

That's a long way of say I don't want to live in the mountains where this is a worry every summer. Idaho Springs falls into that concern.

[CooterBrown 18002]

19 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

There are several direct international destinations as well.  We plan most of our trips around getting a direct flight somewhere.  It's great.

"Several".  The flight selection is a big reason we will retire in CO.

Asia
Tokyo-Narita, Japan (NRT)
Canada
Calgary (YYC)
Edmonton (YEG)
Montreal (YUL)
Toronto (YYZ)
Vancouver (YVR)
Winnipeg (YWG)
Caribbean
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (GCM)
Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ)
Nassau, Bahamas (NAS)
Central America
Belize City, Belize (BZE)
Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR)
Panama City, Panama (PTY)
Roatan, Honduras (RTB)
San Jose, CR (SJO)
Europe
Dublin, Ireland (DUB)
Istanbul, Türkiye (IST)
London-Heathrow, United Kingdom (LHR)
Frankfurt, Germany (FRA)
Munich, Germany (MUC)
Paris, France (CDG)
Reykjavik, Iceland (KEF)
Zurich, Switzerland (ZRH)
Mexico
Cancun (CUN)
Cozumel (CZM)
Chihuahua (CUU)
Guadalajara (GDL)
Mexico City (MEX)
Monterrey (MTY)
Puerto Vallarta (PVR)
San Jose del Cabo (SJD)

[Chopper 17230]

On 8/26/2024 at 9:04 AM, crash_davis said:

- Ft Collins, we really liked the city. Nice walkable dtown area. We just didn't like how far it was from the mountains. Plus when you go, it'll probably be to Estes and RMNP. That area is a fucking zoo and filled with the Yellowstone tourists type of crowd. I want to do gorgeous hikes with fewer people on the trail. RMNP and that whole area are filled with car hike people, people who won't hike more than a mile from their cars. And there are a fuckton of them.

There's a bunch of good to great hikes 10 to 30 minutes from Fort Collins. Boulder has the advantage of being closer to great hikes, in some cases even walking distance from a neighborhood, but it's also more crowded.

Spoiler

Horsetooth Rock Trail: A 5-mile round-trip hike that leads to the iconic Horsetooth Rock formation, offering panoramic views of the city and the surrounding mountains.

Arthur's Rock Trail: Located in Lory State Park, this 3.4-mile round-trip hike takes you to Arthur's Rock, providing beautiful views of Horsetooth Reservoir and the Front Range.

Greyrock Mountain Trail: A challenging 7.4-mile loop trail that ascends to the summit of Greyrock Mountain, offering spectacular views and opportunities for wildlife spotting. edit - also easy access to Steamboat without having to get on I70.

Coyote Ridge Natural Area Trail: This 4.2-mile round-trip trail offers a moderate hike through beautiful grasslands and shrublands, leading to a ridge with stunning views of the Front Range.

Bobcat Ridge Natural Area Trail: Choose between the 7.3-mile round-trip Ginny Trail or the easier 4.6-mile round-trip Valley Loop Trail for a peaceful hike through a diverse ecosystem, including meadows, forests, and rocky outcrops.

Pineridge Natural Area Trail: A network of trails providing options for short or longer hikes, with the 2.8-mile round-trip Reservoir Loop being a popular choice for a moderate hike featuring a small reservoir and beautiful scenery.

Maxwell Natural Area Trail: This 3.4-mile loop trail offers a moderately difficult hike with great views of Horsetooth Reservoir and the surrounding area.

Foothills Trail: This 9.6-mile point-to-point trail traverses the eastern foothills of the Rockies, connecting Pineridge, Maxwell, and Reservoir Ridge Natural Areas, providing a variety of scenery and terrain.

Hewlett Gulch Trail: A 6.2-mile round-trip hike in the Poudre Canyon that follows a creek, crossing it several times, and offers the opportunity to explore a beautiful canyon with wildflowers and wildlife.

Blue Sky Trail: Located in the Coyote Ridge Natural Area, this 7.5-mile round-trip trail connects with other trails in the region, providing beautiful views and a variety of terrain, including grasslands, shrublands, and rocky ridges.

I like Fort Collins quite a bit. It's not perfect but nowhere is. The city also has miles of wide, paved trails that weave throughout the city for bikes, jogging, etc. You definitely feel like you're in a small city rather than a suburb of Denver. Boulder definitely has better restaurants.

Edited August 28 by Chopper

[Gatorubet 30185]

On 8/19/2024 at 1:08 PM, Helobious said:

All the people saying they want to live in the CO mountains haven’t spent much time there. Was in Telluride this past month. Pulled into the AirBNB one night, fucking huge ass bear hanging out by the garage, it bolted into the woods when it saw us. I don’t understand wanting to live in the territory of something that can easily eat you, and there’s a ton of them out every night. Not a safe place to live at all. The east and south denver metro make a little more sense. Safer from forest fires and bears, plus the weather is way better.