Moving

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Wife and I have decided to move for several reasons. We are tired of the traffic, weather, and the liberal capital of the Northwest. But the primary reason is that my wife has rheumatoid arthritis.

If you've never experienced the damp cold here in winter months, take my word for it, you don't want to.

Not sure where we want to go. Considering central or eastern Washington. Also Idaho, Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico. Maybe other states as well.

We need a climate that's not too warm and not too cold. Preferably a dry cold.

We would like to stay away from densely populated areas but not too far so I can find work.

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated. ;)
 
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Not much help but the states you mentioned would appeal to me also, with Arizona prolly #1. Being a true okie in that I've been here all my life, I admit there's better places but I ended up staying here. Not saying to include Okla in your list but there's worst places I'm sure.
 
Central Texas, or East, South East Texas. It gets cold in North Texas, it can get way hot here in Houston and coastal Texas, but as hot as it gets here it can be hotter in central Texas during the Summer. The Winters don't last long and are very mild here South of Houston.
 
Kanew,

While we'd really like to have you move to Georgia, it's not the best place to live for an RA patient (sufferer). It appears that you may be living in one of the worst places (tell you about it), so the move could be very beneficial for the Mrs.

"Because the climate can affect how you feel, there are doctors who recommend to their patients that they move. For instance, someone in Washington state may have more trouble with their rheumatoid arthritis due to the cold, rainy weather Washington tends to get. This is also true of places like Michigan, Illinois, New York and New Jersey. These states can cause you to have stiffer, more painful joints due to their cold winters, along with the higher barometric pressure that brings rain and snow. "

The information that I found listed possible locations in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico or Texas that would be much better places to live. Texas works every day of the week for me, but I don't have RA. Hades will freeze over before I consider CA!!! We lived in Mesa, AZ for several years with that "dry heat". A swimming pool and many margaritas relieved that 125 degree summer stress!

"If rheumatoid arthritis is a problem for you and you are living in a cold, wet climate, you may want to consider moving to a drier, warmer climate. Drier, warmer climates such as Arizona, southern Nevada, southern Utah, California, Texas and parts of New Mexico may be good choices. Some people think that Florida may be a good state to live in because it is warm. But you may still have trouble with your rheumatoid arthritis due the rain that Florida can get, which brings higher barometric pressure. However, because everyone is different, you may get some relief just being in a warmer climate. "
 
I too have RA

Wife and I have decided to move for several reasons. We are tired of the traffic, weather, and the liberal capital of the Northwest. But the primary reason is that my wife has rheumatoid arthritis.

I was first diagnosed with RA in my teens 60~ years ago. Because I grew up in W. Wn. I may have some knowledge of the things you speak.

1) the best climate for RA+ people is one with little or no storm activity. That's not possible you say, well it is the variations of atmospheric pressure that cause flare ups & pain. SO, the tornado alley is OUT.

2) attitude & emotional state can also trigger flares in the condition so the least stressful environment is the best one. Public service jobs are not recommended for RA people, she should not be subjected to normal workplace stress.

3) for weather, Hawaii is the hands down winner. Never been there myself but have several friends that vacationed there for many years & finally made the move :)

Since I have retired & am as carefree as I ever imagined, I am more pain free than I can remember for years. BUT I now can stay in where it is warm & dry without feeling guilty.

Spring has sprung & the grass has riz - right outside my window :)
 
I've been thinking about Idaho for the same reasons. Then I look at the 40 years of collected junk and I can't imagine having to go through it to move. But it seems to be more attractive after every election season. :rolleyes:
 
I've been thinking about Idaho for the same reasons. Then I look at the 40 years of collected junk and I can't imagine having to go through it to move. But it seems to be more attractive after every election season. :rolleyes:

That's why we're doing it sooner than later. I was up in your neck of the woods a couple weeks ago. No offense, but I hope I don't go back. But something tells me I will. :o
 
I'd be more inclined to look in the Prescott area given the criteria presented. Flagstaff gets very cold in the Winter.
Jim

I'd say Prescott is a good choice, too. I've been there three times, and I like it. Its mile-high elevation moderates the Arizona summer heat, and it's not as cold and snowy as Flagstaff. If locksmithing opportunities are lacking there, here's a Plan B: Since you are knowledgeable about guns, and have good mechanical skills as a locksmith, you should be a top candidate for a job at the Ruger factory there.

I hate to disparage my own region, but North Texas is very hot in the summer, and can have arctic temperatures in the winter. Take a mathematical average of those, though, and we're pretty temperate!

Good luck with your move!
 
I can tell you that it is not much better for RA over here. Been looking a AZ ourselves and Prescott is highly praised by many I know down that way. You might want to look into it. Might look into SE Idaho as it is drier without as much "high/low" pressure
changes but still has all four seasons.

Pete
 
I lived for a while in Kennewick, WA., and as you probably know, it's a high desert environment, matching the description for preferred locations.

I thought it was a beautiful area, but if your looking at that part of WA, I would make sure your tap water is not from the Columbia river, downstream from Hanford, because of the radioactive groundwater plume.

Good luck, and best wishes to Mrs. Kanewpadle.
 
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Eburg is also high desert, without quite as much high heat as the tri-cities (which I call something else that rhymes and would irritate the Gorilla). Avoid Grant and Yakima counties. Grant County is a gang infested toilet, and Yakima County is worse - a three holer in the woods. On the rare occasions I go into Yakima, I roll HEAVY, and I have Bozo (see avatar) in the car.

If you want to live in a rural area, be prepared to pay a lot for adequate water rights; Kittitas County is over-populated for the available water. In the City of Ellensburg, we're ok for that. As far as I know, the incorporated areas (Cle Elum, etc.) of the upper county are too. I live near campus, and the worst thing I have to deal with on a regular basis is the anal pores on bicycles.

Not sure about locksmith opportunities, but the City and CWU pay better than the county and have way better benefits.
 
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My bro...

My bro retired to Prescott AZ. Very pleasant weather much of the year. Flagstaff is too high and cold for me. Phoenix and below......forget it, the heat is too awful. Prescott's in the middle. Just right. Like Baby Bears porridge.

Highly recommend, N. Georgie, upper state SC, Western NC

East Coast SC can be hot and humid, The middle area still gets hot. No altitude and away from the sea breeze. The upper part is cooler and gets some snow, but not that much.

Eastern TN is very nice if you can stay away from the crowds and still get near the mountains. It's colder and snowier in winter, but not bad.
 
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I spent my early years in the Tri-Cities, still have family there, and am actually heading that way later this week. If you like desert, it's absolutely beautiful. Summers can be a little brutal with the heat, and winters can get very cold. But both the heat and the cold are very dry, not damp at all. I've spent countless years steelheading along the Handford Reach stretch of the Columbia, and I don't glow in the dark :D

I spent 30+ years in Seattle, until the time came that I just could not take one more day of... traffic, high property taxes, the rat race, the dampness.

So I packed up and moved to Idaho, the northern panhandle part. The winters can be very long, cold, dark, wet. My first year up here (8yrs ago) we got 70 inches of snow JUST in the month of December! Last year we hardly got any snow. This year fell somewhere in-between, as most winters do. I prefer this drier, colder, snowier climate to the cold damp that is western Washington. And the summers here... are paradise. There's just no other way to describe them.

I've only been to the southern parts of Idaho once, down around the Boise area. I believe the climate is very similar to the Tri-Cities.

Also, the southern part of Oregon is very beautiful, with much milder weather than either Washington or Idaho.

Living in a place you love is important. Best of luck in your search.
 
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