<p>My wife and I are lucky; because of our avocations, we have people we know all over the US (and lots of the world as well). We used to play a game where we’d close our eyes, open a US Road Atlas, turn to a random page, point a finger onto a random spot, and then figure out who we knew that lived close to there.</p>
<p>We’re getting close to retirement, but will stay right here (building a retirement house now less than 10 miles from where we live). Our “motorhome” for traveling will actually be a van converted for camping. Not posh, but easy to drive and good on gas! First destination: a repeat of one of our favorite road trips ever (EVER!): The Alaska Highway (“When I die, all I ask is that they drive my casket on that road to Alaska all the way from Dawson Creek… When they put me on that highway, my final ride will be heaven to me.”)</p>
<p>Hey, Florida’s getting a bad rap here! When we moved here for H’s business, I balked in that I thought it would be all bluehairs and sedans but its not. I came kicking and screaming but now we plan on staying put forever. For us and the kids, its pretty near perfect.</p>
<p>I used to think that moving to SoCal (nice weather and near our kids) would be nice. Now one is talking about moving and the other’s not done with school yet, so . . . went to San Francisco on business last week and it really clicked. I know real estate there is expensive but it’s that way here in Greater Boston, too! Besides, we won’t need a house as big as what we’ve got. Ah, California dreamin’.</p>
<p>Hey Noobie, RE Alaska road trip - Did you explore Liard Hot Springs en route? That is a great trip - what year did you travel it? A Fellow Alaska Hwy survivor (circa 1969!)</p>
<p>Referrals from our buying agent and the local good hardware store. In both cases the first one we tried was not the best and we tried another and got a better result. Obviously trust is a major issue as the handyman has keys to both properties so he can get in when he needs to. For larger jobs we get bids and references. We also tend to favor firms that call us back promptly. It is absolutely amazing how many small business folks just don’t call back within 24 hours.</p>
<p>BHappyMom and Noobie…my 18 year old last summer drove the AlCan Highway to Anchorage (started in Vermont) and she went to Dawson’s Creek and Liard Hot Springs in fact. The trip was 6000 miles</p>
<p>Hey Noobie, that Alaska trip is on our agenda, too. But a van won’t do it for us since the moho will be our only home. We just have to figure out how to protect the little tow-behind from all the stuff the big guy kicks up. We hear the “rock-solid” barrier on our Bounder really doesn’t do it on the Al-Can highway. What do you think?</p>
<p>The first time we did it, we had towed a small pop-up camper. The front of the trailer was fairly well trashed by the time we got home. The tow–behind needs some protection. Number 1 bit of advice for the Alaska Highway (and points beyond): Tires. I had brand new (big) tires on my truck that did well throughout the trip. We had skimpy little “trailer tires” for the pop-up. Big mistake. We got some advice part-way through the trip to replace with small radials, and those did so much better. But two spares for the trailer turned out to be a good idea. What a fantastic trip it was, and in the summer, you get up to 18 hours of daylight.</p>
<p>The best thing about that trip was the incredible wildlife: moose, caribou, mountain goats, mountain sheep, eagles, and on and on and on…</p>
<p>Funny you say Aiken - one of my friends just came into a significant sum of money, and bought a 10 acre spread in Aiken very reasonably. She is a horsewoman and competes in driving events, so it’s perfect for her.</p>
<p>dstark-
All the links are pretty recent (2005-06) so I am not sure why the housing prices might be low. Then again… maybe they think after we get finished paying for our kids college and retire, all we can afford are double-wides :)</p>
<p>cmt - someone else posted this once, but I can confirm: soon after we left Dawson Creek for Alaska, we encountered this sign: “Construction - Next 987 miles.”</p>
(circa 1969!)</p>