Posted on 01/17/2015 3:33:54 PM PST by Kartographer
I had the same experience after seeing the Appalachians after having a cabin in the Sierras at 7200 feet. I thought I’d be disappointed with those ‘hills’, ;)
Not so, they are spectacular. And feel like home already, although i won’t live there for another 2 weeks. I’ve only seen the eastern corner of NC. We liked the area where VA, TN, and NC intersect. The Appalachians run through there and there is lots of water. Prices are high in NC there and cheapest in VA, but taxes (property and income) are lowest in TN.
We chose the area for lots of reasons. Of course, we looked at ID and MT. But land is pricey and there’s that winter thing ;)
We decided now is the time since things in mexifornia are deteriorating fast. I can’t see being stuck here just for money. I don’t need much to live on, although hubby lives his toys. But I think he’s finally seen the advantage of living the life we want while we can still enjoy it. And we’d probably live longer being out working in the fresh air vs. office-bound.
We’re just taking a leap of faith, keeping our fingers crossed.
Are you thinking of a scouting trip? I drove 8500 miles two summers ago, looking for the right area for us. It was great, but I wouldn’t want to do it again. CA to KY and all around there, then home through ID and MT. Most of the trip was just me and my yorkie.
I grew up and lived in the Adirondacks for many years and the area is a lot like that. There is plenty of water and sun and a longer growing season. The weather (especially the winters) is a whole lot better, the taxes are better, the gun laws are great, most of the people are wonderful, and we aren't ruled by a bunch of Liberals, yet - although they are fleeing from their own self-made hell-holes and are trying hard to "improve" the mid-south into the same sort of dysfunctional warrens they fled. So far, they are not succeeding as they have in Oregon, Washington, and a lot of other areas.
You can get as remote as you would ever want here and raise whatever and live about however you want and nobody will bother you for it unless you happen to somehow move into a place with a homeowner's association or a lot of restrictions but you won't find those unless you are near a larger population center.
“The price of land is very affordable because most people don’t want to live up in the mountains far from the nearest town. But for us it is perfect.”
I’ve had lots of people ask me about the area we picked, but I tell them to do their own research too. Just because we feel our place is perfect for us doesn’t mean it is for everyone.
Since we are ‘retiring’ early and quitting feeding the fascist beast, we need to be near sources of employment. In case of inflation or if I misbudgeted! We’d have a 30 mile drive at least, to work, but at least that’s do-able.
I also ‘need’ mountains right nearby. I have two trailheads within 5 miles of the house, and a lake and the AT trailhead 10 miles away. It feels like home for us to be as close to the hills as we can be, although some properties we saw were so steep we couldn’t walk them and needed 4WD just to get up the driveway. So we had to do some compromising on what we thought we wanted.
The area’s voting history is important since it shows the mindset of our neighbors and new friends, plus local issues and taxes. The state’s voting history and trend we checked out too - here in Mexifornia the very conservative counties (yes, there are some) are outvoted by the coastal cities. So we ruled out VA because the trend there has been increasingly liberal even though SW VA has it all.
There’s a lot to consider! And many great areas. IMO, you can’t go wrong with the south especially around the mountains. The are breathtaking. I can’t wait to explore the whole area. But first - I have to move there! The pods are coming today, so in two weeks me and my boxes will be there, making the great escape!
It has been my observation that often people who live in a very populated area leave it with enthusiasm and a longing expecting peace and quiet and "simplicity". However, after a few years they often become disillusioned with actually living in a remote area when they realize it is a whole lot different than what they are used to and they relocate back home or somewhere with more "civilization". The physical isolation, lack of conveniences, family, old friends, and "culture" are often problems they didn't anticipate.
It is not for everyone... or everyone would be living there. But for a "prepper" it can be about perfect.
So right. Going from one extreme (a metropolitan area) to the next (completely rural) just because one hated the city can be a mistake.
We discovered this when we ‘thought’ West Virginia would be ideal. Part of it might still be - but when we visited we found out that you really can be too rural (for us anyway). There were ‘towns’ on the map that were just a house or two. And shopping would be hours and hours away. We found out why we could get hundreds of acres pretty cheap! It was gorgeous there, but I’d rather just visit.
We had a taste of being pretty rural by having a cabin in the Sierras. We were in a teeny vacation community, so had neighbors now and then, but the nearest teeny town was ‘down the hill’, as the natives would say, going from 7200’ to about 1000’. It was a good hour away with exorbitant prices. The next real town was another hour.
So, I learned I do want to have a bigger city available for cheaper shopping. The small isolated towns can charge whatever they want, and often do! And two hours was great when we were getting away from the city and wanted to relax in the peace and quiet. But after my living there for 2 years, that 2 hours got to be too far - especially when snow in the winter made it a 3 hour, sometimes 4 hour drive if I had to wait for the snow plows.
But I mainly learned that I don’t want to shovel snow or have that hemmed in feeling from having snow all around. And I don’t want to be surrounded by liberals. There was a group up there that took over, raised water rates exorbitantly, mismanaged the renovations so badly that a $1M loan was spent on doing hardly anything worthwhile - and they still have leaking tanks and leaking piping.
SO.....southbound I am! The pods are in the driveway and I will be heading east with Mexifornia in my rearview mirror in about 10 days. Yeah!!!!
Good luck to you, and Godspeed!
Had a tooth abscess break out Friday night and opened up a bottle of fish amoxicillin.
Found clear verifiable dosage instructions on the internet.
Will make a non-urgent appointment with dentist this week.
Saved days of misery waiting over the long weekend- or longer- for an emergency dentist visit, or an emergency room visit bill (can’t imagine what that would be).
All for about 5 bucks.
Well done! EXCELLENT EXAMPLE!
That little town in SC tucked up against the NC border that I pointed out, Sunset, SC, is halfway in between two beautiful state parks, Caesar’s Head in SC and The Gorges in NC, with national forest to the north in NC as well. Plus Lake Jocassee to the immediate west. It’s a beautiful area but most of it still feels very remote and isolated, despite only being 30-40 miles north of I-85. You could be in Atlanta in around three hours, but Greenville would have most anything you’d want. Cheaper airfare and better connections at Hartsfield in Atlanta would be the only reason I could think of to need to go there.
“If your not prepared for the physical aspects of rural prepping, don’t do it. “
Good point. Being older(50ish), we could do that lifestyle for only a decade, if that long. Of course, we’d get healthier for living that way, so who knows? ;)
I plan on compromising on lots, like using a gas-powered log splitter. Actually, splitting and stacking wood was my favorite hobby in the mountains. But we had chainsaws and the log splitter. Wood was our only real source of heat, other than a wall heater that could raise the temperature about w0-15 degrees. So having wood was important. I probably had 8 cords strewn about the property at the time we sold it.
Now, we’ll have 20ish acres in Tennessee, but only 5vwooded. I’m worried that won’t supply enough wood and i’ll have to use the electric heater. Cluckung on that thermostat doesn’t have the same coziness as lighting a fire. plus the cost, ouch!
i’d love to hear more about your lifestyle and how it came to be. Do you have a blog or anything? I probably romanticize the life, but from afar ;) I’m sure it isn’t easy. but hopefully worth the work. One reason we are going rural us to quit feeding the fascist beast. Our MAGI will be about $20k so we’ll pay little to this regime. That will be satisfaction enough if things get tight.
Awesome. I haven’t used mine yet and its due to be replaced. But it’s given me a lot of peacenik mine, for me and my critters too.
Gorgeous. I’ll put that area on my list of places to visit. I can’t wait to get back east, where there is so much beauty to see.
I’d bought it for a local stray cat never imagining it would be useful in ‘normal’ times for myself.
Plant some fruit and nut trees right off after you move.
After a few years when you get that first small crop you really feel “at home”!
Hazelnuts are great. Have to plant several. They say you need different types for fertilization but I did well planting the same types in areas that get different sunlight. Easy to harvest them before the squirrels do.
I was supposed to say ‘peace of mind’, nit ‘peacenik mine’, LOL. Using VR can be entertaining, if not outright embarrassing.
Yup, we’re planning in pear, apple, and cherry trees. Maybe peach if they grow there. I hadn’t thought of nut trees - great idea! Would hazelnut trees grow in NE Tennessee? Those are my favorite nut, so you got my attention ;) I never thought about growing my own until now. Importing hazelnuts from Oregon can be pricey.
How do I get different types of hazelnut trees?
Beautiful. Near shadow too!
In looking at Sunset, it’s only 130 miles from where I’m at. Could be done in a day or two day trip ;)
I’m loving this area more and more, and are not even there yet. There are so many pretty places to explore. Once we get done remodeling, planting, and exploring our own area. I don’t think we will ever get bored.
Sure they’ll grow fine, I’m just above the Tenn state line.
I got mine from the county extension, you might have to get yours online but check your extension office, mine gives away saplings in the early spring.
Hazelnuts start bearing in just a couple of years while fruit trees can take 5.
Persimmon is a good fruit to grow BTW. Not so useful but a real treat after the frost hits- and easy to grow.
And easy to keep from the squirrels.
I recommend planting your fruit trees away from the house, to keep them from attracting vermin of course, but also so your heart won’t break watching the squirrels steal them LOL!
Thanks for the ping.
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