Need some info on Texas.........off topic

[Crist Rigotti]

Guys,
I am planning on retiring next year and we have started planning for where we want to retire.  We are looking at somewhere in Texas.  We think around the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  We don't know much about Texas but we are planning on spending about 2 weeks looking into the area next month.  Any thoughts and comments on where to look, avoid, and where to stay while we're checking out our options.  I appreciate your help guys.  We do plan on "snowbirding" back to Cleveland Ohio, where we grew up and still have family there for the summers.  We feel we can avoid the heat of the summers, spend time with the family, and get back south for the winters.

We don't want to be in a big city, but don't want to be in a strictly rural area either.  A 1/2 hour to an hour drive to the big city would suit us just fine.

[Jim Thomerson]

I am south of Austin and like it fine.  There is lots of housing being built around here.  I am 7 miles out on 2.3 acres.  2000 house development over the hill.  Ft. Worth and Dallas have a lot of weather.  I would not care to live there, although the Dallas Model Aircraft Association is a very nice club.  Give me a holler when you are thinking of coming down. 

[john e. holliday]

Crist,  like Jim says, Dallas/Fort Worth has weather during the winter time.  First school I attended for the phone company and I drove down, we had 12+ inches of snow that Friday.  School let out at noon and we were told, Texans have two speeds for driving,  fast and stop.  Have been to my sister-in-law's place several times during winter months with freezing rain and it does get cold down there.  Yes, they do have a great group of people in the Dallas Control Line Club.   

Now if you want year round flying you might think of Arizona and the Tuscon area.

[Dan McEntee]

  Hi Crist;
    Drop a line to Sean, he's on his second stint in the Killeen (SP?) - Fort Hood, Texas area and can give his thoughts. He gets around to most of the C/L and Free Flight activity down there. The Dallas/Fort Worth area does have a good collection of C/L stunt fliers .
   I got a long way to go before I can think of such things!
  Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

[Ron Merrill]

Crist,
       I have lived in Texas all my life(75 yrs.) and Dallas/Fort Worth has best year around, strong c/l flying in the state (IMHO), and lots of strong winds. The snowbird community is really strong down in the valley and so are the cartels, from Brownsville to Del Rio and the weather is perfect if you like hot in the summer and mild in the winter but there is little to no c/l flying. I live just north of Houston and love it, we have anything you want including hot in summer (107) and mucho moisture, but cost of living is excellent. Come on down. Ron.

[Tim Wescott]

One of the nicest junkyards I ever passed by was on the road from Tulsa to Las Vegas, in the Texas panhandle.  It was all round-roof cars from the late '40s and early '50s.  My brother and I both drooled as we went by, but we were going from one show to another and didn't have time to stop (or space on the trailer for a project, for that matter).

[Paul Wood]

Chris,

I live 50 miles east of Dallas and have been here all my life.  I can answer specifics regarding weather, etc., but I have a cousin who is a realtor in Dallas.  She has 30 years of experience in the Dallas area and might help you a great deal.  If your interested in her contact info., send me a PM and I'll help you any way I can.

Paul

[andrew stokey]

Crist
Are U going to the Nats?  There will be several Texans there U can talk to

[Paul Taylor]

Dale and Linda Bob are from the Dallas area. Great people. 

And there is a great hobby shop north of Dallas. Mikes Hobbys. 

[Randy Powell]

It's flat and humid, hot in the summer, cold in the winter. I have a lot of family there. Notice I don't.

[Steve Helmick]

On my cross country trip in May 2012, I liked Missouri and Tennessee very much. I believe TN is in pretty good fiscal shape, an attractive feature. I would also suggest looking in OK, south of Tulsa. And I'd avoid a state that has "toll roads"...I think that's a bad trend. Not to detract from Texas in any way, but I'd look around, and especially avoid flatlands. There are some other things I'd want to research, like property taxes, income taxes, State Sovereignty, Capital Punishment, and gun control laws. One thing I really liked were States where there was a single speed limit, vs. States where there is a "truck" speedlimit that just screws up traffic.  Steve

[Randy Cuberly]

Christ,
If you're going to snowbird then you really should consider Tucson.  Most winters here simply aren't.   Average temps around 75 degrees.  Wind is typically ideal for stunt, especially in the mornings.
Hot weather starts around end of May and lasts until middle to late September.
We still fly in the mornings until about 10:00 AM even in the summer.  Temps then are about 68-70 degrees at 6:00 AM and reach 95-100 around 10:00 AM.
Actually 95 degrees here is reasonably comfortable in the shade due to low humidity (usually about 15% or less).
A great CL community exists here with skills spanning the complete spectrum.  Lots of expertise also, both in building and flying.
I think you would be a great addition to our community.

While I like Texas for the most part...Central Texas is very beautiful, it's nearly as hot in the summer as Tucson, plus HUMIDITY, and it gets bitter cold there sometimes, in the Winter...too cold for me!  I lived for a time in FT Worth and still have many relatives there.  Like Randy P...I'm not there!!!

Tucson is big enough to find just about anything you want without having a big city mentality.
Culturally we have the University of AZ, a genuine professional Opera Company, a Symphony Orchestra, many movie theaters, and many excellent resturants of all types.

Tucson also hosts one of the oldest and biggest Rodeo's in the country that runs for a week in the early spring.

I think you've been to VSC (unless my failing memory is worse than I thought) so you are aware of our great flying facilities...Not many better in the world.

Randy Cuberly

[BillLee]

Obviously, the Texans speak highly of Texas, and everyone else just wishes they were here! 

Seriously, like almost any state (well, maybe except Florida  ), There are flat parts of the state,  there are parts that are quite hilly, and there are serious mountains in Texas. You have to keep in mind that Texas is a BIG state and encompasses a LOT of different climates, culture, geography.

Winters in Texas are quite dependent on where you are in the state. In spite of the blitherings of those who spent a day or two here 27 years or so ago, winters in the Dallas area  (i.e., what is commonly called "North Texas") are fairly mild. And, contrasted to the Gulf Coast area, there really ARE four seasons in this part of the state.  Also contrasted with the pan-handle which suffers the same severe winter weather that dominates Oklahoma every year.

Our home is about 100 miles east of Dallas and I find that the winters are the best time of the year since a light jacket is all that is ever really needed, and it's cold enough to drive the bugs away. Flying is do-able, although we have had some FridgidIdjit days (annual Jan 1 fun-fly) that were just awful. Summers are hot and while humid, are not so humid as the Gulf Coast cities. All-in-all, there are about three months out of the year when it would be real nice to snow-bird back north, the rest being about as good as you could want.

Like the OP said, avoid the big cities. Too much traffic, too much pollution, too many PEOPLE! There are several smaller cities in north Texas where good medical care is available, restaurants, colleges/universities, etc. Sure, you may not have the large variety of the big cities, but there is usually one of almost anything!

Best part of the area is the great bunch of CL modelers that we have in the area, a good club (DMAA), a city-supported CL flying site and several RC clubs if that is important to you. When you couple that with the tax structure and cost of living, Texas is a very attractive retirement locale, as many former California folks have found. 

[Bob Hudak]

Crist,
 Let me be the 1st to congratulate you on your retirement,the North Coast Control Liners will gain a new member(?) when you return to Cleveland. What specific area do you have picked in Cleveland? We have flying circles that are well maintained at the Berea Fairgrounds you'll enjoy when here for the summer.
    Bob

[Crist Rigotti]

Crist,
 Let me be the 1st to congratulate you on your retirement,the North Coast Control Liners will gain a new member(?) when you return to Cleveland. What specific area do you have picked in Cleveland? We have flying circles that are well maintained at the Berea Fairgrounds you'll enjoy when here for the summer.
    Bob

I was born and raised on the east side.  Mayfield heights area.  I have family in Lyndhurst, Chesterland, Bainbridge, and Willoughby.  Yeah, I'll join you can count on that!

[Crist Rigotti]

Thanks guys for the comments and suggestions.  Basically everything is on the table.  We have about a year to do the planning so it doesn't hurt to ask around.

[Randy Powell]

Hilly? Really? We have hills. the Olympic Mountains and Cascade Mountains. 

Seriously, I wouldn't live in Texas because of the heat and humidity, but other than that, it's an OK place.

[Mike Keville]

Crist:

For all the reasons listed by Randy Cuberly, above, please consider Tucson.

Yes, June thru early Sept are HOT ("It's a dry heat" - but so is fire.)  The rest of the year is ideal....and we're loaded with Stunt flyers.

(Full disclosure:  my second choice would be Dallas.)

[Sean McEntee]

Like Bill Lee said, Avoid the big cities.

There are serveral places within a 150 mile radius that are nice.  Waco is just 30 minutes north of me (I'm in Temple) and its not to big and busy.  Dale and Linda Gleason live in Valley View which is a nice place

If youre into drive-by's, break-ins, and an overall crime rate similar to downtown Detroit, then Killeen is the place for you!

[Howard Rush]

Sean, look up Pete Jaden in Temple.  He's a former national combat champ.  Say hello for me.

[George Hostler]

We don't want to be in a big city, but don't want to be in a strictly rural area either.  A 1/2 hour to an hour drive to the big city would suit us just fine.

Amarillo, Texas seems to be a nice place, has 2 hobby shops and RC club, big enough for services but small enough to get away. Could choose nearby Canyon, a small college city about 1/2 hour away, or small homestead outside the city. Only thing is elevation is 3,600 feet, if one has health issues like heart or lung disease may have trouble with the thinner atmosphere. The general area is windier than some other parts of US, but if you live in Iowa then you should be familiar. I spoke with one CL flier there and they have a CL circle in one of the parks.

[Hoss Cain]

Guys,
I am planning on retiring next year and we have started planning for where we want to retire.  We are looking at somewhere in Texas.  We think around the Dallas/Fort Worth area.  We don't know much about Texas but we are planning on spending about 2 weeks looking into the area next month.  Any thoughts and comments on where to look, avoid, and where to stay while we're checking out our options.  I appreciate your help guys.  We do plan on "snowbirding" back to Cleveland Ohio, where we grew up and still have family there for the summers.  We feel we can avoid the heat of the summers, spend time with the family, and get back south for the winters.

We don't want to be in a big city, but don't want to be in a strictly rural area either.  A 1/2 hour to an hour drive to the big city would suit us just fine.

As a native born Texan that has lived for LONG times in Savannah, Ga. and in the NW area of Chicagoland (Buffalo Grove) along with short times in other areas, such as Sacramento, CA, my main time in S. East TX, along with 5 years in Laredo, TX, let me pump up Texas.          
 First there is NO state income tax. Local real estate taxes are fairly much, yet a "L" of a lot less than IL or Michigan where I have a summer place. There is any level of real estate that you want for a home. I live very modestly on 2 acres, yet I am a tad north of Houston in a NE tip of Harris County. I am about 7 miles north of my stepdaughter who commutes into the inner city of Houston to work. She has 4+ acres just outside of Porter TX, and her husband has 30 acres about 15 miles north where he manufactures Horse Show stuff. She could take a bus, but prefers to drive in on US 59. She usually makes the trip in about 30 minutes each way.

S. E. TX summers are hot and humid. Spring and Fall can be anything one wants. I use to deer hunt on my own property about 80 miles north. In Nov. I had mornings sometimes @20 degrees, while the afternoon was at 65-75. Mostly it was AM 45-50 and PM at 75-80. Winters can be anything any time. OTOH Model airplane flying is seldom shut down for any length of time.  
From my place just north of New Caney, TX I can have my boat in Galveston Bay within an hour, or Lake Livingston in about same time. I can be in east LA throwing away money in the machines within an hour plus a few minutes.     Any kind of sport, entertainment, and such that one would want is right here in the Greater Houston area. Just outside the area are two large Lakes for fishing, boating, and state facilities are available. Of course some 60 miles south is Galveston and the public beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.
I am less than 20 minutes (45-50 speed zone) from a great RC field, www.jetero.com, where one can also drag out and fly a CL model. Shelter, indoor facilities, 50 acres of Club owned flat land.
If one needs such there is on the SW side of Houston two county RC fields and one has a number of CL paved circles. Have at it, no club memberships required, just an AMA card. I don't really know just how many clubs in Houston but Bill Lee above does know.
Many area Clubs own their property. I belong to 3 RC clubs.
Having year-around time to live is IMO well worth the summer heat. Heck my summer place in UPPER Penns. of MI also gets hot.

[Tom Niebuhr]

Crist,
We moved to Blue Ridge, TX.  18 years ago and it has been great. We are about 45 miles Northeast of Dallas and have 6 ½ acres.  Don and Flora Hutchinson escaped the California earthquakes one year before our move. There is no income tax and property taxes vary largely depending upon where you live. Our 6 ½ acres has taxes low enough that it would  cost us more to live closer to Dallas, and a 45 minute drive to Hobby Park is not bad. If you  fly the “Big Model” airplanes there are several airports  in the area. The McKinney airport is about 20 minutes from our house. There are several airport communities with people who just taxi to their house.  McKinney is one of the fastest growing area in the country.

While we do have heat in the summer, the springs are normally wet, and the summers are dry.  Whereas Houston has almost unbearable humidity. We both lived in St Louis for a while and you know how bad the humidity was there in the summers.

The Dallas Model Airplane Association (DMAA) is one of the most active control line groups in the nation.  We have about 100 members from a wide area, including several states and cities.  Many names are recognizable and we range from Sport Flyers, to serious competitors, with knowledge spread about from all. We have past and present National and World Champions in several events including Carrier, Speed and Jet Speed, Racing and Stunt. These names include The Moon brothers Steve and Doug, Bob Gieseke, Al Rabe, Bill Bishoff,   and don’t forget Linda and Dale Gleason, together they are the sparkplugs that keep us all going. Add to this, Richard Oliver, Joe Gilbert, Mike Greb, Mike Scott, and many others.  Nascar’s Bobby Allison is an honorary member and has attended many meetings and joins us to a Mexican Restaurant afterwards. Bobby can talk “airplane” with the best of them! Meetings are at Mike’s Hobby shop every first Wednesday except in December.
DMAA has about 5 contests a year and many ”can’t miss” social events. The year starts with the “Fridget Didget” on New Year’s Day. Everyone flies at least one flight then we adjoin to “Chubby’s Restaurant”. 

The largest contest of the year is the “Charles Ash Memorial” which is held Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend. All the above mentioned events are flown.

The “Must” social events are the Gleason’s “Fish Fly” the last weekend of October. Wives, friends and families love to come. There are always two circles to fly on, pumpkin carving, storytelling, fish frying, more food than the 75 to 100 people can eat, and live musical entertainment. If you play an instrument… bring it! People come from a minimum of 4 or 5 states.

Flora and Don Hutchinson also have the annual Christmas party in December.

The members from the Ft Worth side have another flying field where they fly RC and CL.

The best part is that the people are great!  Come on and join us!