Where to retire, follow-up…

Posted on by August 3, 2015

Well, after the response to my post on Sunday, I figured I owe y’all an explanation…

That was actually posted as a humorous post… Yes, I am retiring (again) the end of the year, but I’ve already decided where to relocate the bunker…

North/Panhandle Texas is my location of choice. Close to family (but not too close), and a friendly state toward military retirees and gun owners. I’m looking at a place out in the country, and am planning on scouting out/visiting a couple of locations in the next few months.

And NO STATE TAXES! 🙂

Oh yeah, and winters that aren’t too bad… I really don’t like cold weather, and have issues with frostbite from one of my military ‘excursions’ over the years (got frostbite on both hands and both feet).

Some folks were suggesting snowbirding, but realistically I can’t afford that unless I buy TWO tents. The books are selling, but not that well. And I’ve been through hurricanes/typhoons and also lived on the coast, and those have NO attraction for me. I don’t have anybody to take long walks on the beach with, and people tend to look at old men funny when they are walking the beach by themselves.  Just sayin…

So thanks to those who ‘suggested’ various areas, and offered beers. I hope to actually be able to take some time and road trips, so I’m going to try to take y’all up on that!

Comments

Where to retire, follow-up… — 25 Comments

  1. no state _income_ tax. Property taxes can be high, be sure to check the tax rate in the county you are looking to settle in.

    Welcome home to Texas!

  2. Jim;
    Just make sure you can build a nice 1000 yard range on your property and you will have LOTS of friends to shoot both guns and sh-t with. You will enjoy your well earned retirement and soon wonder why you didn’t do it earlier.

  4. If you move to Texas, I’m invoking the friend card and imposing on you to set up a hog hunt.
    I’ll let you keep the bacon.

  5. And as we are getting into the high mileage age zones, our retirement location has to be relatively close to good medical care.

    And Roger’s idea of a 1000 yard range sounds awesome!

    I would have been loath to suggest Pennsylvania as I am afraid that PA’s gun friendliness to beginning to erode.

  6. I have friends up in the panhandle, so I know you are moving into good territory. Especially if you hate cutting grass. It is pretty arid up that way. But if you happen to be in GA, let me know. I’d love to have you buy me a beer.

  8. Happy 225th Birthday, United States Coast Guard! You don’t look a day over 200. 🙂

    Thank you, Coasties, for being “Semper Paratus”.

  9. Since I am working at the University of North Texas, Denton, I’m sure that I’ll be buying you bear and steak as soon as you land.

  10. Sounds like a good plan. I hope you find what you’re looking for, way down yonder. (And yeah, I know what that means.)

    🙂

  11. Welcome to Texas – its a big state. Unless you are a beach fanatic – good spot! Your location is close enough to the Western mountains if you get an itch for elevation (Texas Hill Country is just a hop / skip / jump to the south though).

    Far enough from the Mexican border to avoid border troubles but close enough to visit if you want.

    My biggest complaint of Texas is its too big. Where I’m at (Rio Grande Valley), the nearest state (Louisiana) is about 7 hours away driving fast. El Paso is a day away. Oklahoma is about a day away as well.

    You notice that distance measured in hours, vs miles. In West Texas / Panhandle, its often measured in six packs :^)

  12. Welcome Home! Ditto on the distance measurement in Hours. 1 Hour is driving to pickup milk distance. 2 hours for beer and other consumables.
    One advantage to the pan handle is you can see ’em coming.

  13. Near me! I’m in the heart of the Panhandle near Amarillo. Great place to retire.

  14. All- Thanks! And yes, I know about ‘distances’ out there… I drove from Texarkana to Pecos in 1966 by myself. Took TWO days (No Interstate)…

    Posted from my iPhone.

  16. Jeez, and I thought I was kind of isolated out here in the middle of the ocean! Your Ocean is just made of dirt I guess! Good luck out here and it has been outstanding knowing you. Yeah yeah, I know , you aren’t really going out there to hibernate from us all! CIAO Paisano!

  18. Snowbirding seems like a lot of trouble to me. Even if I won the gazillion dollar lottery I don’t think I’d snowbird.

  19. If an “older gentleman” really wants to walk the beach alone – he takes a metal detector.

    He doesn’t have to USE it, just carry it. 🙂

  21. Gun Barrel City, TX.
    A certified retirement community.
    Been here going on 10 years.
    No blacks.

  22. Let me know if you need a hand with driving all those Colts out to the soon-to-be Free Republic of America this winter. My CHP is good almost everywhere, and I figure you’ll be having to use a Convoy.

  23. I’m looking at 40 acres out in the Chihuahua Desert for after the youngest graduates from High School, just 6 more years, then I’m building a Homestead.