Off to peek at Huntsville and Marietta! Have friends in Missouri who keep telling me to come there, but ... I feel called to go south. Athens GA and Charlotte NC look pretty good, too. Maybe we should just buy an RV and travel around for a few years!

I live just outside the capital of SC, Columbia....it's a nice place to be, friendly people, lots of quilting activities/guilds/etc. going on; mountains are close if you want to go, ocean is close as well....snakes? Yeah, sometimes they can get close, too! Really,I've lived here (this time) since 1994, and I've only seen a couple...and they were king snakes so harmless. Lots of community activities here as well, and USC is here, also some smaller colleges and some tech schools. The whole area goes nuts when football and basketball seasons roll around, if you happen to be sports-minded. And of course, it's only a couple of hours to MaryJo's....
One drawback to the area is the weather....in the summer it gets hot and humid. But winters are mild, sometimes a small snow during the season...but other than that, it's pretty stable.
ALso have JA's, HL, Pieces and Patches (LQS), Michaels and of course, the obligatory WM.
All in all, not a bad place to be! Oh, housing isn't too expensive...you can get a nice 3bdr, 2 bath for around $110,000 or so; apartments aren't too high either from what I hear. Good luck in your hunt!

Get an RV and travel around. That is what I would do. :)

Georgia is a good state and Krystyna you'd be close enough to come down and see Gail and I here in the Panhandle of Florida and there is another Quilter in Crestview from the boards... Georgia is a pretty state... Carolina's or the Virginia's are nice also... My Thoughts would be Georgia though.... Sending prayers for your hubby and are you still in the apartment??? Hugs

Isn't the south hot??? I could have sworn it is. No suggestions from me.
Good luck wherever you end up.

Tennessee, Kentucky, and northern Alabama looked beautiful while driving thru them. Hills, trees -- very scenic. I know a lot of people moved to northern Arkansas after they retired -- lots of little lakes, housing very reasonable, cost of living affordable.

Snakes only exist if you see them -- just don't look.

Sorry about snakes so West Virginia wont do because we have three snakes that are poisonous.
My suggestion is to pick a college town. You have access to the arts and usually good doctors.

DE is about the tax-friendliest state known to man. That said, my go to is the eastern shore of MD. Love the area. Near water (rivers/bay) but typically not horrible swings one way or the other regarding weather. The taxes in MD are not too far off of DE from what I can tell. A few little snakes but not anything that will eat the pooches. If you can handle the RV thing for a year or 2 that could be lots of fun. Wouldn't mind trying that myself. Wherever you decide to land, I'd suggest renting for at least 6-12 months so you're not locked into something that you decide after a bit that you really hate. That's my plan at any rate.

Goodrich Mi or Grand Blanc Mi. Easy access to ex-way, 45 min from Ann Arbor very artsie community. Now back to Grand Blanc area which includes Swartz Creek. Quilt guilds, yes.......an evening one Evening Star, a day guild Genesee Star. Both are in the area. Also a crazy quilt group and a Michigan Crazy Quilt group meets monthly 30 min away. Quilt shops sheesh, want Americana go,to Linda's in Davison. Batik ? Quilters Garden, another nice mix Apple Tree. Hobby Lobby, JoAnn's ETC, Michaels craft store all in Flint. Something for your guy, well Back to the Bricks. 3 local hospitals, and Detroit with Henry Ford (which I was in last yr.) is 60 miles away with a motel available on the grounds if not wanting to commute. In addition Ann Arbor has U of Michigan hospital as well and football too. I haven't seen a snake in 22 years and that was when we did a garden. I can't guarantee about tornadoes but never a hurricane. And the best hot dogs in the land, no lips, lids or or noses used by Kogels. Vernors ginger ale too a soda. Any questions? Calla

I doubt she'd like our hot Texas summers and certainly not the current drought conditions.
Sharon