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[biglou]

"Welcome to Nebraska! Iowa style at Kansas prices" :)

 

[WoodsRider]

Oneonta, NY is about an hour west of where I live. Usually drive by on my way to the races. Doesn't look like there's much to do there, but it's an hour closer to a lot of WNYOA races.

IMO Glenns Falls, NY would be a better choice. It's close to the excitement of Lake George (Winter Carnival and Americade), Saratoga Springs (harness and thoroughbred tracks in summer) and Albany which has a good club/music scene... not that I ever make it past the corner watering hole.

 

[Green Horn]

Originally posted by WoodsRider
Oneonta, NY

Ya gotta love all of the Indian names up there. She'll have to take Iroquis 101 in order to pronounce all of the names. :) I loved it when out-of-towners would try to pronounce Syracuse. I grew up just outside Rochester. I have been back to visit family, and I get a kick out of watching my wife try to say the names on signs along the highways as we pass by. :)

 

[WoodsRider]

Just like living in the Northwest with Puyallup, Sequim and Conconully.

 

[Dapper]

Green Horn,
Were you east or west of Rochester? Not that it matters just nosie. How did you wind up in Texas?

 

[Green Horn]

Dapper,

I grew up in a little town called Hilton. If you're not familiar, it's north of Rochester. Lake Ontario was about 5 min. due north from my house. I moved to Tx about 9 yrs ago when I still lived at home with my Mom and Dad. My Dad received a transfer from Kodak who he was working for at the time. I still like going back to visit family (most of my relatives are in the Elmira/ Corning area), but I wouldn't ever move back. Texas winters are much more fun. :) Although, I do miss the fall colors this time of year. Lots of beautiful scenery in Upstate/ Western NY. Yep, I wish Letchworth State Park wasn't a 24 to 25 hr drive away. :)

 

[Patman]

Monessen, Pa?! Let me guess "The Valley Independant".

If your Mr. Right is economically depressed, unmotovated, poorly edumakated and typically drunk this is your place! Granted there are some nice riding and skiing areas but I could tell you more than you really want to know about both the area and the job.

 

[380EXCman]

380: possibly. I called and talked to them, she said "send in a resume," and basically made it sound like if someone has the right skills/qualifications it's a possibility.

I think you would work perfect there. Now that I think about it. That seems to be the only thing that mag is lacking (female contribution & perspectives) and just good old fashioned writing. I think you could get more out of a rider than EJ could anyday. ;) Good luck. I wish you the best.....

 

[Dapper]

Green Horn,

I know Hilton. They just had their Apple Fest. One of my suppliers is from Hilton Wray Richards. He's about 30. I know just because you are from a town doesn't mean you know eveyone but, I thought I would mention it. Have fun in Texas.

Later
:cool:

 

[zio]

I lived in Longview, TX for 2 years, which is 20 miles west of Marshall at the most. Longview is a pretty good size town, maybe 100k people. Marshall is quite a bit smaller, I think. Marshall has a cool Christmas tradition where they light up the entire downtown with lights. Everyone in nearby towns comes out to see it.

You'll be within 45 minutes of Shreveport, LA which has riverboat casinos & lots of nightclubs.

It's typically 90-95 degrees in the summer, and very humid. The terrain is much like it was at Cooperland. In fact, the towns in Texas are just like towns in Oklahoma. They look the same, the people are the same, everything's the same. Every other building is made out of that ugly orange brick. Nearly every home is made of it, too. Think Stillwater. You won't be far off the mark.

Cost of living is about as cheap as you'll find. Rent in Longview was close to $400 for nice apartments, but that was about 6 years ago. If you don't mind commuting, consider living in Longview & drive 15 mintues a day to work. Gasoline was/is always near a buck a gallon.

Personally, I didn't care too much for Texas. Everyone talked funny. And I was always worried about getting beat up by drunk cowboys, too.

 

[firecracker22]

I would be more worried about being hit on by drunk cowboys! I got dragged to plenty of rodeos in high school. However Texas has much to recommend it in both the riding/racing and job categories.

 

[OnAnySunday]

Originally posted by firecracker22:
"Nantucket, MA"

uh oh.......
To quote an old "Abbott & Costello" episode:
"Nantucket???? N A N T U C K E T ! ? ! ? ! ? "
:confused: :confused:

i suppose no one remembers that one, and i'm looking like a fool right now huh? :ugg:

 

[JuliusPleaser]

Elvis Costello? :confused:

Morgantown! It's the perfect place for you. It's also the perfect place for your friends to invite themselves to. ;)

Tell Davey we said "Hi".

 

[Green Horn]

Originally posted by Dapper
Green Horn,

I know Hilton. They just had their Apple Fest. :cool:

The name doesnt' ring a bell...

It sure is a small world though. My Mom was one of the chairperson(s) for the Apple Fest for a few years. In my early teens, I used to help out by dressing as Corey the Apple (is he still around?). My Dad helped with the Big Pie for a few years too. :) Yep, if you've been to the Apple Fest, then you were within walking distance of my childhood home. :)

 

[WoodsRider]

Well my take on Texas is a bit different. I moved to Houston in March of ’91. First off I don’t like the combination of heat and humidity. Living along the Gulf Coast means living in a hot, humid environment for nine months of the year. The people in Texas are very friendly, but never tell the joke: “What’s the definition of a Texan? A Mexican on his way to Oklahoma!” Especially at closing time of a crowded honky-tonk, because a fight will definitely happen. Real estate is very affordable, but the homes are built on slabs and there are several builders’ homes you need to avoid. I never put so many miles on a vehicle in my life. When I moved there my pick-up was 5 years old and had 55,000 miles. A year and a half later I had nearly doubled the mileage. I think this is the reason everyone seems to be driving a new car in Houston. The nightlife in places like Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio is great, but I’m sure my liver will thank me when I’m in my 60’s. Yes, they drink a lot of beer in Texas. Go into any convenience store (not one in a dry county though) and you’ll see barrels full of ice and beer cans. Coincidentally they have these little paper bags just big enough to hold a can of beer. A lot of people sure do drive down the road with a paper bag in their hand.

There are a few places to ride, but for as big as Texas is there are very few legal places. East Texas is not very challenging unless it rains. The terrain is fairly flat and sandy in the piney woods. When it’s wet, slick roots and mud offer more of a challenge. Heading out towards the hill country and West Texas offers more of a challenge. Emma Long Park in Austin was built for trials type riding, but the mountain bikers took it over. Fort Hood was probably the most diverse place to ride, but I heard they shut down everything but the MX track. My favorite place was Terlingua, out near Big Bend Nat’l Park, but your bike needs a tag. As always, the best riding in Texas is usually on private land. I can’t really comment on the MX tracks.

I moved from Houston because I was tired of the weather. We still have many friends down there and usually visit the in-laws once a year. It would be difficult for me to move back. I would much rather live in Austin or San Antonio.

 

[Green Horn]

Well, your first paragraph hit the nail on the head. :) I haven't even been to Houston since I've lived here, and I could care less if I miss it. I live just outside of Austin. As for riding areas, there are TONS of them. There does happen to be more in North Texas region than what there is in the Central or Southern parts. I never rode dirtbikes when I lived in NY, so I can't really compare the two places. I have riddent Emma Long Park and you're right, it's basically for trials riders. I leave that place for when I am really hard up for some riding and feel like dragging a $150 graphics set acrossed some rocks. :)

Sure, Tx isn't for everyone. I am just glad to be out of the 'snowbelt', and enjoy 8-9 mos of riding out of the year. :)

 

[Patman]

Well to add to what WoodsRider said....
The little paper bag deal is no more, they made it illegal for any open containers in the vehicle a few years ago. A drag for those that liked one on the way home but a good trade considering many folks needed a grocery bag full.

Fort Hood as of right now is totally shut down. The local community is working on changing that and I've ben contacted to possibly help bring off road and trials type events in so it is looking up.

The legal places to ride are actually on the rise. There is a very active group of off road users trying to make it happen and the state and feds are helping with grants to purchase/lease property. Most clubs also have private property available to the club members plus contacts with several local property owners to provide access to their land.

Emma Long Park is still designated as a off road motorcycle park, the Mt. bikers (I'm one) still go out there but there is a strong resurgance of dirt bikers hitting the nasty trails there (I'm one) and trials riders are increasing in number as well (I'm one of these too) so it's still a viable option if you like very technical single track.

Houston, you couldn't pay me enough to live there. It's flat, big, humid, and too many people. Dallas is too big for my tastes but I could get do it if I had too, nice weather for the most part. San Antonio is not bad but still pretty big & dusty at times. Austin is getting big for sure and is not the town I knew 20 years ago. There is no place that has the quality nor quantity of live music available every night here. The town is VERY clean and the combination of water, trees and hills makes it very pleasant. There is a strong environmental focus here but they tend to be more against development than dirt bikers.

 

[VintageDirt]

Originally posted by WoodsRider
"A Mexican on his way to Oklahoma!”

Wow! That means I was half Texan for about 9 hours. :yeehaw: Does this mean I'm eligible to join a group? :confused:

 

[BunduBasher]

FC22 I would put Canon City CO at the top of the list, close to the major cities, not far from CO springs/Denver, out in the country, beautiful country, great riding - dry - looks like a fun place to live.

I have travelled most of the east and mid west of USA accross to Tejas and Colorado. Definitelly CO tops the list. Other than that, Austin/Waco in Texas is a great place to live. The hill country - very nice.

Don't knock Arkansas either, I love the north west region, Bentonville, and Eureka Springs area - great places to live.

 

[OnAnySunday]

Originally posted by Julius Pleaser:
"Elvis Costello? :confused: "

aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!!! :confused:
LOU Costello. as in Bud Abbott & Lou Costello the comedians.
Yanno back in the Black & white t.v. days.......... :silly:
yanno????
geez i AM old i guess.............. :eek:

 

[OnAnySunday]

Originally posted by VintageDirt:
"Wow! That means I was half Texan for about 9 hours. :yeehaw:"

Uh, but your a NEW Mexican........ :confused:
So that would make you a "New Texian".......right?
:eek: :scream:
OWWW! quit throwing those pointy objects at me!!! :whiner:

 

[dirty~d~]

FC- First off, sorry to hear that things didn't work out with your beau. You sound like you've been bitten with the bug that got ahold of me a few years ago. I had to move out of the NW and San Diego had been screaming my name for a year or two. I don't regret it one bit. Granted it didn't work out, but it was fun while it lasted. I wish I could help you out with picking a spot to land, but I've been stuck to coastal states all my life. One thing I can recommend... don't go to Georgia!!! I was there far longer than I cared to be.

 

[Philip]

FC

Lafayette is not a bad place to live. I don't know what kind of climate your used to but we have just about year round riding here. It is a college town so many places to party ( like cajuns need a place to party), and quite a few things to keep you busy. The food is the best you will get anywhere in the world and the hospitality is unmatched. The city is not to big but not a one horse town either. Cost of living is fair, and other expenses are not bad. We have mostly MX style riding in this area, but trail riding is a few hours away.If you like to shop there are a few malls to do so. Well hope this helps. We are about a one and a half hours away from Laf. but I spent a lot of time there when I was in College.Let us know if you need anything else.

 

[Tony Eeds]

Originally posted by zio
[B..... Personally, I didn't care too much for Texas. Everyone talked funny. And I was always worried about getting beat up by drunk cowboys, too. [/B]

Be careful there buster, I have been known to resemble that remark. :)

FC - An place that you go will be exciting at first. Think of the long term.

CA - Expensive and you can see the air.
MN - Lakes start freezing in Oct.
Texas - God's country
LA - Right next door, a bit more humid and crooked as a dogs hind leg. They darn sure know how to throw a party though.
NM - Just to the left, some of the most beatiful land you could ever see. Just don't plan on trying to buy an of it.
CO - Texan's own most of it, so you are bound to be invited to visit.

Anyway you get the picture, I love Texas, but ....
Dallas is WAY to wrapped up in image and accumulating the money to support the image.
Houston is too flat and humid, and you have to go 55 because of the dirty air making gas to sell to everyone that believes in the BANANA theory.
Fort Worth is nice. There is still more culture in the front doors of the Kimbell than all of Dallas ....
Austin - I love the town, but now it has a city around it.
The Hill Country - There are many small towns surrounding Austin and San Antonio that truly define why I believe Texas is God's Country
Tony

 

[Patman]

Thanks Tony! I never knew you saw me as a God. :)