Off topic: Pro-gun Southern coastal states

[johnh]

So the Mrs. and I are increasingly thinking about post-retirement living, and we want to be near the beach. We also like warm climates. Of course we need gun-friendly laws. We are going to spend some time in the next couple years vacationing around the South to see what areas we like best. Florida has long been on the short list as we have vacationed there a bunch. What say the rest of you about other states down that way? Texas is also a maybe, but we have not hit the coastal areas. We are not rich enough to buy a beach house, meaning the goal is to be close enough to walk/drive over for the day. Mind you I am 50 so looking for career two as well. I can likely find something to do wherever though.

Fill me in on destinations we should add to the list. Carolinas? Alabama?

[berettabone]

All I can say is just keep in mind...............hurricanes...........PITA...... ..........stay well enough inland so you don't have to interrupt your whole living condition.:)

[myskyn]

I was born and raised in Alabama and the beaches are beautiful. The fishing is great as is the hunting ( no tags, just a license and a place to hunt.) You're an hour away from the casinos in Mississippi and the tourist areas of Ft. Walton and Destin in Florida.

[b4uqzme]

I always wanted to retire to Tennessee until we bought a place on the gulf side of Florida. We bought it as an investment but like it enough to consider retiring there someday. Just north of the expensive areas things get real friendly. And we visited the Florida panhandle last fall. That was gorgeous!

I still wanna check out Tennessee though. Lakes have beaches?

Hope that helps.

[Bawanna]

I've got a good pretty big cardboard box and a blue tarp already. Looking for a good bridge to put it under. I'm thinking retirement isn't in the cards.

[b4uqzme]

. Oh yeah. Berettabone’s hurricane barely missed us. That could have been a game changer...

[JohnR]

Florida is the Gunshine State, just stay north of Orlando, or in rural areas. State Statute prohibits local governments from regulating guns, and concealed carry is easy.

[johnh]

We are really leaning towards that. Hopefully nothing changes in the next couple years. One reason we want to look around a bit just in case Florida were to go left, but I am hoping it won't given the long pro-gun tradition.

[kenemoore]

Sunny South Carolina!
I live in North West, South Carolina, far enough inland that hurricanes are not a concern. I would not call it a retirement community where I'm at, you can see Hog Back Mountain from my back porch though. Lots of gentleman horse farms. Lots of industry, and pretty gun friendly. No open carry, but shall issue carry permits, you have to take a training course, cost anywhere from 35-100 USD for the course. I can point you to a $35 dollar class.
Coast is about 3 hours away. It snows once or twice a year. Usually melts the next day. Taxes aren't too bad. Lots of jobs if you looking for work. Hunting and fishing a plenty.

There are a lot of retirement communities being built down in the low country. Around the marine base in Beaufort. Close to the coast, but not coastal prices. Lots of golf, if that's your thing.
Not as hot as Florida, but we do see over 100 for a day or two each summer.

[AJBert]

Just remember the humidity, that is the reason we left MS. If you have a place you can go north from say June to Aug you'll have it made. But if you like being in a sauna...this isn't like that at all.

As far as hurricanes go, live inland a few miles. We lived in Gulfport, MS when Katrina hit. We were about 7-10 miles from the beach and about 25 miles east of the eye. The beach was completely wiped out...they are still trying to rebuild. Where we lived the was wind damage and our house survived quite well. One house in our area had a tree come down on it where as we had about a dozen trees come down but none hit the house.

I will say the cost of living in MS is much lower than any place I've lived, the area is beautiful, the friendliest folks you'll ever find. If it just wasn't for that damn humidity we'd still be living there, probably. AL is pretty much the same. Things change a bit when you head east or west but nothing too terrible by a long shot.

[berettabone]

The wifey and I have discussed many times where we thought we should retire. We decided that the older we get, the more we cannot stand extreme heat, extreme humidity, extreme cold, extreme amounts of people, snakes, alligators, crocodiles, large bugs, scorpions, sand in everything, having to worry about where your water will be coming from in the future, and we don't like the same ole same ole. We decided to purchase our retirement property in the same state as where we live. We have a wonderful change of seasons. Winter really only lasts about 2-3 months. Really hasn't snowed much at all. It usually only dips below 0 degrees for a week or two. Spring is nice, good temps, summer is good. We don't have to spend 2-3 months in air conditioning, fall is my favorite time of year when the trees change their colors and temps are mild. We have great gun laws. Open carry has been legal for ever. Conceal carry permits are easy to obtain. Send your money, get your license. Taxes could be cheaper, but couldn't they always. When we were younger, we always thought that we would end up somewhere warm, but after living here and weighing all the pros and cons, I think we're in a good state. Temperate, no hurricanes, and there has never been a tornado in our area ever. We also have the second and fourth largest lakes in the state nearby, plenty of beautiful parks, and hiking trails and places galore. I would think that Missouri would have a great climate. Maybe just some place different in Missouri? Southern Missouri?

[Planedude]

Arizona... Lots of beach, not much water but, always remember..."its a dry heat".

Very gun friendly, very people friendly. I know, I know, it wasn't on the list...

As for me, well, I'm never leaving Fort Worth Texas (although it seems to be creeping away from me), But if I had to choose another state it'd be AZ.
Texas has a bunch of retirees, Easy on the taxes, plenty of room to build up on. Maybe some day I'll buy a big old cow pasture with a nice stock tank and make my own beach.

Any way you choose to go south, east or on out west, enjoy retirement every day with all the gusto you can muster. My wife loves being retired, I'm about seven years out, minimum...

[yqtszhj]

I was born and raised in Alabama and the beaches are beautiful. The fishing is great as is the hunting ( no tags, just a license and a place to hunt.) You're an hour away from the casinos in Mississippi and the tourist areas of Ft. Walton and Destin in Florida.

This. There is not a more gun friendly state in the southeast and I've lived in most of them all. Pass a background check and a pistol permit is yours. If people see you with a sidearm they dont even blink.

But as Berettabone said hurricanes are no fun. I left Mobile in 2004 and moved inland about 100 miles the year of Ivan and the year before Katrina. I'm glad I did.

[johnh]

I think we will spend some more time in Alabama. We did Gulf Shores and really liked it, but did not see much more of the state. I consider myself a Southerner though and really liked the local folks. I know, Missourians are kind of borderline Southerners. We did secede but they didn't let us stay that way very long. :)

[lantern]

NC here. Don't discount our coast. Our shrimp and crab are great. The prices for a decent spot are still reasonable and you don't have to deal as much humidity as other spots. We have always been gun friendly. The Outer banks gun club was pretty nice when I visited a few back.