My husband and I are retiring next year and looking to move out of California.

He''s a California native and loves the outdoors.

I just want to be an easy drive to Dallas.

It's been years since I've been to Arkansas. The homes look great.

What's it like to live there? I like shopping, restaurants and theater.

Is there an active A&M club around?

We are liking the homes outside of Little Rock to Hot Springs, but I've read Fayetteville is nice.

How cold does it get in the winter?

I'm also wondering how a California native will adjust. He likes Trump, but he's not much of a church goer (I am).

Thanks

If you like tornados, high humidity, heat from May - October, freezing rain covered highways in winter, snow, pets getting eaten alive by ticks & fleas, etc., there's no better place than Garland County & Hot Springs, Arkansas. Spent 7+ years there as a law enforcement ranger with the National Park Service & now live in the State of Washington; doubt I would ever visit much less go back there to live.

What do you consider an easy drive to Dallas? How far are you willing to go to not have hot summers and 4 actual seasons?

I will say I love East Tennessee - it doesn't get much over 90 during the summer, has 4 actual seasons, gets some snow (not much this year), and has tons of outdoor activities. Also fine for church-goers.

SVaggie84 said:

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My husband and I are retiring next year and looking to move out of California.

He''s a California native and loves the outdoors.

I just want to be an easy drive to Dallas.

It's been years since I've been to Arkansas. The homes look great.

What's it like to live there? I like shopping, restaurants and theater.

Is there an active A&M club around?

We are liking the homes outside of Little Rock to Hot Springs, but I've read Fayetteville is nice.

How cold does it get in the winter?

I'm also wondering how a California native will adjust. He likes Trump, but he's not much of a church goer (I am).

Thanks

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Bella Vista, Eureka Springs and Hot Springs are probably the 3 places people retire to most in Arkansas. I live in Northwest Arkansas and there is a ton to do outdoors here, but Bella Vista, Bentonville or Rogers would probably be more suitable for what you want to do than Fayetteville. Housing in Fayetteville is higher and it's obviously more of a college scene. Arkansas Public Theatre is in Rogers, as is the Pinnacle Hills Promenade for shopping and Beaver Lake.

If you look around Little Rock I would probably go with West Little Rock, there is some cool stuff to do in downtown LR but there is also plenty of crime like you'd expect.

The weather here is weird. One day it will be 20 and the next 70. But normally we have very cold winters and very hot summers.

This may help if you want to look at some stuff to do: https://issuu.com/rlacc/docs/2018goodlife_web

East Tennessee is high on the list, but I don't think I can drive to Dallas in a day by myself. I think I could handle 6 to maybe 8 hours. At least, I figure it would be an easy drive.

We visited Chattanooga a few years ago and loved it.

Also looking at northern Georgia and western North Carolina.

We are going to rent at first to make sure we like the area.

We have twins graduating from college next year. One is at Alabama and will be going to grad school afterward. I know Vanderbilt is high on her list.

The other twin wants to go south. She has a brain injury. She's different, almost autistic like. She would love to live in Dallas near family.

She''s not sure about grad school. She's getting a degree in statistics with a minor in biology. She may get a masters in biostatistics. Her dream is to work at the CDC.

A lot of where we go will depend on her. If she's in Atlanta, then eastern Tennessee will be the place.

How bad is the weather compared to College Station? If you don't have to work, how bad is the snow.

How bad are the tornadoes compared to say the Dallas area?

We have a lap dog, so not too worried about ticks and fleas. Plus we're used to that in California.

I never minded the weather in Texas, so I think I'll be okay. I do hate the bugs!! I hate mosquitoes.

Husband is fairly flexible these days. He has to work 60-80 hour weeks in California. I think he'll be able to deal with the weather in order to quit working.

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Winters were worse than those in BCS, don't know about the tornados in Dallas but the thunderstorms around Hot Springs were more frequent and more intense. Didn't have a lot of daily winds normally & the typical summer day was hot & quite humid.

I've lived in many states, including Arkansas, and been to 49 of them.

Northwest Arkansas is nice; similar in many ways to east Tennessee.

Cooler than Dallas in the summer, but still tolerable in the winter.

Met a couple a few years ago from Michigan that first retired to Colorado and found it too cold. They then relocated to the broader Fayetteville area and loved it. The area has grown a lot in recent years and has just about anything someone would want.

The drive from E TN to Dallas is more than a day. You can get from Fayetteville to Dallas in 6 hours.

Thanks for the info. I can't wait to visit. I'm thinking we will like it. Good mix for hubby and me. Looking forward to finally leaving California. Gonna miss the nice weather and no bugs, but not much else.

If you are coming from California then you are going to be pleasantly surprised by the cost of living here in Arkansas.



I have clients who moved here from California. They sold their smaller three bed room house and pretty much bought a mansion for less than they sold their three bed room back in California. They love the cost of living, they talk about it every time I see them....they've lived here for 10 years haha.


Tornado's aren't as bad as some say. I'd wager Dallas is worse, at least it has been lately. If it's really a concern then you can install a shelter. North Arkansas is beautiful. I wouldn't go farther than Hot Springs which is nice if you get a place on on the water (I'd look elsewhere if you didn't want to live by the water). I know those shops are neat and all, but it gets old quickly.


South Arkansas (where I reside) is the same as East Texas and North Louisiana. There are a ton of pine trees, and it gets muggy and humid. North Arkansas seems to have a little bit better climate. Little more breezy. Still get's hot, but reminds me a bit of Austin weather. Maybe it's the hills and the mountains.


TLDR: don't go fatrther than Hot Springs. If you decide on Hot Springs then buy on the water otherwise go North.

I agree that Northwest Arkansas is a great area. We just built our retirement home on the white River in Mountain Home. Deer in the front yard and big brown trout in the back. You are going to love the cost of living compared to California.

I've found Northwest Arkansas to be beautiful and pleasant. Winters can be cold and Summers are hot, with high humidity.

The Ozark mountains are stunning.

I was born In Texarkana, Texas and as a child we did lots of visits to Arkansas as most of my distant cousins live there. Later on, I made three trips to Ozarks, one to Eureka for a family reunion, two for the Buffalo River experience. I always enjoyed road trips to Arkansas, especially The Ozarks. I had cousins that lived in south central Arkansas as well. It is more like north east Texas, lots of pine trees.

Also, the state was in my territory as an outside sales rep before the internet age, so I've been to most major cities there. The industry was recreational vehicles, so also went to many small towns where RV's and cabinet hardware were assembled on cabinets.

My sister retired as a Property Manager from California and looked at Arkansas before settling in Austin in 2005. My brother and his best friend just bought land near Mena, Arkansas as they will retire within the next few years.

I might add, I met a couple of Deliverance type backwoods dudes on one trip to the Buffalo River. Barefoot and blue jean overalls included, they had businesses there in early 80's. But, definitely those guys were racist, and we chose to do our business and leave.

I wouldn't mind living there, but I'm more of a coastal dweller, currently on the Texas coast and in process of going east any day.

Looks like we are going to do a detour before we retire. Hubby just got a job offer in North Carolina.

North Carolina job fell through, so we finally visited Arkansas. We loved the Bentonville area! Even my California native husband loved it. We feel like we can get something secluded enough for hubby, while still being close to fun social activities for me.

We are going to move there in the spring. I'm excited!