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Post by Pixie on Apr 21, 2016 21:26:00 GMT -5
Well, so what is it and where are you in the video? At about the 0:45 second mark, I am leaning on the sign with both elbows. I was one of the two delegates from my state lucky enough to spend the summer at the National Youth Science Camp in the Monangahela National Forest, Pocahontas County, West Virginia. Truly, I was a science and math nerd in high school. Spending the summer with fellow science and math nerds from all over the United States was an incredible life experience. Not unlike spending a month in Falls Church with some other pretty incredible people :-) You were a very small and young pumpkin back then. You looked to be about 12 years old. Thanks for identifying yourself. Pix.
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Post by sealaw90 on Apr 22, 2016 9:05:47 GMT -5
Salt lake City is our next stop. I have never been there, but I wanted to move on to the next locale if we're done with Virginia. Any takers?
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Post by greendog on Apr 22, 2016 9:33:08 GMT -5
From what I gather, folks are really nice there. It does get hot but they do have some significant snow in the winter. Lots to do cultural and sports. There are a lot of flies along the lake at certain times of the year. Not far from National Parks. Good hunting and fishing. This info comes from a cousin that lives there. House prices can be high.
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Post by owl on Apr 22, 2016 11:13:45 GMT -5
SLC is a hub for Delta, and Southwest and Frontier compete there also on certain routes so that could help with the potential cost and convenience of traveling back and forth from home on a regular basis (for those not looking to relocate permanently), depending of course on where "home" is for you.
I've never lived there but have visited a few times, both in the summer and winter. Certain segments of our board membership will be pleased to know that caffeine and alcohol are readily available, contrary to stereotypes often held outside of UT. To stock your fridge or cellar with the good stuff you do have to go to a state liquor store, though - only 3.2% beer at grocery stores, convenience stores, etc.
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Post by slainte on Apr 22, 2016 11:37:47 GMT -5
Salt Lake City is very nice, I visited there a few years ago for a long weekend. Yes it is a bit pricey but a livable place with good mass transit, a diverse and friendly population, and lots of cultural activities + restaurants. It's a wonderful area for outdoor activities (skiing and hiking are close by). I just looked up the hearing office and it's well located in the federal building downtown.
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Post by 71stretch on Apr 22, 2016 12:08:31 GMT -5
Salt Lake City is very nice, I visited there a few years ago for a long weekend. Yes it is a bit pricey but a livable place with good mass transit, a diverse and friendly population, and lots of cultural activities + restaurants. It's a wonderful area for outdoor activities (skiing and hiking are close by). I just looked up the hearing office and it's well located in the federal building downtown. Air quality there can at times be very poor. Last time I was there. In winter, it was gray and dreary and smoggy. But when it's nice, it is nice there. I would not use the word "diverse", but I suppose that is a relative term.
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Post by luckylady2 on Apr 22, 2016 19:05:52 GMT -5
You are minutes (ok, lots of minutes, but less than 2 hours) away from world-class skiing and other wintersports. The Wasatch practically defines "champagne powder."
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Post by weisstho on Apr 22, 2016 19:37:26 GMT -5
Utah is known for their abundant and amazing powder snow and fantastic skiing - best, I think, in the U.S.A.!
Another amazing sport is Soaring - flying Gliders (aircraft without engines) for which you can travel hundreds of miles without landing, soaring on the mountain waves for the whole day, traveling up to Wyoming and Montana, and east to Colorado. It is amazing - if you are so inclined, YouTube "Bruno Vassel" who is the local guru and soaring aficionado.
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Post by catspaw on Apr 23, 2016 5:57:21 GMT -5
Love SLC, Park City, Moab, etc. I think most of the state is a national park, or at least it seems that way. Easy to get around, and you can get rock star parking at Home Depot on Sundays. The lift lines are shorter on Sundays too.
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Post by mamaru on Apr 23, 2016 14:31:25 GMT -5
I just did a huge post and deleted it. I have spent a lot of time working in SLC. Even though I have never lived there, I have made many friends there and been privy to their thoughts on living in the city. I certainly echo what people have said about the proximity to good skiing and outdoor activities of all kinds, but there's a lot more to the area. My post addressed what's it's like to be a gentile (non-LDS) in a down with a strong LDS presence. I assume most individuals who are LDS have a connection with SLC and know what to expect. Rather than risk offending any one with my candid observations, I will leave it at suggesting that anyone who is considering SLC and is concerned about whether it would be a fit should PM me. I will do my best to answer - or get you an answer. I know people.
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Post by cafeta on Apr 23, 2016 17:28:47 GMT -5
Love SLC, Park City, Moab, etc. I think most of the state is a national park, or at least it seems that way. Easy to get around, and you can get rock star parking at Home Depot on Sundays. The lift lines are shorter on Sundays too. For certain, lots of national parks nearby, like Zion, etc. But for me, most of all, Moab, awesome mountain biking there!
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Post by Gaidin on Apr 25, 2016 8:54:26 GMT -5
West Des Moines?
I have been to Des Moines a few times but I didn't get a chance to really experience the city and I never went to WDM. So does anybody have insight into this community?
All I can add to any discussion of Iowa is that its not just corn they also have pigs.
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Post by sealaw90 on Apr 25, 2016 11:18:03 GMT -5
Hey G, doesn't Texas come next in the reverse alphabetical order? WV - VA- TX - TN, etc. But more power to ya, West Des Moines will never be on my GAL, so I leave it to all who enjoy whatever the area has to offer. Considering no one has chimed in since your post, I think they also have crickets . . .
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Post by Gaidin on Apr 25, 2016 11:21:54 GMT -5
I didn't realize we were heading in reverse order but since WDM isn't panning out I will also welcome discussion of Houston and Harlingen.
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Post by Gaidin on Apr 25, 2016 11:31:05 GMT -5
Harlingen Harlingen (/ˈhɑːrlᵻndʒən/ har-lin-jən) is a city in Cameron County in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, United States, about 30 miles (48 km) from the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The city covers more than 40 square miles (104 km2) and is the second largest city in Cameron County, as well as the sixth largest in the Rio Grande Valley. As of the 2010 census the city had a population of 64,849, for a growth rate of 12.5% since the 2000 census. It is the city with the least expensive cost of living in the United States. Perhaps someone closer to the area knows whether this information from 2013 is still current: www.valleymorningstar.com/coastal_current/news/article_be2cb1d0-97c6-11e2-92fa-001a4bcf6878.htmlIt ranks as number 16 on this list which is still better than Houston at Number 7. texaspolicenews.com/default.aspx%3Fact%3DNewsletter.aspx%26category%3DNews%2B1-2%26newsletterid%3D50330%26menugroup%3DHomeHouston Houston (Listeni/ˈhjuːstən/ hyoo-stən) is the most populous city in Texas and the fourth-most populous city in the United States, located in Southeast Texas near the Gulf of Mexico. With a census-estimated 2014 population of 2.239 million within a land area of 599.6 square miles (1,553 km2), it also is the largest city in the Southern United States, as well as the seat of Harris County. It is the principal city of Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land, which is the fifth-most populated metropolitan area in the United States.
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Post by tripper on Apr 25, 2016 11:36:38 GMT -5
I didn't realize we were heading in reverse order but since WDM isn't panning out I will also welcome discussion of Houston and Harlingen. I'd take West Des Moine over either Houston or Harlingen (but honestly I haven't been to any of them).
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Post by owl on Apr 25, 2016 11:40:00 GMT -5
I may not be an Iowa resident but I have stayed in a Holiday Inn Express (literally) in West Des Moines so clearly that makes me an expert.
West Des Moines : Des Moines :: Naperville : Chicago or Plano : Dallas. A relatively large, sprawling suburb of homes (little built much earlier than the 1970s), corporate employers, shopping malls, chain hotels and restaurants, all linked to the big city by an expressway, in this case I-235 (along which there is a nefarious 55 mph speed camera that resulted in me receiving an expensive "thanks for visiting Iowa" letter after returning home).
Des Moines has been experiencing a boom over the past several years as many corporate HQs have landed there and the population, already relatively well educated and white collar owing to the presence of the state capital, has become even more so. This of course translates to good schools, cultural and recreational facilities, etc. Lots of millennials relocating there.
Southwest flies in/out of DSM which helps anyone looking to travel back home regularly rather than relocate permanently - but look out, Des Moines just might win you over.
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Post by rusty on Apr 25, 2016 11:47:57 GMT -5
I apologize in advance for the non sequitur as I cannot comment upon WDM or the TX locations.
However, I did notice in my interweb ramblings this weekend that the Memphis office is a half mile walk to Beale Street and nearly shares a parking lot with the Minor League baseball stadium.
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Post by Gaidin on Apr 25, 2016 12:08:00 GMT -5
I apologize in advance for the non sequitur as I cannot comment upon WDM or the TX locations. However, I did notice in my interweb ramblings this weekend that the Memphis office is a half mile walk to Beale Street and nearly shares a parking lot with the Minor League baseball stadium. Trust me on this you don't want to walk that half mile after an evening on Beale Street. You will not be able to walk that half mile after a Diver from Silky O'Sullivans. The ODAR office is not in the world's best neighborhood.
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Post by Baymax on Apr 25, 2016 12:26:17 GMT -5
I have family in McAllen, TX, just next door to Harlingen, and I've flown in and out of HRL a few times. Overall a nice, dusty, hot, dry, and flat place; HRL airport usually requires a connection from IAD (Houston Intercontinental) or other hubs, but, assuming you get one of the few flights there, it's very easy to get in and out. Being bilingual (in Spanish obviously) is key, and the area has one of the most highly developed health care communities in America.
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