Since most of our direct ties to this area are either gone or in the process of being gone, Carol and I are trying to decide where we want to live. So we took a trip to upstate New York to scout the area.
Here’s a shot of Taughannock Falls at Taughannock State Park. 215 feet high, cutting through cliffs 400 feet high. We’d already seen Ithaca Falls near Cornell University in Ithaca. Lot of waterfalls in upstate New York, we’ve found. We stayed in Syracuse and fanned out in most directions in the time we had: Syracuse, Ithaca, Utica, Alexandria Bay, Oswego, Rome, Herkimer(next time we dig for diamonds), Little Falls. Didn’t get everywhere, but did get a lot of wheres.
No decisions yet, but it’s in the running. And yes, we know it gets cold there. Everyone told us that.
Richard Parks 
Do you remember Dark Agnes from Starkville? She moved many years ago (Before we moved to Texas) to Buffalo, NY. She is now in Round Rock, TX (Basically a suburb of Austin). If you want, I can get her email address (I see her on Facebook, but admit we have not really corresponded much). I personally would have little desire to live in New York. Virginia, maybe, but I prefer the West. Washington state is nice, especially the Olympic Pensuila. (Sequim in particular, mostly due to the weather patterns that give that town sunshine 300 days of the year. Seattle, for example, maybe has 40 days of sunshine). Washington is more liberal, though, which I would like – although I have firearms and don’t think they like them much there. Western Coloradoand Northern New Mexico would be OK with me. Oddly, I like the area around Austin to San Antonio, as its very hilly and is fun to ride motorcycles and bicycles there. (I despise flat areas with mosquitos, such as Houston). I think you two would like the Austin area pretty well – the city does not fit the rest of Texas, as its more liberal. (Texas overall is EXTREMLY conservative and the legislature is ultra right wing).
If you want to come out here, your welcome to stay with us. In truth, many like this area as its near the ocean (Galveston is an hour away and has beaches that are at least equal to Biloxi and Gulfport). Fulshear is a little town I have ridden bicycles around, probably 25 miles NW of here. Its slightly hilly, and more rural – but is near Katy which is a suburb of Houston, pretty much.
I don’t really mind cold weather that much – I was deployed once in the guard for blizzard assistance to stranded motorists. We would patrol for stalled cars some and set up a shelter – and that was a pretty dry cold since it was in the plains. I used to go to New York a lot, and its interesting, but to many people.
Anyway, good luck. I highly recommend Gruene/New Braunfels. which is N/NE of San Antonio. I ride there a good bit. Good German food too.
Jeff
I remember Dark Agnes. I may take you up on that when we get to decision time. We’ve been west (one or both of us) Arizona, New Mexico. Like it but probably not to live. I’ve been in the Salem/Portland OR area and like it okay. Texas is a possibility but probably too close to the climate we already know. Right now we’re leaning toward the east coast, probably north of the Carolinas. Or parts of Tennessee. Chattanooga is a nice area.