CO. Springs. Tall Order. Horses,hunting,Schools,work (Denver, Colorado Springs: house, school districts)

[Sage44]

Hi folks! I have done some postings and for the last 3 months I have loaded myself down with packets from more states than I care to mention.
We have lived in CA,TX,OR, and AZ. Currently we are back in TX due to the fact it was the only place hubby could find lots of work, he works for an HVAC company installing heating and a/c.

Is there much biz for that out there?

As we age and our daughter is 5, we are looking for a spot to call home, I wanted to move to Co.
We want a place that has many family activities, outdoors, indoors..culture, like Pow Wows, museums,hunting,fishing, horse activities..etc...
Lots of parks to enjoy.

We will be bringing a horse, where is a good place for horse related activities?

We like to bowhunt, again where is a good spot?

The weather..ah yes...well, we do not mind heat as long as it isn't outrageously muggy/humid. We, as I said are in Texas and YUK, enough already.

Snow is fun as long as it doesn't snow you in for days and weeks at a time. (gotta work after all)

Fresh air, mountains, lakes, fishing, we want it all!
And of course GOOD schools.

We are not high class folks, middleclass, barely!!

Does this sound like any area in CO???

I anxiously await your replies.

Thanks in advance!

[treedonkey]

For some reason, Alamosa immediately springs to my mind as a recommendation when you mention your interests and your 'barely middle class' status. Of course, for more HVAC work, you'll likely want to be within easy driving distance of DEN, COS or at least Pueblo.

May your search go well.

[Sage44]

thank you much!!

[Sage44]

I see there are many other posts about COS on here..none about the hunting and horses...it's very sad the lack of response I got from your state, as I said I have done this to numerous states to get a feel of the area and the people and you folks out there in CO. Must be kinda, what stuffy? Do not like outsiders?

I recently posted another state within the last 3 days and you cannot believe the welcoming commitee I got from them right away and for a day or two, felt nice and welcoming, homey.
You can be sure I will check CO off my list!
Good luck to the rest of you!

[treedonkey]

Well, a huffy response like that will either get you more responses or deleted.

This may have been better placed one level up in the CO forum, since it's not so much about COS in particular. But you're free to judge a whole state by the seven-hour duration of one sleepy thread if you like.

[Sage44]

more responses is ok, lets me know where you all stand LOL I was MOVED to this forum, I placed it one up and I guess the moderator saw fit to move it...here...after my original post.

[Fullback32]

Originally Posted by Sage44

Hi folks! I have done some postings and for the last 3 months I have loaded myself down with packets from more states than I care to mention.
We have lived in CA,TX,OR, and AZ. Currently we are back in TX due to the fact it was the only place hubby could find lots of work, he works for an HVAC company installing heating and a/c.

Is there much biz for that out there?

Not really sure, but I would assume so. It gets cold here, so folks beed heat. AC isn't as prevelant in older homes, but newer home tend to have them and of course there's always the commercial side.

As we age and our daughter is 5, we are looking for a spot to call home, I wanted to move to Co.
We want a place that has many family activities, outdoors, indoors..culture, like Pow Wows, museums,hunting,fishing, horse activities..etc...
Lots of parks to enjoy.

Then the Denver area is your most likely place to find ALL that. I live in Colorado Springs and it is pretty much the biggest little town you'll ever come across. My family is mainly into the outdoorsy stuff, so it it perfect for us. Lot's of that to do. The powwows are mainly in the Denver area. Now and again we have one or two here in the Springs, but that's about it. There's still not LOTS of them like back in Oklahoma or even Texas. I am a member of Comanche Nation and a dancer. These dances are okay, but they often do not have contest dancing and somtimes not a southern drum. This bums me out as I am a Straight dancer, but it's better than nothing. I still go back to Oklahoma a couple times a year for the real thing and see family. There is the big Denver March powwow, but I haven't danced in it for a couple years. Too big and has become a show powwow....sorta like Red Earth, the Gathering of the Nations, or the one in Grand Prairie, Tx. It's all fine and good for just contesting though.

We will be bringing a horse, where is a good place for horse related activities?

Colorado Springs is the place. Lot's of horse owners east of the city and even west in places like Woodland Park. Many horse trails close by. I think there's an equestrian center as well if you're into that side of riding. The Pro Rodeo Cowboys Association is here if that is your thing.

We like to bowhunt, again where is a good spot?

Lord, where does one start? I don't hunt myself, but several of my friends do, both rifle and bow. Deer, elk, bear....it's all over.

The weather..ah yes...well, we do not mind heat as long as it isn't outrageously muggy/humid. We, as I said are in Texas and YUK, enough already.

Snow is fun as long as it doesn't snow you in for days and weeks at a time. (gotta work after all)

It isn't humid here at all. It is very dry. In fact, you'll spend the first year getting used to that. Lotion is your friend. A hot day here is nothing compared to Texas or Oklahoma. To get out of it, simply get in the shade. That actually works here because there is little to no humidity. Beware that summers are relatively short here. Temps generally stay in the 70's and 80's. We just started a streak of two days in the low 90's (I mean barely in them) here in the Springs. Not bad.

Winters vary depending on what part of Colorado you live in. Here in the Springs, we get snow, but not a ton of it. Generally it will snow and be gone the next day. Not always, but usually. A good front-wheel drive car gets you anywhere around town for the most part. A 4-wheel drive is a good idea though, especially if you take up snow skiing. I love mine. Of course, the higher into the mountains you get, the more it hangs around.

Fresh air, mountains, lakes, fishing, we want it all!
And of course GOOD schools.

All within driving distance of Colorado Springs. School districts will vary. In the SPrings, most people will say Academy District 20. I've been happy with them for he most part.

We are not high class folks, middleclass, barely!!

Does this sound like any area in CO???

It all depends on where you want to be and can afford. Here in the Springs, there are folks from all different walks of life just like any city. There are rural areas as well that are close enough to the city, but not too close for folks who like that style of living.

I anxiously await your replies.

Thanks in advance!

As to your last post -- dang, relax will ya? That's something you will need to get used to here in Colorado. Folks here tend not to be very fast paced. If you need a fast pace lifestyle, this may not be the place for you. Denver would be as close as you could get to that.

[Sage44]

Fullback32!!!!!! You are awesome!!! Thank you so much for the wealth of info..and you are right, I have been looking to relocate for the past 3 months and seriously I am losing my mind!
I want to get where we are going and start living again!

You know the Pow Wows here..are hardly to speak of, when we were in AZ we saw some nice ones, I love Oodham Tash in Casa Grande, the whole town turns Native for awhile, got to meet Iron Eyes Cody there was really fantastic, not commercialised at all.

So we need Denver and COS..Hmm interesting.

Thank you again for your narrative, I will look at those two areas!

[froggin4colorado]

There aren't a lot of horse owners here in our particular area. Most horse owners live in Falcon, Divide, Black Forest, and some in Fountain. Barrel racing and roping are done a lot down at Metcalf Park in Fountain. However, finding property to put your horse is the upper class income range.
I have only known one HVAC guy here, my old neighbor who was a hurricane victim. He didn't stay in the business long after arriving and went to work as a custodian for a local school district. Just recently he was evicted from the house due to being a pig (seriously, destroyed the house and should've been declared a hazardous area).
Anyhow, DH typically hunts with both black rifle and bow. However, in order to practice, he would go up into the mountains to do so. It isn't something we did in the back yard.
You will love the weather here, we are very relaxed and not uptight, we love our outdoors.
COS has great schools in all districts- althought I would recommend you stay clear of D2- it is our version of ghetto (but there are some good ones within it).
So, bottom line, check out Divide, Falcon, Hanover, Midway, and maybe Pueblo West area. Good luck.

[Fullback32]

No problem. I love it here and moved from Texas myself. It got to dang hot for me! Plus, I love the mountains. We do lots of hiking, ATVing, mountain biking and white water rafting in the summer. Come winter, it's time to slap on the skis. Let us know if you have any more questions.