Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hendersonville is a very popular town for what you're looking for.
Waynesville is where we ended up buying for that "future retirement"; I have to think, but the earliest for us is about 16 or 17 months. Realistically, it may be longer.
We are on the south side of Waynesville, less than 30 minutes from Asheville, in an area called Bethel. Waynesville has a Super Walmart, a Lowes, a Best Buy, some nice restaurants and some nice people. Our house is about 3400' in elevation. Bugs aren't a big issue and the heat isn't an issue at all. My wife is really, really tired of the south Florida summers.
It is a beautiful area. I wish the economy would let us retire sooner, but it is what it is.
67-
I've been thinking about elevation recently. At what altitiude will the Winters demand use of 4-wheel drive, if at all? I think I would like a nice ompromise.....a wee bit snow so that Winter will feel right but not enough to get the blues.
All the Villes are on our list, which will soon be unmanagebly large. Looking forward to the visit. Hoping for your earliest planned retirement!
I think you should be made aware that the annual festival of "Bele Chere" will be held in downtown Asheville July 23-25, 2010. They have a website. Thousands of people from all over descend on Asheville during that time, most definitely NOT a good weekend to be visiting and checking us out as a place to retire. Downtown streets are blocked, traffic everywhere on the outskirts at all times of day, used to be kinda neat in the "old days," but the last 15 years it's an event many locals avoid during that time.
But even if some part of your vacation here is occupied by that weekend, you COULD arrange instead to go to the smaller towns outside Asheville then, like Black Mountain and Hendersonville. Also, a ride up to the Pisgah Inn along the Blue Ridge Parkway for lunch, then returning via waterfalls down to Brevard (or vice-versa). And another day trip is you could go up to Chimney Rock and Lake Lure via Fairview southeast of town, pleasant up there, a place to swim or boat or hike. And skip a walk downtown on the Monday right after the festival, because cleanup is going on, it smells kinda funny then. And save any tours of North Asheville's nicer neighborhoods during that weekend too, the traffic along their main roads will be horrendous.
As for insects, basically we don't have any, but for mosquitoes, I used to put citronella oil or skeeter spray on my neck and bare extremeties when I went outside, I kept the stuff by the back door. As for how high the temps will be, we get two heat waves, end of June and first part of July, when temps soar (ha) into the 90s. And while our winters are indeed mild, we do get snow every year, schools close, it gets quite cold and windy, power goes out, the usual winter stuff.
Thanks. Actually we arrive on Tuesday the 27th so we will avoid/miss the festival. Your information and suggestions are very helpful and I have printed them for our travel folder.
John
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
