We own land in northern Idaho that we are considering building on when we retire. It checks all of the boxes for you, it sounds like. Spokane International Airport is 30 to 60 minutes from several small towns, all of which are close to both Spokane and Coeur d'Alene for medical care. Farragut State Park and 4th of July Pass are a couple of nordic skiing areas that I am aware of. There are four alpine ski resorts as well within about an hour or less from many of the towns in that vicinity. The area east of Coeur d'Alene (Silver Valley) has a 73 mile paved bike path and there are many mountain biking trails as well. There is plenty to do within an hour in every direction but, there are also epic places to visit within a 3 to 6 hour drive in Glacier National Park, Banff and the Cascades. With all that, you won't be using the airport; your grandkids will be flying to come visit you (and all that there is to do there)!
Too many crazy white nationalists and extremist republicans up in Idaho and especially northern Idaho. However, if you're into that then you will fit right in.
Also, there is some excellent nordic skiing in southern Utah within a reasonable drive from St George, which has great hiking and trail running with very mild winters. Cedar City is even closer and right next to mountains but it is a conservative culture and you will probably feel like an outsider.
Southern Utah is a beautiful area and a lot of great outdoor areas and National Parks nearby. The weather is pretty good, especially in St. George, in the winter as it is at a lower elevation.. It is a conservative area, as is most of Utah. A lot of SLC retirees move to that region. OTOH, Las Vegas isn't that far away and makes for a nice break.
Yeah you basically just perfectly described Colorado in your description. The question is what town. Colorado Springs seems like it fits your description quite well I would say. Boulder/Fort Collins is good too if you want to put up with the college drama and increased housing price. Colorado Springs is however a good hour-90 minutes from Denver International Airport however. Colorado Springs has tons of access to mountains, skiing, and a big runner culture.
I'm not sure that the LetsRun Message Board is really the best place to ask this, but here goes:
We will be moving in the next 5 years or so . . . . Three priorities:
1 A town big enough that there are good medical resources in the area. We're healthy, but as folks get older, health issues can arise, so having good hospitals is a plus.
2. Within an hour's drive of a decent-sized airport. We have grandkids across the country, so being able to fly and see them is a priority, and the larger the airport, the better section of flights.
3. Good recreation area. We like to bicycle, run, and cross country ski, so access to a Nordic ski center within an hour's drive would be nice.
4. I don't need to move to designated "running hotbed" as pretty much any decent sized town or city will have a running community, and it's not like I'm training for USATF champs.
I know I'm late to the game and you've already got lots of good responses. I just want to point out that your post almost reads as a Jeopardy question for "What is Minneapolis?"
1) Medical resources in Minnesota are excellent. Lots of good clinics to choose from, and easier to find a specialist, schedule appointments, etc. than other places I've lived. Plus, there's the Mayo clinic an hour or two down the road.
2) MSP airport is accessible by light rail, and is also easy to drive to. 15-ish minute drive from most places.
3) They just hosted the cross country skiing World Cup in Minneapolis, and there are plenty of trails and frozen lakes in the Twin Cities. It may be the best major city in the US for nordic skiing. There are also tons of bike trails throughout the cities, one of the most bikeable cities in the US, and strong cycling culture. It's a very active place overall, much more so than e.g. where I lived in the Bay Area.
It's not a "running hotbed" in the sense of elite runners, but there are several great local clubs and a strong running community. There are plenty of road races, and you'll find a good training group if that's what you want.
If you're still watching this thread, I'm curious: did you have Minneapolis/St. Paul in mind when making this thread? Not saying it necessarily has to be your choice--there may be other places that also check your boxes, there are pros and cons to any city, and maybe you have other factors beyond the ones you mentioned. But it's almost eerie how precisely your checklist tracks the strengths of the Twin Cities.
I'm not sure that the LetsRun Message Board is really the best place to ask this, but here goes:
We will be moving in the next 5 years or so . . . . Three priorities:
1 A town big enough that there are good medical resources in the area. We're healthy, but as folks get older, health issues can arise, so having good hospitals is a plus.
2. Within an hour's drive of a decent-sized airport. We have grandkids across the country, so being able to fly and see them is a priority, and the larger the airport, the better section of flights.
3. Good recreation area. We like to bicycle, run, and cross country ski, so access to a Nordic ski center within an hour's drive would be nice.
4. I don't need to move to designated "running hotbed" as pretty much any decent sized town or city will have a running community, and it's not like I'm training for USATF champs.
I know I'm late to the game and you've already got lots of good responses. I just want to point out that your post almost reads as a Jeopardy question for "What is Minneapolis?"
1) Medical resources in Minnesota are excellent. Lots of good clinics to choose from, and easier to find a specialist, schedule appointments, etc. than other places I've lived. Plus, there's the Mayo clinic an hour or two down the road.
2) MSP airport is accessible by light rail, and is also easy to drive to. 15-ish minute drive from most places.
3) They just hosted the cross country skiing World Cup in Minneapolis, and there are plenty of trails and frozen lakes in the Twin Cities. It may be the best major city in the US for nordic skiing. There are also tons of bike trails throughout the cities, one of the most bikeable cities in the US, and strong cycling culture. It's a very active place overall, much more so than e.g. where I lived in the Bay Area.
It's not a "running hotbed" in the sense of elite runners, but there are several great local clubs and a strong running community. There are plenty of road races, and you'll find a good training group if that's what you want.
If you're still watching this thread, I'm curious: did you have Minneapolis/St. Paul in mind when making this thread? Not saying it necessarily has to be your choice--there may be other places that also check your boxes, there are pros and cons to any city, and maybe you have other factors beyond the ones you mentioned. But it's almost eerie how precisely your checklist tracks the strengths of the Twin Cities.
Lack of "elite runners" ain't really a bad thing. Though "Minnesota Distance Elite" are as elite as anyone could want, they have as many Olympic marathoners over the past couple decades as Boulder or Flag.