Reasons we Bailed and Moved to Iowa

[WyoBull]

Over my career I have been transferred a lot, living on the east coast, west coast and in between before coming back home here to Wyoming 12 years ago.
Prior to moving back here we did a 10 year stint in Austin and I have done business all over Texas for many years.
What I do know from my experience is there is no utopia as a place to live, one just has to choose what fits them best. For me, I will take our winters over S Texas summers any day of the week. Oh, and all the public access to national forest, BLM and state land makes it my playground for hunting, fishing, camping, ATV'ing etc., which I don't remember having in Texas. There are a lot of things I love about Texas, but Wyoming is home for me.

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[PondPopper]

You made the right move for all the right reasons.
Between all of the illegals, California transplants and New York transplants, plus many more from who knows where, Texas is changing drastically and fast and none of the those changes are for the good.. Your place looks awesome.. Congrats..

[Arrowsmith]

Over my career I have been transferred a lot, living on the east coast, west coast and in between before coming back home here to Wyoming 12 years ago.
Prior to moving back here we did a 10 year stint in Austin and I have done business all over Texas for many years.
What I do know from my experience is there is no utopia as a place to live, one just has to choose what fits them best. For me, I will take our winters over S Texas summers any day of the week. Oh, and all the public access to national forest, BLM and state land makes it my playground for hunting, fishing, camping, ATV'ing etc., which I don't remember having in Texas. There are a lot of things I love about Texas, but Wyoming is home for me.

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I would live there also. I love it up in the Afton, Thayne, Star Valley Ranch area.... Salt River valley.

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[Hart8]

Love y'alls place!
We'll be in North Iowa for a week,at the end of June.Clear Lake area.My wife flys there,and I always drive up.I take a different route every time,once I get out of Mo..Man,it's gorgeous country.I wish I could post some pics of the Cedar River I took @ Christmas 2020,but I deleted Tapatalk.I'll try to plan my trip this Summer via y'alls place this Summer.Be nice to meet y'all!

[CEO]

I ordered biscuits and gravy in Iowa one time and they came out with brown gravy! **** Iowa!!


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Ha. This reminds me of my mom's friend ordering a margarita when they were in Scotland.

[BayouCat]

I've spent some time up in that area in years past. People were friendlier up there than down here. Farms were kept up and nice. Nobody locked their doors. It was like going back in time.

Texas has changed. I'm a native Texan generations deep, and while I love my home and most of my family is here, I'm not sure this will be the place I retire. I hope it is, but a person always needs a Plan B, C,....

Thank you for sharing the pics, Arrowsmith. Beautiful country up there.

[stinkbelly]

I was born and raised in Arlington. I got out 20 years ago. It has become a thousand times worse in the past 20 years.

[Arrowsmith]

You made the right move for all the right reasons.

Between all of the illegals, California transplants and New York transplants, plus many more from who knows where, Texas is changing drastically and fast and none of the those changes are for the good.. Your place looks awesome.. Congrats..

I grew up in a country grocery store owned by my parents just south of Mesquite, Texas. We cut meat, crushed ice, pumped gas, dipped ice cream, and sold groceries on credit. We sold ammo (shot gun and .22 ammo) by the box or by the shell. We had .22 shorts, longs, and long rifle. I remember when regular leaded gas was 17.9 cents a gallon and ethyl (premium) was 18.9 cents a gallon. We sold kerosene by the gallon, and all kinds of livestock feed. We knew all our customers by name and would open after hours if someone needed something. We delivered to the elderly customers and gave them a lot of necessity items at no charge. It was a great place to grow up. If you did not live in that era there is no way you could understand how much times have changed.....for the worse.

The area where our store was located is now a very dangerous place to live. It is sad.

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[WyoBull]

I would live there also. I love it up in the Afton, Thayne, Star Valley Ranch area.... Salt River valley.

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That is a beautiful part of the state, for sure.

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[Mr. Whiskers]

I'd like more info on your barndo. About to build one and your place is very nice sir.

[Arrowsmith]

Hart8,

Please do. If you take the route up thru Missouri it is a much prettier drive than I-35. If you go Tulsa to Springfield to Jefferson City then straight up Hwy 63 thru Columbia, Macon, and Kirksville you will come right by our place. We are 4 miles west of 63 and 8 miles north of the Iowa/Missouri state line.

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[Beargrasstx]

I lived in Burlington, Iowa one summer and visited Clinton and Grand Rapids, Iowa. People are very friendly and nice but not much different than people here. At least the ones I encountered while there but I was not out in farmland. It wasn't anything special or like the pictures I see posted on this thread. These pictures are amazing. Looks like I missed out.

[Gary Roberson]

Beautiful place and got to love the absence of traffic. Iowa is a nice state but then there's a lot of really pretty country in the Hill Country with very few folks. Summers will be slightly warmer than Iowa but winters will be much more comfortable. More wildlife and fewer cornfields.
I certainly understand why someone would want to leave the metroplex, Houston or Austin but I am not sure that a move to Iowa would ever come to my mind. Maybe New Mexico, Arizona or southern Utah.
Adios,
Gary

[Beargrasstx]

Big deer in Iowa for sure. However, not any other big game animals to kill, is there? What is great about Texas is the deer, hog, and exotic hunting where a man can kill almost anything year round (minus whitetails)

[Beargrasstx]

Beautiful place and got to love the absence of traffic. Iowa is a nice state but then there's a lot of really pretty country in the Hill Country with very few folks. Summers will be slightly warmer than Iowa but winters will be much more comfortable. More wildlife and fewer cornfields.
I certainly understand why someone would want to leave the metroplex, Houston or Austin but I am not sure that a move to Iowa would ever come to my mind. Maybe New Mexico, Arizona or southern Utah.
Adios,
Gary

I could get behind the Utah move, but kind of a weird place to live if not Mormon. Beautiful though. Montana or Idaho is where I would head. Parts of Colorado sure are nice despite the overall state politics.