The ideal retreat home

[Mekaniks]

Over the years we have looked seriously at places all over the States from Hawaii to Florida. Maine to Mexico, even Belize.
Just cant get over the fact that if we buy a place somewhere then I am gong to locked into go there, all the time. We want to travel and see new places, meet new people, around the world.
So I think our ideal retreat home is going to look something like this.....At least for awhile

Fiberglass Travel Trailers

Escape builds high-quality fiberglass travel trailers. Industry-leading options and personalization.

escapetrailer.com

 

[Phil Giordano]

Absolutely amazing Phil!

Thank you Wab!
It's not as wild as the log cabin in the middle of nowhere I dreamed of when I was a boy, but for sure it's better suited to a retirement age.
I love the country living, tending the garden, having my own made wine and oil, and the possibility to host friends...

 

[WAB]

Thank you Wab!
It's not as wild as the log cabin in the middle of nowhere I dreamed of when I was a boy, but for sure it's better suited to a retirement age.
I love the country living, tending the garden, having my own made wine and oil, and the possibility to host friends...

I totally understand. We have a large garden, an orchard, I keep bees and hunting dogs. The country lifestyle is absolutely amazing. As to hosting, we designed our home specifically for entertaining. We even built a braai!

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

I totally understand. We have a large garden, an orchard, I keep bees and hunting dogs. The country lifestyle is absolutely amazing. As to hosting, we designed our home specifically for entertaining. We even built a braai!

Good on you!

 

[Phil Giordano]

I totally understand. We have a large garden, an orchard, I keep bees and hunting dogs. The country lifestyle is absolutely amazing. As to hosting, we designed our home specifically for entertaining. We even built a braai!

That's a great idea! I'd love to built a braai!

 

[Scott CWO]

We truly love Spain and now have good friends there. I think Hemingway had it right.

Americans Head to Europe for the Good Life on the Cheap (Published 2023)

Home sales to Americans have increased significantly, giving them a chance to enjoy a lifestyle they could not afford in major U.S. cities, but the influx risks upsetting local residents.

www.nytimes.com

A timely article from the NYT today.

 

[CoElkHunter]

Americans Head to Europe for the Good Life on the Cheap (Published 2023)

Home sales to Americans have increased significantly, giving them a chance to enjoy a lifestyle they could not afford in major U.S. cities, but the influx risks upsetting local residents.

www.nytimes.com

A timely article from the NYT today.

Can't read it as they want a subscription fee.

 

[mdwest]

I retired to a farm and live in my retreat home. Why drive to your dream retreat when you can just live in it.

thats "phase 2" of our plan...

once I reach retirement (or perhaps a few years earlier if I can make it work out).. we're looking at 50 acres +/- nestled away in a somewhat remote area (at least an hour drive from any major metro area, and at least a 10 minute drive to even a small town).. with a modest house on it.. that we can turn into a "hobby farm/ranch".. a handful of animals, a large garden spread, maybe a small orchard or some sort, etc.. it needs to be on or very near a reasonable water source (large stream, river, or lake).. hilly or mountainous.. thick woods...

we're considering some different locations in NW Arkansas, E TX, SW MO, etc..

Phase 1 has been complete for about 10 years.. we bought some acreage in Southern Colorado and put a small cabin on it.. we're sub-alpine at 9200 ft in elevation... absolutely beautiful mountain views.. aspens all over the place.. the property is covered up with mule deer and we have occasional elk stroll through as well.. we're 13 miles from the closest town (only 300 people in population) and about a 45 minute drive from the nearest town of any real size (about 10,000).. cell phones dont work anywhere on the property (its wonderful!).. no wi-fi.. etc.. theres gold medal trout fishing within a hours drive.. and a very nice public reservoir and small state part that has trout in it less than 5 minutes from our door..

Its a bit of a haul to get there (about 9.5 hours from our current home).. so we only see it a couple of times a year.. but its our happy place/place of solitude..

once we're ready for phase 2, we'll sell the cabin and colorado property... it will be too far away and will become a bit redundant.. but for the time we have had it and will keep it moving forward.. its been one of the best investments Ive ever made..


Spring pic from the side of the porch...

nearby views..

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

thats "phase 2" of our plan...

once I reach retirement (or perhaps a few years earlier if I can make it work out).. we're looking at 50 acres +/- nestled away in a somewhat remote area (at least an hour drive from any major metro area, and at least a 10 minute drive to even a small town).. with a modest house on it.. that we can turn into a "hobby farm/ranch".. a handful of animals, a large garden spread, maybe a small orchard or some sort, etc.. it needs to be on or very near a reasonable water source (large stream, river, or lake).. hilly or mountainous.. thick woods...

we're considering some different locations in NW Arkansas, E TX, SW MO, etc..

Phase 1 has been complete for about 10 years.. we bought some acreage in Southern Colorado and put a small cabin on it.. we're sub-alpine at 9200 ft in elevation... absolutely beautiful mountain views.. aspens all over the place.. the property is covered up with mule deer and we have occasional elk stroll through as well.. we're 13 miles from the closest town (only 300 people in population) and about a 45 minute drive from the nearest town of any real size (about 10,000).. cell phones dont work anywhere on the property (its wonderful!).. no wi-fi.. etc.. theres gold medal trout fishing within a hours drive.. and a very nice public reservoir and small state part that has trout in it less than 5 minutes from our door..

Its a bit of a haul to get there (about 9.5 hours from our current home).. so we only see it a couple of times a year.. but its our happy place/place of solitude..

once we're ready for phase 2, we'll sell the cabin and colorado property... it will be too far away and will become a bit redundant.. but for the time we have had it and will keep it moving forward.. its been one of the best investments Ive ever made..


Spring pic from the side of the porch...

View attachment 524020


nearby views..

View attachment 524021


View attachment 524022

When you talk of a cabin, how big is that? How many rooms?

 

[CoElkHunter]

We've been considering Mexico. Just got back from there and it's very cheap and safe even in a tourista area. Hard working conservative people and very few "rules". You can buy almost everything pharmaceutical related from the local pharmacia without a prescription. A YEARS worth of medical care is $300 per person. We never felt "unsafe", unlike even some areas in Denver I would never go to even during the day. You can buy a "condo" for $80-100K. Here it's $400K. More investigation required, but something to be considered.

 

[buck wild]

I can be in Johannesburg in 16 hours.

I call BS !!!

 

[buck wild]

and safe even in a tourista area.

If you read the "intel" I see, you might think otherwise, but I get it. I hunted in Mexico for several years.

 

[rookhawk]

If you read the "intel" I see, you might think otherwise, but I get it. I hunted in Mexico for several years.

I'll echo that. I've been to Mexico over the past 30 years at least 25 times. Everything from middle class to extreme luxury. From BnBs and staying with friends, to backpacking, to luxury resorts. I have even taken my family to Mexico when I had children as young as 6 years old. I'm pretty street smart and I know how to avoid troubles.

However, things have changed in the past 3-4 years. Under no circumstances would I go to Mexico whatsoever right now. Forget having ransom insurance to save your ass as I carried on myself and my fellow executives in Guatemala and El Salvador. Nope, Mexico is far worse.

The drug conflict and violence is unprecedented. Once charming resort communities like Playa Del Carmen that are nowhere near a drug corridor are now totally unsafe. Was it the 5-star Hilton or Marriott Cancun last year where drug dealers walked in and executed a tourist in the lobby last year?

Yeah, your daily security detail is never going to be to the quality of the 5-star resorts and they couldn't keep assassins out of their lobbies.

Even under a fantasy of our imaginations where we can push a button and all drug cartel members and bandits die instantly, Mexico is still gone full sh&thole. For year there was a policy where you could not own waterfront property as a foreign national but land trusts created a loophole...those aren't proving to be reliable any longer. Then there are foreign companies like US-based Vulcan Materials that had access to the only deep water seaport in the Yucatan. The army, Federales, and local police just took over their facility this week at gunpoint. This has set off an international incident, especially since a judge in Quintana Roo ruled the seizure extrajudicial but nonetheless it continues.

Don't go to Mexico. Don't do business in Mexico. Don't invest in Mexico.

 

[Pavel U]

For me the ideal would be something similar to this theoretical digital construct .... hacienda from the video game The Hunter: Call of the Wild (Quatro Colinas reserve). Every time I see this or play this, oh man, I just feel the fertile land, the heat of high noon sun and smell of pine forests .... give me this for rest of life and I would die a perfectly happy man
I didn't find a picture of mentioned hacienda, but there is a video on Youtube:
from time 0:37 forward it shows the interior of hacienda - simple but practical and beautiful:

from time 0:37 forward it shows the interior of hacienda - simple but practical and beautiful.

 

[Louis Toadvine]

I am very fortunate to have two versions of my ideal retreat home in existence or in process.

One is a coastal cottage on the North Atlantic in a remote location (I'm not particularly well traveled, but it's one of the most beautiful places I've ever been). It is a few hours from my primary home, so not ideal for a last minute weekend trip but acceptable for long weekends and week+ trips throughout the year. Truly one of my happy places.

The other is a small off-the-grid camp I am building on a decent-sized parcel of forest about 15 minutes from my house. I bought this timberland property a few years ago for its forest management/timber stand potential and hunting (whitetail, black bear, ruffed grouse). The "cabin" is just for fun. The land is so close to my home that I don't really need the camp, but it's always fun to escape the bustle of life and play mountain man for a weekend.

Maybe at some point in the future I will think about a warm weather retreat. The winters can be brutal, and from what I understand they only get more brutal as one ages. We'll see!

 

[rookhawk]

For me the ideal would be something similar to this theoretical digital construct .... hacienda from the video game The Hunter: Call of the Wild (Quatro Colinas reserve). Every time I see this or play this, oh man, I just feel the fertile land, the heat of high noon sun and smell of pine forests .... give me this for rest of life and I would die a perfectly happy man
I didn't find a picture of mentioned hacienda, but there is a video on Youtube:
from time 0:37 forward it shows the interior of hacienda - simple but practical and beautiful:

from time 0:37 forward it shows the interior of hacienda - simple but practical and beautiful.
View attachment 524030

View attachment 524031
View attachment 524032

My kids play this game all the time. It is the most accurate hunting simulator that exists. Highly recommended. Very difficult. You're judged for ethical kills, using the correct weapon, not getting spotted/winded, using the right calls, etc.

The lavender fields in that site are pretty cool. Makes me want to go Ibex hunting!

 

[mdwest]

When you talk of a cabin, how big is that? How many rooms?

not large at all... 300 square feet.. single room.. the back half has a bed, some bedroom furniture, etc.. the front half has a small cooking/kitchen area, a small table and chairs to sit at, etc.. and thats about it.. theres a small toilet area in the back corner that is walled off.. its certainly nothing elaborate..

but.. to be honest.. we spend maybe 1 hour a day indoors outside of the time we are sleeping.. nights are usually spent by a large stone fire pit I built.. we probably cook 75% of our meals over the fire (at the fire pit).. days are spent hiking, hunting, fishing, or just wandering around on the property looking for game sign or collecting firewood, or whatever else we want to do...

the other thing we really enjoy about the property is its location.. we often go to the cabin for a week or so and just use it as a base of operations and then head out on day trips.. Mt. Blanca (a 14K peak) is only about a 30 minute drive away... the Great Sand Dunes national park is about a 30 minute drive.. Pagosa Springs (natural hot spring baths, etc) is about an hour and a half away.. Taos, New Mexico (big ski resort town) is a little more than an hour away.. etc... So we will wake up in the AM.. get in the truck and head out to adventure around in the area, maybe get a nice meal at a restaurant in one of the towns near wherever it is we are heading.. and then not come back to the cabin until after nightfall... then light a fire, crack open a couple of cold beers, and just sit in front of the ranger television until its time to go to bed..

 

[CoElkHunter]

I'll echo that. I've been to Mexico over the past 30 years at least 25 times. Everything from middle class to extreme luxury. From BnBs and staying with friends, to backpacking, to luxury resorts. I have even taken my family to Mexico when I had children as young as 6 years old. I'm pretty street smart and I know how to avoid troubles.

However, things have changed in the past 3-4 years. Under no circumstances would I go to Mexico whatsoever right now. Forget having ransom insurance to save your ass as I carried on myself and my fellow executives in Guatemala and El Salvador. Nope, Mexico is far worse.

The drug conflict and violence is unprecedented. Once charming resort communities like Playa Del Carmen that are nowhere near a drug corridor are now totally unsafe. Was it the 5-star Hilton or Marriott Cancun last year where drug dealers walked in and executed a tourist in the lobby last year?

Yeah, your daily security detail is never going to be to the quality of the 5-star resorts and they couldn't keep assassins out of their lobbies.

Even under a fantasy of our imaginations where we can push a button and all drug cartel members and bandits die instantly, Mexico is still gone full sh&thole. For year there was a policy where you could not own waterfront property as a foreign national but land trusts created a loophole...those aren't proving to be reliable any longer. Then there are foreign companies like US-based Vulcan Materials that had access to the only deep water seaport in the Yucatan. The army, Federales, and local police just took over their facility this week at gunpoint. This has set off an international incident, especially since a judge in Quintana Roo ruled the seizure extrajudicial but nonetheless it continues.

Don't go to Mexico. Don't do business in Mexico. Don't invest in Mexico.

We were just in Playa Del Carmen at the Viva Wyndham Azteca. I didn't feel unsafe even in the "hood" when we went to the fishing boat. The taxi drivers would tell you if anything was "amiss". Sure, a few Mexican Marines with their M16s on the beach occasionally for photo ops and roving through the street mall, but hey, do you want to live forever? LOL

 

[Safari Dave]

Over the years we have looked seriously at places all over the States from Hawaii to Florida. Maine to Mexico, even Belize.
Just cant get over the fact that if we buy a place somewhere then I am gong to locked into go there, all the time. We want to travel and see new places, meet new people, around the world.
So I think our ideal retreat home is going to look something like this.....At least for awhile

Fiberglass Travel Trailers

Escape builds high-quality fiberglass travel trailers. Industry-leading options and personalization.

escapetrailer.com

My wife and I have looked at other places for a "retreat" house as well, but we, like you, don't like the idea of feeling compelled to go to a second home for most vacations.


I like the freedom of being able to go anywhere.

We have a camper and a big 4-door RAM diesel pick-up to pull it.



I have a good friend with a guest house in the Wyoming Rockies!

There is just something I find comforting about this map! (That blue spot is in Montana, by the way)



The Atlanta airport is 81 miles away.....

 

[CoElkHunter]

My wife and I have looked at other places for a "retreat" house as well, but we, like you, don't like the idea of feeling compelled to go to a second home for most vacations.


I like the freedom of being able to go anywhere.

We have a camper and a big 4-door RAM diesel pick-up to pull it.



I have a good friend with a guest house in the Wyoming Rockies!

View attachment 524035
There is just something I find comforting about this map! (That blue spot is in Montana, by the way)



The Atlanta airport is 81 miles away.....

"The Atlanta airport is 81 miles away" from Montana? What ARE you smoking Safari Dave? LOL