Tired of the rat race and finding the dominant suburban/urban lifestyle unnatural and borderline inhuman, I am seeking a rural backwater to raise what is currently a 6 person family. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Mad River valley, Vermont

How much would a house go for in Mad River Valley? Operating a small business a possibility?

$225K and up, more than likely. The valley is very rural, but a lot of money has gravitated here from the ski business (Sugarbush and Mad River). We're 35 miles from Burlington VT and 20 from the state capital.

Best local business is in the building trades.

We have friends that left Houston & moved to Jacksonville TX. They love it there. Their son is on the school baseball team & gets lots of playing time where in his Houston school he was just a number. They have built a gorgeous house on the lake there & it is so peaceful. There is "civilization" within driving distance but you do have the peace you want.

Here's a couple of sites with info.

http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/...w/JJ/hej1.html

http://www.jacksonvilletexas.com/

http://www.easttexas.com/NETTC/festi...ksonville.html

For Florida rural backwater, try Riverview at the back of Tampa Bay. Or find something along the Manatee River south of there. This area is rural but close to the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota.

But be careful. Friends of mine moved to a rural area near Charlottesville, VA for the same reasons, to escape the burbs but be close to the city. They bought farmland and built a house. Wouldn't you know it -- someone bought neighboring property and put in a sub-development. They're now in the suburbs!

If you want to make sure this won't happen to you, check out Lincoln, NM and east of there. There's a "river", although it's more of a creek. Beautiful country, far from much of anything.

Southern Illinois near the Shawnee Nat'l Forest. Beautiful rural area and slow pace of life.