Santa Fe is great, but it's certainly more expensive than Arkansas. You would probably want AC, but you wouldn't be chained to it all summer, and the humidity is pretty low.

Lee Ann

Thanks Chatham and elindilpickle. I'm really into trees and hills, mountains as far as landscape - I don't suppose Santa Fe is like this?

I've looked into N. Carolina and I'm very interested. It'd be nice to be closer to home, that's why I thought of Arkansas. One of our daughters may go to Univ. of N. C. so it is a possibility.

PS: Joan - I vote for Ireland too, even though I've never been (next on our list). I'm in love with England but can't seem to convince my DH - not exactly a "weekend" home with that 9 hour flight!

What about NW Arkansas instead of Hot Springs? I'm trying to think of how you can accomplish your climate goals, but still be within striking distance of home. Table Rock Lake is lovely and it might be cooler in that area.

angiemom

We are in the same situation.. Looking for a nice place for a second home. Doesn't the hill country in Texas have milder climate than the rest of Texas? We have been considering a trip down there (We live in the Chicago area), and have considered North Carolina, South Carolina and Savanah Georgia.

I used to live in Southern Illinois and I can tell you it gets hot down there so I would imagine Arkansas would be just as bad.

lisettemac - Oh, I assumed Hot Springs was in NW Arkansas. Thanks - I'll look into it.

ydoc - It's not so much the temperature of the summers as the length of the summers. When we lived in Southern California it used to get up to high 90's frequently, but it always cooled down in the late afternoon.

In Texas, it still keeps getting hotter until 8:00 PM some nights. Plus, the hot, hot weather is here for about five months. Just way to long.

I'm not sure Hill Country would have enough of a climate difference. But thanks for the thought. I'll look at it a little more closely.

I live in San Antonio and bought a lot in Hot Springs Village 5 years ago. I always monitor the weather difference between the listed cities. I have noticed that Hot Springs is normally 5-15 degrees cooler than San Antonio in the summer. Of course there is days its the same or hotter. But, that can happen anywhere on any given summer day. I can't wait to retire to the Village as I plan on being involved with so many activites that are offered. I hope to retire by age 54(8 years). I think you should check out Hot Springs Village as the cost of living in Ark is cheaper and you could just be single home owner and just travel more if you don't feel like being a retired person. However, when you see all the different clubs that the Villages offer. It would be hard not to want to retire. I'm originally from Philadelphia and my wife is from Altoona, Pa. We both can't wait to leave the hot seasons and the growing population of San Antonio.

sapdblue: You'll find that the Village usually runs about five degrees cooler than Hot Springs. However, since we are unincorporated, we don't show up in a lot of official records.

You'll love it here!

I live in NW Ark (Fayetteville) and it is beautiful. I grew up in LR, went to college in Searcy (north central AR), and hubby and I just moved here for teaching jobs. We ended up here b/c of the incredible growth going on. There are so many opportunities and I've heard unbelievable statistics about how this area is the second fastest growing area in the nation. All that to say, while you can find quiet, country houses outside the city, you are also near every convenience. I dislike the Hot Springs area, as it seems a lot hotter to me than even LR. Here in NW, it's definitely colder than in the central part of the state, right now. We've already had light snow several times, once more heavily. The summer was still hot, but nothing like TX to me. (I've spent lots of time there too, since hubby is a Texan.) If you're going to visit anyway, drive up and just explore Farmington (south of Fayetteville), Fay., Springdale, Elkins, Prairie Grove, Rogers, Bentonville, Bella Vista...All these communities are nice, pleasant places to be, and the scenery can't be beat in Arkansas!

Thank you saraallison! I appreciate your input and giving me all those towns to check out. As long as you say it's not as hot as Texas, it's a possibility for me.

Happy Holidays,

mom