We took a long road trip this month. We left Madison, FL on Tuesday, February 8 and arrived home on Friday, February 18. Our goal was to just drive around the south. We are looking to relocate somewhere that we can afford to buy a property outright. We’d like to have some acreage that has decent soil. We prefer a mild climate with ample rainfall. It would be great if we were close to hunting and fishing areas. Low property taxes and few building permit requirements are also preferable.
The weather was cold at the beginning of our trip, so we went south first. It was still really cold, even in Port Aransas, TX. The Gulf regions in Texas were similar to what we’re used to from living in Naples, FL, with the exception of the industry. It was refreshing to see huge plants, ports, and oil derricks in Texas and in Louisianna. We’d become accustomed to retirement villages and medical clinics, not exactly sustainable industries for generations to come.
Hill Country in central Texas was beautiful. I met one rancher who was born in Blanco, TX. The arid winters and long years of hard outdoor labor had dug lines in his face, but his laugh lines were deeper, no doubt from many nights spent passing time with friends telling humorous stories and strumming guitars.
The Ozarks and the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas were breathtaking. We trekked across central Mississippi and Alabama in search of the combination of good soil and warm winters. This region is sparsely populated, but Alabama is particularly pretty, with rolling hills and pine forests. Georgia’s hills are also pretty, and the manicured medians signaled better recent financial times but also more active local governments. The pecan groves are lovely.
Bekah's Feast or Famine 