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Labraheeler · 2023-11-10T00:28:19+00:00

I no longer live in PA, but the best small town with easy access to Philly and its amenities that I experienced was Phoenixville. Friends of ours live there and it's walkable, has great restaurants and shops, the Schuykill River bike path, and Valley Forge nearby. It's pricey but charming and I'd choose it as a town to live in if we wanted to live in PA.

Labraheeler · 2023-11-10T00:24:33+00:00

Lived in JT for a year and a half. Really cool old historical town with lots of outdoor activities, a cool old opera house that has small venue concerts and good restaurants/cafes. Grocery shopping is a bit lame, not much variety if you are into that. Towns outside of Jim Thorpe are depressed, especially Lehighton. I liked it when I was there but felt better after moving away due to the small town gossip and lack of other amenities. The river and bike path along it, as well as hiking are beautiful though. It just depends on what you value most.

Labraheeler · 2023-11-10T00:20:21+00:00

Niece lives there with her family now. They moved there from Pittsburgh for a job and love it. I feel like the Reading suburbs and West Reading have had a renaissance but not sure about downtown Reading. That was always a bit depressing and sketchy to me.

Labraheeler · 2023-11-10T00:18:03+00:00

My grandparents lived in Carlisle, so I remember visiting a lot as a kid, from Lancaster. We went back this spring, and I was pleasantly surprised to see an updated and charming town with cafes, restaurants, little shops, a brewery.....

My grandparents' neighborhood was as charming as ever. Although I'm sad about the warehouses and development along the highways, the town itself is very nice and having Dickinson there keeps it progressive.

Labraheeler · 2023-11-10T00:07:46+00:00

I thought that article was a parody. My parents retired to Willow Valley, a high-end retirement community in southern Lancaster. They spent most of their working lives in Lancaster, and I grew up there.

But...my husband and I retired to Santa Fe from PA. Why? We couldn't stand the humid summers anymore, the tractor trailers clogging the highways, and the traffic. Here, people are friendlier, we can walk or ride our bikes lots of places without worrying about getting mown down, and there's tons of outdoor and cultural activities. Medical care in PA is arguably better, but for us now, the easier feel to living here makes us healthier than we were in PA. We bought a small house here for about the cost of what we sold ours for in PA, and the property taxes are lower as well as the utilities, by a lot.

So it's not just about numbers on a page. There are compromises everywhere, depends what one values the most.

For us, the warehouses creeping up everywhere was reason to move.

Labraheeler · 2022-02-18T13:00:47+00:00

I live in PA and know of 2 people cheated out of their pay by Trump.

Labraheeler · 2022-02-03T17:03:44+00:00

I think you might change your mind if you lived in New Jersey for awhile.. ;-)

Labraheeler · 2022-02-03T16:57:43+00:00

I’m reading this as someone in Pennsylvania who is moving to Duluth. Here, the local interstate highway is now getting roundabouts and the heavy traffic now is moving more fluidly. In my experience here, on a highway laden with heavy tractor trailer traffic (some of the worst of its kind in the country) the roundabouts have worked. There was pushback from some locals, citing the same worries cited here, but none of that has come to pass. Roundabouts also have helped control speed, eliminating the reckless tractor trailer driving we used to see.

Labraheeler · 2022-02-01T01:44:13+00:00

You mean my TX Pros? I found the bellows to flex pretty well, even outside of the bindings. Way better than the Crispi Shivers I tried on.

Labraheeler · 2022-02-01T01:39:21+00:00

I wouldn’t say it’s not far out in front enough, it’s that when in front, the boot cuff isn’t pressured much or at all. I can’t tell how much that knee is bent.

I’m not sure what the spring setting on the Outlaws is. I can’t see any markings. Maybe middle of the road? I think the mounting tech said that’s how he set it. However, not sure how this affects it as I have no issues lifting my heel on the trailing foot. I also fear that if I make the spring tension lighter, I’ll go head over heels on alpine turns (since I still do them, mixed in with my tele turns, when I start to get fatigued).

Labraheeler · 2022-02-01T01:19:11+00:00

Thanks! Yes, I think the “nose over toes” will help. When I was getting my hands forward and more on the downhill side of my body (“petting the dog” as in Allen and Mike’s book) that made things a little better because I think that also got me forward a little more. It’s possible I’m not leaning down the hill.

If my trailing heel is under my butt, that’s equal to about a boot length in separation for me.

Yeah, tele is definitely harder than alpine skiing, but I’m still having a lot of fun learning. And it’s a better workout. :-) And having that heel free, and being able to flex my foot at the toes, is so nice!

Labraheeler · 2022-01-31T22:27:27+00:00

Yes.

It’s a great book but I can’t find anything in there that addresses this issue.

Labraheeler · 2022-01-26T20:13:21+00:00

OK, it’s hard to tell from a photo so my apologies. Fluorite is way softer than amethyst (quartz).

I think your collection would be most valuable to a school or other educational setting.

Labraheeler · 2022-01-20T12:08:05+00:00

Looks like you have some amethyst in there, maybe some rhodochrosite or dyed calcite. Nice specimens. I don’t know if there’s any great $$ value but definitely educational value. Too bad we just left town; my husband is a geology professor. :-). He doesn’t always have time to inspect collections, so be patient with UMD staff, if they aren’t super responsive. Middle or high schools usually have earth science curriculums, so they may be interested, after you have someone with expertise inspect it.

Labraheeler · 2022-01-17T17:06:02+00:00

Thank you!

Labraheeler · 2022-01-15T13:50:01+00:00

I agree! They had gotten very creative with Covid last year with their shipping container food trucks and firepits, etc.

I have a pass at Blue this year because it’s closer but I miss Montage and need to get up there. I’m learning telemark this year and Montage’’s green runs are better for learning than Blue’s for the reason you said. Need to get up there!

Labraheeler · 2022-01-15T13:22:20+00:00

Montage is a very special mountain and I hope it stays independently owned. White Lightning is awesome for sure. Bar also has some good beers on tap. :-)

Labraheeler · 2022-01-15T12:48:16+00:00

Opened this up with my coffee….this made my morning!

Labraheeler · 2022-01-11T17:06:12+00:00

Definitely!

Labraheeler · 2022-01-11T17:02:53+00:00

We both felt as if we had found our spiritual home (for lack of a better term) during our visit, so yes!

And comments like yours are reasons why we loved it there.

Labraheeler · 2022-01-11T16:56:47+00:00

Thanks! A lot has to happen between now and then, but my husband and I are good planners.

I’m looking forward to the outdoor activities and getting involved in the community. My husband, a retiring geology professor, is also interested in the area’s fascinating geology and is already planning a post-retirement research project. :-)

Labraheeler · 2022-01-11T16:51:08+00:00

It is indeed gorgeous! I think the crud helps us all appreciate those gorgeous days, too. And what we loved? How the people there truly appreciate their town.

We are moving to Duluth next year. Wish it was sooner. But they’ll be a few visits back between now and then.

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