UUUMMMM when you find it will you let me know? I thought Virginia was WAY too hot, but then I am in Michigan. Also I believe it is ok (if asked) what biz are you doing? You can e mail me @ lvlice@aol.com.

Maybe it's Idyllic, USA, huh? I deal with rheumatoid arthritis the cold of VA has been really hard ... but then hot and humid is just as difficult with it. Something to do with barometric pressure.

We've been Nature's Sunshine distributors for 26 years so we went online with it back in 1999 (www.theherbsplace.com) and it went well, so we left the retail store behind. Also do a couple of brands of natural pet foods (www.healthypetcorner.com) so we really enjoy what we do and being online does offer a LOT of flexibility. We got in at the right time I guess cause our search engine rankings are good with all the years of being here.

Michigan is definitely cold! I have a friend moving back there from Atlanta because her parents are aging and need some help. I grew up in PA so I'm familiar with cold. My body just doesn't handle it well any more :-)

I would love the VA weather if I didn't have the RA -- only 2 warm mo. are July/Aug and still cool most nights and winters are mixed with 50's and 60's in Jan/Feb so it's not bad, but mentally I REALLY miss the green and flowers since the garden is such an important part of my life. We garden for wildlife and love it.

Are you MI born and bred?

If you are interested in small town feel but want to be close to a major city, try looking in Gaston County (NC). It is next to Charlotte but still has plenty of rural areas and there are several parks with trails in the area. I live in Belmont, which is just inside the Gaston County line next to Charlotte. The weather is beautiful here and the winters are pretty mild. The temps in the summer are warm but with cool evening breezes. And it is a great location for gardening with a really nice botanical garden nearby (click on the link below).

Here is a link that might be useful: Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

I had lived in Gastonia for a month back in early 70's. I've wondered about the area. Thanks for mentioning it!! That garden is lovely! I have a friend in AL who would always be visiting where ever we go and she loves orchids.

I don't mean to be discouraging, but it seems like EVERY place in the S.E. is going to be extremely hot and humid, even at night. I live near Atlanta, and July and August are always smotheringly hot. You might consider getting near the coast, where you would get sea breezes at night...

I always thought the coastal areas would be humid -- didn't think about "sea breezes." My thoughts were that if we were near the mts and not in them, there'd be cool nights. In VA it gets pretty hot in the afternoons ... but every night and morning it's nice and cool. Figured it was the Blue Ridge Mts. that aren't too far away. Any thoughts on that? It's just an assumption which is never a good thing to base any decisions on :-)

My dear hubby and I used to travel all over the south for a few weeks in the Winter in our mobile home. Two places we really loved: the Florida keys (with all the ocean breezes, but no diversity in weather) and the NE corner of Arkansas, of all places! From Bella Vista south to Fayetteville, and all thru the mountain was so beautiful.

We didnt like dusty dry and hot Texas, didn't like all the political scandals in Louisana, mainline Fla was just something to hurry thur. Loved the diversity of AZ, but again, too doggone hot, and really like New Mexico, Santa fe and Taos are outstanding. Palm Springs, CA was so cool. Deserts and Oasis and mountains nearby. It is hard to know just what you are looking for. Find a fun and adventurous thing to do and go RVing! Then take the time to stay in some of the high-end places . Have a fun time
Pondy

If you are looking for a more rural area, you could also try the Elkin, NC area. It is in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and is about 35 miles northwest of Winston-Salem. I grew up there and my parents are still living there, so I visit quite often. There are quite a number of local vineyards & wineries in the area thanks to the ideal climate. The countryside is absolutely beautiful, with mild weather and nice cool nights. I really miss being there - I moved to the Charlotte area after graduating college to be in a better job market, but I would love to live in Elkin again.

Happy Hunting!

Thanks so much! I've been out of town but been avidly reading the emails full of so many nice ideas and helpful links. It has certainly given me a list to work on and I will be checking weather and proximity of natural parks, etc. This is really a great group of folks! I don't do forums much but my husband uses them all the time and tells me how helpful they are. Now I've got my own wonderful experience :-)

Your descriptions are so lovely! Thanks again!