[dddaver]

Decided not to hijack, this is pretty different than western slope.

My health has me looking in the dryer, warmer SE but still pretty close to the mountains, within view anyway. Pueblo area looks a little too dry, almost desert like in some places, and not too scenic. CO Springs and areas south look best to me having done my 20 and retired AF make me think somewhere near the Academy might be good.

I'm an older fart (not that old, just 58, but my body just feels 88 ) so maybe a mj friendly Mobile Home Retirement Community that isn't crazy expensive and tends to leave people alone might work? Maybe that's asking too much. Any places the fine folks here might recommend? It seems those southern areas of CO pretty conservative usually.

[BOMBAYCAT]

The areas you have in mind are pretty conservative although very scenic if you like dry. Colorado Springs and most of the county opted out of both MMJ and Recreational so you would need to grow your own (maybe poor security) or travel some for your meds. I like Canyon City down there. It is bleak, red rock country but I like it for some reason. The area is quite laid back and in the process of opening up a Recreational shop that would serve the whole county. Down in Pueblo the Marisol grow is nationally known and a part of them just went Recreational I think.

[StitchMonkey]

As Bombaycat said, as you go south you do get more. . . conservative. Even Douglas County is kinda pushing the limits on tolerance, other areas are more so. You may want to take a look at the Golden area. It is still sorta the Denver Metro area, but it is closer to Golden and the mountains. It has a smaller town feel to it even though it is closer to Denver than you would think, it kinda does not feel like it. Ken Caryle, Lakewood and Morrison might also be worth glancing at.

You may also want to take at least a look a Castle Rock. It is between Colo Springs and Denver, it is in conservative Douglas county, but it is the area you want, you can see mountains, (including Pikes Peak, or at least you should be able to as you cans see it from Parker and that is farther away) you can easily drive to Denver or Colo Springs on a half day trip to go shopping if you wanted.

I have also has several people speak very fondly of Salida. I have never been there, but have heard enough good stuff and little bad, that I thought I'd pass it along as one to look at, it might make you happy.

As for climate. Well Colorado is weird, you have to remember that. We are dry all over. I am in Southwest Denver Suburbia and even with a humidifier in my tent on max, i rarely get much above low 40% humidity. You are going to be dry all over pretty much. I think I was in the very low 20% in the room before the humidifier.

You will also see snow on occasion almost everywhere. It happens, it comes in, the sky shits white stuff on us, you will see people in shorts a week later. That is Colorado. The thing is, most people know this, so most places have at least decent insulation. It is not hard to stay warm inside in CO in the winter. And honestly I am not sure we really have nasty enough winters that you should worry that much about looking for warmer areas. The vast area around Denver rarely has snow on the ground for more than a week at a time, you honestly normally get snow one week and sunny in the 50s the next. So it is not like you are looking at mouths of dreary cold weather, you are looking at random storms you likely will see everywhere in CO. You may get less in some desert areas, but you still get the who the hell knows CO weather in the end.

Also, keep in mind that dry snow is different from humid snow. What we get, is not always the same as what you see other more northern areas getting. In a dry cold, you get get your clothing as slightly damp. The snow here is frequently very dry and much lighter than what most people think of as "snow" Often times snow blowing around like dust after it has falling is as much an issue as the snow itself. We frequently have snow that is shit for making snow men. Much like dry heat and moist heart are different, dry cold and moist cold are different. You can at least stay dry here.

[dddaver]

Thanks dude. You're preaching to the choir a little bit. I forecasted weather for the AF in another life. I know a little about climatology. I can tell you that the reason the snow is drier on the eastern slopes more than the western is because as weather systems move across and encounter mountain ranges, like the Rockies, the clouds will to drop the majority of their moisture on the western sides. That's the sciencey reason the snow is drier anyway. School's out now.

[aridbud]

@ ddaver. I'm a big fan of Pueblo....live in neighboring area. Having pulmonary (lung) issues and arthritis, at 6700 ft. in NM high desert mountains, I needed a change...lower altitude, milder winters. Roswell or Las Cruces were not options.

Pueblo/Arkansas River "basin"....lower altitude (4590 or less), great area for cultivation....abundant sun, rain showers, good soil (I DIY and blend with native)...albeit clay based.

You can see the mountains and drive to them in 15-20 minutes. You are away from extreme wild fire danger (something I experienced the last years in NM....lower Rockies), city navigable. Relatively low cost of living compared to other cities farther North.

[LubdaNugs]

I'd check out Salida, as previously recommended. You might also look at Buena Vista, kind of the same area as Salida, just a bit north. Both are small towns with a nice funky vibe, but can be a little touristy in the summer. They are generally drier and have milder winter temperatures then a lot of the mountain towns. Both are in the Arkansas river valley and surrounded by beautiful peaks. Good luck in your search and remember the mountains are always a little more friendly.

[trichrider]

try RYE, or COLORADO CITY area...WALSENBERG. or GARDNER are both scenic and close to mountain type weather.
seem pretty laid back and lacking in crowds.

Gardner, Huerfano County, CO 81040
Latitude: 37.7837°N
Longitude: 105.166°W
Unincorporated
Elevation: 6,969'
Resident Racial Breakdown:
White Non-Hispanic: 60.9%
Hispanic: 32.1%
Other: 0.6%
Native American: 3.1%
Two or More Races: 3.3%
Education:
High School or Higher: 83.7%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher: 19.0%
Graduate or Professional Degree: 7.1%

2009 Estimates:
Population: 574
Males: 293
Females: 281
Median Resident Age: 45.4 Years
Estimated Median Household Income: $29,278
Estimated Median Home Value: $161,069
Population Density: 1.2 People per Square Mile
2011 Cost of Living Index for Gardner: 93.1
Major Industries:
Construction, Educational Services, Agriculture, Government, Lodging & Food Services, Real Estate Services, Retail Services, Finance & Insurance Services, Natural Resources
Unemployed (March 2011): 12.3%
=======================
https://www.colorado.com/cities-and-towns/walsenburg
=======================
https://www.trinidadco.com/
=======================
https://www.city-data.com/city/Rye-Colorado.html

best of luck

[Jhhnn]

I'll agree with Aridbud. Pueblo is big enough to have basically everything, small enough for rush hour to last 15 minutes. The mountains are 45 min away.

It's not nearly as whacky conservative as the Springs, because it's not just a bedroom community for the military or a retirement magnet for officers.

Pueblo has roots as a farming area, mill town & a center of commerce, blue collar cosmopolitan w/ a lot of intermarriage between what were distinct ethnic groups.

I grew up there, visit family often. I could go on about the different parts of town & their attributes, but it's best for people to visit & make their own judgments.

The climate is a transition zone between the desert southwest & the great plains, with a little of both. The soil is mostly clay, with some exceptions. Parts of the south side are are a very lean loess, easily worked & badly needful of enrichment. Some is clay, and the irrigated St Charles Mesa, east of town along old Hwy 50 is sandy gravel perched on a clay base. That's Blende, Avondale & Vineland, the home of Pueblo Chiles, which rival those from Hatch NM. West of Pueblo in the foothills are the small towns of Rye, Beulah & Wetmore. There's Pueblo West a bit north & west of Pueblo proper. Some like it, but I find it unappealing. Pueblo Reservoir has good fishing, and is best w/ a boat.

Walsenburg died nearly 100 years ago when the mill started using Wyoming coal, While Trinidad is still a non ghost town with the junior college & other business as well. If you like pinons & canyonland, you'll like Colorado City, a smaller more modern community.

Canon City/ Florence/ Penrose have always been fairly conservative with the prisons & all, but there are old hippies who've thrived there. Salida is more in the mountains, colder & higher, with Buena Vista def being a mountain town.

Pueblo & the Springs are really the only places down that way with much in the way of services, shopping, entertainment & jobs. It all depends on what kind of balance you want.

[trichrider]

Pueblo, Colo.: A Desert Gem
Population: 158,000
Median home price: $102,600
Median mortgage payment: $392
Median property tax: $765
State tax on Social Security: Yes
State tax on pensions: Yes (with some exceptions)
Great eating: Known for the distinctive Mira Sol green chile peppers that grow here, the city is famous for its "sloppers" — a cheeseburger slathered in green chili. The Sunset Inn is the reigning champ.
Catch a game: The ThunderWolves, Colorado State University-Pueblo's Division II football team, has a fierce following. Tickets for seniors are $13 -($20 for reserved seats and $6 for admission to Thunder Hill grassy slope).
Best freebie: Take in all three miles of the Pueblo Levee Mural Project‚ which holds a Guinness Book of World Records distinction as being the world's largest continuous painting.

This smaller desert community is winning attention as a bargain among Colorado's sprawling cities. While skiers can be on world-class slopes in less than two hours, Pueblo's climate is blissfully temperate. And the city offers unexpected delights, including HARP (Historic Arkansas River Project), archaeological treasures, an impressive library and expanding health care options. And people here are among the healthiest in the U.S., with a longer life expectancy, fewer deaths from heart disease and cancer, and a lower stress index.
HARP Riverwalk is one of Patricia Samson's favorite things about her native Pueblo. "You can walk for several miles along the river, and it's beautiful — there are boats and ducks and restaurants and food vendors, with waterfalls and kids splashing," she says. "It's really special."
Samson, 69, lives in the center of Pueblo, just a block from the river. In addition to the $695 she gets in Social Security, she receives $27 a month in SSI and a $37-a-month pension from the state. To make ends meet, she volunteers as a foster grandparent in a local school, helping fourth- and fifth-graders with their math. In return for that work, besides the company of plenty of energetic 9- to 11-year-olds, she gets a stipend of $2.65 an hour, plus $2 a day for lunch and 43 cents a mile for driving expenses, which works out to about $200 a month during the school year.
She lives in an apartment building for those over 50, and her rent (based on income) is $206 per month for a one-bedroom, including all utilities except for phone. "It's safe. It's warm. And it's a very comfortable, friendly place — I can leave my windows open, and there's a common area where we all have coffee."

[Jhhnn]

One thing I forgot to mention about Pueblo, and the area in general, is that it's often windy, particularly in the spring. It takes some getting used to- some people never do, end up moving somewhere else.