Ray,
If I have the means to acquire land on a river/lake in the Montana area (with or without a home currently on the land) for a retirement residence where I can live day-to-day w/o seeing/hearing anyone if I choose, what part of the State is best for the following needs/wants:

1. hiking
2. fishing
3. immediate solitude (read: undeveloped) around property
4. still within 30-45 min drive to decent size town w/poker
5. least summer humidity possible (relative to all other places in state)
6. <1 hr drive to town with airport service by major carrier (Delta, Alaska, etc...)

Money is little to no object.

Thanks in advance

if you go too far out you wont get on a nice river or lake. and if on a lake others will use it unless you own the whole lake.

prettiest part is in the flathead valley where i am. or out side it. but more people. you can have plenty of solitude though.

if you get way on the eastside. its cold and windy and very dry and mostly farm type or sagebrush property.

most that want what you ask for find out they are so far away from getting a quart of milk that it isnt fun being that remote.

all of montana is low humidity but some parts are much colder and windy.

ive had friends ask for what you wanted and after they saw it they said this is too far out.

i have basically that but people do float by on the river. and you do hear shooting and airplanes.

I assume most are not shooting at the airplanes. But there may be exceptions.

I think turning a daily trip for a quart of milk into something of a challenge (or rather, something less than a mundane 2 minute drive to a strip mall) would be part of the appeal (a small part); I also think being away from people would be great. It sounds like the western side (I was already looking at Bigfork area, but that seems too densely populated) is my ideal spot for what I want.

Can you speak more about the poker scene - is it casino-based for PLO cash games, or bar based like some of the tournaments? Who regulates? And do the games run for a certain time or is it 24/7 on demand?

Thanks for the reply.

most games are 1,2 holdem . and one plo with 800 pot limit 2 dayas a week but a tough game. montana poker is not a place to make a living but can enhance ones if you are very good. all games are generally one table in a bar. go from usually evening to closing time at 2 if people still there. it is hit and miss.

bullwinkle, with your parameters than you are going to be in the outskirts of flathead county or the outskirts of missoula. and be within an hour or less drive out. which after living there you will realize thats too far

Thanks for the response, Ray. Not sure I'm following from where exactly I'm going to be too far out: poker; town; other?

when you get out a ways there is virtually no body around that isnt on the hiway.
an hour out of town is far but you get cheaper land and much less people as long as you are off the main road. but the nicest land and water properties are closer in to towns as that is why they built the towns there in the first place.
look at properties on the web and get an idea of what is around.

to be fair, my less than 1 hour stipulation was for the 3-4 times a year I fly, and was in relation to a city with an airport that will take me to Denver/Seattle/Mnpls, etc...

I would think I can meet that requirement and yet still be within 30 minutes or less of restaurants/bars/poker?

That's what I'm going for.

Happy to look online, but not sure I have the lay of the land in terms of where poker is in the flathead valley area, so not sure where to start my search. Know what I mean?

Anyway, I've derailed your blog long enough -- thanks for the info.

ive told you about the poker. there are three places that have beatable games. two are small 1,2 games and one is bigger omaha that runs up to two days a week for an average of 6 hours. and that is the best place in the state for beatable games.

Are you year-round in Montana, Ray? If so, how do you get through winters?

Seems as if they would be long and brutal up your way--tons of snow in the mountains, far enough north to get that brutal cold out of Canada.

in and out. i do have a couple other vacation houses.
but where i am late nov. to feb. no snow to 6 inches on the ground. temps 35 during the day to 15 to 20 at night on average. sometimes its like spring and sometimes for a week or so it gets in the zero area or below. we do have heaters in our cars and homes no big deal.

much nicer winters than mich. and wisc. new york, all the northeast and around the lakes for sure. thats why the area is filling up with rich people getting out going to great recreational areas.
not california weather but not crowded to much and the people are more people and little violent crime to strangers as every single house owns guns so no one messes.

I'm not sure if this is something you're trying to keep a secret or if you just passed over my question of where on accident. Either way, thanks for the info. you have provided; truly helps.

Winters sound much nicer than I would've imagined. Thanks for the info.

So was this mileage sign six miles from Ray Zee's house or just very near his driveway entrance by the main road?

not many road signs last as long as that one did.

I grew up about a mile form the City of Miami line. We never had snow. Winter tempertures usually went from a low of 65 at night and a high of 80 during the day. Summer never got hotter than 92. We also had heaters in our cars and homes because cars and homes come with them.

Where I live now, the summers are a lot hotter.

Best wishes,
Mason

south florida has the best weather in the winter time of about anywhere. but like most spots that have great winters summers are hot. when we get older warmer winters are nice. and cooler summers.

florida now has about the best poker games of anyplace. usually within an hours drive of anyplace there are decent to very good higher stakes poker games.
omaha has kind of taken over in the high stakes games. but still many 2,5 and higher no limit holdem games can be found.

Hey Brother Ray, you need to get new tires for your rig before you drive to Florida. Drive careful. Have fun playing poker.

i might have to drive instead of taking the bird. be awhile though. first your neck of the woods soon. i got blackberries to pick.

That's a heap of ****.

im a ford man when it comes to pickups.
that one was rolled or had a tree fall on it. looks like they took the tires, and put rims on so they could push it to that spot where it will remain until it rusts away in the year 2121.

What’s your favorite city down there, Ray? For both poker and lifestyle.

like both st. pete area on the west coast. and an hour or so north of miami on the east coast.

both near small casinos with good games and an hour drive to mega casinos in the city if you choose.