If nothing else, this newsletter tracks what I’m reading, and hearing, and thinking about each week as I work on the Rural Towns Project. How do I get my news? I have Google alerts for topics related to rural towns and businesses in the American West. I get alerts for new issues from academic journals related to entrepreneurship, small businesses, and the American West. I read several newspapers. I do research for my podcast. And I often get stuck in worm holes on the Internet.
What I came across this week:
“David Coggins: All Hail The Road Trip” and “The Best Road Trips in the U.S.”
I was fortunate to go to both Iceland and the Azores last year. These were bucket-list destinations and they did not disappoint. Now, in September 2020? Those trips seem like 10 years ago. Now I see articles like this one from Huckberry and this one Outside and I know they are meant to get us to think about seeing parts of America we haven’t and appreciate the open road. But all I want to do is get up to Idaho and make that drive from McCammon through Lava Hot Springs to Soda Springs and then head over the bridge, pass Blackfoot Reservoir, go up over Tin Cup and through Wayan and into Star Valley, Wyoming. Probably my favorite drive in the world and it’s basically in the backyard of where I grew up. If you’re ever headed north from Utah or points south and are en route to Jackson Hole, take this detour.
“Lake Tahoe, Vail Aren’t Just for Vacation Anymore as Homebound Families Move In”
This is depressing but not surprising. People who can are taking advantage of, as the article quotes a real estate agent saying, “…the option of getting out of the city and live and exist and enjoying a certain lifestyle”. Prices and demand are through the roof. Somehow seems expected in places like Tahoe and Vail. But what about Las Vegas and Denver and Missoula or here in Salt Lake City?
“Western Homes Have Never Been so Expensive. Why?”
According to Jake Bullinger’s reporting, it’s a similar phenomenon. People with good jobs who can work from home are looking to move to places for the lifestyle, or upgrade in place for a bigger home with an office and backyard for staycations. Low mortgage rates help, limited supply hurts. And the people who are living pay check to pay check see no chance at home ownership. And I worry about them. And about my kids. I couldn’t buy the house that I live in now. We’ve only been here 5 years and I would be priced out of my neighborhood.
Inkom is on my list for the podcast. It’s coming soon. I’ve been trying to decide who to interview. It’s a fascinating town that is part of the collection of communities where I grew up (little towns in a valley in SE Idaho where the kids go to Marsh Valley High School - you know, that school in the middle of a field and nothing else along I-15) but has always been different because it’s the closest to Pocatello and it has Pebble Creek ski area. And now here’s this interesting story about successful entrepreneurs who came to Inkom but are leaving to go back home to Texas and a local couple taking over their coffee business - with basically no knowledge of coffee - but successful entrepreneurs in their own right who want to keep the coffee business alive in Inkom. I don’t know them but I do know his family. The Solomon’s had the fasted and loudest ski boat I had ever seen as I kid and it was always a spectacle when they showed up at Twin Lakes.
“Trump administration invests in Utah Main Street Pilot Projects in Price, Brigham City”
And how about this? I’m interested in smaller towns than Price and Brigham City but I’m excited to hear any plans (from any party) to invest in main streets (particularly in rural cities like Price). I need to learn more about this recent initiative. I’d love to do something similar for smaller rural towns.
That’s it until next week - stay safe!