Mr. Rawles,
I'll take you up on your offer to sing the praises of an eastern
state as a retreat. Give me Virginia any day. We have excellent gun
laws--shall issue for CCW; open carry; no restrictions on private
transfers; no gun
registry; and no waiting periods. H*ll, we can open or concealed
carry in the state capitol building! (Except that open carry is now
restricted to CCW permit holders.) Last year we got rid of local
pre-emption, which drove the commies in Fairfax and Arlington counties
nuts.
We are a bit close to DC, so the a**hole population is the suburbs
is pretty high. The Potomac River keeps the worst ones on the DC-Maryland
side. Once you get beyond the burbs, it's great.
The weather is mild both summer and winter. Lots of rivers and streams,
and plenty of game. If we really get desperate there's always West
Virginia. Regards, - J.G.
Shalom Jim!
I escaped South Florida (Palm Beach County) to north-central Florida
(Gainesville), then escaped further where I am now living in my most
probable TEOTWAWKI “BIL" (Bug In Location),” just
east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, right outside Charlottesville,
VIRGINIA.
I have been here since December 2004. Here are my thoughts on Charlottesville,
VA (Albemarle County) and the surrounding area as a place to ride
out the coming chaos…
Some quick stats: The CITY of Charlottesville is about 11 square
miles with 40,000 residents, and it resides in the COUNTY of Albemarle,
which is 110 miles from Washington, DC, 70 miles from Richmond and
claims about 89,000 residents. The average ANNUAL temperature is
57 degrees with the summer averaging in the low 80’s and the
winter dipping to 37 degrees with usually mild snow falls. Charlottesville
was named by Frommers (I think) as the BEST PLACE TO LIVE a few years
back and has been listed in the Top 100 by Money Magazine 4 years
in a row.
Charlottesville, the home of Thomas Jefferson’s University
of Virginia, is a college town, which means it tilts to the LEFT
politically, unlike the country-oriented Conservative RIGHT farmers
and residents that surround the city, so it has many tree huggers
and peace activists, but this also brings in some very good “survivalist” benefits,
that being ORGANIC farming, non-Hybrid farming, Homesteading, homeopathic
sciences and many avenues to good, wholesome FOODS. Albemarle county
also has a large BEEF CATTLE industry, as well as FARMING. Excellent
Vineyards, Apple & Peach Orchards and Berry Farms are scattered
all over the county as the soil is well suited for GROWING. This
is probably why men like Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe, as well
as James Madison a county over, call this area of Virginia HOME.
There is ONE major highway through Charlottesville running east/west
which is I-64. I-29 going north/south is not as major but it leads
to Washington, DC, which would be an exodus route if TSHTF. Most
refugees would probably hole up in the NORTH SIDE of Charlottesville,
where most of the businesses and residents are, rather than the SOUTH
SIDE where I live, a much more rural area. Route 20 is a twisting
2-lane north/south highway that would also be used by refugees, but
could be contained or diverted with use of a good backhoe or tractor.
Fortunately, the massively used I-81 north/south highway runs on
the WEST side of the Blue Ridge Mountains through the Shenandoah
Valley, so the massive exodus on that highway will have minimal effect
here as the herd will not want to head east over the mountains, but
rather further south.
SURVIVAL QUOTENT / NUCLEAR: Charlottesville is tucked in valleys
and hills that stretch out from the Blue Ridge to the west and gradually
decline as you move east towards Richmond, most of them SOLID GRANITE.
These mountains and hills offer excellent protection from any NUCLEAR
BLAST effects that may hit Washington, DC, Richmond, Norfolk and
a few possible target locations in West Virginia. Fallout would still
be a concern but the effects of the blasts would be SURVIVABLE without
too much effort. There are also many CAVERNS in this area that could
be utilized if one does not have sufficient protection to ride out
FALLOUT at their home or retreat. This area has little TERRORIST
or Nation State target potential, although its close proximity to
Washington, DC could pose some problems and concerns, but not excessively
so if one is wise and prepared.
SURVIVAL QUOTENT / FOOD: Charlottesville and the surrounding counties
are well suited for SURVIVAL if something ever sent our country into
a tailspin. There is a STRONG unity among local farmers and Co-Ops
are strong. There are also many organic/non-hybrid farmers as well.
Fruits and vegetables are plentiful in their seasons. There are BEEF
CATTLE ranches all over this area, as well as other livestock. WATER
is PLENTIFUL with good quality streams and rivers all over this area.
Well water quality, although slightly high in Iron, is excellent,
especially compared to the swamp water of South Florida. The water
table level at my home is 34 feet and my pump goes down 120 feet,
and I use a pH Neutralizer and Green Sand filter to further refine
it, to give as an example.
Wildlife is also abundant, especially where I live, only 8 miles
outside of Charlottesville. Turkeys and deer abound! Small critters
are also plentiful.
SURVIVAL QUOTENT / PEOPLE: As stated earlier, Charlottesville has
a lot of LEFTIES but the surrounding counties are good, RIGHT-minded
country folk, many running farms, vineyards and orchards that have
been in the family for hundreds of years. A CAN-DO, GET BY attitude
is strong and everyone I have met outside the city are good people
that one would love to have as neighbors. There is a VERY LOW RIOT/LOOTING
potential once you get outside the city, but there are only SMALL
pockets of problem areas with the city itself that could be contained
with some determination by Law Enforcement. GANG problems are minimal,
mainly wanna-be "gangstas".
I think that gives you a fair idea of what this area of Virginia
has to offer the survivalist minded. One day I may get to Idaho,
but till then, the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia is where I will
try to survive…
You may also enjoy my web site, What Would Yahshua Do? It is at www.wwyd.org It
is about discovering the HEBRAIC aspects of our Messiah Yahshua, often
called Jesus, as well as discovering the IMPORTANCE of KNOWING
and USING the FATHER’s NAME, Yahweh. Scripture speaks of a
GREATER EXODUS coming, the SECOND EXODUS, where Believer’s
in the Messiah will be led out of the coming judgment into safety
(not a rapture.) Check it out!
Baruch HaShem Yahweh, - Robert
JWR Adds: Boston T. Party's ranking (in Boston's Gun Bible) for Virginia on firearms freedom is 61%.