Public transportation between Canon City and Pueblo, CO?

[dm1333]

I haven't been able to find anything online about a bus route between these two cities, does anybody have a good reference that might help me figure this out?  Anybody live in that area and know that a bus route exists?  I know it seems like an odd question but I am planning on retiring from the CG in the next few years and am trying to figure out where to retire to. 

My first choice is the triangle formed by Canon City, Pueblo and Colorado Springs. 

[Tallpine]

the triangle formed by Canon City, Pueblo and Colorado Springs

A large chunk of that is Fort Carson 

[dm1333]

A large chunk of that is Fort Carson 

As a future military retiree I'm ok with that. 

[Tallpine]

As a future military retiree I'm ok with that. 

Well yeah but it occupies a lot of what otherwise would be land available for your homesite, etc.

Salida and BV are a lot more scenic :)

[MillCreek]

You will find cheap land, gorgeous scenery, an active CG station and many other former Coasties in Port Angeles, Washington. 

[dm1333]

Well yeah but it occupies a lot of what otherwise would be land available for your homesite, etc.

Salida and BV are a lot more scenic 

 

Sure, but living in one of the three cities I mentioned will probably raise my chances of finding a job, especially as a teacher.

You will find cheap land, gorgeous scenery, an active CG station and many other former Coasties in Port Angeles, Washington.

I was stationed in La Push for 4 years and spent a 5th winter in Port Angeles.  As much as I like PA I'm looking for a place inland that is dry, sunny and mountainous.  And dry. 
 
 

[MillCreek]

I must admit that you have us on the dry part.

[Larry Ashcraft]

I don't know of any bus running from Pueblo to Canon City.  A car is pretty much required to get around out here.

As far as retiring, I would look into Pueblo West.  It's a nice community about a third of the way to Canon City from Pueblo.  Lots of Fort Carson personnel live there.

[dm1333]

Larry,

Thanks.  I've been looking at places like Penrose and Pueblo West because they are sort of in between.  Ideally I would like to live and teach in Canon City and be that much closer to the mountains and trails.  Public transportation between the two would also make it more feasible to live in CC and work in Pueblo.  Oh well.

[MillCreek]

What are you planning to teach?  Won't the job prospects for that somewhat dictate where you live?

[dm1333]

Well, I'm working on a masters in elementary education but I also have a strong background in earth sciences and wouldn't mind teaching science at any level.  I've been flip flopping back and forth between going where ever I can find a job or moving to a place where I want to live (CO and SD are high on that list) and finding a job there.

[MillCreek]

I wondered.  Ms. MillCreek is an elementary school teacher of many years experience, and her youngest son will be finishing his education degree next year.  She warns that the job market right now for teachers, especially new teachers with no experience is somewhat in the crapper, although this varies a bit depending on the jurisdiction and specialty.  She wonders if you might want to think about teaching science at the middle or high school level, if you can get your certification for that.  She thinks that science teachers can have an easier time finding jobs and rural districts can also be an easier prospect since they often have trouble finding people who want to live out in the sticks.

[Tallpine]

There are usually some teaching positions open in rural Montana but the pay scale is way low - which is why there are usually some positions open.

[Larry Ashcraft]

Canon City is known as a retirement community.  They do have schools, though, and it's a pleasant community.  We looked at Penrose many years ago because it is like the area east of Pueblo where I grew up used to be.  Lots of small orchards and farms that hadn't (at that time) been chopped up into subdivisions.

Florence is just south of CC and is home to the SuperMax prison.  It's mostly a bedroom community with a bunch of antique stores (and a gunsmith) on Main Street.

Pueblo West was a windy wasteland from the time it was conceived (in the 1970s by McCulloch Corporation) until the early 90s when it boomed into a bustling community.  It's quite a nice place to live now, but the wind still blows all the time.  Some of the views are breathtaking.  They have a very nice shooting range, with a waiting list to get in (Pueblo West Sportsmans Assn).

Since there's no public transportation, there is carpooling on both ends.  My wife works at Fort Carson and carpools to work, and Fort Carson gives preferential parking to carpools.

Any of these places are close enough to the mountains.  I can leave my shop in south Pueblo and be fishing a mountain stream in 45 minutes.

[dm1333]

She wonders if you might want to think about teaching science at the middle or high school level, if you can get your certification for that.  She thinks that science teachers can have an easier time finding jobs and rural districts can also be an easier prospect since they often have trouble finding people who want to live out in the sticks.

Mrs. Millcreek has been reading my mind.  Tell her to stop doing that! 

There are usually some teaching positions open in rural Montana but the pay scale is way low - which is why there are usually some positions open.

I'm not 100% set on southern Colorado.  I would be happy anywhere east of the Cascades and west of the plains.  As long as it is sunny and relatively dry.  South Dakota, for example, really isn't suffering through a recession like the rest of the country.  If I could find a job in the Rapid City area I would jump all over it.

Larry Ashcraft,

Thanks for the info about the lack of public transportation.  I was hoping there was a regular bus route between the two cities.  I could ride the bus from Canon City to Pueblo, read or do work on the way over, and then use a folding bike to get around in Pueblo.  I don't have any interest in working as a civilian on Fort Carson but it would be nice to be able to use the exchange, commissary, etc.  I've always been at remote Coast Guard Stations with no easy access to any of that stuff.  The one job I would take as a civilian would be Education Services Officer.  One of the things I really believe in is using the educational benefits the military offers to the maximum extent that you can.