California - love it or hate it

Lived in Santa Ana and Anahiem.

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LOL Ron, you base your impressions of California on Disneyland  ??? Haven't you heard/seen me say countless times that I don't do Mickey Mouse? One reason is the crowds in the area, but in size it's a dot on the state map.

As a native Californian who has never lived anywhere else (three months in Memphis notwithstanding) I'd just like to chime in here and say Wendy nailed it. I am a proud Californian, I'm just tired of it all: the traffic congestion, the smog and heat, the outrageously high cost of living, taxes, the whack-jobs in state government and now that I'm a motor home driver I am learning for the first time how lousy our freeways are. Half an hour on I-5 in the Central Valley can rattle loose half the screws in your rig and the fillings in your teeth.

Can't remember who said it a few notes back but I agree: once a Californian always a Californian, but I'm an American first and there are some fabulous places in other states I've yet to see.

Half an hour on I-5 in the Central Valley can rattle loose half the screws in your rig and the fillings in your teeth.

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LOL Dave. You sure you're not thinking of Hwy 99? We usually think of I-5 as a good (smooth) road, with relatively little traffic. I'm talking I-5 south of Tracy, which is about where we enter/leave the freeway from/to the Delta.

Hwy 99 OTOH is state (un)maintained and carries lots of heavy trucks.

papahog said:

Wendy you said.

The ENTIRE Pacific Coast?  Did you forget about God's country.  The PNW has a lot of Pacific Coast we can lay claim to.  Oregon in particular has a spectacular coast line.  None better.   ;D

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That didn't come out exactly right. I didn't mean only California had the Pacific Coast, more that the entire state had coastline, a lot of it, with a lot of variety. We've done the entire coast of Oregon, too, and it is spectacular.

And as for "once a Californian, always a Californian," no way. I may have defended California but I became a Coloradan over 25 years ago the minute I set foot out of California. Actually, I think I quit being a Californian before we ever moved out. But it's still a great place to visit.

Wendy
Cortez Colorado

They're both bad, Tom. The road surface on I-5 between the central valley and the Grapevine is as bad as any freeway I've driiven anywhere. We actually prefer 99 because it's somewhat more interesting visually, there are actually a couple of stoplights and a somewhat wider choice of places to eat besides junk food and inflated gas prices.

As a disclaimer I must admit I've made that north-south trip at least fifty times in the past six or seven years and am just weary of it. It's a long and boring drive. But really, the pavement is nasty.

Warning...Soap Box

I've been all over the country and into Canada in the last 5-6 years and I can say first hand, there are lousy roads everywhere.  Our infrastructure in the US is a mess...roads, bridges and underpasses.  We need a complete refurbishing in lots of different areas and I don't think we are going to get it any time soon.  My husband is a registered Civil Engineer and belongs to the American Society of Civil Engineers.  That organization has been stressing/touting for the last several years that this country is going to be in a mess in a very short while if the infrastructure is not attended to. 

I'd like to say being a "planted" Californian, there are a lot of worse places to live for me.  What's sad is when out of staters come to visit, they pick places like all the big cities and tourist attractions; which is not representative of California at all.  There is a lot of open space in California and some breathtaking places to spend time.  We have to be careful when we visit other locations.  Often time our destination is advertised to be "breath taking" and it pales in comparison to what is out here.

It's nice to hear something good about California, as it seems to get bashed a lot.  Sure it has it drawbacks; but so does a lot of other places.

Marsha~

.... a somewhat wider choice of places to eat besides junk food and inflated gas prices.

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I hear you Dave, but we don't buy fuel on that road. BTW have to stopped at Harris Ranch on I-5? Nice restaurant, far from junk food. They also have a huge lot that's frequented by truckers and RVers for short stops or overnight.

We're also planted Californians Marsha, although you'd never tell from our accents  ;D  Been here 30 years and have no plans to move to another state.

BTW one road I hate driving in the RV is I-80 over Donner Pass towards Reno. There's a long stretch of concrete pavement that is like a washboard. I've assumed it's because of the freezing conditions they have up there during the winter continually breaking up the concrete.

I think you have the wrong title Tom.  I don't have a aversion to CA but do not appreciate the poor traffic management there.  Yes I will agree there are some beautiful places in CA, not anything comparible to Southern UT IMHO, but there are some nice places to see.  However, I just don't want to deal with the traffic issues, high prices, and some of their stupid rules.  Oh I have only been to NYC once and that was once too many for similar reasons.  I note some of the natives have the same dislikes as I do.

It was just a joke Ron; Feel free to change it to "Ron really likes California", or whatever you feel appropriate. But the discussion didn't belong in the other topic, which was why I split it out.

Tom said:

It was just a joke Ron; Feel free to change it to "Ron really likes California", or whatever you feel appropriate. But the discussion didn't belong in the other topic, which was why I split it out.

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Doesn't really bother me one way or another.  I still don't like visiting CA. ;D

Stick with the title, Ron, and I'll join you. We left California, in 1974, and didn't look back!  :-\ Afraid one of us would turn into a pillar of salt! 

We left behind - rotten traffic - drugs sold in schools - crime, everywhere around us - low quality education for our children - rediculous gun laws that have gotten steadily worse - pretty decent hunting which got better, here - really bad air, for breathing and I could go on. 

Saw everything there was to see, before we left. Don't need to go back. Friends will travel out of there, so we can meet, again.  8)

Oh, friends? Well, they stayed friends and came up to visit, hunt and fish, and just have fun in a free country. Most, since, have moved away from there, many to here. We blazed the trail.  8)

Oh, and we lived within a mile of Disneyland and went there almost as if it were our back yard. Then moved to the San Fernando VAlley, and cavorted with the STARS!  :

I'll stay with my base in Idaho and travel to nearby states. I'll meet the very nice California folks, friends, when they tavel out of California for a nice vacation, elsewhere!  ;D

By the way, LOVE Montanna! Wyoming pretty nice, except I blow into another state, every time I go there! 

Ray D  ;D

Ardra and I moved to California in 1962 and had a really wonderful life there in both the San Francisco Bay area and Los Angeles area.  We had great jobs and had lot's of things to do. 

In the early years traffic was not a problem.  In the later years traffic became a problem BUT California was so nice and good to us that we just accepted it.  So it took us a bit longer to get from here to there.  All the other things that California offered were worth it!  To this day we still miss the mild and even handed weather in the San Francisco Bay area which, along with San Diego, is arguably the best weather in the country. 

OTOH, after our retirement, with no commuting to work, the traffic was no longer a problem.  The traffic did not change, we did.  My point is once you're retired and you're on a perpetual vacation you can avoid the traffic or even if you must travel in heavy traffic what's the big deal.  Are you on a tight time schedule???

So for us, even with it's faults, California is a great place. We love it and always will.

JerryF 

Ray, You mentioned several more reasons we would not want to live in CA and are not excited even to visit there.  I love Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming where I was born and raised.  Should you ever get over to Lewistown MT stop by Sam's Camp and see us.

Terry is a native California, born in Long Beach.

I moved to CA when I was  11 and moved out when I was 55 so I lived there for 44 years. I consider that to almost be a native.  California was good to me.  My parents could make a living.  My mom worked in areospace industry and the wages and benefits were excellent.  My dad had a business selling cars and trucks and campers.  Business was good.  I had an excellent education in a fine high school and attended a State University for less  than $49 a  semester. I worked at the Chicken Dinner  Restaurant in Knott's Berry farm as a waitress.  I received a Masters Degree from California State University,   while working full time. I got a very good job with benefits and had the opportunity to move up.  I have a wonderful retirement as a result of working in California.  I lived at the beach, I jogged along the shores training for  the 1/2 marathon I once ran.  I  had summers that were warm and wonderful and not too hot.  I had mild winters.  I had great shopping opportunities. I had  super cultural  experiences with  plays, art galleries and exhibits.  I could travel within an hour and was able to ski in the local mountains. We took weekend trips as a family to the desert to water ski in Salton Sea.  We dune buggied in Pismo beach on weekends.  I rarely had to use mosquitio repellant.
I had good appreciation with the property values.   I have wonderful lifelong friends who still happily live in California.  I gave it up to live full time in our motorhome.  This was a lifestyle choice and not necessarily a "leave" California decision.  California will always be "Home" to me.  Yes things changed over the years, but what community did not?  I think there is a critical difference between living in a place and being a tourist in a place.   So that is my story and I'm sticking to it!

Having traveled to numerous (but not all) states, and to numerous other countries, we've often thought "it would be nice to live there". In some cases, we've even looked at real estate in other states and other countries, thinking we might split our time. But, when we re-visit at a different time of year, our perceptions of the place often change. We keep coming back to the fact that it's nice to be able to live somewhere year-round, travel if/when we feel like it, and not be forced to travel elsewhere due to extreme weather.

In the 30 years we've lived here, we've traveled to many parts of the state, but don't pretend to have seen it all. What we've seen makes me smile when I read generalizations about "California". Similarly, I don't generalize about other states. I recall the first time I visited up-state New York and was blown away by the beauty and serenity. Prior to that, my perception of "New York" was quite different. When I re-visited during winter time, my perception changed again.

I can imagine that someone who's only experienced large southern California cities would have little appreciation of the beauty of other parts of the state.

What can I say.. I was born in L.A. (Hey that rhymes)

Been back too... Once.. For an evening of singing with a few friends I met in Chicago in 2000.

Now I will admit to having an aversion to California in one aspect.... Fuel prices,  MUCH higher plug CA gas is "low power" fuel so you don't get the MPG you get with say Nevada or Arizona gas.

Actually, in the 15 years I lived there, I got a pretty good introduction. I've driven the LA Freeways in rush hour traffic, in a truck pulling a trailer. Probably pretty difficult, now. I made the most money I ever made in my life. Life was pretty good, until I found out what went on at school, that day. That, was what finally got to me!  

I fished for Tuna, out of Long Beach and out of San Diego. Didn't think there was anything as exciting as that, until I got a 4 pound Brownie on a fly rod, in the Boise River. I fished for Salmon, out of San Fransisco. Great fishing. I hunted almost every mountain in the state. Great hunting. I back-packed more than a thousand miles of California trails, including the entire Camel Back from the mountains to the desert. Great country.

Still have my back pack! Tried to pick it up, the other day. Decided to give it to my son. Can't lift it, comfortably, anymore. Yes, it's still fairly full of the equipment I used to carry. Most of it still works. My gas can, for the little stove, still has gas in it. Man, I wonder where I would get rid of thirty year old gas!   Anybody got an idea? (Probably something else, by now!)  :

I prospected for gold, in northern California, just for fun. Found it everywhere I looked. Most money I made doing that, was selling little gold nuggets in glass vials, oh, and selling gold pans at the stream-side and helping people learn how to use them. I don't think there's a river or stream that doesn't have some gold, anywhere in the state. Not a way to make a living, but fun.

Loved Crab and Lobster, on the warf, in San Franscisco. Don't think that's there, anymore.

Wasn't too much of a Fancy restaurant gormet, but been there, done that.

Did like the out of doors, but can't get there without going thru stiff traffic, anymore, and my favorite camp-sites have mostly been paved over for parking lots and resorts.  (Hey, maybe I ought to take my MH there. I could tell folks I used to fish for cutthroat, "right over there, somewhere, this side of that Moxie Java.")   :

Well, my tastes have changed. Can't walk worth a hoot, anymore and can't lift my backpack. Can't carry my old kayak, and couldn't paddle it, if I did get it to water. Maybe it's time to go back to California. Good place, for a old guy, I hear.      ;D

Ray D  ;D 

Loved Crab and Lobster, on the warf, in San Franscisco. Don't think that's there, anymore.

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Alioto's is still there Ray. See here. Also, the Open Road TV video.

Thanks, Tom. Actually, that's one of my fondest memories. I first went there on a two day pass, from boot camp, in 1956. Had never tasted lobster, before. (They don't grow a lot of lobster, in the foot hills of the Ozarks. Well, they do, but they are smaller and they call them "craw-daddies.")  :  Anyway, I was sold on lobster. Never passed that direction without stopping, until I left California.

Maybe I could get a heicopter from here to Fisherman's Warf, and do lobster, again.  ;D