Best spot in Cali?

[SeaMaiden]

Stasis, you've described the Sierra Nevada counties as well, I think maybe they're even a little *more* backwards than what you'll find along the coast. It was frightening when I moved out here with my youngest son, during his sophomore year. ALL the girls looked at him with this "fresh meat!" kinda thing in their eyes. Then I discovered that it seems that everyone is related to everyone else out here.

 

[rives]

Stasis, you've described the Sierra Nevada counties as well, I think maybe they're even a little *more* backwards than what you'll find along the coast.

I've lived virtually all of my life in rural NorCal, from Sonora north and from the California-Nevada state line to the ocean. I've found that the stretch about 50 miles inland from the ocean, from the Oregon border down to Clear Lake is far and away the least evolved part of California. There is some serious banjo music in them thar hills - it would fit very few people's mental image of "California".

 

[SeaMaiden]

Hey, I spent over 30 years in southern California and let me tell you, I had NO IDEA it was like this anywhere in the state. Not. A. Clue.

 

[Green lung]

Man it looks cold in Nor Cal even in summer I was watching a giant game and everybody was bundled up.


Are there any warm spots up North? I'm in the deep deep very deep south.





.

 

[burns1n209]

north is warm, giants game is in the bay, so you have a marine layer to block out some sun and also the cool brezze of the ocean. all coastal citys are cooler then inland. coast usually wont see higher then 80. but you dive 1 hr inland to the valley and its way to damn hot 95 to 105 all summer.

 

[KSP]

Crazy, sounds more like some of you are talking about Kentucky instead of California lol.

 

[SeaMaiden]

Crazy, sounds more like some of you are talking about eastern Kentucky instead of California lol.

Exactly! It's fucking, like... CRAZY, man..!!!

 

[KSP]

I've lived virtually all of my life in rural NorCal, from Sonora north and from the California-Nevada state line to the ocean. I've found that the stretch about 50 miles inland from the ocean, from the Oregon border down to Clear Lake is far and away the least evolved part of California. There is some serious banjo music in them thar hills - it would fit very few people's mental image of "California".

Exactly! It's fucking, like... CRAZY, man..!!!

So to be clear, the area you're talking about is basically the National Forests from Oregon to Clear Lake?

Sometimes I forget how big that state really is. I'm sure you can find just about anything there somewhere. I dragged the little golden google guy all over the map the other night until his dogs barked. What an amazing state.

 

[rives]

So to be clear, the area you're talking about is basically the National Forests from Oregon to Clear Lake?

Yes, it's basically the chunk between US101 on the west side and I5 on the east. It is extremely rugged, beautiful country, but I would be willing to bet that there are plenty of people in there that have never had shoes on their feet, and if they had, they were for special occasions. It isn't really so much "remote" as it is "removed" - most of the places, you could be in downtown Chico, Redding, Eureka, or Ukiah in two or three hours (in the right season), but it's like stepping back 100 years.

 

[KSP]

Yes, it's basically the chunk between US101 on the west side and I5 on the east. It is extremely rugged, beautiful country, but I would be willing to bet that there are plenty of people in there that have never had shoes on their feet, and if they had, they were for special occasions. It isn't really so much "remote" as it is "removed" - most of the places, you could be in downtown Chico, Redding, Eureka, or Ukiah in two or three hours (in the right season), but it's like stepping back 100 years.

I can see it. I've done a lot of work in the southern Appalachians and ran into pockets of that kind of thing, also in places like the Carolina Low Country. Not always the easiest thing for an outsider to be accepted in some of those places and you can understand it sometimes.

 

[stasis]

I love it here, but that's because I finally realized that there is no paradise, unless one is in the 1%.. And even then, nothing is perfect..!

People are a trip, though, while we are on the subject.. You know me, Stasis, the Closet Sociologist...

One can be part of the "Couples Club" or the "Baby Club" and have a relatively normal set of interactions.. Best to have been here for decades, to make that happen. But some folks get lucky.

I got moderately lucky, in that manner. Probably not gonna live here my whole life, though. Been in CA my whole adult life, either Metro or Rural, pretty much. That could change.

For the Normal Rural-Raised citizenry, the ones who "Stay" the outfit is Work Clothes, or Camo, "Classy" Ones in Carhartts... "Seemingly unable to find the Hairbrush" Hippies, Rednecks, or HippieRednecks.. Many just don the old Truckers' Cap, with some Beer logo. Go to the Restaurant in their dirty painter's pants and pound a few. Talk way too loud, and seem way too interesed in the people in the place, as well as who walks in the door. Stupid and Smarmy to Females, mean or razzing at best, to Males. UNkind to strangers. Nice Style.. The "Local."
You can tell the Growers, they look the same, but are low-key. Haha.

Chicks, 40-100 pounds over, tie the hair back, and STILL deal out attitude..! In THOSE Stretchy Pants.? Oww.. Please find a Curtain or something.

Or some Dready un-shampooed PigPen, looking for her saviour Grower, acting as if you cannot get through the night without her.. In 6 layers of "Clothing?" Just that many more garments that you gotta Snake-Charm off of her...And She doesn't drink. Good luck with that. You looking for the handkerchief to cover your nose with when the Dusty deodorant-eschewer is near. Watch out for that 5th drink, you may even consider her..! You want Her knowing where you live.? Hell Nah.

For the record, I have alcohol no more than once a month - robs me of my "Chi.." Maybe an occasional shot of Absinthe or a few of Mescal..

I Kid the Em Tri, You Guys know that.. Just trying to balance out the Utopia that High Times describes it as..!!

Transplants are the only Females worth looking at, and they can feel the inequity amongst the sexes, ratio-wise.. Of course, the Mexican Women can be pretty too. But they wisely stay amongst themselves.



#2 in USA per-capita ratio of Sex-Offenders, almost 100% of which are unfortunately Male... High rates, neck-and-neck with a town 40 miles inland. Followed by somewhere in Alaska.

I sometimes hear the "Dueling Banjos" in my head when I deal with some people up here. It has improved, though.

For Me, Being LESS trusting is not natural, but this is required. Still working on that.

We used to say in Da Islands that, "It is so small here, that when you Fart, your neighbors know what you ate..." Not much different here.

There has thankfully been a touch of Gentrification in the last 5 years or so. In my neck of Da..

But, it is the "end of the road" out here, and the only way out is returning the way you came.! haha..

TRUTH: Outdoor recreation options and open spaces. Unreal Ocean Sports. Freshest air in the Continental USA.. Lovely forests, like no other place I have ever travelled to. Unbelievable climate. No extremes.. Low-density population, low stress. Most beautiful coast I know of. & Have been around.

 

[KSP]

Stasis, it sounds familiar, without as many sex offenders and fewer (and likely lesser quality) outdoor opportunities. Looking at the topography the area appears to be highly dissected and complex.

 

[SeaMaiden]

So to be clear, the area you're talking about is basically the National Forests from Oregon to Clear Lake?

I'm very much further south than that, and as far as I can tell, these kinds of people extend all the way down the Sierra. Farming folk, ranching folk, logging and goldmining folk.

When we bought our property we had to sign several disclaimers. One was the Right to Farm. It said that this has always been and always will be a ranching, farming and logging community (many properties are sold *as* timber preserve), so if you don't like flies, shit or stink, too bad. The other disclaimer has to do with the goldmining in the region, and stated very simply and directly that no one has mapped all the mines that have been dug, so if you come to your demise due to one of these unmapped, hand-dug mines, sorry, but it's no one's fault.

In fact, several years ago a story came out of El Dorado county, from just upcountry of Placerville (aka Hangtown, and they ain't kiddin'!). Man standing in his livingroom talking to his pregnant wife. There'd been a lot of rains that year, quite a lot, and as he's talking, the livingroom floor just opened up and swallowed him whole. Turned out it was an old, unknown mine.

Sometimes I forget how big that state really is. I'm sure you can find just about anything there somewhere. I dragged the little golden google guy all over the map the other night until his dogs barked. What an amazing state.

It is! And if you ever get a chance to watch some of his shows, you should look for anything Huell Howser has produced on the state. He works out of KCET in Los Angeles, and he's been around for decades. He's got a series on the California Mission Trail, and a great show called California's Gold where it goes to all the little places and uncovers both the more popular, but less known, and the unpopular and unknown features and sights to be found around the state. I learned about the Masonic Cave, Daffodil Hill, Indian Grinding Rock, Black Chasm, and the tiny town of Volcano LONG before I actually lived here. When I got here I said, "That's AMAZING! I've heard of these places!"

It's really pretty fun. I also live along one of the Pony Express routes through the Sierra, so there are a lot of places that are called stations. There's Pioneer Station (now appears to be somebody's house), Cook's Station and Hamm's Station, both in the high country. I could go ON, I love history, but I'll stop for now.

Yes, it's basically the chunk between US101 on the west side and I5 on the east. It is extremely rugged, beautiful country, but I would be willing to bet that there are plenty of people in there that have never had shoes on their feet, and if they had, they were for special occasions. It isn't really so much "remote" as it is "removed" - most of the places, you could be in downtown Chico, Redding, Eureka, or Ukiah in two or three hours (in the right season), but it's like stepping back 100 years.

I have a friend who's west of Yreka, from what she tells me her area is damn near just like where I am, but maybe even more insular.

I do want to say, I feel I HAVE to say that, for all their issues, these have been the kindest, and some of the worst, people I've lived among. When I lived in the suburban and urban areas GOOD LUCK getting someone to help you move. Out here we had to move three times and the SAME KIDS (from my son's football team) came to help us each time. GLADLY! I've never, EVER witnessed that before, ever. Got a special needs kid in a public school? Even if the school itself is lacking, the kids themselves were kinder, made friends with ours, were more inclusive (especially with regard to invitation to church activities) and generally just nicer for ours to be around than what we experienced previously.

Good, ignorant people. That's the best way I can describe them. I'll be in the market, and I always talk to myself. Down in SoCal no one paid any mind. Up here? They join in and my monologue becomes a conversation! In my little unincorporated town we have three gas stations. Each one has chairs set out front for people to hang out, and they do. You can be driving by the Beacon at 10pm (everyone closes up shop by 5pm) and there will be at least two or three people gathered out front, looking a lot like what stasis described except you will NEVER see someone in dreads up here who's a local.

Oh.. jeez, I kinda rambled there, didn't I? Well, I like it a hell of a lot better than Louisiana. I'd rather be mistaken for Miwuk in an area like this than for black in an area like that.

 

[chase]

Hey move to northern ca off of the I-5 redding , & up but stay away from Yreka . This area is country setting, ( great for o.d growing ) plenty of space + easy going people .Its also affordable.

This is what you are probably looking for.

 

[burns1n209]

Did someone say Hamm station. Love this place tom the bartender makes the best tom-a-cozi's. And cooks has good food on Sundays, we head down the hill on Sunday after weekend of hunting and get some food and watch the football game. Beautiful country up there. I bring pics back every year of some of the desolate places we hunt. Places most people e will neverr see, I show these pics to city dwellers and they have no clue how beautiful. California really is.

 

[KSP]

Sea Maiden, no problem with the rambling, I appreciate the information because I don't often hear a lot about rural California. I appreciate everyone's input, many thanks to you all.

What about up in the Modoc NF/county area? That looks like a cool place.

 

[stasis]

Been having trouble UPLOADING photos...

If one is a Nature Fanatic. Into Hiking, Sunsets, Kayaking, Birdwatching, Bicycling, Drinking alcohol, making Babies, Big Trees, Whales, Sea Lions, Never Dressing Up, Gossip, having sex with someone who has slept with everyone in town, limited selection on almost everything, except Ganja...

This is the place.

Forest Pic is of Montgomery Woods, between Ukiah and Mendocino. A Primordial Place. Near Orr Hot Springs, a an amazing system of indoor Hot springs in Old Bathtubs. A worthy trip, if you don;t mind seeing Grizzled old Hippies in their Birthday Suits. Thursday is Locals day, like an Alzheimer's Nudist Camp. A bit cheaper which may or may not be a good thing. haha..

Peace.

 

[chase]

Modoc is great

Modoc is great

only it gets colder on the east side of shasta.In my opinion its the best place to get away with out door growing ,But there are no jobs, at all.

 

[KSP]

only it gets colder on the east side of shasta.In my opinion its the best place to get away with out door growing ,But there are no jobs, at all.

Thanks Chase, it looks like a beautiful place, but there's always a catch or trade off. Why do you think it's the best place to get away with OD growing? I'm guessing a combo of remoteness/sparse population/attitudes and focus elsewhere in the state?

 

[chase]

Its so remote .I would be there now but there are no jobs for my brother. its a quiet , & cheap place to live .you could get a place in the country , & just walk back off of your property , & find no one , its also dryer then where I am ( the redwood forest)I've had problems with rippers in the more populated areas like humboldt.

Nor-cal is cheap like the rest of the country , & there are people that are easy going freindly (reminds me of some of the people that I met down south ) pot smoking people.

The law in these far out places are tough , but there is so much space , that no one needs to know your buisness'

Thers just enough tree cover + lots of sunny hillsides , to do what you want .

Also if you grow in the madrones , & manzerics they throw off the infrared detection.
I moved out here from back east , & couldent belive how much more remote it is . Stay away from the coast because of all the people , & fog.