Things to do in Northern California?

[Sigarms]

Ah, for us, from La Grange to where we camp near the MWTC

Would that be La Grange road, going from Angles Camp through Cooperoppolis to Fresno? (sorry, don't remember all the roads we had to take, but I do remember La Grange road having to go through Cooperoppolis and I remember a Merced).

One of the pics I took off that road going to Fresno.

First time in Northern California and I was like a kid in a candy story, wide eyed in amazement be it mountains, grasslands or crops. This is why a 60 mile drive could take us 120 minutes because I had to stop and get a picture of something I thought amazing looking LOL

 

[ericm979]

First time in Northern California and I was like a kid in a candy story, wide eyed in amazement be it mountains, grasslands or crops. This is why a 60 mile drive could take us 120 minutes because I had to stop and get a picture of something I thought amazing looking LOL

There's a lot to see. It's great that you and your family had a good time. You didn't even get to northern CA or the desert or SoCal (there's a lot that isn't LA). All of which are scenic.

I don't subscribe to the gateway drug theory but if I did I'd say beer is the true gateway drug. Everyone I knew started with beer. Maybe more recently you could add prescription pain pills to that. Marijuana is pretty innocuous as far as drugs go. It just makes people mellow. I'd rather be around people who are stoned than drunk. I've never had a stoned person try to pick a fight with me.


I lived for quite a while on the far north coast when marijuana was illegal and the logging that had supported the economy was drying up due lack of suitable trees. Also in the '70s a lot of hippies got tired of SF and moved north where land was cheap. So there was a lot of marijuana being grown by hippies and loggers. Many people just supplemented their income with a few plants but some folks went big time with it. The feds moved in with heat detecting helicopters and SWAT tactics which just made people move their grows to the national forest or unguarded private land and hire undocumented immigrants to work them. And pollute the creeks and leave a mess.

Legalization would, in theory, make a lot of that go away. Big growers would go legit and be just another kind of farmer. In CA it's been somewhat successful. Most areas have too many regulations to entice all the growers to go legit but a good percent did. At the same time a lot of people jumped into the business. Many didn't know what they were doing and the influx of growers drove prices down so many went bust. The last couple years there's been a lot of real estate for sale in Nor Cal and southern Oregon that clearly had been used for growing. Sometimes they clean it up for the listing photos but you can see it on satellite photos. Sometimes they don't even bother to remove the grow bags for the photos.

Humboldt: Life on America's Marijuana Frontier

In the vein of Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief and Debo…

www.goodreads.com

is a pretty good book about the area and the effects of marijuana growing on what's basically a poor economy, as of 10 years ago anyhow.

 

[California]

I don't subscribe to the gateway drug theory but if I did I'd say beer is the true gateway drug. Everyone I knew started with beer. Maybe more recently you could add prescription pain pills to that. Marijuana is pretty innocuous as far as drugs go. It just makes people mellow. I'd rather be around people who are stoned than drunk. I've never had a stoned person try to pick a fight with me.

I lived for quite a while on the far north coast...

Humboldt: Life on America's Marijuana Frontier

In the vein of Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief and Debo…

www.goodreads.com

is a pretty good book about the area and the effects of marijuana growing on what's basically a poor economy, as of 10 years ago anyhow.

Agree, not a gateway drug. Kids today experiment with weed same as underage drinking and along with that is an attitude that the hard drugs are on the far side of a dividing line that most of them won't cross.


Drugs, related - when my kids were in high school they noted some of the boys were bulking up with steroids. At the same time I saw this at work, a couple of gym bros seemed to be the source for young skinny Asian and Mexican-American nerd accounting graduates, growing muscles.

 

[plowhog]

I lived for quite a while on the far north coast when marijuana was illegal and the logging that had supported the economy was drying up due lack of suitable trees.

I'd like to learn more about the tree shortage. That is a new perspective for me.

For decades I have read stories that the lumber industry was destroyed by the efforts to protect the spotted owl. But I wasn't there. Here is an example:

"The fight was over protecting the owl’s habitat. After lawsuits, protests and even violence, the environmentalists won. And, in the process, delivered a death blow to an entire way of life. Sawmills shut down, loggers lost their jobs, and those little backwoods lumber towns went from boom to 1930s Depression-era bust.

“It was like turning off the spigot,” said Ryan Tompkins, a Plumas County forester and natural resources consultant."

Two Words Explain California’s Wildfire Woes: Spotted Owl – California Globe

californiaglobe.com

 

[Sigarms]

I don't subscribe to the gateway drug theory but if I did I'd say beer is the true gateway drug.

I agree. People tend to forget that alcohol IS a drug because it's legal to sell pretty much everywhere.

By the same token, the deeper question is, isn't caffeine and nicotine a drug as well? Go to a BW meeting and always thought it was ironic everyone is smoking and drinking coffee.

 

[ultrarunner]

Some strung out street people get quite violent often imagining things and flailing around…

One one stripped naked in the parking lot saying bugs were crawling all over her but paramedics said it’s from drugs…

 

[Sigarms]

One one stripped naked in the parking lot saying bugs were crawling all over her but paramedics said it’s from drugs…

Yes, but one could argue that if you were born into this world naked by the clothes God gave you, exactly what is wrong with walking around naked in public or going to church that way?

 

[kenmbz]

In MA it was clear cutting Hardwoods and replacing with Pine that shut down the lumber industry.
I unfortunately got to see this affect my neighbors who thought the lumber companies would do the right thing.

 

[Hughman]

Would that be La Grange road, going from Angles Camp through Cooperoppolis to Fresno? (sorry, don't remember all the roads we had to take, but I do remember La Grange road having to go through Cooperoppolis and I remember a Merced

Close... La Grange road is part of 59 between 120 west of Jamestown and Merced.

 

[Sigarms]

Close... La Grange road is part of 59 between 120 west of Jamestown and Merced.

Hey, I only spent two weeks out there. Only so many road signs I could read while driving and remembering

I do however remember that road.

That said, still pretty country in that area as well. Not certain if it's me, but everything seemed dry and I'd be afraid of an accidentdal fire.

Did see a couple of small lakes on that road somewhere I remember, but futher south I believe.

 

[Hughman]

Definitely fire country. Mower gets used through May and then put away for the season.

You were definitely on the move while you were here. Made me tired just reading along.

 

[Sigarms]

You were definitely on the move while you were here.

We were. But overall a great trip with a lot of ground traveled to give us a better idea of the "layout" of the land for our next trip out there. Never got to Donner Pass or Tahoe.

As someone mentioned, as much as we saw, it was only a portion.

To think at first I was wondering what we would do with 10 full days out there. Next time, we'll have to plan on getting out on the weekend to gain more time.

Checking out Death Valley in the Winter sounds interesting.

Have to laugh about my son, he didn't see to many exoctic cars up around Caleveras and he mentioned he was surprised he didn't even see that many Porches.

Wasn't until we hit Route 1 and Monterey/Carmel when he was getting blown away with all the cars. He could name them all LOL Across the street from these two cars was another McClaren (sp?) along with a 1950's Ferrari he was ga ga over (he's into European cars to my dismay).

To his luck, car show was going on in Monterey when we pulled in. I left him out along to check out the cars and I didn't want to cramp his style. Needless to say, he got a lot of pics for his car friends in NC.

The 3rd pass over Ebbetts coming back fom Nevada, he also saw a Lamborghini coming down the mountain close to Markleyville.

 

[Hughman]

If you decide to come back someday and want to shop for property, this is a good website to check out.

MetroList® MLS - Sacramento MLS Search

MetroList® MLS brings together the people and information that keep you In The Know about all things real estate. The MLS Search for Sacramento and nearby areas.

www.metrolist.com

 

[Sigarms]

If you decide to come back someday and want to shop for property, this is a good website to check out.

MetroList® MLS - Sacramento MLS Search

MetroList® MLS brings together the people and information that keep you In The Know about all things real estate. The MLS Search for Sacramento and nearby areas.

www.metrolist.com

Appreciate the info.

In all seriousness, I honestly don't know how you guys afford to live out there. Out of curiosity, I looked, and it appears only Hawaii (and DC surprisingly) has a greater cost of living vs California.

That said, I guess overall the average pay in California is better to help offset the cost of living. Not certain how accurate, but seems reasonable. I did joke with my wife I could proably earn more money out there.

 

[ultrarunner]

$17.20 minimum wage can be found in the SF Bay Area...

 

[California]

it appears only Hawaii (and DC surprisingly) has a greater cost of living vs California.

You're in luck! Calaveras County is forecast to have a near 20% decrease in population in the next 40 years.

https://www.sacbee.com/news/california/article278496679.html

 

[ultrarunner]

Growing up in the Bay Area folks would move to the distant suburbs and then many to the Sierra Foothills but since the 2008-2012 crash just about everyone I know retires out of State... various reasons... closer to kids/family, cash out and bank the difference or simply looking for a better political fit...

 

[ultrarunner]

If you do relocate to California no shortage of work in the HVAC industry...

Folks that never had A/C are installing and Heat Pumps becoming the norm on many new homes especially with gas going away.

 

[Racenut]

I just now got all caught up, I'm sorry I missed the actual trip. Looks like you had a great trip.

As for how much now they get over the passes... on a good year like this year was.. they get a bit. And this would be after it had a chance to compact and melt a bit. A friend of mine went skiing in Mammoth on the 4th of July this year.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

If you do relocate to California no shortage of work in the HVAC industry...

Folks that never had A/C are installing and Heat Pumps becoming the norm on many new homes especially with gas going away.

I agree that there is a definitely a shortage of "skilled" labor in the HVAC industry.

Went on "vacation" earlier this year and my daughter who is a project manager for a contractor in Riverside had me lined up with comissioning 5 minisplits and 2 identical split systems. One of thier appentices drove me to each location and we pretty much split the work 50/50.
I am a bit rusty, but haven't forgotten how to use a guage set. Got to help my daughter and her company out and had a good time while doing it. No call backs on any of it so I feel good about it.
There is work out there for those who aren't afraid of it.