California: Time to hit the road?

[TheOracleAtLilac]

Head for mountainous terrain (e.g. Ozarks) to avoid Tornadoes....plus the "flats" are boring.

[SantaLuz]

Houston and Dallas seem like they are going the way of So Cal with urban sprawl, but I could be wrong. Recently I was looking at Plano, since there was a good job for me there but it seems like Dallas is spreading out all they way to Plano within a decade. A couple years ago we were looking at Corpus Christi, but my wife didn't like the likelihood of hurricanes. So Austin? San Antonio? I'm in high-tech so it seems there are some good companies in those areas. Anyone from Plano?

[sassygirl]

I grew up in a small town in rural Virginia. My folks didnt have the money to do much traveling so I didnt see anything except my own backyard (so to speak) for 18 years. When I went on my first trip to Montana in college, I was mesmerized. A few of my galpals and I drove there from VA. Ive been convinced ever since that there is nothing that can replace real life experiences. You have to get out there and see it to truly appreciate this awesome country of ours. Your kids will only benefit.

[Lucky9teen]

Sounds like a great idea and something I would love to be able to do with my family, but can't.

My suggestion though, before this (ad)venture is to tell you what my mom always has told me about making big decisions. And that is, to pray about it and put it in Gods hands.

Good luck.

[princess leah]

Albuquerque (west side is really growing - new homes in the mid-100s) is a lovely town. San Antonio is another favorite (westside there is also the place to buy new homes for reasonable pricing). I live in Phoenix and am happy here but it's becoming like LA-San Diego (Casa Grande still has houses under 200k but only if you know which builder to look for).

[ladyjane]

Welcome to Free Republic!

[sassygirl]

Thank you very much.

Ive already made a few mistakes, I think, but Im learning the ropes.

[SantaLuz]

I am partial to New Hampshire since I live here but I also have seen a lot of the country. New Hamphire is the "Live Free or Die" state.

We plan on visiting NH. We'll have to visit in the fall see the colors, and ski the mountains. I'm not sure my Phoenix girl can handle the cold though.

[SantaLuz]

I moved to Nashville 8 years ago having lived in southern California, northern Arizona and, most recently, DC. No regrets, in fact, Hubby and I are extremely happy here.

We plan on visiting Nashville. My sister in-law didn't like the part of Tenn that she lived in. (I don't think it was Nashville). She said it was too humid there. But you have to listen to the opinions of others, but then still experience it yourself. Is it stifling in Nashville in the summer?

Any lakes large enough to wind surf on near Nashvile? I'm a surfer and it will be hard to give up all water activities.

[spankalib]

Austin if you like State Gubmint (Ronnie Earle's a hero to many 'round here), College Students' Heads-Full-of-Mush, Illegals, Bums on practically every corner, and Texas' worst traffic.

I've been here 11 months. The 2nd week, on my way to work, two half-clad idiots were holding up a large banner on an overpass that read; "Legalize Our Love". I can tell you just can't wait to 'splain that to the kiddos.

I've lived and worked near Plain-oh, too.... big family town. Soccer-mom deluxe.

I was raised in the midwest, btw, flat's not boring at all when you're riding your bike.....you are master of all you survey :)

I thought the best advice on this thread was to pray....and the one that said to plant in the vicinity, and take shorter jaunts. Sounds more practical, less risk financially. I'm not against Texas, really, it's just that as a kid, I liked to roll around in the grass with my dogs, something that's sorta hard to imagine doing in most of the fire-ant, sand-spur, scorpion, brown recluse, and rattlesnake - infested wild areas I've seen around here.... the grass aint soft and lush, "Texas needs rain" but hey, it's a big state, & I haven't been everywhere!

People in Texas are kind, and big-hearted mostly. I'd prefer Ft. Worth over Dallas, San Antonio over Austin, and Hell over Houston.

Do you like hot and dry?

[SantaLuz]

My suggestion though, before this (ad)venture is to tell you what my mom always has told me about making big decisions. And that is, to pray about it and put it in Gods hands.

This is great advice. We are a praying family, and have been praying about this decision. But I realize that we need to pray more and harder. This will be one of the biggest decisions we will make as a family. It may affect us for generations to come. Our kids will likely marry people from the area we move to. So we'll be starting a new homestead. There are many worries and risks and issues to work through. (Gas prices, RV purchase, finances, family ties, etc...) There are other personal and family issues that are moving us in this direction. In the end we desire most to grow closer to God, and closer to each other. But good intentions are not enough. We need to place this in God's hands and pray for wisdom about the timing.

[annie laurie]

http://www.findyourspot.com/

Sigh.

I went through the entire quiz, only to find that they want personal info before they'll give you the results :(

Here's another site which has quite a bit of info, although not in quiz form:

http://www.bestplaces.net/

[SantaLuz]

My wife tried to buy Lost in America last night but couldn't find it. So she bought Chevy Chase's Vacation instead, and we had a good laugh. We'll buy Lost, Vacation, and RV for our traveling trilogy. Hopefully nothing like that ever happens to us. :-)

[fullchroma]

Any lakes large enough to wind surf on near Nashville?
Percy Priest Lake and Old Hickory Lake

Is it stifling in Nashville in the summer?
Yes. But the rest of the year is very comfortable. I like that we have real winter weather (sledding, fires in the hearth) but not enough that you have to shovel the walkway more than once or maybe twice a year.

[Argus]

Another good RV movie, believe it or not, is THE LONG, LONG TRAILER with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, from sometime in the fifties. Beautiful technicolor and some funny slapstick.

[SantaLuz]

Alternate plan: Pick area of country to live. Sell Cal house Relo there.

This was our first plan. I was looking for jobs in the Raleigh and Plano, TX areas. We were going to pick a place and move there. We were looking for homes, schools, churches in those areas. But then I realized that we didn't really know those areas well at all. It would be a big move, buying a house and then going right back to work. We had looked at Boise earlier and I had Monster agents looking for jobs in all those areas. Then we started thinking about first going to visit all the cities we were thinking of moving to. RV or motels. Sure the gas prices are killer but so are airline and motel prices. Also I realized I really needed a sabbatical year, for health reasons. I've worked as a software engineer for more than 25 years now, for start-ups and many "death march" projects and I'm completely burned out. So this has been our thinking up to this point.

[TheOracleAtLilac]

my advice - pick a spot (w/o the cold of Boise)...any spot & move.
(Too many Californians couldn't take the Idaho/Montana winters & moved back)

Cal home prices are 30-50% overvalued.
take advantage of that while you can

If you decide to move again..you'll still be $ ahead.

[SantaLuz]

We've had no unpleasantness with the North/South cultural differences. I like the, sadly diminishing, Southerness of the area. There's a sweetness here.

My father moved us from the north to South Carolina when I was a boy. We lived on an island near Charleston. I fished and swam in the tidal rivers every day in the summer. Great place for a boy to grow up. So I'm used to being a Yankee in the south. I'm kind of a southern boy at heart. We just got back from a trip to Virginia and my family got to see and hear some of the Southern hospitality. That is another world from California. We'll visit for sure if we decide to go-for-it.

[fullchroma]

We'll visit for sure if we decide to go-for-it.

Go for it!

Your Charleston island childhood sounds fabulously idyllic. Sigh... . I haven't been to South Carolina but a road trip to the Charleston area is near the top of our to-do list. Maybe this fall.

[SantaLuz]

Move here to Northeast Wisconsin. Lots of great hunting and fishing. Fish frys.

My wife's mother comes from Wisconsin so we'll probably vist. And my son and I love to fish. I used to live in the north before we moved to the south at 10, and know how to make the most of winter. But my wife is from Phoenix thinks it's cold outside when it drops into the 50s. She wouldn't go out in the back yard today when it got overcast and in the low 60s. lol. I don't know what to do about that.