You aren't representing very well. Where's your cool, laid back, Zen vibe?

Well, 18 years in L.A. 7 in Phoenix. 7 in Iowa. .3 in Colorado.

There sure wasn't anything to do in the part of the Midwest I was in.

So what do you do in LA otherwise? What does LA have for your to do other than going to the beach? I get if you are talking about rural midwest, but major cities in the midwest, I don't get the argument.

Disneyland.

Duh.

I can go surfing in the morning and skiing in the afternoon. Granted I don't do either of those things. But I could if I wanted to!

Also pretty much any kind of comedy show, cultural event, ethnic food, art exhibit, festival, concert, etc. you can imagine on any given day. You can go to one of these things every day for the rest of your life in LA if you wanted and never see the same thing twice.

Within a 2 hour trip I have San Diego, mountains, deserts, islands, a jillion interesting ethnic communities. Within a 5 hour drive I have San Francisco, Yosemite, Sequioa/Kings Canyon, Lake Powell/Havasu, Kern/Colorado River, Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Vegas, Palm Springs, Mt. Whitney, Mono Lake, Mexico, world class wine tasting, Hwy 1 on the CA coast, a ton of state parks, etc. That's just off the top of my head.

I love KC, it's where my heart is. But there's pretty much endless stuff to do out here compared to KC. It's why everyone in CA waits until they're 35 to start plopping out babies.

I don't need to repeat suzzers post but there's a diversity missing in Midwest offerings. Yes, you can find something to do. But they're often going to be the same things you've been doing all your life. And all your parents life. With the same people.

All that being said. My parents are doing well in L.A. I could be coddled and spoiled. But that would entail living in Los Angeles.

Yes, there's "lots to do" but none of it is very appealing relatively. I personally don't like much of California (particularly SoCal) because it's too crowded and I don't like other humans much to begin with.

Two birds with one stone...."Dryafornia"

http://www.yelp.com/biz/stanford-and...ub-kansas-city

http://www.visitkc.com/things-to-do/...ngs/index.aspx

http://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=ethn...sas+City%2C+MO

http://www.kauffmancenter.org/

http://www.songkick.com/metro_areas/5961-us-kansas-city

http://mostateparks.com/page/57756/kansas-city-region

http://kansascity.about.com/od/night...neTastings.htm

See, all of those things are here too. I guess you got me with the mountain thing. But, I would venture to say that 98% of people that live in Southern California don't go to see mountains, basically ever.

:thumb::thumb:

Hundreds of thousands commute through the Santa Monica mountains every day.

Let's take just one for analysis. Yes, Missouri and Kansas have state parks, too. Unfortunately, they happen to be in Kansas and Missouri.

Yes, but have you ever summited Mt. Sunflower?

Sooo driving thru them means what? Its not anything more to do.

... you said 98% don't see mountains. I tell you you've never seen a geographical map of southern California. Or any reality show on tv. All those pretty houses perched on the side of... air.