[jdubya]

I have lived in SoCal and NorCal my whole life. Geographically it is second to none as one can drive 1-3 hours in any direction and see the ocean, lakes, rivers, desert, Redwoods, wine country and the sierras easily.

I remember when there was nearly nothing between Santa Barbara and LA. Thousand Oaks was fast food and gas station stop with a bank. Oxnard and Ventura were small coastal towns. Last time I drove through my jaw dropped at how much everything has grown between SB and LA. Brutal....and the traffic.

Up in the Bay Area it is similar. There are pretty areas to live but the politics, traffic, high cost of living, rat race mentality, road rage, crime and homelessness make it stressful and very maddening. I suspect my wife and I are heading out in the next 2-5 years.

Have family north and a little east of California where it is very pleasant and the politics and people are welcoming. Winters are a bit rough for Californians so my wife and i plan to do some light traveling in warmer climates during the winter.

Someone above posted about Incline Village, NV but was turned off by the real estate costs and the amount of snow. I would suggest taking a good look at Reno/Sparks as the real estate goes much further with your dollar and being on the east side of the Sierras they only get a dusting of snow compared to the Tahoe basin. However, Incline Village and the Tahoe basin is only 25-30 minutes away. Reno has a dumpy reputation but is has been gentrifying for a few years now and is looking much better than it used to. There are also other communities just south (Minden, Gardnerville) or north of the Reno area that are growing if you dont like Reno proper but you are still minutes from Tahoe.