Best Place for Former Californians to Retire To (Santa Barbara, Roseville: house, weddings)

[.highnlite]

So, some years ago a friend of my had to do his medical residency. There were certain advantages to doing his residency in a small Nevada town. He picked Caliente, (pronounced Cali annie) His wife was a teacher, and figured she would take a teaching job there for the duration of the residency.

She called the school district, talked to the Superintendent, who was very excited to have a teacher actually want to come to Caliente. The conversation went along swimmingly until, she asked if there was a Catholic Church in town. A long long silence ensued. Then the Superintendent said that right then, they really did not have any openings.

Caliente, in the heart of Deseret.

[SunnyTXsmile]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

So, some years ago a friend of my had to do his medical residency. There were certain advantages to doing his residency in a small Nevada town. He picked Caliente, (pronounced Cali annie) His wife was a teacher, and figured she would take a teaching job there for the duration of the residency.

She called the school district, talked to the Superintendent, who was very excited to have a teacher actually want to come to Caliente. The conversation went along swimmingly until, she asked if there was a Catholic Church in town. A long long silence ensued. Then the Superintendent said that right then, they really did not have any openings.

Caliente, in the heart of Deseret.

The 2011 population of Caliente, NV was 1,123, per Wiki. Any town that tiny deserves to be passed by for many reasons, IMO. For goodness sake, my high school had more students than that town has residents. lol

We've established that the OP should steer clear of small and snowy / icy towns. Other than that, does anyone have other retirement location advice? Possible locations to suggest?

[.highnlite]

Caliente is a great town, along with Panaca and Pioche they are the metropolises of Lincoln County, an outdoors persons paradise. Here, a photo of the Caliente train station, pretty cool eh?

[SunnyTXsmile]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

Caliente is a great town, along with Panaca and Pioche they are the metropolises of Lincoln County, an outdoors persons paradise. Here, a photo of the Caliente train station, pretty cool eh?

1,123 people. I simply can't get past 1,123 people. lol As gorgeous as it may be, I'm far too much of a social butterfly (I have elementary report card notes to prove it lol) to be able to live in a town with only 1,122 other people.

I suspect that since the OP is looking for friendships in her town, that perhaps 1,123 people might be a tad small, too. But who knows? It's worth a shot. Just hope that you like them, or you'll have to move again, since there aren't many of them to start with (no changing churches or book clubs if you don't click with the people in your current group as there is probably only one of each ). Not to mention, your story of their reaction to the question about church seems to lend itself to the situation the OP is currently in and trying to escape, if I understand her correctly.

My birth mother just moved from a town that has a population of 1,760. The reason she left: at her age, she needs a better medical system (among other things that she needs as she ages) that simply can't be found in a town with more cows than people. Just something to keep in mind.

[.highnlite]

Originally Posted by SunnyTXsmile

1,123 people. I simply can't get past 1,123 people. lol As gorgeous as it may be, I'm far too much of a social butterfly (I have elementary report card notes to prove it lol) to be able to live in a town with only 1,122 other people.

Caliente is a little to crowded for me. Yes, I am on the coast of CA, but, not by choice, I make the best of it.

I think of the Hopi and the Navajo. I like the spiritual thinking of the Hopi, and how they came to be the only intact Native American culture in the US, but they are far to urban for me. I like the Navajo, where if they could see the smoke from their neighbors hogan, they were too close.

My wife grew up in small town Nevada, she agrees with me. With UPS,, Fedex and the Schwan man there is seldom a need to go to town.

We have a small ranch in the center of Nevada, I do hope to spend my last days there. I avoid churches. They tend to put a stop to good thinking. The best churches have no roofs.

Up the road a piece is a bar with some canned goods. Town is 40 miles away, Austin, Nevada, and by California standards is not much. but, you can ride your horse with your pack mules for days in any direction.

[SunnyTXsmile]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

Caliente is a little to crowded for me. Yes, I am on the coast of CA, but, not by choice, I make the best of it.

I think of the Hopi and the Navajo. I like the spiritual thinking of the Hopi, and how they came to be the only intact Native American culture in the US, but they are far to urban for me. I like the Navajo, where if they could see the smoke from their neighbors hogan, they were too close.

My wife grew up in small town Nevada, she agrees with me. With UPS,, Fedex and the Schwan man there is seldom a need to go to town.

We have a small ranch in the center of Nevada, I do hope to spend my last days there. I avoid churches. They tend to put a stop to good thinking. The best churches have no roofs.

Up the road a piece is a bar with some canned goods. Town is 40 miles away, Austin, Nevada, and by California standards is not much. but, you can ride your horse with your pack mules for days in any direction.

Ah, you sound like my birth mother. I understand completely.

When I think of retired, I think of their future needs in a few decades (as who wants to keep moving at that age?). It's instinctual since I've spent so much of my life as a caretaker. Not to say that retirement equates to needing care, but I highly doubt that someone would want to move upon retirement, only to move again later when they need care, so I suppose I'm thinking more long term.

Ironically, I absolutely agree with you about church. I mentioned it since the OP said they'd tried to meet people there. Though I don't believe in organized religion, I attend on an irregular basis to surround myself with those from the same culture. It's a great place to practice my Greek, catch up on what's happening in my home country from those that just got back, share a post-service meal at my favorite Greek restaurant with friends of loved ones that have passed, etc. It's a great way to become a part of your community, if that's important to you. It doesn't sound like that interests you, but the OP seems to be looking for that. Neither is right or wrong, just whatever works for you.

What you describe sounds amazing, though.

[mountainrose]

YES!! TO ASHEVILLE, NC AREA

We also ended up in a small mountain town 15-20 minutes outside of Asheville, and it is the most beautiful, most friendly, most kindhearted, and most fun place we have EVER lived after 7 different states.

We moved out of Northern CA (lived there over 40 years) to North Idaho, and had a similar experience to yours in not making friends easily--plus 9 months of gray weather and the frigid cold was just too much. We tried the Southwest, the Puget Sound, New England, and in my wildest dreams I never imagined I would end up in Western North Carolina. But as on this thread, so many people kept recommending it, we had to check it out---and the thing that got to us immediately besides the drop-dead beauty of the area, was the intensely friendly, down to earth, and warm-hearted people.

Neither I nor my husband have ever made friends so easily before as here, and they are the high-quality and meaningful type friendships, not just chit-chat social. All the other transplants I've met here say the same thing---it's the people that convinced them to move here.
Other points you mentioned:
Farming--small farming is HUGE here and totally supported by local groceries, farmer's markets, restaurants (farm-to-table) and the local communities.

You are somewhat conservative: We are Independents and have made good friends from both parties---people aren't as polarized here. Asheville is known as a liberal city and there are some of the hard-core hippy/liberal elements in parts of the downtown and the crime and drugs that it brings--but it is minimal compared to CA or most larger cities, but the county and outskirts are a real mix politically. What is most compelling here compared to our experiences in the west is that there is way more tolerance here, yes in the south! We often go to parties or functions in our small mountain community with a mix of all different ages, religions, politics, races, and lifestyles, and somehow it all works and everyone gets along and respects each other as long as they are good-hearted and respectful. In the west, everyone seemed to always be separated into their political, lifestyle, or age group circles. Here, they just all get along better---it may be because of all the good artisan beer they grow, brew, and drink here.....lol

I thought the humidity might be a problem, but it is not. Because we are in the mountains and higher elevation, we don't get the really bad humidity that eastern NC gets. There were only about 4 days this summer where it got uncomfortable, but definitely bearable and just turned on the air conditioning. And the winters are mild compared to Idaho or New England, and the fall here is just SPECTACULAR---better color than NE and lasts longer (250 varieties of hardwoods)---huge tourist industry in leaf peepers that come to the Blue Ridge and Smokies in Fall. Tons of water for farming---rivers, creeks and waterfalls galore. Except for Colorado, it is the best hiking we have experienced---better than the Sierras, the Selkirks, or Bitteroots.

So, you might want to check it out seriously.
Good luck to you!

[.highnlite]

Well, I was a Greek, quite a long time ago. but that is a whole story all its own.
I do think the Greek Orthodox makes much more sense than Roman Catholic.

I have a multiplicity of Greece stories, one of my favorite countries. As I wrote once in a very overly romantic novel; "Everything we are, the way we think, the very way we conceive our being, we owe to the Greeks."

Last time I was in Greece, we went to Olympia, I raced my daughter on the same grassy track that the ancient Olympians ran on. No matter what else ever happens in our lives, we will share that experience.

As far as needing care? I hope to feed coyotes some day.

Well, when I die
Take my saddle from the wall
Put it on my pony
And lead him from his stall

Tie my bones to his back
Turn our faces to the west
And we'll ride the mountains
That we like the best

[.highnlite]

What is most compelling here compared to our experiences in the west is that there is way more tolerance here, yes in the south!

Helps to keep in mind that many of the mountain counties along the appalachians did not approve of succession, did not approve of the confederacy, and did not approve of slavery.

[mountainrose]

Originally Posted by .highnlite

Helps to keep in mind that many of the mountain counties along the appalachians did not approve of succession, did not approve of the confederacy, and did not approve of slavery.

You are correct, and in fact historically much of Western NC didn't consider itself the South, but rather "Mountain."