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I agree that you may want to consider most of WA and OR. Keep in mind that in OR, Portland and Eugene are the blue areas and everything else is red. In WA, cities on the Puget Sound are blue and the rest of the state in red. It is such that the bulk of the population centered on those three areas drive state politics. South of Eugene and east of the Cascades is every bit as red as the most of the West, (with a few exceptions, such as Boulder/Denver and LV).
I agree that you may want to consider most of WA and OR. Keep in mind that in OR, Portland and Eugene are the blue areas and everything else is red. In WA, cities on the Puget Sound are blue and the rest of the state in red. It is such that the bulk of the population centered on those three areas drive state politics. South of Eugene and east of the Cascades is every bit as red as the most of the West, (with a few exceptions, such as Boulder/Denver and LV).
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It's possible the OP is looking for a red state because of the laws governing the citizens of that state. The blue areas in OR and WA dictate laws and regulations on the red areas that are contrary to those locals' beliefs / livelihood. And while the majority of the state's territory may in fact be more libertarian / conservative, they don't have the population to overrule the huddled masses in their urban utopias. Thus WA and OR are blue.
It's possible the OP is looking for a red state because of the laws governing the citizens of that state. The blue areas in OR and WA dictate laws and regulations on the red areas that are contrary to those locals' beliefs / livelihood. And while the majority of the state's territory may in fact be more libertarian / conservative, they don't have the population to overrule the huddled masses in their urban utopias. Thus WA and OR are blue.
That's very possible, which is why I noted that dichotomy about eastern WA.
Even in deeply blue CA there are many areas of the state that are quite conservative. As an example, Trump won in 26 of California's 58 counties.
Given that the OP is looking to leave CA it's a reasonable bet that getting away from some of those state-wide laws may be what the OP is looking for.
I agree with mtngirlatheart -- I think you'll find more of what you're looking for in Oregon, but I would also include Washington state, particularly the Bellingham area of Whatcom county, as well as Skagit county. Life is full of little trade-offs, and the rainy/cloudy weather is the trade off you make for getting more of things on your list.
I wouldn't consider rainy or cloudy weather a negative trade off. There are other things that I believe would be a problem though.
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Yes, there are people that live in the CdA area and commute to Spokane for work. It's not a bad drive, roughly about a half hour depending an exactly where your starting/ending points are, and traffic is usually not an issue. Obviously, you could make that shorter by living closer to the ID/WA border than CdA. Depending on what sort of property you were looking for the need to keep that commute manageable may be a limitation. If that was where you were headed you might also consider living in eastern WA. I'd describe WA overall as blue state, but eastern WA is fairly conservative. You'll have to decide whether that would fit your desires.
We also thought about NC as we have spent a fair amount of time there, both in western NC near Asheville, and at the Outer Banks. We love the Outer Banks, but our thought would have been to live in the mountains in western NC, and from there the Outer Banks are easily reachable for a weekend (or longer) trip. In the end we wanted to stay in the west. You are correct that NC is humid and fairly warm in the summer, so if you want to avoid that sort of weather NC isn't the best location for you. The one thing about NC is they have the best BBQ around, and it's hard to find outside NC unless you become a pit master yourself (I'm sure that comment will stir up some strong opinions ). Certainly tech jobs are plentiful in the Raleigh-Durham area.
Just for completeness, earthquakes are not unheard of in Idaho, but they are much more rare and generally lower magnitude than in CA. In many areas of ID you also have a significant wildfire risk depending on how wet or dry the year has been. I've decided that no location is without its risk of some form(s) of natural disaster, so it's a matter of picking your poison.
Dave
Thank you for clarifying that, coming from where I live I'm very glad to hear traffic would not be a massive problem. I like barbecue well enough, I'll have to visit NC if I get a chance. As for natural disasters, I would rather avoid tornadoes and hurricanes most of all, but that's just me.
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Hi, Anglerte...
At your age, I was out on the road a lot, just moving around and looking things over. If you're graduating soon, why not start thinking of doing some rambling for a while?
That list is pretty long and has a lot of specifics, but it's a good beginning; load up your gear, and make some plans that are based around your passion for fishing. Once here, I'm sure a lot of the questions you have now will be answered.
Don't expect to catch many big catfish, though. They're here, but our waters are generally too cold and fresh for the real big ones. Out here, folks come for the trout, salmon, and other cold-water fishing.
I've been stuck in Southern California for most of my life, in fact I've only left the state one time for Arizona where I was not a fan of the heat. I will definitely be traveling to some of these places when I get the chance, if nothing else, then for a good fishing trip. And of course there are things I'm willing to compromise on that list; I thought it would be better though to give more detail rather than less. I've never caught larger than around 3-4lb catfish, but from what I heard those are optimal for flavor. Allegedly the larger ones start tasting pretty muddy, which makes sense given their diet. I'd love to be able to catch my own salmon. Thanks for the link, I will check it out for sure.
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Oregon, Washington, Colorado...probably not ID, but if you insist, Boise.
I'm looking into Colorado as well but I'm not so keen on the other two. Thank you though.
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I agree that you may want to consider most of WA and OR. Keep in mind that in OR, Portland and Eugene are the blue areas and everything else is red. In WA, cities on the Puget Sound are blue and the rest of the state in red. It is such that the bulk of the population centered on those three areas drive state politics. South of Eugene and east of the Cascades is every bit as red as the most of the West, (with a few exceptions, such as Boulder/Denver and LV).
I'm concerned more about the legal implications than the population itself. Thank you though.
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It's possible the OP is looking for a red state because of the laws governing the citizens of that state. The blue areas in OR and WA dictate laws and regulations on the red areas that are contrary to those locals' beliefs / livelihood. And while the majority of the state's territory may in fact be more libertarian / conservative, they don't have the population to overrule the huddled masses in their urban utopias. Thus WA and OR are blue.
Thank you, you pretty much nailed it. I think maybe instead of classical liberal I should have said constitutional conservative or something more along those lines. Not sure if that would have helped. But of course I appreciate everyone's answers none the less.
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That's very possible, which is why I noted that dichotomy about eastern WA.
Even in deeply blue CA there are many areas of the state that are quite conservative. As an example, Trump won in 26 of California's 58 counties.
Given that the OP is looking to leave CA it's a reasonable bet that getting away from some of those state-wide laws may be what the OP is looking for.
Dave
I actually live in a fairly red county for California but it's a very closeted-red. This is certainly true for people closer to my age at least. Indeed some of the laws are of concern to me. But I quite like your idea about living closer to the eastern WA border, I'll have to look into that. Thanks again.
You might want to check out Utah. It's not what you probably think it is, and Utah, especially the northern half of the state, is rapidly becoming a high-tech powerhouse.
It has the same 4 seasons of the year as S. Idaho, but central Utah is milder, and southern Utah milder still. Lots of warm water fishing there, as well as all the outdoor sports we enjoy here.
The population is larger and younger as well. The Salt Lake area is more liberal than the rest of the state, but 'liberal' out here has a different meaning. Most have the same libertarian streak conservatives have.
You might want to check out Utah. It's not what you probably think it is, and Utah, especially the northern half of the state, is rapidly becoming a high-tech powerhouse.
It has the same 4 seasons of the year as S. Idaho, but central Utah is milder, and southern Utah milder still. Lots of warm water fishing there, as well as all the outdoor sports we enjoy here.
The population is larger and younger as well. The Salt Lake area is more liberal than the rest of the state, but 'liberal' out here has a different meaning. Most have the same libertarian streak conservatives have.
Not sure that would fit into the OP's desires quoted below.
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Originally Posted by Anglerte
Religion:
I am not a religious person, though I am perfectly willing to live among and engage with folks who are. I would prefer, however, that I would not be living in an area where one specific sect or denomination constitutes the views of over 75% of the local population. I would also prefer that local ordinances not be heavily influenced by religion.
I agree that you may want to consider most of WA and OR. Keep in mind that in OR, Portland and Eugene are the blue areas and everything else is red. In WA, cities on the Puget Sound are blue and the rest of the state in red. It is such that the bulk of the population centered on those three areas drive state politics. South of Eugene and east of the Cascades is every bit as red as the most of the West, (with a few exceptions, such as Boulder/Denver and LV).
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Well summated.
So, eastern sides of both WA & OR turf, is best, if you are red. Ha, we created a bit of politics despite this an ID forum. But I agree, as the east sides of both states should succeed from the left coast sides.
You might want to check out Utah. It's not what you probably think it is, and Utah, especially the northern half of the state, is rapidly becoming a high-tech powerhouse.
It has the same 4 seasons of the year as S. Idaho, but central Utah is milder, and southern Utah milder still. Lots of warm water fishing there, as well as all the outdoor sports we enjoy here.
The population is larger and younger as well. The Salt Lake area is more liberal than the rest of the state, but 'liberal' out here has a different meaning. Most have the same libertarian streak conservatives have.
I had not really considered Utah based on what I know about other parts of the state, but I do not know too much about the Northern part. I will look into it, thank you. And thank you for clarifying the semantics, note taken.
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Not sure that would fit into the OP's desires quoted below.
Is there a large LDS presence there as well?
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Well summated.
So, eastern sides of both WA & OR turf, is best, if you are red. Ha, we created a bit of politics despite this an ID forum. But I agree, as the east sides of both states should succeed from the left coast sides.
I think it is very relevant considering what my original post specified. Thank you for your input, I'm still leaning towards the northeast WA- northwest ID border in terms of what I've heard on here so far.
Could one of you upstanding people guide me as to how you include the "originally posted by" headers for multiple users in one post. Thank you in advance.
There are a lot of LDS who live all over Idaho. And all over all the surrounding states as well. The Mormons settled the entire intermountain west, and much of California. Their influence is just as strong in eastern Washington and Oregon as it is here, Wyoming is mostly LDS, as is much of W. Montana.
I've lived among them all my life, and I've found there are a lot of regional differences that exist within their church's social side. Someone who isn't as familiar with the faith might not notice them, but I can often spot a Montana Mormon from and Idaho Mormon. Utah, since it was where they all came from originally, has more shades of Mormonism within it than all the other states have. All in all, the most notable social aspect to them is their intense family orientation. They all tend to spend tons of time in family activities.
Back when I was your age, 40+ years ago, Salt Lake City was a dope-smokin' hippie hotbed in some of its quarters. Boise, on the other hand, was a lot more straight laced, as were all the larger cities in Idaho.
The thing to understand about the religion is it's old here, so well established that it's very similar to living among the Baptists of the South or the Catholics in the Northeast. The Mormons aren't all fervent believers here by a long shot; about half of them don't go to church regularly, especially in the larger towns, and they enjoy all the same stuff all the others do.
In smaller towns, especially where the church is about the only central social activity there is, outside of the local bar and grill or the service station, the LDS influence is naturally stronger, but the members aren't necessarily any more churchy. Some are, others aren't.
Either way, it can take some time for an outsider to make some strong friendships with the LDS, but once they get to know a person, it's hard to find better friends. The LDS are very polite, very quick to help others, and don't try to convert locals very much at all. Like any religion, there are some hell-raisers on one end and some prudes on the other, but the middle is pretty big and laid-back.
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