How often do folks in the southern end of "NorCal” ever visit the remaining 350 miles north of them? (Sacramento: college, camp)

[mateo45]

In all the discussions about where the "real" NorCal is, am curious how often folks around the Sacto or Bay areas ever actually venture into the aprox. 350 miles still remaining between them and the OR border (Chico, Redding, Yreka, Modoc County, the North Coast, etc.)? Inland it seems like Marysville is about the northernmost "cutoff" these days for most urbanites, and the rest of "NorCal" is about as out of mind as the Imperial Valley is to SoCal!

[pch1013]

I've been all over the north state, almost always on my motorcycle. There are some amazing roads up there.

[Deezus]

Originally Posted by mateo45

In all the discussions about where the "real" NorCal is, am curious how often folks around the Sacto or Bay areas ever actually venture into the aprox. 350 miles still remaining between them and the OR border (Chico, Redding, Yreka, Modoc County, the North Coast, etc.)? Inland it seems like Marysville is about the northernmost "cutoff" these days for most urbanites, and the rest of "NorCal" is about as out of mind as the Imperial Valley is to SoCal!

What are you considering the southern end of "NorCal"? I grew up in Santa Cruz, which we considered Northern California--we visited Chico and Oroville and the northern reaches of the Sierra a lot--and Tahoe area a lot, but that was also due to the fact that my dad grew up in Oroville and we had a lot of family up in that area.

The truth is that anywhere north of Redding(or even north of Chico) isn't all that visited outside of travellers on I-5 going north or south, but you can say the same thing for most of Southern Oregon just over the border--no one in Portland really heads down there much either--Ashland is actually more of a destination for Northern Californians. A place like Eureka/Arcata is pretty far from any major city, so it feels fairly remote, but you do get some tourists from further south visiting them to go to the redwoods--or college kids at Humboldt. Places like Alturas or Susanville basically feel like outback towns in Nevada--I don't know why anyone would really just visit them unless they had family or were on the way to somewhere else.

[NinaN]

We love going to up to Burney Falls to camp near Redding. And Shasta. Lots of places up there we'd like to see, just have to make it happen.

[Senno]

I usually draw the line at Sacto metro in the valley at least, and curve it on down to Monterey cause that feels more NorCal than central coast to me. I give Bishop the benefit of the doubt and put them in NorCal.

[pch1013]

Originally Posted by Deezus

Places like Alturas or Susanville basically feel like outback towns in Nevada--I don't know why anyone would really just visit them unless they had family or were on the way to somewhere else.

Some outback towns in Nevada attract visitors who enjoy them for their outbackness and Nevada-ness.

There's plenty of good stuff in the north state if you know where to look: Quincy (music festival), Weaverville, the Lost Coast, Ferndale, Lake Almanor, Lava Tubes, and of course Lassen and Shasta.

[BlackShoe]

Originally Posted by Senno

I give Bishop the benefit of the doubt and put them in NorCal.

No way. Bishop is either in the northern part of SoCal or the southern part of CenCal, most likely the latter. Have long been a bit undecided as to whether South Lake Tahoe is in NorCal or CenCal, and SLT is a long way from Bishop.

[Curmudgeon]

During my almost 20 years in Sacramento we often traveled throughout NorCal by various routes and visiting and staying in different cities, towns and villages or going up into Oregon. Good times. Beautiful scenery.

[mateo45]

Without getting into arguments where the particular "dividing lines" are, was wondering how well the NorCal/SoCal analogies hold up. For example, it seems like "SoCal" is much more culturally unified and well-traveled all over, even inland and right up to the southern border... compared to say, the Bay area and Sacto folks who may consider themselves "NorCal", yet apparently don't really travel much or have anything in common beyond a relatively small and narrow east/west urban strip across the lower end.

Which is to say, have always believed that huge, roughly one third of the state north of that urban divide, is basically another place and culture altogether, which has no counterpart whatever in "SoCal" or "NorCal", except that we've just sort of arbitrarily ''tacked it on'' as an afterthought.

[Aquaboy]

I've been to the Sundial Bridge in Redding, Mendocino, the giant redwoods and Oregon countless times.
BTW, that "Land of fruits and nuts" thing is pretty old and played out...