Coastal cities: Big Sur up to Vancouver, BC

[NatureYogi]

Originally Posted by blueskywalker

Why don't you take a coastal road trip and see and feel it all for yourself? Nothing like direct experience.
I'd live in Big Sur in a nano-second if i could afford to create a sanctuary that would suit me. My days of squatting in a tree house are passed (not that i ever did).
And yet it too has been compromised but the nature magic there is indescribably beautiful and powerful and the Mediterranean vibe isn't to be found anywhere else to such a degree.

Totally, I want to. Have been exploring it bit by bit but takes awhile and still fun hearing peoples' general descriptions, comparisons, insider scoop. Latest was camping right on beach above Jenner. Think it was called Beach Cove or Timber Cove? And checking out Russian River in Guerneville!

My one too-brief stop in Big Sur (was getting dark) with a friend on our way from Silicon Valley to San Luis Obispo it was so pretty!! Been playing with idea of living in Monterey (haven't visited yet) and visiting Big Sur often.

[blueskywalker]

Happy trails.

[MtnSurfer]

I've traveled much of that coast - from Portland to Big Sur and beyond - further south. It's hard to give much detail regarding thousands of miles and all the towns in between. But generally speaking, they all have some degree of magic and beauty to them. Some are over-the-top, GORGEOUS, with wildflowers and redwoods right down to the coast and GREEN from all the rain!

And of course there is an underbelly in many of these beautiful areas as well. Let's face it, after the logging industry shut down many decades ago the folks had to find other ways to make a living. Many of those coastal towns are both beautiful and have very poor economies. They are totally awesome to visit, vacation in and possibly retire. But trying to make a living in them is not easy. Case in point, when I spoke to this local surfer coming out of the water from this beautiful Southern Oregon beach below, I asked him what folks do for a living in the area. He didn't have to think long and responded - pot! I know this is obvious to most who are familiar with these parts. But still, it is something to be aware of if planning to live there and possibly look for work vs. merely visit or retire. Like I said gorgeous! And yes, I've considered moving to Oregon myself. For redwoods, Crescent City (photos #2 &#4) is hard to beat.














Derek

[NatureYogi]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

I've traveled much of that coast - from Portland to Big Sur and beyond - further south. It's hard to give much detail regarding thousands of miles and all the towns in between. But generally speaking, they all have some degree of magic and beauty to them. Some are over-the-top, GORGEOUS, with wildflowers and redwoods right down to the coast and GREEN from all the rain!

And of course there is an underbelly in many of these beautiful areas as well. Let's face it, after the logging industry shut down many decades ago the folks had to find other ways to make a living. Many of those coastal towns are both beautiful and have very poor economies. They are totally awesome to visit, vacation in and possibly retire. But trying to make a living in them is not easy. Case in point, when I spoke to this local surfer coming out of the water from this beautiful Southern Oregon beach below, I asked him what folks do for a living in the area. He didn't have to think long and responded - pot! I know this is obvious to most who are familiar with these parts. But still, it is something to be aware of if planning to live there and possibly look for work vs. merely visit or retire. Like I said gorgeous! And yes, I've considered moving to Oregon myself. For redwoods, Crescent City (photos #2 ) is hard to beat.

Good Lord, those photos! Breathtaking!

Pot. The thread on "moving to North Coast? read this first" someone linked above gave well-rounded insider scoop on life in The Emerald Triangle. Really interesting! Sad pot farms hurt environment so much. Many hitchikers along there work trimming at those farms of course. A friend did it and said she felt like a sweatshop worker though I read average pay is $25/hour so that's atleast way over minimum wage. Anyway.

Derek, do you have a top say 5 cities for a family to live within hour of coast from Portland to Big Sur? Or hey include all the way down to San Diego if you want. And/or top 5 prettiest?

Have asked many Californians the prettiest parts of the state and 3 most common answers have been Big Sur, Yosemite and Tahoe.

[MtnSurfer]

Yeah, the beauty of the places can really take your breath away as in 'other worldly.'

Regarding top 5 within ~ an hour. Hm, I'd have to say Portland and the general surrounding area is my #1 pick. I seriously almost moved there. Its a bit over an an hour to the coast. But then you are less than an hour from 20-30 waterfalls, the Gorge, awesome hiking trails and Mt. Hood isn't far either! And there is a city with actual jobs, lots of young ppl, a university, etc...





I love the Seattle area including the Sound and all those island towns. But it is a long way to the real PNW coast, unlike Portland. Though you have tons of waterways, boating, etc... throughout the sound. Huge, snow covered Mt. Rainier in the background is a beautiful site with Olympic NP to the west, basically mountains and water all around you.





All that rain from Humboldt to Vancouver, BC can be both a blessing and a curse depending on your perspective. Some suffer from SAD because of the lack of sun. But when it comes out the beauty is hard to match. Everything is SO green.

Eugene may be another good option. Although I haven't visited it, I've hear some good things about it and the coast isn't much more than an hour away.

Other cities on my list include the Monterey/Carmel area which we've lived in for the past 7 years and as you know very much enjoy it. Its a nice mix of beautiful nature with Big Sur in our backyard and city with San Jose ~ an hour away. The weather is mild most of the year and even more so with the drought. I actually long for more foggy days which we are seeing less and less of because it provides moisture for the plants and trees.





I would also add in the San Luis Obispo region including the little towns surrounding it. I really like that slice of the Central Coast. In terms of climate, I think it has that Goldilocks effect on ppl. Its just so mild, sunny and perfect for most of the year.

Lastly, I may consider Santa Barbara/Ventura or even Encinitas in SoCal. Though after living in SoCal for the majority of my younger years I prefer to stay further north if given the choice. There is just too much concrete south of Santa Barbara/Ventura for my liking. The climate is more desert like, drier, and less green. Though Santa Barbara isn't that bad really. It just seems a bit overrated after living north of it.

A 'Big' question for you is where is the balance between rain, green and beauty vs. more sunny, warm weather. These change progressively as you travel north to south along the west coast. If you can handle a lot of rain and clouds with gorgeous sunny days in between Portland is pretty hard to beat. However, if you are favoring more warmth and sun, then further south may be a better fit.

Derek

[NatureYogi]

^

SO fun! Thanks, MtnSurfer!!