Leaving California Coast for Tennessee (knoxville/maryville) (Oak Ridge, Cookeville: real estate, apartment)

[indy_317]

Originally Posted by Eatpraylovemom

I like Mountains, Sunshine, Outdoor Recreation, Community and mostly aesthetically pleasing areas. I would never move to somewhere like Seattle, Ohio or Midwest due to the lack of sunshine. Does this sound like Knoxville? Maryville? Johnson City?

My wife and I have long term ideas about moving. We've been in the Midwest our entire lives. We live in Indy, where I've lived forever. Growing up and into my mid-30s, the lack of sun was never an issue for me. I never really noticed. However, as I traveled to other areas of the country over the last say seven years or so, I've come to enjoy sunshine, warmer weather, and hanging out at the beach.

We've only been able to visit the Great Smoky Mountains/Blue Ridge Mountains area for a week at a time and have only went during certain seasons. We took a Nov. trip to Gatlinburg, driving through Knoxville to check it out. This was the latest we've ever visited the area in a calendar year. While eating out, our waiter was making small talk and it was an overcast day. He commented that until spring, the area was pretty much gray/overcast. This was the first time I've heard someone mention that about Tennessee, or anywhere in the south really. I just looked it up and Knoxville gets only 173 more hours of sunshine than Indianapolis. That's only about 12 additional days of sunshine. Not a deal breaker for us, but just something to note.

[Barking Spider]

I have not seen sun days listed as hours. Doing a quick check with the same source, KNoxville has well over 200 sun days per year and Indianapolis has about 187.

[hiknapster]

I have a friend that lives in San Luis Obispo and I love it there. My daughter lives in Southern Cali and that's a great place, too. I travel all over the country now and I've found friendly people wherever I go. When I retire, though, it will come down to where I can afford. I wish it were Santa Cruz, Cali, but that will probably never happen. Then again, I have friends in that state that make it work for them. I don't have to raise kids anymore, though. That's a huge consideration. Knoxville was a good place to raise my daughter.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by Barking Spider

I have not seen sun days listed as hours. Doing a quick check with the same source, KNoxville has well over 200 sun days per year and Indianapolis has about 187.

Most places listed monthly sunshine hours. Agreed that Knoxville is a lot sunnier than Indy.

[RotseCherut]

The California coast can be foggy quite a bit, so I would think it could actually be a wash as to which place has more yearly sunshine. Even on a foggy day in San Luis Opispo if the sun comes out at 4Pm it is listed as a sunny day according to statistics. On the other hand, if it rains in Knoxville and then the sun comes out at 3PM, the day may be listed as a rainy day without sunshine. Weather reporting statistics have always boggled my mind. Also, the central California coast gets chilly for half the year and the water is scenic to look at but put on your wetsuit so you don't freeze to death. I remember every trip I make to San Francisco or Santa Cruz it would usually be overcast for a day or two and a lot of fog.

Colorado has a lot of sunshine, but I utterly hate the weather for the most part as it can be 60F and sunny, then snow 1 foot in a day and then it will be sunny but 15F the next week. The cold, windy and sunny dry weather makes my skin crack and bleed.

One thing I remember when traveling to the California coast was how foggy it could be so much of the year. Inland California is a different story, but it gets fiercely hot, dusty and smoggy. I remember going to Redding in the Summer and going over 110F.

[Barking Spider]

Growing up in So Cal the coast is not as foggy. However, I wore a wetsuit almost every time I went surfing, summer and winter. I could stay out longer that way.
Yep, the central valley is very hot, as well as the area on the east side of the Sierras going east. Its a desert after all.

I don't find Knoxville grey and gloomy at all. While we get about as much rain as Seattle per year, its
lack of sun days make it gloomy there. I travel to Seattle about twice a year and have spent a lot of time there.
I really like the four seasons in Knoxville, and the moderate weather.

[TheShadow]

All that being said...this is a very rainy year here in east TN. Much more so than the last few winters. I guess most of the country's getting hammered this year with rain/snow and cold temps, and we aren't exempt.

[onetoughkitty]

Originally Posted by TheShadow

All that being said...this is a very rainy year here in east TN. Much more so than the last few winters. I guess most of the country's getting hammered this year with rain/snow and cold temps, and we aren't exempt.

Yeah, it's pretty bad out out in the Inland Empire where I am from and their weather is almost identical to what we are experiencing. Back there, we lived not that far from a dry creek bed that we used to walk all the time. It is now a raging river. First time I have ever seen that. It's also below temps there too. They are look at at mid 30's to mid 50's right now. The lower temps are pretty standard issue (maybe not that low though) around this time... the excessive rain, not so much.

In SoCal, most of the fog you would see would be on the coast during May - June. Called a marine layer. Usually burned off around 2 pm. You can get fog here in Knoxville if you live along the lake and river lines.
Pacific Ocean water is freaking cold though since it pushes down from the Arctic vs the Equator here in the south.

[TheShadow]

Toughkitty, that's really surprising! My MIL and FIL lived out there in Palm Desert and winter was usually so pleasant and warm compared to Nor Cal where we lived then. This is one crazy mixed up weather year.

[onetoughkitty]

Palm Desert is further inland than Temecula but it definitely is a 10 degree difference this year compared to last year. I think normally PD is mid 70-80's? I think they are pushing mid 60's right now. LOL... it doesn't sound like much but when you're used to wearing shorts... lol