I am going to add my thoughts on California here and I am sure a few of my comments will upset more then one Californian, but they are simply the observations of an outsider so they can take it for what it's worth.

First let me say that the California economy is simply amazing. I personally don't see how young families can make a go of it there. Talking about high real estate prices, they are out of this world. We have seen simple ( small ) 3 bedroom ranches for close to a 1/2 a million dollars. We have also seen average homes that were well over 1.5 million with an annual property tax bill that even we couldn't afford. Food at the grocery store is outrageous ( some items are double what they are in Michigan or Tennessee. I cannot help but think the California economy is heading for a train wreck. As prices go up, where are the people going to come from who can afford all of these homes and annual tax bills ? Its simply spinning out of control and while many predict there will be a major correction in these prices, I personally only see a slow down in prices. It's just downright scary here.

On to the landscape...... I don't think there is another State in the US that has the diverse climate and geography as CA has. It has mountains ( some dang big ones too ). It has vast amounts of desert - ever heard of Death Valley ? It has some of the most rugged yet gorgeous coastal shoreline I personally have ever seen and it also has some awesome sandy beaches. It has plains as well as rolling hills dotted with vineyards, ranches and cattle farms. It has snow ski areas as well as vast amounts of forest. Overall, California has every kind of climate and landscape you can think of, and yes they do have earthquakes as well. :) We normally only see the California that TV shows enlighten us with such as Street gangs in LA, Hollywood and of course their Terminator Governor Arnold Swartznager ( sp ). But in all actuality, this is but a very small part of California and away from the hustle and bustle and street crime in the big cities, there is an abundance of nature and some wonderful scenery just waiting for travelers to discover. Here are some pictures of our own discoveries.

 

California Photo's

An Asian bell located in the park at Point Loma. Taken from a rest area near Santa Maria.
The further North you go the country side starts looking like Scotland. Another view from the Santa Maria Rest Area.
This is the Pismo Beach area which is located directly next to our RV park. Another view of the beach we walked during our stay at Pismo Beach.
We headed out of Bakersfield, Ca. where the temp was in the 50's and it wasn't long before we were driving in sleet and snow. The fog combined with the sleet made driving......shall we say " interesting " ?
This photo was taken 10 minutes after coming down the San Bernardino mountains. From snow and mountain fields to the sunny and warm Mojave Desert. A gorgeous view of the San Bernardino Mountains and the Devils Peak.

 

All Photos @ 2006 by Chris Throgmartin