^agree on all points. So many wonderful spots in the world there really is no clear winner. That said, I have flown home to San Diego 100's of times and gazed out of the parking garage shuttle at the up lighted Canary palms in downtown SD and can't help think it was better than where I just flew home from. Coffee with my wife in our backyard on a February morning even more so. All things considered, I could be happy living many places on this planet.

Well, we do have some nice trees.

The tallest trees (and tallest living things) on Earth... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequoia_sempervirens
The largest trees (and largest living things) on Earth... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequoiadendron_giganteum
The oldest trees on Earth... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinus_longaeva

https://statesymbolsusa.org/sites/st...dstatetree.jpg

The Ritz in Half Moon Bay ain't bad either. I often walk there for a burger then walk home along the beach, if it's low tide. No finer spot, indeed.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1493874762.jpg

It seems that Clark County agrees with the sentiments of a great number of the respondents of this Thread who live in CA. That it is a great place to live with spectacular scenery and a wonderful temperate climate. They have instituted rather quietly operation Sanctuary which helps more people get to enjoy such wonderful weather and scenery. They help the indigent and mentally ill with bus tickets and even chartered buses to CA destinations such as LA and San Francisco. After all they know that they will be well taken care of by the chartiable citizens in CA sanctuary cities.

And you just had to take a trip around the world to find what would be in your back yard.
Now throw in people from every culture including their food, the fact that you can buy virtually any product or have it made, participate in any sport you can dream up and all while drinking the water right out of the tap.
Not to mention the car culture that I assume we're all here because of - don't forget that 25% of every air cooled Porsche every made was sold new in California - and it's a package that is pretty tough to beat.

Well I think California is wonderful but Motion is right as well in those areas he has mentioned.

If a person has not traveled outside the US then he is missing a whole lot. I love the diversity in this world and sometimes it takes that experience to appreciate what you have at home.

Having said that if money was no object I would own homes in the US, Canada, the UK and France. :)

Now you know why I don't leave home.

Mr. Deejay, I'd like to dedicate a song....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERVLy-ltjHs

Agree 100%. The overall package is very difficult to beat.

I also was of this mindset. Flying into LAX - as ugly as it is - there was a feeling of being home, along with the comfort and safety that comes with that. I still love coming back into the USA, because I know I'll be home with my family (and my motorbikes :D ), but that feeling of appreciating the USA and its creature comforts fled me a long time ago. It took me a long time and a lot of traveling, but I am now as comfortable or more comfortable in other parts of the world. Being in South Africa or France for example, is my happy place.

Too crowded, too dirty, too far, too expensive.
But, if I won the lottery, I'd definitely have a nice home there along the coast somewhere.

Not everyone does :).....love to visit though, beautiful state. Different strokes....

It's crap like this:

https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/05/california-may-have-found-a-creative-new-revenue-stream-taxing-rocket-launches/

Funny I was born here (Gardena) and I love it here... but if I won the lotto I would be looking for a nice place(s) like a winter home in Hawaii and a summer home in PNW.

YMMV

I love the state of California and but generally dislike the people that live there. I think that is why California gets such a bad/good rap and is such a divisive topic.
I do not know why but there is a common need for California's to brag about their weather, and generally their state. They are generally very geocentric and are the definition of the ' ugly American'.

That is why I think California is such a divisive topic. People from other states and other countries just are not as vocal and maybe insecure? as people from California and do not have the need to constantly tell you how great the place they live is.

How many native Californians have you met?

We have 39 million people living here, just curious what your test sample is

Yep, just like us shy retiring types from Wellington, New Zealand. Normally I wouldn't comment :rolleyes: but since you asked... Yesterday Wellington, NZ got voted best city in the world by Deutsche Bank :D

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11850100

My wife and half her family for starters...

Woo Hoo lucky 7...

The house price are about one third of the price of Toronto or Vancouver!!!
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1494021237.png

This is what I am talking about, great places to live where the people generally do not need to tell us about it. People generally chose where they live and live where they chose.
But If you listen to most Californians, everybody wants to live there and just are not lucky enough to make it happen. Hence they animosity towards Californians by people who are not braggers about where they live and or comfortable in their chosen place.
I think there are a lot of people in California who have to try and convince you what a great place it is in California because they are in doubt themselves about why they live there. They need reinforcing of their decision to live there.