Klamath CA (Eureka, Arcata, McKinleyville: home, camping, living)

[forrman44]

I've lived in the southwest for over 50 years (I'm 56), and feel like the "empty coast" between Fort Bragg and the Oregon state line, is more my thing. I'm ready to trade 300 days of sun, and a 5-month 100+ degree summer, for 250 days of clouds, and weather that rarely drops below 40 degrees (F) in the winter, and rarely exceeds 89 degrees (F) in the summer. Plus, there's much less worry about droughts there. Much of the forest that has burned up there won't see fires at the level for at least a generation (and I'll be gone by then). I welcome your input.

[kettlepot]

I don't know the area. I've only visited once, to a state park, but I too have thought of moving to that area for the cool, temperate weather. Those cool temperatures will give me a lot of reasons to drink warm beverages, while looking at the storm clouds moving in.

While the state seems to committed to destroying the other parts of the coast with unchecked development, the developers who control our state government aren't interested in this area of coastline.

[Hemlock140]

I'm very familiar, having done a lot of camping along the coast of southern Oregon and Northern California, especially around Mendocino. I even hitchhiked back to the Bay Area once and left my car at a shop in Fort Bragg to get the cracked head replaced. Most recently my wife and I did a 10 day trip to Astoria, then along the coast down 101, stopped off at Tillamook, then back down 101 and all the way down to Eureka. Beautiful fun drive, and if I were to consider moving back to CA it would be Eureka. It's big enough to have all the amenities, some really nice restaurants, natural beauty with the ocean and redwoods, yet small enough for peace and quiet. Perhaps most importantly for many, especially retirees, is the cost of living. It's much less than the big metro areas of Oregon and California, with the median home at only $420,000. Places like Klamath County are beautiful but very small cities far from major amenities, more woodsy, and yes, fire danger. The climate you seek is perfect in Brookings, Oregon, where we spent a night. The problem is that it's become a popular retirement city, so prices have gone up to about 1/2 million.

[Ruth4Truth]

It's a beautiful area. Ft. Bragg itself had a severe water shortage during the drought, which it has partially resolved by tapping into an additional source of surface water in the area. If it were me, I'd head a little farther north into Humboldt County (Eureka, as already mentioned, and also Arcata, and neighboring McKinleyville. Check out Trinidad, too: small town, but has a lot happening for its size, and is even more scenic than the other areas). Also consider Astoria, OR. Spectacularly scenic, though it helps to like rain in the winter: it gets heavier rain (and wind!) than Humboldt, which is good for the water supply, but may not suit everyone.

There's still fire risk up there in coastal NorCal. "Most of the forest" has not burned. That's a wildly inaccurate statement. Always check wlldfire maps when choosing a location. There are large areas of Arcata that don't border on the forest. That seems like a good bet.

Let us know what you decide. The area does garner interest, so any info you share will help others seeking info.

[NORTY FLATZ]

Welcome to the site.