Relocate from Bay Area CA to Tennessee (Knoxville, Chattanooga: rental, daycare)

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

Originally Posted by KatherineSJC

We are looking for beautiful topography and views, water sports, and hiking nearby.
Also, proximity to a good airport to minimize effort and expense for travelling and visits from family and friends-around an hour max.
Our budget is around a million.

We are also considering the upstate South Carolina area, north of Greenville.

Lots of beautiful areas around Tennessee (from what I've seen, just moved here 4 months ago and love it). How rural are you willing to put up with, how far from a major airport is acceptable and how large a town do you want to be near? We're out in the country, about 11 miles SE of Newport-it's beautiful country. The city of Newport is small and doesn't offer a lot of jobs-but has what WE want-basic shopping, Lowes, WM, groceries, etc. Personally Johnson City (NE corner of the state) is beautiful, but too built-up for my liking. But we're the exception, very much country folk. Regarding airports, this is the East-hard to be more than a couple hours from a good sized one, though Nashville and perhaps Memphis are probably the only international ones in the state. If you're looking at domestic travel, Knoxville has a good number of flights, as does Ashville, NC. Not sure about Johnson City area. My one recommendation would be to stay away from Pigeon Forge or Gatlinburg-they are very touristy and crowded, though the surrounding area is beautiful. Best thing to do is take a vacation to the area and see what appeals to you. NE part of the state in general is higher elevation, more mountainous and typically cooler in the summer months. And less prone to tornados from what I understand.

[An Einnseanair]

Originally Posted by KatherineSJC

We are looking at semi rural Tennessee to retire and are interested in a small to medium sized town with easy access to lakes rivers, hiking etc.

At this time we are most interested in the Winchester or Smithville areas.

I definitely need to mention that even the true mountains in Tennessee (far eastern edge) are an order of magnitude less than mountains in California. But they are comparable to the mountains around the Bay Area. The areas you mentioned don't have true mountains.

Winchester and Smithville definitely meet your criteria, with Smithville closer to the Nashville airport. Very hilly, lots of public land, lakes, very very conservative population. You might also look around Carthage.

All that said, like-minded or not, I highly suggest an extended visit first. The differences between Bay Area California and rural TN are beyond extreme.

Originally Posted by KatherineSJC

We are conservative/libertarians and disgusted by what is happening in Blue cities and states.
Our highways are strewn with garbage and there are homeless everywhere.
Our county is over 60 percent foreign born, many non English speaking which makes it impossible to have a sense of community.
Also, nearly everyone is obsessed with COVID and mask wearing.
We are eager to find a new community with like minded people.

Again, those areas definitely meet your criteria. There was a huge growth in libertarians moving to the Cumberland Plateau area several years back, with a lot of homesteader / off-grid communities popping up, but that's a bit farther east than where you were looking and without any large lakes.

That said, most of the hiking/lakes you're interested in are government or TVA (semi-government) owned and controlled public lands. Some Libertarians object to public-owned property, except most are ok if they personally get direct benefit. Also, our country is about 99% foreign born, with about 1% Native American.

[CrosbyStills]

Originally Posted by An Einnseanair

I definitely need to mention that even the true mountains in Tennessee (far eastern edge) are an order of magnitude less than mountains in California....

This is absolutely true. In CA, the mountains of TN would be called foothills. The entire Appalachian chain is much older than the Rockies or the Sierras so of course they have eroded so much more. Whether its the Smokies in TN, the Blue Ridge in VA, the Catoctins in MD, the Alleghenys in PA or the Catskills in NY, the Appalachian chain is mostly impressive to flat-landers.

For example, the highest point in TN is Clingman's Dome in the Smokys. It is 6,643 feet.
The highest point in CA is Mt. Whitney at 14,494.
The Two-Hundreth (200th!) highest peak (Verdi) in CA is 8,444 feet, still 2,200 feet taller than TN's highest point!!
(Source: https://www.peakbagger.com/list.aspx...7060&cid=27258)

I only make this point to emphasize Einnseanair's point that a reality check is in order if you are coming to TN expecting to see "mountains."

All that being said, the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee (and N. Carolina) are stunningly beautiful in their own way. While the CA mountains come in two varieties (stark, steep, snow-capped peaks (Sierra Nevadas) and dry pine and Chapparal covered peaks (San Bernardinos/San Gabriels), the Smoky mountains are granite laden, dense hardwood forests with stunning arrays of variety and color with whisps of smoke (cloud) hanging between the rolling ridges of the range. Gorgeous. Different, but incredibly so.

[topaz47]

Originally Posted by KatherineSJC

We are looking for beautiful topography and views, water sports, and hiking nearby.
Also, proximity to a good airport to minimize effort and expense for travelling and visits from family and friends-around an hour max.
Our budget is around a million.

We are also considering the upstate South Carolina area, north of Greenville.

Katherine, I currently live in the bay area and I'm retired. My son lives Farragut, TN. It is a beautiful, clean town and community near Knoxville with surroundings I think you may like. Weather can be hot summers and icy winters such as what they are having now. Also McGhee Tyson airport is near Knoxville. I have visited several times and it is livable.

I recently found affordable housing on the peninsula in the bay area so I'm going to remain here for now. Other reasons are that my youngest son and his wife are nearby, good weather, good doctors and accessibility to everything. Hope this helps. I agree about liberal conditions here and I don't like it.

[RMESMH]

Originally Posted by An Einnseanair

I definitely need to mention that even the true mountains in Tennessee (far eastern edge) are an order of magnitude less than mountains in California. But they are comparable to the mountains around the Bay Area. The areas you mentioned don't have true mountains.

Winchester and Smithville definitely meet your criteria, with Smithville closer to the Nashville airport. Very hilly, lots of public land, lakes, very very conservative population. You might also look around Carthage.

All that said, like-minded or not, I highly suggest an extended visit first. The differences between Bay Area California and rural TN are beyond extreme.

Again, those areas definitely meet your criteria. There was a huge growth in libertarians moving to the Cumberland Plateau area several years back, with a lot of homesteader / off-grid communities popping up, but that's a bit farther east than where you were looking and without any large lakes.

That said, most of the hiking/lakes you're interested in are government or TVA (semi-government) owned and controlled public lands. Some Libertarians object to public-owned property, except most are ok if they personally get direct benefit. Also, our country is about 99% foreign born, with about 1% Native American.

Wrong.

When 'Native Americans' first settled, there was no United States of America. It didn't exist. 'Native Americans' = a nod to anthropologists.

If you go back far enough, no humans were native to the land that became the continental United States.

The Bering area served as a conduit.

[jdavid93225]

Originally Posted by CrosbyStills

...All that being said, the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee (and N. Carolina) are stunningly beautiful in their own way. While the CA mountains come in two varieties (stark, steep, snow-capped peaks (Sierra Nevadas) and dry pine and Chapparal covered peaks (San Bernardinos/San Gabriels), the Smoky mountains are granite laden, dense hardwood forests with stunning arrays of variety and color with whisps of smoke (cloud) hanging between the rolling ridges of the range. Gorgeous. Different, but incredibly so.

Another major difference between the mountains of California (and most of the west) and those in Tennessee (and most of the east) is that many California peaks are above treeline, while those in Tennessee are not. If a peak is moderately or heavily forested, you may not be able to experience the views that you are used to seeing in California. In Tennessee, your best views from the mountaintops may be in winter when the trees have shed their leaves. Of course there are plenty of exceptions, but it's still something to consider.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by jdavid93225

Another major difference between the mountains of California (and most of the west) and those in Tennessee (and most of the east) is that many California peaks are above treeline, while those in Tennessee are not. If a peak is moderately or heavily forested, you may not be able to experience the views that you are used to seeing in California. In Tennessee, your best views from the mountaintops may be in winter when the trees have shed their leaves. Of course there are plenty of exceptions, but it's still something to consider.

It really depends on what you are looking for.

While I've never been to California, I lived in the Midwest for years, and I far, far prefer the greenery and tree cover we have here compared to the Midwest. It's not "big sky country," but it's beautiful in its own right.

[Jumeby]

I spent most of my life in California, Southern and Northern, now in Middle TN for a decade and I prefer the landscape and living in Tennessee by far. California used to be a great place to live back in the 60's and 70's but now its one of the worst places to live in the USA.

[GWoodle]

Originally Posted by jdavid93225

Another major difference between the mountains of California (and most of the west) and those in Tennessee (and most of the east) is that many California peaks are above treeline, while those in Tennessee are not. If a peak is moderately or heavily forested, you may not be able to experience the views that you are used to seeing in California. In Tennessee, your best views from the mountaintops may be in winter when the trees have shed their leaves. Of course there are plenty of exceptions, but it's still something to consider.

Probably the most basic difference is you won't find anything volcanic. From Mount Lassen to Shasta to anything else in the Cascades nothing to rumble here.

If you investigate the New Madrid Fault area of TN, MO, KY, IN you will find evidence of a 1812ish quake. Rivers found a new channel. You will find parts of KY on the IN side of the Ohio. You will find parts of TN connected to MO. Nobody knows when/if the next big one is due. You do need to investigate the USGS site for earthquakes in TN. Compared to CA most are in the minor if you can feel it range. Yet someday it could be possible. Something to be aware of but maybe nothing to fear.

[jabogitlu]

California is vast. It's hard to compare the entire state to any other state; similar to Tennessee's flat river bottomlands versus its eastern Appalachians and high country.

I grew up in that high country and it's still beautiful, but very remote. The lower valleys (Tri-Cities, Morristown, Knoxville, etc.) are too hot, muggy and populated. After years of living out west, I just can't handle that level of suburbia where it's almost impossible to escape being around people. Out here, in a couple hours I can be truly isolated in a way that, after a stretch of time, becomes almost as much a psychologically comforting idea as the proximity to the Pacific Ocean itself.

I think I'm just a coastal person, too, though. Tennessee is indeed beautiful, but for me, it lacks many of the best qualities of places like California or Washington.