California discrimination August 18, 2018, 04:46:07 pm Just returned from a trip to the Washington coast and had an interesting experience of California discrimination. We pulled into a state campground late in the day knowing it was probably full and it was. I asked the campground host if there was any good boondocking sites up a nearby FS road and soon we were talking about all the rain that area gets and he said yeah I guess you don't get much rain in sunny California. He had looked at the Pomona California sticker under the Lazy Daze logo instead of noting our WA license plates and assumed we were Californians. I said no we're from the East side of Washington that's just where they make this RV. Suddenly his whole demeanor changed and after telling me sorry full up he says well the group camp site has got nobody in it and this late in the day we let single occupancy have it for single site rates so your in luck. My wife and I discussed this as we enjoyed our large private campsite and I said duct tape to the rescue again. She said don't you dare, we will find some other way to cover that sticker up or find a way to peal it off. 3 Likes
Re: California discrimination Reply #1 – August 18, 2018, 10:16:15 pm As Californians who has traveled in Washington for decades, can't say we ever experienced overt discrimination.We will keep an eye open for bigots.Seems that half the people we talked with have previously lived in California, so they understand why we come up here in the summer. Many admit they miss SoCal's warm, dry winters.Larry 1 Likes
Re: California discrimination Reply #2 – August 19, 2018, 09:40:15 am The camp ground host is very small minded. Having travel all over this large beautiful country for years I know for a fact that most all folks have the same goals and aspirations. Enjoying the outdoors in not limited to one state or class of folks. Walking away shaking my head ....... 2 Likes
Re: California discrimination Reply #3 – August 19, 2018, 10:10:16 am Quote from: Larry W - August 18, 2018, 10:16:15 pmAs Californians who has traveled in Washington for decades, can't say we ever experienced overt discrimination.We will keep an eye open for bigots.Seems that half the people we talked with have previously lived in California, so they understand why we come up here in the summer. Many admit they miss SoCal's warm, dry winters.LarryFunny part is we didn't feel any discrimination either as we talked to the host and we were having a friendly chat but the moment he found out we were not from California things got a whole bunch friendlier. It was a very odd thing that my wife and I both immediately noticed and talked about that evening. Had we not told him we were not from California we would have ended up boondocking on the FS road and thinking the host was helpful and polite in telling us there was a few nice spots up there. I'm originally from California and most of my family still lives there and even though I left over forty years ago I was tempted to ask the host why there was suddenly an open camp site once he found out I wasn't a Californian but decided to keep my mouth shut and take the spot. I don't have a dog in that fight and was happy just to have the camp site. 2 Likes
Re: California discrimination Reply #4 – August 19, 2018, 10:40:32 am " I'm originallyfrom California and most of my family still lives there and even though Ileft over forty years ago I was tempted to ask the host why there wassuddenly an open camp site once he found out I wasn't a Californian butdecided to keep my mouth shut and take the spot."•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•I'm not clear that this is a new thing. Twenty plus years ago, we were planning to move out of Silicon Valley, and expected to land in Oregon, but the Oregonians seemed, even at that time, to be less than thrilled with welcoming Californians to their state. At the time, it probably had to do with what was happening with real estate values more than politics.We half-heartedly joked that we would get our GMC Jimmy and Volkswagen registered and plated in Oregon, and select a new wardrobe of plaid flannel shirts and jeans, before making the move. That was probably a rude way of thinking, but it was "in-house", so no harm done.Fast forward to 2005 and 2006 . . . we spent about a year in Oregon without noticing any discrimination, but by then we were fulltimers, had Arizona plates on our motorhome, and did not identify as Californians. I can't recall any overt prejudice, against any group, among anyone we met while there for that year, but maybe that was because we didn't engage many locals in more than casual conversations.When we lived in California, we loved it very much as there was so much opportunity to go somewhere on a long weekend away from work. A smaller town in NorCal might have been a target upon retirement (2000), but parental care needs had popped up that prompted our move to Arizona. Once ensconced here, we found we loved it, so even after the need had passed, we stayed.Seeing our beloved state so totally devastated by the fires has us in agony, as The Eastern Sierra had been a cherished target if/when we were able to travel again.What would Ansel Adams do? Virtual hugs, Judie <-- Sierra Vista, Arizona Adventures of Dorrie Anne | Photographing the West Today: Swirls, not Seeds *************************** 3 Likes
Re: California discrimination Reply #5 – August 19, 2018, 11:55:03 am We have RVed into nearly all of the US states with our California license plates. I don't recall ever having faced direct hostility from a local, although I have no doubt that many folks don't care for west coasters (but will accept their money!). The reasons are many, but I believe the two most problematic hurdles are the ridiculous policies that spring from the California political arena, and the uber-inflated costs, stratosphere wages, and sky-high property values. My oft referred to brother-in-law was a career California firefighter. He worked for many years in NorCal with the CalFire heavy equipment brigades before accepting a job in Santa Rosa, from where he retired as a captain about 15 years ago. After they retired, they sold their 5 acres in Sebastopol and the large home he built himself and moved back to Oklahoma to care for my ailing father-in-law. With the money they had from the sale of Sebastopol property, they purchased a 40-acre farm in northern OK, on which sat two homes (one of which was provided to my father-in-law at no cost), a large barn, a large detached shop, and several other out-buildings. They still had cash left over, and purchased two rental homes inside the city limits. His local realtor told him during the final transactions that he might want to lay low on purchasing more real estate because he had heard locals grumbling about the "Californians moving in and buying up all the property." The funny thing about that is that now, many years later, the property values in that region did not inflate at all, and in fact have not kept up with the values of the state as a whole.If a person is going to judge you based upon the license plate on your motor home, there is little one can do about that. But I find that once a person actually converses with you, hostilities are rare. It's true that attitude is everything. That said, Californians would be well advised to keep the conspicuous consumption to a minimum. Nothing screams "Ahh, Californians. . . " more so than a chromed-up 40' Monaco diesel pusher with matching painted Cadillac Escapade as a tow vehicle pulling into a state park in the mid-west and complaining that there was only 30-amp electrical service so they were only able to run just one of the three A/Cs during their over-night stay. (Yes, I actually witnessed this.)
Re: California discrimination Reply #6 – August 19, 2018, 12:10:33 pm Sawer, I am curious which campground you were at when this happened? Karen~Liam 98 ~ MB NinA
Re: California discrimination Reply #7 – August 19, 2018, 12:19:26 pm Judie you said...”What would Ansel Adams do?” I can only imagine he’d take a picture and make it look spectacular. This conversation begs the question-How many of these disgruntled people were ex-pats from the Golden State? In 2002, my DW and I drove to Oregon to see what all the commotion was about. It’s truly beautiful up there but as I drove toward Portland I saw trees and not much else. We stayed at a wonderful lodge along the Applegate River just outside of Medford (reminded me of Mayberry in a way). The owners? California expats. The population didn’t just grow out of thin air. Right?I can understand the consternation of the Oregon residents. Fear of the unknown and the power of the all mighty dollar. Big Sur, California experienced the impact of wealth in its “native” population. From my understanding, many locals sold their homes to “Hollywood” somebodies for highly inflated prices. This made the sale of property for like sums very tempting and shut out locals from purchasing the homes of their dreams. I can only imagine Oregonians seeing the writing on the wall and may want to discourage Californians from “movin’ on up”. That won’t stop us all. My brother has a very nice home on the Siletz River. Whatcha gonna do?Kent
Re: California discrimination Reply #8 – August 19, 2018, 01:04:34 pm I was born and raised in California and have spent my entire life living here. I know all to well the high cost of homes, both newly built and used homes. When and if you choose to remodel your abode, you will soon find the material and labor costs are also grossly inflated. Pretty much everything costs more in California and many cannot afford to live there. It is most certainly tied to supply and demand along with many other contributing factors. The link below lists the worlds most expensive housing.Hong Kong, Sydney Have The World’s Most Unaffordable HousingThe highest per square foot home on record was recently sold in Hong Kong for a whopping $14,211 (USD) per square foot!!!Your experience in Washington is not too surprising to me. My wife and I, along with another couple, just returned from a ten day trip to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. While in Wyoming, we attended a rodeo and country music concert. In both venues the master of ceremonies asked the audiences, "Who here is from California?" Several people answered in the affirmative and the MC responded, "Welcome to America!" I laughed and found it funny, but some others in the crowd were offended. However, as Ray S. said, "They will accept their money"Gary 3 Likes
Re: California discrimination Reply #9 – August 19, 2018, 01:34:50 pm Ha! I get that line a lot, too. Several of the guys I used to work with moved out of state after retiring. I am pretty close to several of them, and I have heard that same line from each of them. In certain regards, the line is accurate, and it always gives me a chuckle.One of those guys -- a close friend for decades -- moved to Grant's Pass from Sonoma County after we retired. He was quite content for many years until he got cancer. Eventually, he wanted to relocate back to the Petaluma area to be closer to his family as the disease ate him up (he died two months ago). He could not afford to sell his Oregon home and purchase back in the Sonoma area. Sad.
Re: California discrimination Reply #10 – August 19, 2018, 01:40:07 pm Being a California native I always agree with California bashers. I encourage them to not move or visit here and anyone who lives here now like this I encourage them to move out.LOL 3 Likes
Re: California discrimination Reply #11 – August 19, 2018, 01:48:44 pm Great place, if you can afford it.Remember Do Re Mi ?
Re: California discrimination Reply #12 – August 19, 2018, 03:42:49 pm Quote from: Karen & Liam - August 19, 2018, 12:10:33 pmSawer, I am curious which campground you were at when this happened? Karen~Liam 98 ~ MB NinAHonestly I'd rather not say. I wouldn't want this guy to get in any trouble. He was a nice guy before and after he knew I wasn't from California but definitely more helpful afterwards.
Re: California discrimination Reply #13 – August 19, 2018, 04:17:37 pm I was curious as to the location since certain areas have a greater influx of Californians coming to stay. In some areas the Californians have been coming since the sixty's and seventies. My sister wants to move to Port Towsend, Sequim area from Pettluma CA. Karen~Liam 98 ~ MB NinA
Re: California discrimination Reply #14 – August 19, 2018, 04:29:39 pm Quote from: Ray S. - August 19, 2018, 11:55:03 am That said, Californians would be well advised to keep the conspicuous consumption to a minimum. Nothing screams "Ahh, Californians. . . " more so than a chromed-up 40' Monaco diesel pusher with matching painted Cadillac Escapade as a tow vehicle pulling into a state park in the mid-west and complaining that there was only 30-amp electrical service so they were only able to run just one of the three A/Cs during their over-night stay. (Yes, I actually witnessed this.)If, heaven forbid, this Californian pulled into a midwest Park in a huge Diesel pusher and drew any catty remarks from a local, I’d just ask him/her which of their relatives would they like to see out of work cause, as far as I know, all those humongous beasts are built east of the Rockies. Just sayin. 😉. — Jon
Re: California discrimination Reply #15 – August 19, 2018, 04:38:59 pm Wondering now if I should I leave my new rig at home? 5 Likes
Re: California discrimination Reply #16 – August 19, 2018, 04:40:57 pm Quote from: Karen & Liam - August 19, 2018, 04:17:37 pmI was curious as to the location since certain areas have a greater influx of Californians coming to stay. In some areas the Californians have been coming since the sixty's and seventies. My sister wants to move to Port Towsend, Sequim area from Pettluma CA. Karen~Liam 98 ~ MB NinAMy wife's cousin lives in Port Townsend and loves it. She makes a nice living writing horror books. Very quiet and nice lady and when I read her books it's hard to believe that came from her mind. LOL 1 Likes
Re: California discrimination Reply #17 – August 19, 2018, 04:43:39 pm Quote from: Jon & Loni - August 19, 2018, 04:29:39 pmIf, heaven forbid, this Californian pulled into a midwest Park in a huge Diesel pusher and drew any catty remarks from a local, I’d just ask him/her which of their relatives would they like to see out of work cause, as far as I know, all those humongous beasts are built east of the Rockies. Just sayin. 😉. — JonI think what people that have California bias forget is many Californians have fought for this country in many wars and nobody asked what state they were from when they were putting their lives on the line for Americans in every state. 7 Likes
Re: California discrimination Reply #18 – August 19, 2018, 06:11:31 pm Of course you could avoid the whole License Plate issue with one of these installed on your beloved LD.https://youtu.be/ZFrze9eY9o0Kent 2 Likes
Re: California discrimination Reply #19 – August 19, 2018, 06:16:49 pm "My sister wants to move to PortTowsend, Sequim area from Pettluma CA. "We ALMOST moved to Sequim. It is lovely. Port Townsend is lovely - the whole area is totally swoonable - in the spring, summer, and fall. Winter is cold, damp, snowy, icy and totally unpleasant for this Sunshine Gal! If one can manage NOT to be there in the winter, then Wheeeee! Do it! Bear in mind that it is somewhat isolated from "stuff", although we did not find this to be a problem. The Shipley Senior Center in Sequim is where I would advise a visit.We had a deposit down on a house in Sequim, and then the research began about how to furnish it via Craigslist, etc.. One thing led to another, and I read and read about the distinct possibility of the Juan de Fuca and North American plates slipping right there "in River City" . . . and we hightailed it back to Arizona.Virtual hugs,Judie
Re: California discrimination Reply #20 – August 20, 2018, 09:18:11 am I remember well the "Don't Californicate Oregon" bumper stickers from a road trip in the early 80s. I moved heaven and earth to move to California as soon as I was able, and have never regretted my decision. 3 Likes
Re: California discrimination Reply #21 – August 20, 2018, 09:45:45 am Quote from: thefuofus - August 20, 2018, 09:18:11 amI remember well the "Don't Californicate Oregon" bumper stickers from a road trip in the early 80s. I moved heaven and earth to move to California as soon as I was able, and have never regretted my decision.What part of California did you move to?
Re: California discrimination Reply #22 – August 20, 2018, 11:15:16 am Ever place has a special feel. I have always said folks move to California to make a living then move to Oregon to retire. Oregon has always been a very conservative state. The west coast is a very interesting study on various experiments in political policy and wealth management . For a further view of GNP on various States .....List of U.S. states and territories by GDP - Wikipedia 1 Likes
Re: California discrimination Reply #23 – August 20, 2018, 11:51:46 am Quote from: colddog - August 20, 2018, 11:15:16 amEver place has a special feel. I have always said folks move to California to make a living then move to Oregon to retire. Oregon has always been a very conservative state. The west coast is a very interesting study on various experiments in political policy and wealth management . For a further view of GNP on various States .....List of U.S. states and territories by GDP - WikipediaI grew up in Redondo Beach ditching school to go surfing and it was a great place to be a kid. My family did lots of backpacking in the Sierra's and golden trout were on the menu nightly. When I barely graduated from HS I moved to Grass Valley California where my grampa put me to work in the logging industry. After a few years I got itchy feet and lived and worked all over the west in that industry and am now retired in Washington but I will always have great memories of surfing in southern California, backpacking in the sierras and riding motorcycles in the Mojave desert. It's a beautiful state. 2 Likes
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