[Smiley Person]

Except to visit family a couple times a year, I haven't been outside of California since I came here almost five years ago... Since people are coming here from everywhere else, I don't feel as if I need to leave town to see the world... is this a common thing, or am I just lazy?

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h263/firstcultural/california_distorted.jpg

[Sacto]

Same here. I barely ever leave CA cuz everything is either right here or it comes to you...

[fflint]

Since I went back in school, I only get to leave the state like three times a year, on breaks.

[foxmtbr]

I've only left the state thrice in my life. :D

[RAlossi]

I work too much, go to school to much, and I'm poor. So no, I don't get out of the state much with the exception of a big trip every couple years or the occasional Mexico excursion.

[Buckeye Native 001]

I go to Phoenix every couple of months, if that counts.

[sf_eddo]

I went to Chicago thrice, New Orleans once, Orlando once, and New York twice for work this year.

Oh, I spent the beginning of last year travelling for pleasure in Paris and London also.

I must say, I missed San Francisco in all locations but Paris.

[Fusey]

I drove through Nebraska...twice. I definitely don't recommend it.

[ChrisLA]

Well not so much in the last few year due to finances (laid off from a decent paying job). This year (October) I been to Chicago, NYC, and Philadelphia all within 9 days for a vacation.

Within the last three years, I went to Chicago and also Dallas once. The rest of the time I think I visited San Francisco three times, San Diego about four times, Las Vegas once, and Cathedral City once. Also Fresno way too many times to count as I have some very close friends who live there.

So yeah I think most of my trips are spent here in California. There is so much to enjoy in this state, I can see how people don't feel the need to visit anywhere else.

[Codex Borgia]

LOL Love your take on the New Global perspective SmileyPerson, but er...me thinks that perhaps you gave Fremont a tad bit too much representation. Tone it down and highlight the Penninsula and Marin/Sonoma/Napa areas more and you could Sell Sunset Magazine on a Cover highlighting the Bay Area as the "Be All and End All"

that being said.....

I go to Denver (Highlands, Golden Triangle, Capital Hill, Congress Park, Cherry Creek North and Uptown) twice a year to visit friends and go skiing, just got back from an extended 3-week business trip to Orlando (Lake Eola and Thonton Park grt hoods!), Chicago, New Orleans,NYC, Playa Del Carmen, Puerto Vallarta,Miami, Ft Lauderdale, Key West all part of my regular leisure travel routine...but you can't go wrong stayin' in State too, The Weather Rocks, the Cities all Spectacular, SD, LA and SF (all pomposity aside I still like you guys)included. However I do not abide by the notion offered to me many times by a friend that resides in Laguna Beach that "No Life Exists East of I-5" I enjoy visiting many places outside of California, and wouldn't mind residing in a few of them.

[WonderlandPark]

I have no life otherwise, but I save all my money and use it to travel :)
California is great, but there is a whole world out there to see, and you don't have to spend big bucks to do it.

This year:
Work: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona

Vacation: Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Oregon, Nevada, Washington

In the last 3 years:
Work: add Colorado

Vacation: add Turkey, UK, France, Spain, Italy, BC & Alberta Canada, NY, NJ, PA, IL, MN, MI, NE, UT, KS, MO, IA, ID, MT, WY

Next year, because I got denied boarding a Delta flight, used that credit towards a spring trip back to France and probably Spain.

[Buckeye Native 001]

However I do not abide by the notion offered to me many times by a friend that resides in Laguna Beach that "No Life Exists East of I-5"

If he were really a SoCal resident, that statement would be "No life exists east of THE 5."

;)

[Codex Borgia]

:haha: ^
I gather you've heard the expression several times yourself? Or used It... :notacrook:

[Buckeye Native 001]

I do use it. I can't be bothered to distinguish between "CA Route 57 to CA Route 91 to I-605 to I-105" if I'm driving to LAX.

Take the 57 to the 91 to the 605 to the 105. Bam. :D

[friedpez]

Glad to see you're reppin' Davis on that graphic!! :-)

[BTinSF]

I leave the state for half the year every year and find it refreshing. While out of California, besides my other place near Tucson, I usually do at least one significant trip. Last year I went to NYC, Chicago and Daytona Beach. The Daytona Beach part is nearly obligatory because that's where the family lives so this year I'm going there via New Orleans where I'll spend some time.

Last summer, I also went to Jackson, WY to visit friends and see the Grand Tetons for the first time. And I go to Mexico fairly often because it's only 40 miles from where I am right now.

PS--My cat thanks you for giving her birthplace, Marysville, a prominent spot on THE map.

[Buckeye Native 001]

I bet they love you in Tucson for being a snowbird. I know they're welcomed with open arms and gift baskets in Phoenix ;) :D

Then again, your car probably doesn't have an Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin or Nebraska license plate, so no worries.

[Sactorleans]

As much as I enjoy living in California, it is not the center of the universe, nor should it be. There are way too many interesting places to see within our own country.

Many people in this state are really guilty of forgetting about the rest of the country. Two examples: I am a native of St. Louis, MO, and on a couple of occassions, I told people that I grew up in SainTTT Louis, and they replied with, "How was it growing up in southern California?" - obviously thinking I was referring to San Luis Obispo.

I have also had people look at my college degree from Tulane University, and they inquire about Tulare County!!???

Anyway, there is a whole other world on the other side of the Sierras.

I will be driving to Colorado for Christmas, and instead of taking I-80 across Nevada, I am going to be driving down old Hwy 50 - "The Loniest Road in America". I am looking forward to it.

[BTinSF]

I bet they love you in Tucson for being a snowbird. I know they're welcomed with open arms and gift baskets in Phoenix ;) :D

Then again, your car probably doesn't have an Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin or Nebraska license plate, so no worries.

My car is registered in AZ and I leave it there--it's just a nuisance in SF. I usually rent a car to go back and forth because I haul a fair amount of stuff plus my cat.

I know "real" Arizonans talk trash about "snowbirds" but this place empties out around the end of April. I actually bought the house in August and the streets around it were totally empty--no life to be seen anywhere.

[edsas]

I was just thinking how rarely I leave my swath of LA (let alone the state). Lately my "city" has shrunk to Montrose/La Crescenta-Glendale-Burbank-Pasadena-Eagle Rock-DTLA. Just one big circle among those points all the time.

I need a change.

I drove through Nebraska...twice. I definitely don't recommend it.

Funny. That's where I go on vacation. Usually.

[Smiley Person]

:haha: @ "there is no life east of I-5".... if that is so, where do all the cows of I-5 live? Those cows have definitely got to be one of those "you know you're from California" things.

LOL Love your take on the New Global perspective SmileyPerson, but er...me thinks that perhaps you gave Fremont a tad bit too much representation. Tone it down and highlight the Penninsula and Marin/Sonoma/Napa areas more and you could Sell Sunset Magazine on a Cover highlighting the Bay Area as the "Be All and End All"


Glad to see you're reppin' Davis on that graphic!! :-)


PS--My cat thanks you for giving her birthplace, Marysville, a prominent spot on THE map.

haha the places on the map are basically the places that I've been to with some regularity in the past few years.... and the only reason Fremont is on there is because I'm living there now.

[foxmtbr]

There is no life east of I-5

:rant: :tantrum:

[plinko]

I rarely leave the City of Santa Barbara (the local joke here is that you need a passport to drive to Ventura and that LA is pratically on another continent). I do venture down to LA about once a month though and up to SF or Sac about 3X a year.

I did manage to get a few places outside CA this year...

Work: Loreto, Baja Mexico (twice)
Vacation/Travel: Phoenix (twice), Tokyo, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, 5 cities in China

The year before I did a little better:
Germany, Denmark, Sweden, France, Toronto, Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC, Phoenix (4X), Las Vegas, Mexico City, Memphis

[SacTownAndy]

I will be driving to Colorado for Christmas, and instead of taking I-80 across Nevada, I am going to be driving down old Hwy 50 - "The Loniest Road in America". I am looking forward to it.


My parents just did that same thing from Sac when they came out to visit this past summer. The drive from eastern Utah to Denver through the Rockies is amazing. Plus, you'll get to drive through the highest tunnel in the world.

[HurricaneHugo]

Add Tijuana on that universe and it's perfect.

I go to Tijuana about once a week.

[Smiley Person]

for what may I ask?

[Ronin]

Well, there already is more to see in California proper than in most entire nations around the world. Besides, California is like a microcosm from the entire US. Beaches, forests, deserts, mountains, farmland, we have it all!

[Sacdelicious]

I just got into NH from NYC today, yeah, I leave the state a bit.

[HurricaneHugo]

for what may I ask?

Clubbing.

Clubs in SD are 21 and over.

Im 19.

So I have to do my clubbing south of the border.

[sf_eddo]

When I travel domestically, it's generally for work. When I travel internationally, it's for pleasure.

[sf_eddo]

Clubbing.

Clubs in SD are 21 and over.

Im 19.

So I have to do my clubbing south of the border.


Ahhhhh Tijuana. Brings me back to high school. :)

[dimondpark]

I was in Hawaii last week and Los Angeles over the weekend(oh wait, LA is in CA-hehe Cali is so big that LA doesnt really feel like California to me as Im sure many SoCal people feel the same way about the Bay Area)

[fflint]

^Haven't seen you around much, dimondpark. Welcome back to California! ;)

[otnemarcaS]

California is not a state, it's a country. Big cities, small cities, rural cities, cosmopolitan cities, sunny and extemely sunny cities, cold and extremely cold cities, wet and rainy places, desert areas, mountains, snowy areas, forest, rich cities, poor cites, beach towns, land locked towns, happening cities, wannabe cities, etc.

In spite of that, gotta visit other countries.

Every year for the last decade or so I visit Europe. This year I went to London, Prague, Warsaw and Krakow. Also to Denver (to watch the Raiders lose to the Broncos again), Boston, Portland, OR, and Lake Tahoe (yes, the Nevada side is another state). All for pleasure. Business for me is commuting daily to work in SF from Sacramento.

In last 3 years ... Paris, Montpolier, Vienna, Berlin, Szczecin, Rosarito Beach, Encenada, Tijuana, Cyprus, Lagos, Kansas City (another Raiders game), New Orleans (Raiders game too), Miami, and Washington DC.

There is life beyond the California borders.

In 2007 planning Spain and Italy or Brazil and Argentina.

[dlbritnot]

I went to New England every summer during my childhood, and went to college in Washington DC. I went to Europe last year, and I plan to go again this summer. I honestly, as a CA native, will say that I dont miss home when I'm on the east coast or in Europe. I did miss it when I went to the midwest and florida.

[dlbritnot]

I went to New England every summer during my childhood, and went to college in Washington DC. I went to Europe last year, and I plan to go again this summer. I honestly, as a CA native, will say that I dont miss home when I'm on the east coast or in Europe. I did miss it when I went to the midwest and florida.

[ChrisLA]

I honestly, as a CA native, will say that I dont miss home when I'm on the east coast or in Europe. I did miss it when I went to the midwest and florida.

I just made a statement like this over at SSC. I was saying how even though NYC and LA are complete opposites, it (NYC) feels more like home. I seem to have more of a connection than I did when I lived in Chicago. Never lived in NYC, but been there on vacation too many times to count. I love Chicago and almost move back again last summer. Yet when I'm there even visiting, I do get this sort of home sick feeling.

Now Europe on the other hand, I don't recall getting home sick. Yet my trip to Amsterdam after three weeks of Dutch food, I was ready to come back. In fact a couple of us guys even settle for McDonalds one day, and thats bad because I hate Mickey D's. South France I didn't get home sick at all, but I also love the food, the people on the other hand was not all that warm. London I love as well, didn't get home sick, but again the people aren't that friendly. From my limited observations, the european countries I visited were very socical cultures with those they know. Outsiders or strangers it was quite different. Not really rude, but a little cold. I think once you're in, they're much more social than most americans are.

[LA/OC/London]

I've been in and out of California a lot these past few years for work and study. This year I've been to London, Las Vegas, Baltimore, and Minneapolis.

Before that I lived in London for a year and half and went to Cornwall, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Florence, Venice, Barcelona, Madrid, Edinburgh, and Reyjkavik, Iceland.

Next year I'm hoping my job sends me to Sydney, Australia (never been before) *crossing fingers*

[ocman]

I go to Las Vegas more frequently now than I do to LA for the past 6 months. LV is the unofficial weekend getaway for Southern Californians. For whatever reason since 2000, everyone is going to LV.

[solongfullerton]

Since 2000???!?!?!?!????!!!!? Vegas has been the socal getaway since its inception.

[ocman]

Since 2000???!?!?!?!????!!!!? Vegas has been the socal getaway since its inception.

It's always been a popular getaway, but this huge level of tourism which is influencing the choices of so many top chefs and even fashion designers bypassing LA for LV is a recent phenomenon. It's becoming a much more frequent destination place than it ever was in the past for socalers.

[dktshb]

I leave CA quite often... there's just too much to see. To Live? Definitely CA :tup:

[dktshb]

I was in Hawaii last week and Los Angeles over the weekend(oh wait, LA is in CA-hehe Cali is so big that LA doesnt really feel like California to me as Im sure many SoCal people feel the same way about the Bay Area)

I know what you mean because CA for me is Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Mammoth and Ventura County. Even OC and SD seem like a different State to me.

[otnemarcaS]

I know what you mean because CA for me is Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Mammoth and Ventura County. Even OC and SD seem like a different State to me.

Yup, know what you guys mean. Having lived in Northern California for 24 years (Sacramento mostly and SF), SoCal certainly feels like visiting another state when I go there. As is San Diego which is still my favorite city to visit down in Southern California.

[dimondpark]

^Haven't seen you around much, dimondpark. Welcome back to California! ;)

Why thanks fflinty. I've actually been living in The City(Parnassus Heights) for the last month or so tending to some important stuff.

[kenratboy]

Wow, thats a surprising attitude (I know you are being a bit tongue and cheek) - its a big world, explore it.

I have lived all over the world and I will say your life is FAR from complete unless you make a few trips out of SFO on a 747 or 777 to points abroad.

The Bay Area is cool, but hardly the center of the world.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Yeah, there are even more exciting places outside the State of California, like Phoenix! God knows I'm stuck here right now... :tup:

[BobbyWLA]

I drove to Tijuana four or five times last year, visited my sister a few times in Vegas, flew to Mexico City, and flew to New York. This year, I plan to go to Hong Kong and Taiwan. and I felt like people could see that I had an "out of State" license plate when I was driving in the Bay Area.

[edluva]

I just made a statement like this over at SSC. I was saying how even though NYC and LA are complete opposites, it feels more like more and I seem to have more of a connection than I do when I lived in Chicago. Never lived in NYC, but been there on vacation to many times to count. I love Chicago and almost move there again last summer. Yet when I'm there even visiting, I do get this sort of home sick feeling.

I know exactly what you mean. NYC and LA are alter-egos of one another. They're mirror images. One's the reverse image of the other, but they're two sides of the whole coin. If I wanted to live in another american city whose "vibe" closely approximates LA's, NY would be it. I can envision it being the same for NYers. And despite its skyline, I find that Chicago doesn't have this relationship with either city, despite it being part of the "big three".

Anyways, I've left the state at least once every year since I was born to Asia or the East Coast to visit family. If not for family, then for vacation.

[TWAK]

I have seen the most dangerous environments the word has to offer, so I'll stick with california.

[Reminiscence]

Apparently some people do in fact think that California should replace Pluto as the ninth planet in our solar system ... shocking, positivly shocking.

http://img460.imageshack.us/img460/8492/californiaplanetmodifycd1.jpg

[Smiley Person]

something tells me Texas will beat us to proclaiming planethood... they already have an "intercontinental" airport.

by the above logic, Berkeley is also a planet... as a coworker of mine says, it's 5 minutes through the Caldecott Tunnel but a whole different world on the other side.