You are so right, Susan! I think she is probably just jealous of all the attention California gets!!
But, you know, the attention is well-deserved! There are so many pioneers here, so many progressives, so much fun and such a variety of everything. Here's a few things I love that no one else has mentioned:
California is just as diverse, and usually more so than any other place in the world! It's fun interacting with other cultures. Usually my favorite part is the different food. i love Thai, Japanese, Indian, Curry, nouvelle Californian and just about anything else there is to try.
Second, the environment. This is why people live here. Tons of people have already mentioned the weather and Amy stole the words right out of my mouth with access to different locales. Here's something else. Did you know California has the highest peak in the continental US (Mt. Whitney) and the lowest point in the world (Badwater, in Death Valley). And those two points are just a couple hours away from each other. In fact, in one day you could probably go to Badwater, then climb Mt. whitney, although you'd get real sick from the elevation!
I love the national parks here, cuz I love nature! Death Valley sounds awful, but is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It has the most extreme points on earth, with Badwater, like I mentioned at -200 ft. elevation and just about 11 miles away, 11,000 ft. telescope peak. They actually call it Death Valley because of how cold and snowy it is in winter, but it does get to almost 130 degrees in summer sometimes. There are volcanic craters, mountains, desert wildlife, mines, castles and sand dunes just like the Sahara.
And what about the Sierras? Aside from skiing, there are so many recreational activities like hangliding, hiking, mountain biking, and boating on the thousands of lakes. Pictures of Half Dome in Yosemite are always so inspirational to me and I am so excited to go see it in a couple of months for the first time in person. the great thing is that it is only a couple of hours away from my home in SF.
What else? the redwoods are world-renowned. Lake Tahoe and it's emerald bay is one of the most photographed spots on the planet. Hearst Castle is fun and on the beautiful drive up and down the coast on famous PCH- Highway 1.
What I love about Californians is how well they take care of their stuff. Yeah, everyone hears how polluted LA is, but we also know CA has the strictest emissions standards and so much protected National Park, State Park, National Forest and more land owned by the Bureau of Land Management than any other state except Alaska.
So, you can tell I am an environmentalist! There's nothing I love better than experiencing all the different facets of nature and making sure that it's not littered with trash and pollution...Californians are pretty good about this, IMO. Also, I thought this would present a slightly different perspective since when outsiders think of California, they typically think of Hollywood, Silicon Valley, beaches and LOTS of people! That's all true, but there's so much more! In fact, what does califonia not have? I don't know! It's a place of great beauty, craziness, and joy. Can you tell I am in love with my home state? I am so glad to be back!!!!!
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