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We are considering a move to CA. We're currently in the Boston area, and also spent a few years in Boulder. Personally I would like to go back to Boulder, but my husband is begging to be closer to the ocean, so we're thinking about CA now. We're looking for a place where decent hiking is right in town or just outside (similar to Boulder). Good restaurants & decent schools would be nice too. Is that too tall an order? Thanks so much for your help!

Oops, I see there was a similar thread not too long ago. http://www.summitpost.org/phpBB2/viewto ... 32&start=0 Will read through this one but if anyone has anything to add, I appreciate it!

Get in early in Covelo.
Best place to be in 20 years...

Covelo ? Really ? Hmm, don't see that one coming.. By the way, where is your profile pic from ? Those look to be some old skiis..

Closest place in NorCal that I can think of to Boulder, personality-wise, would be Berkeley. Except Boulder is somewhat isolated & not in the middle of a huge metropolitan area. Bay Area is liberal like Boulder, but is a big city, complete with crime, poverty, etc. It is a great place, though, & there is a plethora of hiking in both the East Bay (Oakland & Berkeley Hills, Mt. Diablo, Briones Park, etc.) & also Marin County, to the N of the Golden Gate (Marin Headlands, Mt. Tam, Pt. Reyes...). Having come from Boulder to the Bay a, ahem, few years ago, I was surprised to find out that the hiking opportunities out here are great as well. It's not quite the same as walking from, say, The Hill to Chataqua (you typically need a short drive to get to areas), but it's really not bad.

ScottyP wrote:Covelo ? Really ? Hmm, don't see that one coming.. By the way, where is your profile pic from ? Those look to be some old skiis..

The profile pic is the summit of Hull Mountain circa: 1998

Covelo skiing is covered here:

Anthony Peak
http://www.thebackcountry.net/bb/viewtopic.php?t=398

Black Butte is available from Covelo
http://www.thebackcountry.net/bb/viewtopic.php?t=356

Mendocino Pass
http://www.thebackcountry.net/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1335

Jib, Thanks, nice photo.

I have been to the Covello area quite a bit (Use to fly a contractor up there often) Just not sure I would compare it to Boulder!

bouldermom wrote:We are considering a move to CA. We're currently in the Boston area, and also spent a few years in Boulder. Personally I would like to go back to Boulder, but my husband is begging to be closer to the ocean, so we're thinking about CA now. We're looking for a place where decent hiking is right in town or just outside (similar to Boulder). Good restaurants & decent schools would be nice too. Is that too tall an order? Thanks so much for your help!

There's lots of good hiking near many towns in NoCal. Where you choose depends a lot on your housing budget, where you plan to work, your tolerance for a commute, and whether you prefer hippies, surfers, yuppies, or corporate executives as your neighbors. The good news is that there are lots of towns - including San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Half Moon Bay, Mill Valley, Bodega Bay, Los Gatos, etc. where you are literally minutes away from either the ocean or decent sized (2000'+ topographic relief) hills, good hiking, good (and sometimes world class) restaurants, and at least decent schools.

B.t.w., if you like Boston you'll probably like San Francisco (I lived just north of Harvard Sq. before moving to SF). It's got a lot of young people, good local culture, and a fairly wide mix of ethnicities. It's also about the same physical and population size as Boston, has lots of distinct neighborhoods, and is relatively pedestrian friendly.

[quote="ScottyP"

Just not sure I would compare it to Boulder![/quote]

...think...

what is now desolate wilderness will soon become otherwise...

Save Everything.

Thanks everyone. I am a stay-at-home mom right now and my husband's job isn't location-dependent, so fortunately that's not an issue. Would definitely prefer coastal. And I think a town or small city. Walkability and bike-friendliness matters.

Based on my research so far, we are looking at Mill Valley & other Marin towns (my friend keeps pushing Fairfax as a more affordable option... thoughts?), Monterey, Half Moon Bay, etc. I've been thinking about Berkeley but I'm wondering if that's almost too much city for us. The population density (on Wikipedia) has me a bit freaked. But I know it would be great for walking, biking, and a bunch of other things, so it's still on the list. Do any of those places have hiking within a 15-minute drive? Any jump out to you as having a lot more hiking nearby than the others? Any I should take off my list?

Where I live right now (western suburbs of Boston) I am a good 45-minute drive (or more) from any decent hiking whatsoever, and it's a huge pain in butt. I often don't have the time or patience to drive 90+ minutes just to get a good workout in. And all the trails in town are really just pedestrian paths through wooded areas. lol. Not exactly my definition of hiking.

And I am probably spoiled after living in Boulder. That's part of the issue. In Boulder we were a 5-minute walk from the Sanitas trailhead, a short bike ride to Chautauqua, and a 10-15 minute car ride to pretty much any other trail/mountain in the area. I don't know if we'll ever find that again... (unless we go back there!)

Anyways, I really appreciate all the feedback! Thanks so much. We are planning a trip to CA in June, but in the meantime I am trying to get things as honed down as possible, so that we're not aimlessly traipsing up & down the coast.

Fairfax is great. Mount Tam is right next door, the coast is less than 45 mins and Tahoe is 3.5 hours away. A bit on the priciy side still, but less than most of Marin. Look a bit north to Petaluma, Santa Rosa as well. On saturday I hiked 2100' in the morning and was home for lunch. Scott

Mill Valley/Fairfax, etc., i.e. Marin County, is a great place for hiking. I've heard it called the 'whitest county in America,' so that's probably on par with Boulder too. Mill Valley is about as far from Mt. Tam as some of the nice homes on Mapleton are to Sanitas.

ScottyP wrote:Fairfax is great. Mount Tam is right next door, the coast is less than 45 mins and Tahoe is 3.5 hours away. A bit on the priciy side still, but less than most of Marin. Look a bit north to Petaluma, Santa Rosa as well. On saturday I hiked 2100' in the morning and was home for lunch. Scott

See, that is music to my ears! I will definitely check out those areas too.

Diggler wrote:Mill Valley/Fairfax, etc., i.e. Marin County, is a great place for hiking. I've heard it called the 'whitest county in America,' so that's probably on par with Boulder too.

yup, you are correct! And I've been reading about Mt. Tam and it looks like a good spot.

Thanks everyone. It's all great info.

ScottyP wrote:Fairfax is great. Mount Tam is right next door, the coast is less than 45 mins and Tahoe is 3.5 hours away. A bit on the priciy side still, but less than most of Marin. Look a bit north to Petaluma, Santa Rosa as well. On saturday I hiked 2100' in the morning and was home for lunch. Scott

One of my best and oldest friends lives in Fairfax. It's on the north side of Mt. Tam. There's a bit of an aging hippie feel to the culture but I kinda like that. There's also a brewpub and several microbreweries nearby. About 15 miles to the west on the main road through town is Pt. Reyes National Seashore, which is one of the treasures of the Bay Area; if you like undeveloped seashore you will love it.

Mill Valley is on the opposite side of Mt. Tam and is a more upscale but still has a friendly feel. The Dipsea trail on Mt. Tam, which leads up and over the mountain and down to Stinson Beach, starts literally in "downtown" Mill Valley. It's the site of the oldest trail running race in the US. Mill Valley is very convenient to San Francsico, but doesn't feel like the city.

Marin County has an added benefit that it's a relatively short drive to Sonoma and Napa counties. If you like food and wine this is a big plus.