Such a shame - My yearly trip to Calif. Cities to avoid

[EVENKEEL]

So, taking my kid with me to visit my homestate of Ca. San Francisco has out of control homelessness and crime. Last year we visited Golden Gate Br and Fisherman's Wharf. That was OK but I won't venture into the downtown area. I don't need to see people living in the streets.

 

Same goes for Venice Beach, another favorite of years ago as well as Santa Monica. It's a shame to see what's happening to Calif. So, we'll leave the big cities and visit the countryside and mountain regions as well as Nevada.

[2baht]

There's a nice resort in Florida, Mar A something or other, maybe worth a look! Bathrooms are a bit cluttered! 

[sqwakvfr]

I am going to Los Angeles next week.  The only time I am in the city of LA is at the airport.  The following places are still worth a visit or stay:

 

1.  South Orange County.  Places like Irvine, Newport Beach or San Clemente

2.  The Coachella Valley (Palm Springs or Rancho Mirage) is worth a road trip

3.  Most parts of San Diego County are still worth a visit.  I usually stay within shouting distance of Camp Pendelton (cities like Oceanside have not been ruined yet).

4. In LA County I always go back to my hometown of Torrance which is about 15 miles south of LAX.  There are some shady areas but is mostly still worth it.  

 

I am looking forward to N out burger, Chik Fil A and even a cheap Pecan Pie from Wal Mart.  I guess I am different but I still enjoy my annual visits back to the USA. Others will disagree.

[2baht]

2 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

I am looking forward to N out burger, Chik Fil A and even a cheap Pecan Pie from Wal Mart

What about a hotdog and a Coke??? ????

[sqwakvfr]

4 minutes ago, 2baht said:

What about a hotdog and a Coke??? ????

I can get a Hot Dog and a Coke from just about anywhere but I grew up on In N Out.  Double, Double, fries and a Coke will be my first meal after I get the car from Hertz. 

[2baht]

Just now, sqwakvfr said:

I can get a Hot Dog and a Coke from just about anywhere but I grew up on In N Out.  Double, Double, fries and a Coke will be my first meal after I get the car from Hertz. 

Git er dun! 

[KhunBENQ]

39 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

San Francisco has out of control homelessness and crime.

Good to read from first hand. I sometimes stumble upon videos showing sidewalks or greens filled with tents and shacks of homeless people in misc US cities.

Fentanyl zombies staggering. Horrible.

 

It's ages (mid 90s) that I was in California and the world looked different.

Edited August 23, 2023 by KhunBENQ

[EVENKEEL]

37 minutes ago, 2baht said:

What about a hotdog and a Coke??? ????

That's at Costco. Not that you would know.

[2baht]

2 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

That's at Costco. Not that you would know.

No, you're right, it's an American thing! 

[EVENKEEL]

46 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

I am going to Los Angeles next week.  The only time I am in the city of LA is at the airport.  The following places are still worth a visit or stay:

 

1.  South Orange County.  Places like Irvine, Newport Beach or San Clemente

2.  The Coachella Valley (Palm Springs or Rancho Mirage) is worth a road trip

3.  Most parts of San Diego County are still worth a visit.  I usually stay within shouting distance of Camp Pendelton (cities like Oceanside have not been ruined yet).

4. In LA County I always go back to my hometown of Torrance which is about 15 miles south of LAX.  There are some shady areas but is mostly still worth it.  

 

I am looking forward to N out burger, Chik Fil A and even a cheap Pecan Pie from Wal Mart.  I guess I am different but I still enjoy my annual visits back to the USA. Others will disagree.

Looking forward to a coastal run from Santa Cruz to Pismo Beach, maybe an overnighter in Monterey. My main objective is to take care of properties in Central Valley, road trip to NV. to mountain sightseeing. And sample wide varieties of culinary delights. 

[GypsyT]

I spend every winter a month or two in St George, Utah. It's full of Cali tax refugees and I know a few.

Besides of some nice State and National parks it's boring as hell after SoCal but so clean, so safe. Not a one cigarette stump anywhere! No drunks, no homeless (in sight, I'm sure there are).  Food is fattening junk and all main chains are there. Thai and Vietnamese restaurants are bad, not like in LA.

Winter sucks too; cold wind from North and often below freezing for 2 months at nights. But sun shines near every day and there's feeling of emptiness every where! I like that.

 

So it's a safe place to go and see the other side of Armageddon.

 

PS. If you see shoppers in Walmart and Costco walking 9mm Clock visible in back pocket don't worry. It's for YOUR safety... Mormons protect all mankind.

 

[Jingthing]

I am sure San Francisco's NEIGHBORHOODS are still great.

 

Yes, Market Street has become tragic.

 

 

[GinBoy2]

On 8/24/2023 at 3:34 AM, GypsyT said:

I spend every winter a month or two in St George, Utah. It's full of Cali tax refugees and I know a few.

Besides of some nice State and National parks it's boring as hell after SoCal but so clean, so safe. Not a one cigarette stump anywhere! No drunks, no homeless (in sight, I'm sure there are).  Food is fattening junk and all main chains are there. Thai and Vietnamese restaurants are bad, not like in LA.

Winter sucks too; cold wind from North and often below freezing for 2 months at nights. But sun shines near every day and there's feeling of emptiness every where! I like that.

 

So it's a safe place to go and see the other side of Armageddon.

 

PS. If you see shoppers in Walmart and Costco walking 9mm Clock visible in back pocket don't worry. It's for YOUR safety... Mormons protect all mankind.

 

Well as a Californian native I am a little distressed to see what has happened in some of the cities, but it's not the norm

 

We just did a half way across the country road trip..

 

Started off visiting my daughter and Grandson in San Diego, then Las Vegas, St George, Page, Grand Canyon, Sedona, Moab, Denver(second daughter and Thai son) and back home to Rapid City SD

 

For the most part it's the country of your youth. Stunning scenery and not a tent encampment in sight.

 

Now friends in SF do tell a different tale of whats happening up there, not how I remember happy Christmas shopping trips to San Francisco when I lived up North

[cobra]

It is unfortunate but the reality is homelessness may be the new norm.

Blame it on urban decay, economic inequality, generous progressive policies, whatever,

and of course it is not confined to California by any means.

 

Portland, Seattle and many other cities are paralyzed by the problem.

Declining property values, retail businesses that can do nothing about flagrant shoplifting, on and on.

We know how to fix the problem but it will be expensive and that appears to be an even harder pill to swallow.

[Jingthing]

The way to solve the homelessness crisis is housing people. 

There isn't the political will to actually do that.

[EVENKEEL]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

The way to solve the homelessness crisis is housing people. 

There isn't the political will to actually do that.

But, to what standard will the homeless require. In LA single unit housing for the homeless were running around 700K USD. Personally I don't think politicians really want to solve this problem. 

[BritManToo]

2 hours ago, Jingthing said:

The way to solve the homelessness crisis is housing people. 

There isn't the political will to actually do that.

Redistribution of land from the wealthy and the state to the poor is the answer.

[2baht]

On 8/23/2023 at 7:49 AM, sqwakvfr said:

Double, Double, fries and a Coke will be my first meal

It's your stomach! ????

[Eleftheros]

15 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Redistribution of land from the wealthy and the state to the poor is the answer.

A truly noble insight, Comrade! Let the red star sparkle as we march off to war!

[EVENKEEL]

56 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Redistribution of land from the wealthy and the state to the poor is the answer.

The poor wouldn't know what to do. What? I have to pay property taxes and insurance? What's that.

[BritManToo]

4 minutes ago, EVENKEEL said:

The poor wouldn't know what to do. What? I have to pay property taxes and insurance? What's that.

Why would you need insurance on a bare bit of land?

And why would poor people need to pay property tax?

 

But assigning the homeless a free bit of land that can't be leased, rented or sold is the obvious answer to the homeless problem. 

Edited September 22, 2023 by BritManToo

[EVENKEEL]

4 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Why would you need insurance on a bare bit of land?

And why would poor people need to pay property tax?

 

But assigning the homeless a free bit of land that can't be leased, rented or sold is the obvious answer to the homeless problem. 

Sure, you could build huge warehouse style housing where single people had a small cubicle with a bed and locker for clothes, shared bathroom facilities. A kitchen, medical facility with students. But, once the problem is solved all those good paying jobs will disappear.

 

Every person would be required to work a set amount of hours in the facility  after job interviews.

[sqwakvfr]

5 hours ago, 2baht said:

It's your stomach! ????

Just got back and it was great.  Stomach feels fine. The wallet does not.  Interesting thing about LAX is this:  No more plastic bottles of water are for sale.  Instead water now comes in an aluminum can shaped like a bottle.  This attempt to save the planet cost $4.  I love California but it is getting out of control.. 

[EVENKEEL]

1 hour ago, sqwakvfr said:

Just got back and it was great.  Stomach feels fine. The wallet does not.  Interesting thing about LAX is this:  No more plastic bottles of water are for sale.  Instead water now comes in an aluminum can shaped like a bottle.  This attempt to save the planet cost $4.  I love California but it is getting out of control.. 

yep, SFO is the same.

[Isaan sailor]

I took my Thai wife to CA just before the Wuhan flu.  Even then, we saw homelessness in SF, brownouts in the Tahoe area, and a dry waterfall in Yosemite.  But Sonoma/Napa, Carmel/Big Sur and Hollywood did not disappoint.  Have a wonderful trip.

[gamb00ler]

30 minutes ago, Isaan sailor said:

and a dry waterfall in Yosemite

Even 35 years ago the falls in Yosemite didn't look so great after July.  If you went just before COVID, did you go in Sep/Oct of 2019?  The weather would be nice and the crowds much smaller but the river flows would have declined significantly.

Edited September 22, 2023 by gamb00ler

[sqwakvfr]

12 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

yep, SFO is the same.

But then I could buy Coke or a juice in plastic bottles.  Also, salads were for sale in plastic containers. 

[cobra]

19 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Redistribution of land from the wealthy and the state to the poor is the answer.

Fidel, Che and Stalin would have agreed, LOL

[GinBoy2]

So to add another dimension to this.

 

I totally get the fact that San Francisco, Los Angeles etc are totally out of the financial reach of many.

 

But this is not new, and in days gone by, our ancestors just upped sticks and moved to somewhere they could find work and afford to live.

 

Homelessness breaks down to those truly down on their luck and the rest with drugs and mental health issues.

 

The down on their luck group, just have to suck it up and move somewhere where they can restart their lives, no point in wallowing in a tent under a freeway overpass.

 

The rest, drugs and mental health, thats a much harder nut to crack

[tkramer]

On 8/23/2023 at 7:49 AM, sqwakvfr said:

I can get a Hot Dog and a Coke from just about anywhere but I grew up on In N Out.  Double, Double, fries and a Coke will be my first meal after I get the car from Hertz. 

You are sooo American. Make sure you have the Beach Boys singing 'California Girls'...!

 

I'm with ya buddy, I grew up in Cali as well...50's-60's...!