I don’t think it’s possible to get more than 70 (80, maybe?) miles from the coast anywhere in the UK.
@LDoBe Lynnwood to Federal Way? Every day? Ugh. That said, I work with quite a few people who are crazy enough to commute from Maple Valley to Everett.
That’s… Gotta be diagnosably masochistic.
Drought, yes. Bad smog, no. The city has spent literally billions to turn the air around over the last 30 years and the air is much, much better now. You can easily Google for data on the very dramatic turnaround.
If you look at trends though, the air in L.A. has only been getting better over the last 20 years. As for transportation, it’s an ongoing concern, but as with the air, the trend is in the right direction, as we continue to expand subway routes and bus service.
Sisters is great but a serious freaking secret.(Dobby used to work at the Sister Mountain Man Trading Post and Sisters airstrip)
In my experience growing up there if you want to do anything around Oregon(or the western US/Canada) in a reasonable amount of time you do need a pilots license thought even renting a plane that is far more affordable than in the UK, four seater planes can be had easily for under $10K if you shop. Driving is out unless you like taking shifts and stinking up the car for 24 hours or more. Rail lines only cover I-5 corridor and up the Columbia River valley and over the mountain time zone to Chicago. Commercial air is such a mess with TSA and crappy service I wouldn’t touch it.
meh, driving is fine. bring two spares, chains, five gallons of water, extra antifreeze, a shovel, two lanterns, and several packs of cheese (calorie dense) and yer fine. 
The distances and mountain passes involved to get around the western US(even more so Canada) would turn anyone into a survivalist.
I suppose this explains the job listings located in LA on the Makies site. 
or at least really, really good at reading maps, elevations, and storm advisories. i once had to dig a car out of snow wearing flip flops, using a frisbee, and i’m from oregon 
( also floated a car across a flooded culvert in scotland, jumped a car on a blind hill/turn, get my truck unstuck from two feet of mud, and learned how to crush rocks in my breaks.)
(oh, and i also learned how to buy AAA)
there were a couple of high profile deaths from california drivers heading through oregon about a decade ago. my heart goes out to them, but never, never take a logging road when it is snowing and it has been blocked off. it looks tame to start with… but it can get nasty super super fast.
I walk in Los Angeles.
I grew up in the Willamette Valley, moved to Eugene in the 90’s (Oregonians, you know what I’m talking about). I lived in Iowa City, Iowa and Eureka, California (which almost doesn’t count as CA).
Then, most recently, a dozen years in P-town (PDX, Stumptown, whatevs, oh yeah, there’s a show!). My family moved to So-Cal just months ago: central Los Angeles, East Hollywoood (E-HO?).
It takes 20 minutes for me walk to Griffith Park (!), snobby coffee shops abound, this feels like home (there are bike trails on the river!). There’s also this, the weird eco-sci-fi possibilities people feel are real.
However, mainly posting to say YAY that Cory will be blogging locally about Los Angeles. Thanks!
At least getting to burning man will be easier.
if you can get a decent place near Griffith it is wonderful. i have a friend that lived in a semi legal 200 sq foot apt about a mile and a half from Griffith, and it was just pleasant. Cafe 101 was a treat. Mass transit was soo easy. and the gardens on the old estates that got converted to apartments–i.e. old mansions–we glorious.
always wanted to spitball the scientologist celebrity center though.
Yeah, if the the wife and I had not bought the house just before things went crazy we would not be able to afford it now. Heck our mortgage for a 3 bedroom house with a basement is less than a 2 bedroom apartment now.
Eww just eww. I guess the off hours help with the commute a bit.
Cory, I have wondered for years how long it would take you to make this decision. London hasn’t seemed like your kind of place for a while.
I’m not going to completely diss your decision to move to L.A., I’m sure you have your reasons. Nowhere in the US is as bad as London sounds, at least not yet. But I’d suggest Seattle first. We still have water here, and may be a better place than most others to face climate change.
Way back when the I was employed directly by the lazy B, I sat near a guy who commuted to Everett from Blaine, for a 4x10 shift. Thats the worst I have known.
I have to be in Federal Way by 4PM. So, I miss the absolute worst traffic going in, but it’s pretty nasty most days. And sometimes I end up taking about 3 hours to go 30 miles on I-5.
No complaints taking I-5 home at 1AM. Except this last Friday there was a devastating accident at the 520 exit so the lightboards literally said “Lynnwood, Everett Take 405”.
Jesus tapdancing christ! That’s pretty much like crossing the cascades every day! Do not envy the guy.
I got a friend of the family who lives in Coeur D’alene who has a job in Moses Lake. But he does 6x10 on (and shares a place in Moses Lake with the guy who covers his off time) and then gets 4 days off to go home. Apparently working at Tesla’s Carbonfiber-enhanced plastic factory pays really well.
I do like Stone, but Arrogant Bastard’s not one of my fav’s of theirs. The “Enjoy By” series they have been doing of double IPA’s meant to drink fresh have been great. Their collaborations have also been excellent.
My favorite local breweries are -
Societe
Automatic
Ballast Point
Modern Times
Fall Brewing
Port Brewing
Alpine
Toolbox
Stone
AleSmith
Benchmark
Wow, the rest of the world sounds shit. Come and live in Australia, it’s awesome here!
