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I lived not to far from the OP in Fairfield, CA. We lived there for ten years, but left in 2008. Now we live in the St Louis area, but on the Illinois side. I rode sport bikes and cruiser motorcycles, so there were many many twisty roads in the area. From Sac, you can take hwy 16 to 88 and go to to Tahoe. That's a fun twisty road with hardly much traffic for a car or motorcycle. Pickup Hwy 20 in Yuba city, then go west to Clear Lake, or go east on 20. Hwy 36 just north of you is a very fun road. Take I-5 to Red Bluff to get on Hwy 36. You can go east on 36 to Hwy 101, which is where we normally start. You can take take east all the way to Susanville, then down Hwy 395 to Hwy 49, then take that back west and work your way back to Sac. That will take you a full day.
From Sac, you can take 80 east to I-505 to winters so you can get on Hwy 128. That is a fun road to Lake Berryessa. The best road is Mines Rd which is very similar to Tail of the Dragon. You pick that up in Livermore. Lots of car clubs do that one. There are deaths on that Rd if you try to out ride your skill level. At the end of Mines, you get on Hwy 130 take a really twisty Rd to Mt Hamilton up 4,000 feet to the Observatory, then back down again to drive the rest which ends in San Jose. Another day ride.
Plus you have four tracks to do track days. You Have Thunderhill which is near Sac. You have Infinion in Sonoma. Lots of people buy Z06's just to run at that track. They have F1 and Indy cars that race there. The best is Laguna Seca track in Monterrey. That's the ultimate trackday track for cars or motorcycles. Lots of professional racing there Then you have Button Willow near Bakersfield. There are many other cool roads in Northern California.
I wish I didn't have to move away. There is no other place in the country that has so many cool roads to drive. I would check these out before you decide to move away. If I could, I would move back in a heartbeat. There are only a few roads in the St Louis area. And you have to drive to Arkansas or Tennessee to get to them. I sold my track bike when I moved away. Driving on the highway for 2-4 hours to find a road to drive holds little appeal to me.
Love this thread, I’m going to move as soon as the kids are settled, probably within the next 5-7 years. I live on the south side of Atlanta and we’ve got the taxation triple crown — 6% state income tax, 1% property tax, and 7% tax on a new car — that was a fun $10k I spent after buying my ZR1. Throw in lots is straight 2 lane roads with retards driving 10 below the limit with **** falling out the back of their pickup trucks, what’s not to like. Oh yeah, #1 state in the country for Dragon Eye, enjoy eating that bag of dicks.
Unfortunately Delta makes Atlanta a great place to
work, so I’m torn between the north GA mountains, TN, NC, and UT for our SLC base.
Wheel bending potholes makes for driving like on twisties even when the road is straight. Ground swell ridges across any entire road every 50 yards after they have existed through only one winter after TOTAL RECONSTRUCTION! (you read it right!)
East Tennessee.
No state income tax, the 'dragon' is nearby, very low cost of living and great people. Also the largest Corvette club in the world is in Knoxville, Bowling green is a couple hour drive away. 7 lakes within a half hour drive of my home, and the beach is a 6-8 hour trip away. Smokey mountain national park us 1/2 hour away. Atlanta and Nashville are within a 1/2 day drive.
I was waiting for some one to say that. Great roads! Western NC is good too but taxes are higher. I'm in NW SC but all my motorcycle rides and Corvette drives are in western NC and eastern TN.
I moved to Las Vegas and never looked back. No state income taxes, lower sales taxes, plenty of things to do. Car registration is a little higher but property taxes much lower. What people call "traffic" here compares to Sunday night at 3 AM in LA.
From Vegas you can drive in Northern Arizona or Southern Utah pretty easily as well as Tahoe and San Diego.
I lived not to far from the OP in Fairfield, CA. We lived there for ten years, but left in 2008. Now we live in the St Louis area, but on the Illinois side. I rode sport bikes and cruiser motorcycles, so there were many many twisty roads in the area. From Sac, you can take hwy 16 to 88 and go to to Tahoe. That's a fun twisty road with hardly much traffic for a car or motorcycle. Pickup Hwy 20 in Yuba city, then go west to Clear Lake, or go east on 20. Hwy 36 just north of you is a very fun road. Take I-5 to Red Bluff to get on Hwy 36. You can go east on 36 to Hwy 101, which is where we normally start. You can take take east all the way to Susanville, then down Hwy 395 to Hwy 49, then take that back west and work your way back to Sac. That will take you a full day.
From Sac, you can take 80 east to I-505 to winters so you can get on Hwy 128. That is a fun road to Lake Berryessa. The best road is Mines Rd which is very similar to Tail of the Dragon. You pick that up in Livermore. Lots of car clubs do that one. There are deaths on that Rd if you try to out ride your skill level. At the end of Mines, you get on Hwy 130 take a really twisty Rd to Mt Hamilton up 4,000 feet to the Observatory, then back down again to drive the rest which ends in San Jose. Another day ride.
Plus you have four tracks to do track days. You Have Thunderhill which is near Sac. You have Infinion in Sonoma. Lots of people buy Z06's just to run at that track. They have F1 and Indy cars that race there. The best is Laguna Seca track in Monterrey. That's the ultimate trackday track for cars or motorcycles. Lots of professional racing there Then you have Button Willow near Bakersfield. There are many other cool roads in Northern California.
I wish I didn't have to move away. There is no other place in the country that has so many cool roads to drive. I would check these out before you decide to move away. If I could, I would move back in a heartbeat. There are only a few roads in the St Louis area. And you have to drive to Arkansas or Tennessee to get to them. I sold my track bike when I moved away. Driving on the highway for 2-4 hours to find a road to drive holds little appeal to me.
I agree, I live in the Sierra Nevada foothills east of Sacramento and there are some great driving roads here. House prices aren't that bad compared to the Bay Area and Southern California. But it sounds like the OP is ready for a change.
We have retired where we have spent the last 23 years since moving from NY...Knoxville TN. No state income tax. Smoky Mountains right here. No snow to speak of (maybe an inch or two once or twice a year at most). Centrally located for many other trips to the coast, Florida, up North. Three hours from NCM and Bowling Green. Knoxville has the largest Corvette Club in the U.S. (at least as far as NCCC is concerned...East Tennessee Corvette Club with 450 members). Lots of car activities, shows, cruises, cars and coffees (four times a year our Porsche/Audi/Jag dealership sponsors a C&C that draws over 3,000 cars). We are able to attend national and regional events within a reasonable drive (ie: Carlisle is 8 hours, Hershey AACA is 8.5 hours, Keeneland Concours is 3 hours) etc. etc. Only thing for me that I would like to change (if I could) would be to have it a bit cooler in the summer months and less humid.....but certainly not as bad as many places.
I lived not to far from the OP in Fairfield, CA. We lived there for ten years, but left in 2008. Now we live in the St Louis area, but on the Illinois side. I rode sport bikes and cruiser motorcycles, so there were many many twisty roads in the area. From Sac, you can take hwy 16 to 88 and go to to Tahoe. That's a fun twisty road with hardly much traffic for a car or motorcycle. Pickup Hwy 20 in Yuba city, then go west to Clear Lake, or go east on 20. Hwy 36 just north of you is a very fun road. Take I-5 to Red Bluff to get on Hwy 36. You can go east on 36 to Hwy 101, which is where we normally start. You can take take east all the way to Susanville, then down Hwy 395 to Hwy 49, then take that back west and work your way back to Sac. That will take you a full day.
From Sac, you can take 80 east to I-505 to winters so you can get on Hwy 128. That is a fun road to Lake Berryessa. The best road is Mines Rd which is very similar to Tail of the Dragon. You pick that up in Livermore. Lots of car clubs do that one. There are deaths on that Rd if you try to out ride your skill level. At the end of Mines, you get on Hwy 130 take a really twisty Rd to Mt Hamilton up 4,000 feet to the Observatory, then back down again to drive the rest which ends in San Jose. Another day ride.
Plus you have four tracks to do track days. You Have Thunderhill which is near Sac. You have Infinion in Sonoma. Lots of people buy Z06's just to run at that track. They have F1 and Indy cars that race there. The best is Laguna Seca track in Monterrey. That's the ultimate trackday track for cars or motorcycles. Lots of professional racing there Then you have Button Willow near Bakersfield. There are many other cool roads in Northern California.
I wish I didn't have to move away. There is no other place in the country that has so many cool roads to drive. I would check these out before you decide to move away. If I could, I would move back in a heartbeat. There are only a few roads in the St Louis area. And you have to drive to Arkansas or Tennessee to get to them. I sold my track bike when I moved away. Driving on the highway for 2-4 hours to find a road to drive holds little appeal to me.
I too rode sportbikes for years and actually took a job in CA for that reason out of college but left 15 years ago now. I've actually ridden sport bikes over large parts of the country, and from my perspective nothing compares to CA if that's your priority. Basically totally empty very nice roads, very light enforcement and frankly PO's that don't mind you having fun. I still remember being in CA on Palomar Mt and 20 sport bikes, some full race bikes with no plates, everyone in full leathers dragging knees, and 2 cops parked off to the side of the road giving us thumbs up. I've seen sport bikers tackled, handcuffed, and jailed for days for going 15mph over the speed limit in TX. Everyone acts like TX is all 'free' because we allow lots of black billowy diesels and other pollution, but as far as I'm concerned it's a virtual police state. I'm a native born TX and it's not even in my top 20 places that I'd choose to live. The only thing I really like about TX is the male/ female ratios in Houston. If you enjoy dating, going out, particularly lovely Asian women, Houston is freaking awesome for that. Also has good Motocross and low real estate prices. But for curvy roads, it's awful.
Check out the Springfield/Branson area in Missouri or in northwest Arkansas.
Low cost of living, and great roads to drive on in very scenic areas.
Nice homes in every price range.
No hurricanes, and four seasons. I especially like Fall.
Missouri has two license plates, but in 22 years I have never been stopped in my C5 or C6 Z06 for no front plates
Arkansas is a one plate state.
I chose Springfield as it has two very large hospital systems and as you get older, medical care is really important. If you get locked up, the federal prison system also had a large hospital prison here in Springfield. John Gotti died here, while in prison. Only 45 minute drive to Branson, where there is plenty to do. Four lane highways in all directions from Springfield so you can travel from home on high speed highways if you are in a hurry.
But, if you are a liberal, please ignore my post, as it's a real shitty place to live .
Being from AR myself and working in Michigan, I prefer AR. One plate state. Quiet, laid back for retirees. Very Conservative thinking and friendly. Your cars will not rust. No race tracks but they have some nice roads from Little Rock to Branson. It's almost like the tail of the dragon without the tourist. We also have the autobahn in I-67/167 to Jonesboro but LEO has it patrolled nowadays.
SE FL has great scenery along A1A, I guess some favor mountains and twisties over the bikini crowd.
Our roads and expressways (I-95, I-595, The Alley-4 perfect lanes for 70 miles with one bend, FL Turnpike, Sawgrass) are maintained well--been to most states and none have better maintained roads, so if you had enough scenery and are itching for spirited runs, FL is a winner.
FL = 12 months of great driving weather, which is #1 on most enthusiast's list.
FL = one plate, 93 octane, no need for AS tires, $50ish/year annual registration, tons of neon kits and fart cans to keep you laughing
We live out in the Texas Hill Country just north of San Antonio. The area is expanding rapidly. Property values are going up fairly quickly, and land is being cleared out and new subdivisions are popping up frequently. Crime is also increasing.
We rarely go into San Antonio. I'm not very fond of the city, and traffic on US 281 south of Bulverde can be a real nightmare with all the construction and congestion. There is also a major expansion to Hwy 46 between Sequin and Boerne to divert traffic on IH 10 away from going through San Antonio.
There are some terrific roads to drive on. Devil's Backbone is a blast when I have to go into the office in Austin once a month or so. There are also some hidden gems between Blanco and Fredericksburg (great wineries, breweries, and peaches that rival anything from Georgia). The Leakey (pronounced Lake-ee)/Vanderpool area is amazing and home to the infamous twisted sisters, which is very popular amongst the motorcycle crowds and are a blast to drive. The roadside memorials are there for good reason.
The heat and humidity can be a bit much to deal with at times. And, as mentioned, allergies can be hellacious at certain times of the year. My wife is doing much better after immunotherapy with our allergist (who is fantastic).
Recently we were giving serious consideration to moving to the Conifer/Evergreen area west of Denver, but our rising property values are tough to walk away from at this point in time.
I love Austin, but couldn't be paid enough to live there. Being an hour away from Circuit of the Americas and Bergstrom airport is nice too as some flights out of Austin can be significantly cheaper than San Antonio. We avoid I35 like the plague when possible and take US 281 north to go to Dallas and beyond.
If I ever moved it would be to the Tellico Plains Tn. area. Great climate, not crowded and some of the very best driving roads in the country. Large acreage lots can be purchased very cheaply. The economy isn't great there, and restaurant selection is low. But, what a beautiful mountain filled area. .
Thanks for the recommendation. I've been dying to take my car somewhere fun and I've got the weekend off, I'm going to road trip from ATL to the Tellico Plains today, then I'll head out and hit Deal's Gap just because, and finally spend the night in Bryson City. Any recommendations on specific areas to look while I'm up there? Only have a little while since the B&B in Bryson City has limited check-in hours. Because of my requirement to be at least somewhat near ATL, we're going to have a quick look at Ducktown and McCaysville as well.
Interesting that there isn't a single suggestion anywhere east of the Mississippi!
Hmm, the dude asked for areas around CA and see some posts have pointed out some great, low cost places "Back East." Also see a bunch mentioning Texas! Now know it's a big State and spent a lot of time on business in Houston area from the late 1960's; oil patch, gas and oil transmission pipe fabrication etc. BUT just came back from a volunteer tech meeting in Pasadena TX (suburb of Houston.) Got a hotel near George Bush Airport since I had an early morning flight to return home. I would NOT live in any high population area, especially driving a Corvette!
SIDEBAR
The rental car company said take any car in #3 area! Where none so for two days drove what most Texans' drive, a Pick-up Truck! That was fine as the toll road I took 4 times had areas "under construction" and was very close to 18 wheel tankers etc!
Grew up near a very large City, moved to rural NE Ohio then back to Eastern CT! Had enough big cites! When we bought the business as a leveraged buyout my boss, the President, was in the Corporate CT office with me. He had managed businesses in the US, then England and for all of the companies business in Europe from Geneva Switzerland before coming back to the states. We picked our largest facility in rural SC (1000 folks) to make our head office!
Funny, he retired 10 years before me and stayed here! I built a home on a Lake 20 miles from town and would not live anywhere else. Mostly farm land and when we want to see a Broadway Play we fly to the Big Apple, stay in a hotel and for what we save in taxes can do that, go on cruises many time/year! Our town is also the medical center for the area from Myrle Beach to Columbia. Four open heat surgery teams IF needed! The two large competing hospitals have a number of MRI's as GE builds them in town!
Like the folks in Oregon tell those from CA who want to move North- don't bother so not really encouraging folks, we have enough people coming here to work and retire!
09-04-2019, 11:34 AM
If I ever moved it would be to the Tellico Plains Tn. area. Great climate, not crowded and some of the very best driving roads in the country. Large acreage lots can be purchased very cheaply. The economy isn't great there, and restaurant selection is low. But, what a beautiful mountain filled area. .
