Thinking of selling the house in Southern CA and moving. We have 10 acres now, would like the same, but are too far from town now (30 minutes.)Interested in seasons, but not too much snow. Would like to stay towards the West Coast. Any ideas opinions??? So far we have thought of San Antonio area (but no seasons) Santa Fe (expensive) Colorado (always popular)

Isn't saying San Antonio, Santa Fe and Colorado are "towards" the West Coast kind of like saying NYC is in the "vicinity" of Lake Michigan?

Sorry, I should be more specific, the western half of the US is open

What about the Sierra foothills/California gold country... Auburn, Placerville etc?

What about the W TX Hill country? If you like open spaces then that might be a place to check out.The only thing you might miss is a lot of snow. We have friends that have family there & they swear it is the most beautiful place on earth. Of course, Texans do that a lot!!

Here are some sites with info.
http://hill-country-visitor.com/
http://www.texashillcountry.net/
http://www.hill-country.net/

Since this is a travel board, why not start planning a "structured" tour of the west in which you can visit candidate areas and see them up close and personal? You obviously wouldn't up and move without knowing lots about the area first, so tell us when you'd like to make the tour and we can help plan the itinerary.

Last time I checked, San Antonio was still east of the Great Divide.

cm, you wouldn't happen to live in Jamul, would you??? Neighbor?

In about a month, we are pulling up stakes here outside San Diego and moving to Tulsa, OK. It's a beautiful city with lots of history, and it's surprisingly sophisticated. You get spectacular springs and summers, mild winters, and HOT summers. Cost of living? With the money we're making off our modest house here, we're building our absolute dream house across the street from a polo field, 10 minutes from downtown Tulsa.

I know that Tulsa does not appeal to everyone, but it was definitely what we were looking for.

Good luck!

Wow, Jocelyn, that was an interesting reply! Good Luck!
To cm: Check out findyourspot.com
It is fun website that just might help you narrow down some choices!

Thanks for the ideas!! We have taken a trip to Auburn and enjoyed the area. Jocelyn, we have the same idea. We are in Ramona. Small town, SD county. Wanting to sell when the prices are crazy high. We had never thought of Tulsa, have not been there. We are debating building a house or getting something fancy (unlike our CA house.)We do like the open space, small town feel of Ramona, but we live too far from town and too far from the next major town. We always seem to be driving somewhere in CA. Less time in the car would be nice. Out, yet close to things. Culture, seasons, charm something new. Thanks and I'll keep thinking.

Ramona? You're lucky to still have your house after the fires...

Keep in mind that Oklahoma, Texas, and most surrounding states are in the heart of the "Bible Belt" and most residents have a different set of priorities than here in SoCal. A big plus for us, but I know a turn-off some.

Good luck in your decision.