Lifestyle Choices
-
1/3/2016
Rural setting, stunningly beautiful and full of wildlife. Off the beaten path due to limited access via three state highways only. No rail; private airport only. Shopping and restaurants limited to mom-pop owned and operated businesses that run more on feelings than schedules. The anchor chain store is K-Mart.
If you are looking for a no-frills, quiet rural setting surrounded by lots of nature and can do your shopping online or are willing to drive 1-2 hours once a month or so, and you are good at entertaining yourself, this is a wonderful place to live. The people are friendly and warm and if you get involved with the community activities you will be welcomed into the fold. The key here is to get involved in the community or you will feel like an outsider.
Lots of outdoor activities: hiking, boating, fishing, nature walks, birding, ATV-ing, camping. Plenty of wineries, many of which are winning recognition for high quality wines. Napa and Sonoma County wineries purchase a lot of Lake County grapes to produce award winning wines.
Although housing costs are low compared to the neighboring high-priced counties, the trade-off is elevated costs for utilities, health care, insurance and basic goods. This is partly due to the higher cost of transporting basic goods, higher risk for natural disasters (fire and floods), and higher cost of attracting quality health-care providers to a rural area that does not support an urban lifestyle.
After living here for more than a decade, enjoying the lifestyle and making friends, we are expecting to relocate soon when we retire. The primary reason for this is lack of access to the type of health care services that are needed by an aging population. We need to be closer to a major hospital and doctors who are skilled at geriatric medicine, neither of which exists in Lake County.
A wonderful and beautiful place, great for younger outdoor enthusiasts, just not practical for people who need access to expanded medical care.
Christie | Lakeport, CA