Living in Northern California

ClassyGals

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Typically everything from San Jose and the San Fransisco Bay area is considered "Northern California". That makes this part of the state larger than most of the states near the east coast.

Not a big deal until you start to travel. Redding to the bay area (San Jose) is about a 4 hour drive when there is little traffic, and can be over 6 if you get there at the wrong time!

Most of this lens though, talks about the upper portion of Northern California. This area includes Redding, Chico, Eureka, Crescent City, and a host of other smaller towns.

Northern California has some great recreational activities you can enjoy! Camping, fishing, boating, water sports, and hiking are just a few of the activities you'll find.

Two of the major lakes around Redding are Shasta and Whiskeytown lakes. Because of the huge surface area of Shasta Lake, boating, fishing and water sports are extremely popular. Besides that there are hundreds of small natural lakes that you can hike to in the nearby mountains.

Redding's also a good stopover before you turn east to go to Lassen Volcanic park, turn west to head to Eureka, the redwoods and the upper California coast, or continue north into the mountains to Mt Shasta and on into Oregon.

Sometimes it's cool to check out some of the local Automotive Classifieds

Here are a few of my favorites


Redding Craigslist
Redding Classifieds
Eureka Classifieds
Red Bluff Classifieds
Northern California Classifieds

Still not enough Free Classifieds? Check out this huge list of free classified sites!

Needing some parts for your car or truck? Northern California Auto Parts has what you are looking for at a great price. Check out our huge selection of discount auto parts.

Another great place to visit in Northern California is Quincy.

Quincy is a small village which is located in California. A lot of tourists visit this village every year. It is famous for a lot of beautiful places and adventurous activities. If you love to do fishing, White water Kayaking and hiking, then you should visit Quincy, which is located in Plumas County. You can also enjoy mountain biking and camping in Plumas County. This county also has 6 highest waterfalls of western United States. Plumas County is also famous for rock climbing.

You can also participate in High Sierra Music Festival which takes place in Plumas County Fairgrounds, Quincy. You would love to dance here with a lot of people. It offers great music and enjoyment to all the visitors. Plumas County Museum is also very famous in Quincy. A lot of events, meetings and functions take place in this museum. You can see the exhibition of beautiful baskets which are woven by the local Mountain Maidu Indians. Here, you will also be able to see the equipments which are used to extract the natural resources in this area.

You can also visit Plumas club while staying in Quincy. You will be able to enjoy great music, drinks and lively environment in this club. Bucks Lake is also located in Quincy. If you are one of those people who love to do fishing, boating, hiking, camping, water skiing; then you should visit this lake. It is a very beautiful lake which offers a lot of picturesque views. There are numerous fishes in this lake and it offers challenges for every angler. A lot of fine restaurants and hotels are present near this lake. Brook Trout, Mackinaw, German Brown Trout and other fishes are present in abundance in this lake. People also call this lake as "Boating Mecca".

If you plan on camping one of the nicest campgrounds in the area is Pioneer RV Park They also have some great ideas on what to do while in the area on their Plumas National Forest page

Northern California has a rich history as a mining an logging area. As the money started flowing in from these two industries so did the luxury items. What was once a luxury item is now an antique. And antique stores abound in this area, In the Shasta lake area alone there are more than 6 antique stores full of priceless treasures.

Quality antique furniture can be found in most of these stores as well as smaller items like Lefton China and Hummel figurines.

If you are only looking to view some of the historical and antique items in the area, there are a number of museums catering to the history buff. From the historic "Joss House" in Weaverville, the several museums and authentic era stores in Old Shasta and the Shasta Lake historical society in Shasta Lake which focuses on the time period when Shasta Dam was being built.

Northern California contains a wide variety of climate zones ranging from The cold inter-mountain areas, and the coastal regions to the Thermal belts of California's Central Valley. The first step in choosing plants and landscaping materials is to find the climate zone for the area you will be living in . Often the best bet is to choose a local nursery and ask them what grows well in your area. While buying plants at some of the stores in you area might be cheaper, Usually a nursery will be able to tell you which plants will actually thrive in your area.

Still there are a number of tips that are common for the harsher climate conditions Found in the North State. Much of Northern California is marked by very large temperature differences between Winter and Summer, especially in the Thermal belt of the Central Valley area, which includes much of the central state between Sacramento and Redding. For the Redding area it is not uncommon to see temperatures drop well below freezing in the winter and can reach over 110 - 115 deg in the summer. Not all plants can handle this wide difference in temperature, usually only the more hardy species. You will find more information on landscaping in the Redding and Central Valley area of California at Redding Landscaping.

Landscaping in the more mountainous region requires plants that can handle much lower temperatures at night and the snow during the winter. You can expect "annuals" to truly be annuals and die off during the winter (unlike Redding where many Annuals will live through out the year). The pine trees in the Colder areas also pose problems with the soil requiring different additives to be introduced into the soil to compensate.

One of the easiest areas to grow a garden is along the coastal regions as well as in the lower Central Valley region such as the Bay Area. Both of these areas are far more temperate with rather mild temperature swings in comparison to the other regions. Wind is often a problem in these areas, requiring hardier plants to be used as wind breaks for more delicate plants.

Like most areas Northern California has its crime. A report from www.justice.gov states that much of the violent crime as well as property crime is attributed to illicit drug trafficking and abuse. It is estimated that 90 percent of the burglary, domestic violence, and assault incidents are in some way related to methamphetamine distribution and abuse.

This also poses some problems with people using off road vehicles. As stated by www.Justice.gov. "Aggression and acts of violence committed by cannabis cultivators who protect outdoor grows in remote areas or on public lands are increasing law enforcement and public safety concerns." And "Some sites are also protected by life-threatening booby traps." For this reason it is usually best to stay on the established trails. Most of the off road trails near Shasta Dam get frequent traffic and so are less favorable for illegal pot farms.

As in most larger communities including those in Northern California alarm systems for your home, business and vehicles greatly reduce property damage and theft. Home security systems are also useful for protecting the safety of the occupants of a home.