California or Colorado

Kenny-g

Caught the Bug
As some of you may know, I'm in the Air Force. Well today I learned that I may or may not get to leave my tiny base this year wayyy before I was ever suppose to! Basically, they're about to cut my shops manning in half so now they're gonna have to move 3 of us low level Airmen to other bases and hell I ain't complaining! I will get my choice of where to go and I'm thinking California, or Colorado so figured I'd ask y'all which you would choose! Northern California (between Sacramento and San Francisco or several hours north of Sacramento) or the Colorado Springs/Denver areas? Which would you choose? Hahaha

Notes: This move wouldn't happen until September/October of this year and it's still not 100% final...they could technically still do this and keep me here but that's highly unlikely. Another thing to note is England and Germany could still be on the table as optional duty stations but at this point in my life. I don't like the idea of getting married this August then frantically trying to ship all of our crap from two locations in Texas to England/Germany while trusting Goodfellow to out process me in time and not screw something up. Our Personnel office kinda sucks lol

Reasons why I'm torn between California and Colorado. My Fiancees family lives in Sacramento and I have grandparents who live in Stockton, CA. Colorado is just absolutely gorgeous and my side of the family lives in Riverton, WY about 6 1/2 hours away. Both states have some awesome wheeling and attractions not to mention some awesome off road shops!

So help me decide. I've heard California has a sheeite ton of ridiculous laws but I don't know if Colorado is really any different from Texas as far as vehicular laws go. I'd love to hear what you guys have to say about the good and bad of each state...I've got a few weeks to decide lol
 
I say Colorado just based off of everything I heard with how bad California is.


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Looking at what you wrote, you were way more positive about Colorado than California. Sounds like you have already made up your mind.

Both you and your fiance have family in California, but it is a cheap and short plane ride away. (3 hours and $200)

As a father and a grandfather, I have to say that a bit of distance from family is a good thing for newlyweds and young families.
Parents can intervene (read:interfere) a lot less. :)
 
Looking at what you wrote, you were way more positive about Colorado than California. Sounds like you have already made up your mind.

Both you and your fiance have family in California, but it is a cheap and short plane ride away. (3 hours and $200)

As a father and a grandfather, I have to say that a bit of distance from family is a good thing for newlyweds and young families.
Parents can intervene (read:interfere) a lot less. :)

What's funny is I'm preferring Cali at this point but idk about how strict their laws are for offroading and our Jeeps and stuff. I'd love Colorado but I think living like 30-25 minutes from Sacramento and being near some beautiful off road parks in Cali would be awesome. But then again, Colorado has a crap ton of off road trails/parks and gorgeous mountains to go tool around. And yes, I have some family in Cali but it's only grandparents. Literally the rest of my Dad's side of the family lives in Riverton, WY hahahaha
 
A few things from someone who lives in Northern California and loves Colorado. Although, I have never wheeled in Colorado.

Politics of California suck as most know, however you may not have to deal with this much being in the military.

Funny, as crappy as they are. Vehicle restrictions aren't bad here. Heavily modded jeeps every where, no problem.

Plus side you have great mountains and wheeling plus the ocean. I still love having just a 2 hr drive to the coast. And the Northern California coast is beautiful.

Colorado is gorgeous and from what I have seen there is a ton of great wheeling.

Pot is fully legal is Colorado, medicinal only in California. Probably doesn't matter for you. Or at least I hope our military isn't high.

Speaking of drugs, tons of great breweries and wineries in California.

Snowboarding or skiing, both are great.

I'll admit. I love San Francisco. Cool town.

Denver is cool too, but different.

I've traveled quite a bit and Tahoe still blows me away. As does Yosemite.

Colorado has coors. I keep them in business.

California has both the lowest and highest points in the lower 48.

The lowest point, while some might say is Death Valley, is actually the fact that jerry brown is in his 3rd term as governor and will most likely get a 4th.

California has a grizzle on its flag but we killed them all. So less chance of being eaten alive.

Although we do have too many mountain lions since the libs stopped almost all hunting. So now you're back to being eaten alive.

IDK. It's a toss up.
 
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A few things from someone who lives in Northern California and loves Colorado. Although, I have never wheeled in Colorado.

Politics of California suck as most know, however you may not have to deal with this much being in the military.

Funny, as crappy as they are. Vehicle restrictions aren't bad here. Heavily modded jeeps every where, no problem.

Plus side you have great mountains and wheeling plus the ocean. I still love having just a 2 hr drive to the coast. And the Northern California coast is beautiful.

Colorado is gorgeous and from what I have seen there is a ton of great wheeling.

Pot is fully legal is Colorado, medicinal only in California. Probably doesn't matter for you. Or at least I hope our military isn't high.

Speaking of drugs, tons of great breweries and wineries in California.

Snowboarding or skiing, both are great.

I'll admit. I love San Francisco. Cool town.

Denver is cool too, but different.

I've traveled quite a bit and Tahoe still blows me away. As does Yosemite.

Colorado has coors. I keep them in business.

California has both the lowest and highest points in the lower 48.

The lowest point, while some might say is Death Valley, is actually the fact that jerry brown is in his 3rd term as governor and will most likely get a 4th.

California has a grizzle on its flag but we killed them all. So less chance of being eaten alive.

Although we do have too many mountain lions since the libs stopped almost all hunting. So now you're back to being eaten alive.

IDK. It's a toss up.

OMG thank you so much for being extremely useful and funny as hell at the same time! :clap2: Gave me a great laugh :cheesy:

My Fiancee loves San Francisco (though I think it's because she's a Giants fan lol).
 
While in the Air Force I lived in NOCAL and now I live in Colorado Springs and I would live hear hands down. Great Mountains great people and a lot cheaper. I vacationed here several times and we moved here 2 years ago and have enjoyed every minute.
 
While in the Air Force I lived in NOCAL and now I live in Colorado Springs and I would live hear hands down. Great Mountains great people and a lot cheaper. I vacationed here several times and we moved here 2 years ago and have enjoyed every minute.

Which base in NOCAL? Travis or Beale? I was prefering Travis but wouldn't mind Beale...or thats what I was thinking anyways. I've never been to either but heard Beale kinda sucks cause it's so damn big haha
 
Colorado by far, I'm a Colorado boy been to California it's nice, but at the end of the day your asking a jeep forum!! So let's do the math there are so many jeep trails in Colorado and your 5 to 6 hours from Moab, Utah.. Boom Colorado wins!! Come at us Cali!!!!!!!! ;)


Crawlorado Sticker for you!!!
 
Congrats Kenny!!!!!! Both places are awesome! Both are beautiful and have tons of off-roading trails around. Living in colorado would be way cheaper and which means more money for jeep parts!! Plus if you were in colorado I could come wheel with you twice a year but if you were in Cali I'd maybe get to wheel with you once every two or three years. Just my two cents. Congrats again man I'm happy for y'all.
 
travis afb is sacramento. me, and knowing marriages from others, i would let the lady choose. happy wife will make your military career better off. but, i do agree what was said a couple up and that colorado will be cheaper to live. and since you arent married yet having a place off base would be pricier here in cali than co. other good note is that you know the rubi isnt but a hop skip and a jump away from travis. which would be nice to be that close for a day trail rode.
 
if you want a good idea of colorado then look up the keep it tight video, its pretty close to what alot of colorado trails are like, also you are way closer to moab!
 
Colorado. Colorado Springs alone has 5 military installations counting the Academy.... Trails, mountains, weather, are amazing. We get 300+ days of sun here in the springs! and the cool thing is that when it does snow, it usually melts the next day, sometimes that afternoon.
 
I'm at beale right now and you are two hours or less from everything. It's 45 min to sac and about 1hr30 to Lake Tahoe and lots of nearby trails .. Rubicon? . You are also allowed to register your vehicle in home of record or last duty station, so no smog or anything. So it's really not a bad area. Never been to Colorado so I don't know. You can pm me if you want some more info.
 
Rated strictly by Jeeping and Snowsports

I live in San Diego and should have moved to either of the places you may be living at. San Diego is far from California's and Colorado's treasures. All we have nearby is the beach (cold water) and the desert (same old dust and wind) with little scenery. The ski areas near LA have little snow and too many people.

Thus we go to Northern California when we can.

http://keithbarnes.smugmug.com/Vacation/Rubicon-Trail-by-Jeep-2009-and/

http://keithbarnes.smugmug.com/Vacation/Big-Sur-and-San-Francisco/

http://keithbarnes.smugmug.com/Skiing/March-videos-at-Sierra-and/

We go to Colorado when we can.

http://keithbarnes.smugmug.com/Vacation/2013-Colorado-Black-Bear-Pass-/

http://keithbarnes.smugmug.com/Skiing/Telluride-Colorado-Ski-and/

If you go to Sacramento or Colorado you will be lots closer to the fun things in life.

My vacation pictures tell the story. http://keithbarnes.smugmug.com/Vacation

For information on Jeeping trails see Funtreks Guides on Northern and Southern Colorado and Northern California. https://www.funtreks.com/

Keith La Mesa CA
 
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@JK_Epidimick I'll shoot you a PM shortly :thumb:

So far I think Colorado is winning by a land slide haha

@Stephano, I'm a Comm troop...the only thing I fly is a CPU (computer) lmfao I do inspections on the base and enforce big brother and higher up Air Force commands rules for the base. Kind of like a cop but without a gun, handcuffs, badge, respect :cheesy:
 
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I have lived in both California (born and raised) and Colorado (stationed at Ft Carson). For me persoanlly I absolutely love Colorado. I am a very outdoors oriented person and love how close I was to fishing, hunting, hiking, mountain biking and great 'wheeling trails with amazing scenery. It can be argued that both have great trails with great scenery, and it is true, they both do. I just really loved that everything was so much closer in the Colorado Springs area. Plus, you would be closer to Moab I believe. Besides, I own way too many firearms to ever concider going back to California. Good luck in your decision!
 
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