JenLeoLIVE!

Quality of Life Quest: North Carolina

Californians that are loathe to think of us leaving our home state will find amusement in the irony of this news release. Yesterday, the same day that we booked our tickets to check out Wilmington, NC, Beaufort, SC, and Charleston, SC - North Carolina was hit with deadly storms. "At least six dead as storms pound NC". Obviously we are sorry to the families that lost loved ones. And we will still be checking out the Wilmington/Carolina Beach area Dec 11-16. Tornado, or no tornado.

The Best $100 Beach Motel

The Kon Tiki Inn impressed me. Luxury travelers go away, this is a gem for budget travelers. Situated  on the north side of Pismo Beach, the sunset view out our balcony says it all. Bubbling jacuzzi and clean pool overlooking a wide sandy beach—High five! The interior of the rooms is very motel-like, but be sure to note that the folks at Kon Tiki have done their best be better than your average motel. I seem to be judging budget accommodations these days by their shower curtain rod - It's all about the curved rod. And of course, the thoughtful Kon Tiki had already made this upgrade. Our room also had a coffee machine, hair dryer, and $10 gets you WiFi for the length of your stay, not just per day. Free continental breakfast? Check. The bill? Under $100 before tax and WiFi. Note that it is necessary to avoid the first floor because of plumbing noises from the floors above. We had a room on the 3rd floor and it was only $2 extra. All in we were $115.60.

Pismo Beach was very old school and you can tell that they like it that way. There didn't seem to be an ounce of new development (except one luxury condo or townhouse complex coming in). Pismo Beach is sitting on some prime real estate and a find for those would love to get some beach front property for much cheaper than you would on the rest of California's coastline. We liked Shell Beach, a smidge north of Pismo. The Sea Side Cafe next to the post office was irresistible. Owners Tim and Liz are running this little coffee stand with patio and serving Illy Italian coffees with Liz's home cooked treats. Everything is homemade here and I watched a local argue that the stuffed peppers were even better than the breakfast special - a deluxe egg, cheese, and ham sandwich on homemade English muffins. WiFi Internet? You bet. Avila Beach was the next stop up has its own bay and has been remodeled for an upmarket clientele. At least more posh than Pismo Beach, which upon seeing, you'd think that everything was. Still, the Kon Tiki is a terrific stop on the Central Coast.

Kon Tiki Inn
1621 Price Street
Pismo Beach, CA  93449
Availability or rates at: (805) 773-4833

Quality of Life Quest: It Begins

John had a big birthday this weekend, and the only thing he wanted was a house. That was a little hard for me to get, so instead I got him a folder full of maps, printouts of information on towns, and profiles of towns he already knows he wants to check out. Yes, I got him more than that for his bday, but the point is, that we're starting our quest. We're looking for a quality, affordable town to live in. It's a long term project that is expected to take many months, but it all starts with day one, today.

In an hour or so we'll head up the coast and have a look at the San Luis Obispo area including Paso Robles and Pismo Beach. Tomorrow we'll go south from there winding up at Chumash in time to play in a $25 tournament. I've never been to Chumash and am looking forward to it. Of course if we had our millions John would want to live in Santa Barbara. But we're not quite there yet, and you know me, I'm fairly flexible. Though as we have begun to talk about this, it's both exciting, and a bit scary.

What is our criteria? We're still trying to figure that out. We like different things, so there's got to be some middle ground. Weather is John's biggest care. He doesn't do winter. I love to see the seasons change and would move to Milwaukee or Portland or maybe even Maine, though I've never been to Maine, in a heart beat. So, it's almost as if we've drawn a center line across a map of the U.S. and are looking at the bottom half.

We both need the town to be tech friendly, I want it to have good public schools, though I have no idea how to measure that yet. The housing needs to be affordable. We're aiming for towns with plenty of houses in the $400K and under zone. And I need a good old town vibe. I would love for the town, notice I didn't say city, to be somewhat historic. I can't do a Murietta or Temecula style start up. I need character. Coffeehouses and newstands are a definite plus. Oh, and yes, it needs to be within two hours of a good airport.

Charleston is still on the list. And Wilmington, NC and Carolina Beach are also next in line. I'm sure we'll talk a lot more about what we want on the drive today and how we'll grade each town. Last night I bought a brand new Moleskine so that I can document this adventure. So, wish us luck and chime in if you know of a town that you recommend we check out. Money Magazine has a section called "Best Places to Live 2006" and my favorite part about that guide is reading the comments of the people who are irked that their town wasn't on the list and why they think it should be. Now, that's a resource.

Ok, let me get packing. I'll report later from our WiFi hotel in Pismo.

CURRENT: PASADENA, CA
NEXT: PISMO BEACH, CA