I lived there for 34 years, from ages 8 to 42. Schools were excellent, roads & freeways were top notch, and the beaches were gorgeous. Moved to AZ in 1996 and now the only thing I miss is the ocean.
Me too . . . I was born and raised in California, back when it really was the Golden State. It was gently conservative, with a series of moderate GOP governors. But demographics is destiny, and many of those sensible, family oriented folks moved away. I’m in Arizona now too, in a quiet rural area. Taxes are low and regulations few. The demographics are a lot like what I remember growing up.