Welp, the family and I will be headed back to the U.S. of A. this summer.
I retire from the Air Force this year which means for the first time in 20 years I have 100% control over where I live. We've spent 4 years here in England and for the longest time were set on trying to stay here as a military retiree working for the US government as a contractor or federal civilian.
Well, after much thought and debate, the wife and I have decided that the best move for us and our kids (15 and nearly 13) is to move back to the states. We're headed for San Diego, where my wife is from.
I'm a little bummed that I won't be able to take the Mini I have here to California and that the project mini I have in storage at my in-laws house in Arkansas isn't able to be registered in Cali. Otherwise, I'm very excited about the possibilities So Cal has for us. And I tell you what, I'm looking forward to sunshine after being over here!
This one is already in California. I am the "previous owner" mentioned in the ad and did most of the work on it. It is a true 1961. The body is not perfect, and the dash is custom with all Autometer gauges. The current seller might go as low as $10K.
https://www.minimania.com/cars4Sale/14804/1961_Morris_Mini_Cooper_S_MK_I_replica_Sedan
(https://www.minimania.com/cars4Sale/14804/1961_Morris_Mini_Cooper_S_MK_I_replica_Sedan)
Sandy Eggo......I'm so jealous. I lived there for almost 20 years before I moved back to Kansas......I would LOVE to be there now.
Quote from: MiniDave on February 22, 2018, 01:11:00 PM
Sandy Eggo......I'm so jealous. I lived there for almost 20 years before I moved back to Kansas......I would LOVE to be there now.
My wife is bummed about leaving the UK but very much looking forward to getting back to nice weather, nice beaches, taco shops within walking distance, etc. Since we've been married we've taken a couple of trips out there and I've loved it but never thought we'd be able to afford to live there. The timing is working out right--her father is going to help us out so we can get established there. We'll initially live with him.
I probably won't be in the market for a mini until we've purchased a home (damn priorities). I am looking forward to exploring the area with my motorcycles, though.
I'm also looking forward to getting back to the US car scene. The UK does have a unique car scene here but nothing like America and definitely not like So Cal. I will miss being able to go to Mini in the Park in August. They hold it about 20 mins from where I live here.
Great motorcycle/sports car/Mini roads to the east and north of the metro, the only problem is the hour's drive thru traffic to get to them! I don't know if they still have the squid problem they used to, since they closed the naval training center. (Squids are low rank enlisted men who buy a bike then go tearing around the canyons in flip flops, shorts and a T-shirt - also known as organ donors) There are still plenty of military personnel there of course, between the marines, the supply depot and the naval stations at Coronado and MAR.
What part of town does her father live? I lived in Bay Ho (it's on the maps) just north of Balboa street and just east of I-5, great part of town but I doubt I could afford to buy there now. I had a nice house with a great view of the bay, up on a hillside close enough to the ocean that it was always temperate, but far enough inland that it wasn't damp all night. My house didn't even have A/C - didn't need it! Kept my boat in Mission Bay at DeAnza cove, everything was so close and convenient. Just remember, the farther inland you go the hotter it gets in the summer, when it was 75* at my house in the summer it was 105* in Alpine! We could always tell which college the students attended, the UCSD kids were pale and wore raincoats all the time (UCSD is on the coast in LaJolla) or SDSU, where the kids wore shorts and tanks tops and had enviable tans year round (SDSU is 10 miles or so inland, in LaMesa) ;D
You're going to love living there. As far as the car scene, they have a great Mini club in SD, and they do events with the even bigger club in LA, but as you know - SoCal is IT for cars......
Her dad lives in Spring Valley. When it comes time to purchase a house we'll probably try to stay around that area.
There is a cold front coming in from Russia this week (the news is calling it, "The Beast from the East"). I can't wait for some nice weather!
Spring Valley is nice, near SDSU and LaMesa.......about 8 miles inland from the coast or so.
It is a little weird to me that we've decided to relocate to a place I've only visited twice in my life. I did like it both times, though. It's also a little weird to me that if it DOESN'T end up working, we can leave. I'm used to getting wherever it is and knowing I'm there for 3, 4, or 5 years.
The only thing not to like about Sandy Eggo is rush hour traffic on I-8 thru the valley, but if you don't have to deal with it you're golden!
San Diego is great and has some real knowledgable Mini folks. I lived there from 2003 - 2016, living predominately near downtown.
You will definitely get more bang for your buck in the La Mesa/Spring Valley areas and even up in the BayHo, Clairemont, and neighborhoods over there.
I LOVED living more in the urban neighborhoods because I'm a big cyclist and generally traveled by foot, bicycle, or Mini if I wasn't headed to work. The trade off was neighbors on top of you, very little work space, and limited parking. We considered La Mesa/Spring Valley though before we moved to the Bay Area because a workshop/bigger garage was VERY high on my future house must-have list and it was much more obtainable in those areas. I wouldn't trade my days in San Diego for anything, it was such a great time and if you like food San Diego has one of the BEST food/restaurant scenes, you WILL NOT be disappointed.
SD Minis is a mixed group of Minis and BINI's and they meet monthly rotating between North County and South.
It's funny, Mini folk must be generally more happy and easy going. Everybody here has said nothing but good things. I posted a question on a Triumph motorcycle forum (about whether or not I'd be able to register my 2002) and most of the replies were, "California Sucks! Don't go/come there/here!"
Most people that seem to think it is a bad idea cite taxes, bureaucracy, and high cost of living. But, I've lived in the UK for more than 4 years, I don't think taxes, bureaucracy, and cost of living could get any worse than here! LOL
Yep, you're on the right forum here! 4.gif
The only negative for me about moving to California right now is the cost of housing, once you're out of that market it's difficult to get back in again unless you have a good paying job. Since I'm retired on fixed income it's pretty much impossible for me (with a wife), if I were single I could do it.
I will freely admit that if my wife's father wasn't opening up his home to my family we wouldn't be considering it. We'll be socking away what we'd be paying in rent to help with a down payment for a home. That is a huge advantage.
In July we plan on flying into Memphis, visiting my wife's mom and stepfather and then road tripping into Cali. We're excited for it. There's nothing quite like an American road trip. We're planning on hitting up the Grand Canyon and the Cadillac Ranch.
If he's in town and not off flying about somewhere, the Restoration Mini garage is right on the way! Just sayin..... ;D
Yup, our route is going to take us through Oklahoma. I'm sure Dan has a couch big enough for me, my wife, two teenage kids, and a border collie to crash on. LOL :D
I have a big couch but not that big! What part of Oklahoma are you driving through?
We haven't finalized our driving route yet, but as of right now we're planning on cutting right down the middle of OK on I40. We'll probably make our first day of driving the longest and go from Arkansas to Amarillo.
what part of the UK did you live at?
i was at Mildenhall for 6 years, lived in Red Lodge and Liberty village on Lakenheath, i daily drove what i called the red rocket
im from South San Diego, down in the Chula Vista area
but im in Tucson right now, at DM
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4659/27860727319_52492cd6f8.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/JrXvzz)the red rocket (https://flic.kr/p/JrXvzz) by joa kwin (https://www.flickr.com/photos/153125896@N06/), on Flickr
Quote from: joakwin on March 08, 2018, 06:29:38 PM
what part of the UK did you live at?
i was at Mildenhall for 6 years, lived in Red Lodge and Liberty village on Lakenheath, i daily drove what i called the red rocket
im from South San Diego, down in the Chula Vista area
but im in Tucson right now, at DM
Small world, huh?! I'm at RAF Molesworth, RAF Alconbury, which is about an hour to an hour and a half drive from Mildenhall and Lakenheath. Our bases are so small we frequently have to go to Mildenhall or Lakenheath for stuff. If you ever drove to Birmingham or went to Mini In the Park at Santa Pod raceway, you would have driven right by my village. My village is called Titchmarsh and it's right next to Thrapston.
Did you recently retire from the AF?
Quote from: MiniGene on March 09, 2018, 01:20:04 AM
Quote from: joakwin on March 08, 2018, 06:29:38 PM
what part of the UK did you live at?
i was at Mildenhall for 6 years, lived in Red Lodge and Liberty village on Lakenheath, i daily drove what i called the red rocket
im from South San Diego, down in the Chula Vista area
but im in Tucson right now, at DM
Small world, huh?! I'm at RAF Molesworth, RAF Alconbury, which is about an hour to an hour and a half drive from Mildenhall and Lakenheath. Our bases are so small we frequently have to go to Mildenhall or Lakenheath for stuff. If you ever drove to Birmingham or went to Mini In the Park at Santa Pod raceway, you would have driven right by my village. My village is called Titchmarsh and it's right next to Thrapston.
Did you recently retire from the AF?
im in taps right now, my last day of taps today, its been a long week with a ton of info, retirement is going to be nice
I went to every Mini in the Park that I could, wasn't many because I was always deployed it seemed like
the last mini show I went to in the UK was IMM in Kent in 2014, I went to mini in the park that year but it was a rain pit
I do miss living in the UK, being able to buy mini parts from coopers garage or dsn or twinkam in person was so nice, and not having to order and ship parts in