[quote=protorio] (in re: SD) . . . the excellent and rather cheap food, produce, and emergent farm-to-table food economy; the “small town feel” of the place . . . [/quote]
Yes, protorio, I think a lot of Piggs would be SURPRISED at the cost (and quality) of food available at the local AG market in the middle of America’s “heartland” and “beef belt.”
The food prices are particularly shocking in the many rural and semi-rural communities where one or two lone markets have the monopoly.
While visiting relatives, I once had to come up with a quick gallon of cranberry juice for punch and paid $8.69 for it. Where else could I go? The nearest “Sam’s Club” was more than 100 miles away (and even they’re not as cheap there as they are here w/all our “competition.”)
Their produce is often too green or too ripe (thus inedible upon purchase), too old (been sitting too long in the store), lettuce and celery rusted and the selection is 1/3 to 1/4 of what we see in Von’s and Ralph’s here. On top of that, it is more expensive. Need coffee?? You have Folger’s, Maxwell House and “Springfield” (the “house” brand) to choose from, all in cans.
Pack a good can opener (NOT carry-on … lol) . . . you’ll be using it a lot.
Bringing your fav coffee beans in your suitcase or trunk?? Better pack a grinder (NOT carry-on), too, cuz nobody there has one. Or better yet, grind them before you leave.
Want fresh avocados, persimmons, pomegranates, mangos, bok choy, plantains, tangelos, pineapples, etc or fresh fish (w/o whiskers … lol)?? DREAM ON!
I once paid $5.39 for a gallon of milk in a small town in WY I was staying in. When I got home with the milk, a blizzard came in and we were snowed in for over five days. We ended up having to use several bic lighters and a putty knife to pry the screen doors open the next day so we could make our way the garage to grab more firewood for our wood stove. For nearly two of those days, the power was out but we had a (noisy) generator (as everyone does in those parts).
The (eligible) elderly in these areas often depend on volunteer van-pools and/or buses to take them to the nearest military commissary (often 150 – 200 miles away) every six weeks or so to load up their pantries and chest freezers. The rest have their children take them to a Sam’s Club a few times a year.
Even in CA rural areas, such as Bishop, Independence or towns in the redwood country, the selection and quality of food is much better than this. All the stores around Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Lakes are VERY well-stocked (with many gourmet items) even if the roads in and out of the sierras are closed, as they are stocked from Reno and Las Vegas, NV respectively (LV is stocked nightly from Los Angeles).
Putting aside beaches, mountains, weather, etc, CA residents tend to take a LOT of “other stuff” for granted, as well. Life just ain’t as easy or convenient in a lot of those areas of the country where “cheap housing” prevails. You pay for what you get in this life.
And sometimes I feel like I’m living in a time-warp here, on the set of “Leave-it-to-Beaver” . . . Oklahoma by the Bay, if you will 🙂 🙂 That’s how dtn Chula Vista is . . . it has a “small town feel” (with big-city and resort amenities nearby). It’s truly the best of all worlds :=}
