where should i go | Squat the Planet

where should i go

Winslow

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I've traveled around the west side of the country a bit and California has been my favorite place to be. I've lived in the humboldt area, bay area, around los angeles, fresno, redding, and a bunch of other little cities along the way but at the time I was just traveling on foot and sleeping outside. Due to a fucked up situation I had to return home to Louisiana for a few months but now I'm ready to get out of here again. My plan is to go travel again for a year or 2 in my truck and then find a city to set up shop in. To tell you a little bit about myself; I skate, play my banjo, I love drawing and painting, making beats, taking pictures, and exploring. So I'm definitely looking for cities with a good music scene, lots of artists, and lots of outdoor activities. I'd really love to live somewhere where I can work in nature in some kind of way or work with animals. So whether it's cool cities I should move to or spots I should see along my travels, all ideas are welcome!
 

Jerrell

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For some reason Austin jumped into my mind. I haven't been down there in ages, but it used to be a decent cultural spot. Its probably the most liberal city in Texas. SXSW, Austin City Limits, etc are examples of the music scene. As far as animals tho...I have no clue. Maybe there's an armadillo rescue shelter?
Happy travels!
 

Winslow

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If you make it out west again you should chk out oregon and washinton for nature. the olympic rainforest in wa is especially nice. portland and seattle both have their charm. on the east coast the Appalachian trail goes through some nice wilderness. austin has a decent scene nowadays, def worth stoppin by if your in the area. denversterdam is also a blast if you dig that mile high life.
Last time I passed through portland it was terrible. Never been to Seattle but I'm sure I'll have to wait until the weather warms up again before I head up there. olympic rainforest sounds like exactly what i'm lookin for though!
 

Winslow

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For some reason Austin jumped into my mind. I haven't been down there in ages, but it used to be a decent cultural spot. Its probably the most liberal city in Texas. SXSW, Austin City Limits, etc are examples of the music scene. As far as animals tho...I have no clue. Maybe there's an armadillo rescue shelter?
Happy travels!
Yeah, I've had a lot of friends suggest Austin to me too. I'm definitely gonna have to pass through but being from Louisiana I'm feeling the urge to get a lil further from home..
 

Hobo Mud

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Would suggest trying to explore some of the small towns and small cities of America. Most youngsters on the rails today are obsessed with the big cities.

Many of the youngsters I have encountered have always disagreed with me pertaining to the statement I am about to make.

If you really want to see and explore America, your not going to find it in big cities, your going to find it in the little, unknown, forgotten and not so " hip " cities and small towns.

Not saying that big cities are not grand and do not have important history, because they do!

Maybe I am old fashion because of my age but it has always been the little unforgotten towns to which I have learned and experienced forgotten unpopular history and were much fun to explore than your more well known cities.

It seems harder and harder to find riders, especially younger ones that appreciate the sights, smells and history of smaller towns of America. Times change I guess and so do the values of what people consider important.

I certainly wish you nothing but the best of luck in your grand adventures friend. Keep on keeping on and may the wind always be at your back......
 

BelleBottoms

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Your list reminds me of the process I used to find my first home.

First, I outfitted an S-10 pick up (that's one of the really little ones) so I could live out of it and traveled around the USA for 18 months. This did not help me find a place to live because I liked all of it. So...

I put a map on the wall.
I made a list of things I didn't want to live with - hurricanes, tornadoes, air and water pollution, extreme temperatures, cloud cover more than 200 days a year - and blacked out all the areas where those things were common.
I made a list of things I did want to live with. Only, they had to be things I could research. So instead of "good music scene, art community, stimulating clubs," I listed college/university and minimum population of 35k, because I knew those things tended to coincide. All the places that matched my want list that weren't in a blacked out area got circled.

Eventually I came up with a handful of places and planned another trip to see them all. But I fell in love with the first place I went, Bend Oregon, and the rest of the trip never happened.

I'm sure none of this is helpful to you, but like I said, your list just reminded me so thanks for letting me share. Since you're in the proximity, I'd recommend hugging the Gulf Coast. From South Padre Island in TX, to Key West in FL, there's lots of gems to discover. And right now is a great time, before storms, bugs, and heat show up!
 
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BelleBottoms

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Chino Valley, Arizona, USA
Would suggest trying to explore some of the small towns and small cities of America. Most youngsters on the rails today are obsessed with the big cities.

Many of the youngsters I have encountered have always disagreed with me pertaining to the statement I am about to make.

If you really want to see and explore America, your not going to find it in big cities, your going to find it in the little, unknown, forgotten and not so " hip " cities and small towns.

Not saying that big cities are not grand and do not have important history, because they do!

Maybe I am old fashion because of my age but it has always been the little unforgotten towns to which I have learned and experienced forgotten unpopular history and were much fun to explore than your more well known cities.

It seems harder and harder to find riders, especially younger ones that appreciate the sights, smells and history of smaller towns of America. Times change I guess and so do the values of what people consider important.

I certainly wish you nothing but the best of luck in your grand adventures friend. Keep on keeping on and may the wind always be at your back......
I totally agree with you. America's roots are in towns, small cities, and down dirt roads. My number one travel priority is STAY OFF THE INTERSTATE. And similarly, avoid chain restaurants and stores. These places are not where you will learn about the particulars of a place or it's people, which to me, is the purpose of traveling.
 

maggot

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You should check out some of the smaller cities/college towns in northern colorado before they get completely gentrified... the music and art scenes are ok sometimes and of course the mountains are amazing
 

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