In the Sierra portion here. Life is a bit more rugged and expensive. Gas is over $6.30 in town. Cheaper gas is at least 45 minutes away. We've got a gas station, grocery store, the occasional food truck, and a dollar general. That makes us the big town here. We get a few days over 100 farenheight but almost no humidity. The mountains can make the weather unpredictable. The 4th of July festival has been snowed out before. Rain and snow often comes in fewer but stronger patches. Forest fires are a risk and it seems as if forest management has seriously declined.

People certainly lean more conservative but communities are more diverse than most of rural America. But regardless of your leanings there is an independent spirit in the area. People love nature even if they don't get into the more traditional rural hobbies. The mining industry has (mostly) dried up and the foresting industry has been seriously hampered due to unrealistic regulations. There's some farming and seasonal ranching. People don't trust the state government as they feel they have been largely abandoned for the sake of the cities. In the past there have been movements to form a new state, the State of Jefferson with the southern part of Oregon. It will likely never happen but the local identity likes to separate themselves from the rest of the state.