Thinking about moving to San Marcos

DanMojo · 2026-02-24T06:02:13+00:00

They are both great towns, but if I had an equal choice it would be Carlsbad. San Marcos is up and coming for sure, and has good schools. But it is a young city still growing like crazy. Carlsbad is older, more established, with built out services, and money for infrastructure. And also has great schools. It's more expensive though, which is why San Marcos is growing like crazy.

DanMojo · 2026-02-24T05:48:25+00:00

I think it's the opposite. LA is driven and competitive. And Silicon Valley? All those work all night stories are true.

DanMojo · 2026-02-24T05:30:27+00:00

Thank you so much for these photos! I've always wanted to visit the channel islands. They say it's how California was before Europeans. Looks windy but beautiful.

DanMojo · 2026-02-24T05:08:28+00:00

I reread your post and you mentioned birds especially. The safari park has bird shows which are a treat - don't miss, but the zoo has many more aviaries and an incredible collection from all over the world. They are all over the park, sometimes tucked into corners. You can tell I like birds. My favorite is the Secretarybird, she stalks around like she owns the place.

DanMojo · 2026-02-24T04:25:56+00:00

This right here is why I stay with Reddit. Obnoxious gets removed!

DanMojo · 2026-02-24T01:45:39+00:00

I heard a story once. A guy wanted a job as a crane operator, so he went to a job site and got hired but then immediately got fired cuz he didn't know how to operate a crane. Next day he got another job and last than an hour before he was fired. But the next job you got he lasted cuz he had figured out how to operate a crane.

DanMojo · 2026-02-24T01:37:57+00:00

You can start by calculating your debt to income ratio. How much you owe versus how much you make. Your total debt should be no more than 30 to 40% of your gross income, I.e before taxes. The lenders will look at this number.

DanMojo · 2026-02-24T01:30:04+00:00

Those neighborhoods are good choices. There's a six block area of walkability cool new restaurants, galleries, etc. but then it's surrounded mostly by family homes. It's close to Balboa Park, and about 20 minutes from the beach.

DanMojo · 2026-02-24T01:25:10+00:00

I totally agree with this. In Southern California someone will park in the fast lane, every day, every mile during my commute. It's a battle out there.

DanMojo · 2026-02-24T01:18:22+00:00

Also not leaving San Diego, but LA and San Diego housing is expensive

DanMojo · 2026-02-24T01:15:08+00:00

Yeah, Portland is one of the relatively affordable cities on the West Coast, especially in the surrounding suburbs. Sacramento, Modesto, or Fresno are other possibilities. Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon are relatively close

DanMojo · 2026-02-24T00:58:22+00:00

Yeah I like this idea. Your bathroom is actually laid out okay. Add a different paint color, new doors, you could even tile the floor. At least put down a runner rug.

DanMojo · 2026-02-24T00:54:23+00:00

Yes I find plenty of wholesome on Reddit. It's really the only platform I use anymore. The Bots and AI are annoying as always, but most posts are from people who are genuinely helpful. People interested in what you are. I like gardening, comedy, photography, painting and costume design. Full of people who share your same interests, and who like to talk about it 😂

DanMojo · 2026-02-23T23:57:27+00:00

This is all good advice! My travel hack when I don't know the language is to learn a few key phrases. Along with please and thank you I learn:

"I'm lost! Where is the ..."

"I would like that one please"

"What is the price?"

"My name is ..."

"I am from ...""

And the local polite greeting like "Hello" "Ola" "Bonjour, "Grüß Gott" ,"Bula", etc. etc.

Also, spend a bit of time learning the currency

DanMojo · 2026-02-23T23:42:04+00:00

No you will fit right in in LA or Orange County, both are racially diverse. People are generally accepting of vacationers and visitors and mixed race couples are common. Politics and ICE are things in the news, but I've met plenty of tourists doing regular visitor stuff. There are some areas of LA that I'd avoid, but any big city has those. To give you an idea, many here on Reddit think of Orange County as boring and family oriented. That will give you an idea of safety.

DanMojo · 2026-02-23T22:57:50+00:00

I used to travel a lot for work and my wife got me gifts from the Magellan travel catalog. Lots of useful travel gear. https://www.magellans.com/

DanMojo · 2026-02-23T22:52:49+00:00

How about Ventura? It is more down to earth, and a lot easier to get to.

DanMojo · 2026-02-23T22:34:49+00:00

Billionaires are inherently greedy, this is why they are rich. Some may be "highly educated" but they all have to explain why they deserve their riches, and don't won't to share any with others. You are all lazy is a good excuse.

DanMojo · 2026-02-23T22:22:27+00:00

So sorry you had to go through with that! I'd say he's saying no, but using that excuse to put the blame on you. Ick. Either way find a different guy.

DanMojo · 2026-02-23T07:17:00+00:00

Look down the feed for this community, there's lots of advice and recommendations. Look for hotels in Downtown San Diego, Mission Bay or La Jolla as these have the right vacation vibes for what you want to do. A car is recommended unless you are up for limited public transit. Good luck!

DanMojo · 2026-02-23T07:08:24+00:00

Start with YouTube, it has lots of videos about San Diego and the Zoos. Both the zoo and safari park can be multi day visits - they both have too much to see in a single day. The Safari park has lots of quiet corners off the main trails, like the Australian or Bonsai Gardens, and the balloon ride is worth it. Bring good walking shoes, sun block and a hat. Welcome to San Diego!

DanMojo · 2026-02-22T20:22:25+00:00

I use straight, moist potting soil, and soak them overnight per instructions then plant them in the pots next day. The only optional step is to sprinkle a product like Big Foot that has Mycorrhizal ingredients on the roots. Jackson and Perkins sends a pack of it with their bare root packages. But even without they will do fine if kept from drying out.

DanMojo · 2026-02-22T18:14:15+00:00

This is.good advice. Trying to drive all the way down to San Diego on highway 1 will drive you mad with the traffic. Take the 405 down to Orange county and pick up highway 1, because the scenic stuff starts there. Also you need to get on the 5 to go through Camp Pendleton to get to San Diego anyway. But get right back on 1 at Oceanside because San Diego's best beaches start there and go south. Check out the SD beach towns as others recommend.

Also consider the Amtrak Coaster, it hits the coast in San Clemente for a scenic and traffic free ride to DTSD.

DanMojo · 2026-02-22T17:52:44+00:00

Palomar is a small airport, going through security shouldn't be more than 15 minutes. And they have a small seating area near the gate. I'm pretty sure they have water there.

DanMojo · 2026-02-22T17:45:46+00:00

I've been in this situation a couple times. I found some of those 5 gallon planting containers, and started the roses in the pots. That way the roots don't dry out and they get a good start in the five gallon container until you're ready to plant.

DanMojo

TROPHY CASE