Looking for simplier life in Northern CA, Oregon, WA

I've been reading about permaculture and trying out some of the ideas in my own garden. My husband and I completed an introductory course in permaculture. We are tired of this rat race life in So Cal. Plus we are living in a small area that has drought problems and relies on a local source of water. I would like to go to a place where there is water. We have the idea to sell our home in So Cal and move to a place where the homes are cheaper and we can have a few acres to grow food and just live a simple life with nature. When I read about the different areas though in Northern CA and Oregon, I see high crime rates and poor communities. I lived in an area with gangs previously, and I never want to live in a place where I feel unsafe, just not worth it. I visited Oregon last year, and it seems like the most beautiful place on earth. But, then I read about the crime problems and that the sheriff might not come to help you. Where are some good places to live? And how do we go about trying to find a place? Just a few acres and to be part of a like minded community of people. How do I find my Eden? I know it is out there.

I think I posted this in the wrong forum, though.

I drove through much of this part of the states last fall; there were some pretty sharp dividing lines between areas where most properties were pretty gnarly trailer-trash sorta places, and places where the homes were cared for and gardens abounded... It seems to me that a lot of time with boots on the ground would be the way to go; good neighbours would be key.

(No offense meant to trailer dwellers... I live in a van! But y'all know what I mean, poorly maintained structures with garbage everywhere, more cars up on blocks than not...)

Unfortunately low land prices and poor communities do tend to be correlated, as do crime rates and poverty...


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Hi. Portland,OR is like CA in many ways but cheaper. Its by lots of water, many flowing rivers,mountains, on the WA border. I was there for 2 weeks last Fall. It felt a lot like the Bay Area/SonomaMarin where I live. Very pretty, a little cold but manageable. There is a new tiny house village there . East Oregon and Northern Idaho are some other favs.

PS You can get water from the air! Check into a simple technology called "Air Wells". Its all about collecting water that is present in the air (even in the driest places) via dew and fog forming at night and morning, etc. The way you 'take' the water from the air can vary...It can be made from plastic netting stretched out, put up (kinda like a plastic net fence in the air) with a gutter at a slant connected to the bottom of the net. The dew/fog/water hits the netting and drips down into the gutter, into your pipe/collection container/underground cistern. You will be amazed at the amount of water people are collecting in one day only! Also Ive seen another method using a big plastic sheet or glass, positioned at a slant and they use a squeegie type thing to pull the water down into the collection containers at the bottom in the morning. Check on Youtube and Pinterest! Some methods are fancier, some are more simple, they are all getting water from the air! Take care