I feel fairly fortunate to live in an area that has quite a few quilt stores in any given direction. We also have Road to California in January. As far as recreation, there are mountains, the ocean, and desert; all less than 100 miles. The weather is great. In the winter, if you feel like seeing snow, you go to the mountains. You can ski in the morning, then surf in the afternoon. The only drawback is the traffic. You learn to travel in the "off" hours.