For many of us, it has become part of life.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re running down to Fresno.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a phrase heard every week in coffee shops, grocery store aisles, workplaces, and conversations with neighbors throughout our mountain communities.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it\u2019s for Costco.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it\u2019s Home Depot.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it\u2019s a doctor\u2019s appointment, a concert, the airport, or a shopping trip.<\/p>\n
Other times, it\u2019s simply because the thing we\u2019re looking for isn\u2019t available closer to home.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s such a normal part of living in our mountain communities that most of us hardly think about it anymore.<\/p>\n
But maybe it\u2019s worth asking why.<\/p>\n
Some Things Will Always Be Worth the Trip<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s be realistic.<\/p>\n
No one expects Oakhurst, Coarsegold, North Fork, Bass Lake, Ahwahnee, Fish Camp, or Mariposa to become Fresno.<\/p>\n
Nor would most residents want them to.<\/p>\n
Larger cities will always offer things that smaller mountain communities simply can\u2019t\u2014major hospitals, universities, large entertainment venues, major shopping centers, and an international airport.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s one of the benefits of living within driving distance of a larger city.<\/p>\n
But not every trip down the hill falls into that category.<\/p>\n
What Keeps Pulling Us Away?<\/p>\n
What if we asked a different question?<\/p>\n
Instead of asking what our communities are missing, what are the reasons we leave them?<\/p>\n
Is it another restaurant? A specialty retailer? Healthcare? Family entertainment? Clothing stores? A place to meet friends on a Friday evening?<\/p>\n
Maybe it\u2019s not even a business.<\/p>\n
Maybe it\u2019s more community events. More live music. More opportunities for young families. More reasons to spend a Saturday afternoon close to home.<\/p>\n
The answers are probably different for every person reading this.<\/p>\n
Every Trip Tells a Story<\/p>\n
Every time we drive to Fresno, we\u2019re spending more than gasoline.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re spending our time. We\u2019re making memories somewhere else. We\u2019re supporting businesses somewhere else.<\/p>\n
Again, that\u2019s not always a bad thing.<\/p>\n
Sometimes it\u2019s exactly what larger cities are there for.<\/p>\n
But every trip also tells a story.<\/p>\n
Sometimes that story is unavoidable. Other times, it raises an interesting question.<\/p>\n
If enough of us are making the same trip for the same reason, what does that tell us about the needs of our mountain communities?<\/p>\n
Patterns Worth Paying Attention To<\/p>\n
Imagine if hundreds of people all answered this question.<\/p>\n
Would the most common reason be healthcare? Shopping? Live music? Family entertainment? A favorite restaurant?<\/p>\n
Or would we discover needs that haven\u2019t even crossed most of our minds?<\/p>\n
The answers probably wouldn\u2019t be the same for every community.<\/p>\n
What residents hope for in North Fork may be very different from what people would like to see in Oakhurst, Coarsegold, Bass Lake, Ahwahnee, Fish Camp, or Mariposa.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s part of what makes our mountain communities unique.<\/p>\n
Perhaps the value isn\u2019t in finding one answer.<\/p>\n
Perhaps it\u2019s in discovering the patterns.<\/p>\n
Because patterns have a way of telling us what matters most.<\/p>\n
Maybe the Conversation Isn\u2019t About Fresno at All<\/p>\n
Perhaps this isn\u2019t really a story about Fresno.<\/p>\n
Maybe it\u2019s a story about understanding ourselves.<\/p>\n
About recognizing the choices we make every week and asking what they reveal about life in our mountain communities.<\/p>\n
Maybe the answers simply help us better understand the communities we call home.<\/p>\n
Or maybe hidden within those answers are opportunities.<\/p>\n
After all, many successful businesses, community events, nonprofits, and local traditions begin by recognizing a need that already exists.<\/p>\n
Some people call it a simple philosophy:<\/p>\n
Find a need and fill it.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a conversation for another day.<\/p>\n
Today, we\u2019re simply curious.<\/p>\n
Sierra News Online Wants to Hear From You<\/p>\n
What\u2019s the number one reason you drive to Fresno?<\/p>\n
If you could eliminate just one trip down the hill by adding something closer to home, what would it be?<\/p>\n
Share your thoughts in the comments below.<\/p>\n
We may feature some of the most common answers in a follow-up story as we continue exploring what matters most to our mountain communities.<\/p>\n
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