Well when Papa leaves Ridgecrest, that will leave an opening there.
As far as Northern California area, Reno would be my choice if I wanted to live in that area due to Nevada's tax laws--ie no state income tax. You could also live in the Incline Village or on the South Shore, but make sure to stay on the Nevada side, and you better like snow and shoveling snow.
If I was staying in California, I'd go further north to Redding. Many great fishing areas around the town, not a lot of snow, but it does get hot in the summer. You have the Pit, Sacramento, Trinity, Hat Creek, Fall, McCloud, plus numerous lakes all within an hour. You could move up to Dunsmuir or Mt Shasta, but those aren't really much of a town (but then neither is Truckee).
I'll be moving to Idaho, but can't recommend it. No fish there, huge mosquitoes, bears, mountain lions, and wolves are rampant. Lots of hillbillies there also. Jobs are tought to find, and mail only gets delivered once a week, and that's assuming the Well's Fargo Stage doesn't get attacked by Indians (or I guess the PC term is aboriginal peoples) at the border.
"Should you cast your fly into a branch overhead or into a bush behind you, or miss a fish striking, or lose him,or slip into a hole up to your armpits-keep your temper; above all things don't swear, for he that swears will catch no fish."