Life in Small town, McCall Idaho

Moving to McCall, here is some friendly advice.

There are a few things you need to know if you’re going to make your home in McCall or the surrounding communities.  These are the quirky things that no one really tells you until you live here.  Most people stumble upon them once they get here.

  • Most homes do not get Mail delivery.  So get a P.O. Box at the local post office.  Getting mail isn’t about just picking up bills, in McCall it can be a social event.
  • 99.8% of the time Fed Ex will not deliver to your house but will drop off your packages at the post office.   So you will need to track each package.
  • Verizon Cell phone service works the best, although AT&T’s reception has gotten better over the recent years.
  • You will now track the nearest big city in hours away not minutes.
  • Traffic Jams are usually caused by tourists looking at the town deer herd, or a herd of sheep moving through town.
  • We only have 1 chain fast food restaurant.  Subway.
  • Don’t be shocked when you go into our grocery stores.  They not only sell food but they also stock clothing, fishing rods, and ammo.  You can be sure to find camouflage shorts, pants, shirts, and even a night gown.
  • Sign up for a Paul’s Card at Paul’s market.  You can earn Paul’s points.  Points can get you a free Turkey at Thanksgiving and when desperate to find a white dress shirt for your teen age son’s school band concert you can use points.  Making the shirt only $1.25.
  • Every kid gets to play whatever sport they want in school.  There are no tryouts, because we barely have enough kids to make a team.  Just remember winning isn’t everything.
  • During the summer months and every holiday weekend throughout the year, plan to only make right hand turns.  Take extra time to plan your routes to the grocery store, schools, post office, this will save you a lot of frustration, and time in the long run.  Our town gets very busy making it very difficult to make left hand turns.  We do only have two traffic lights.
  • The town does have a herd of deer and they will eat your flowers, and vegetables.  This year a deer ate one of my jalapeno peppers off of the plant. Needless to say, I didn’t have any more trouble with the deer.
  • If you live in city limits, you will have a bear proof trash can.   It will take both hands and brute strength to get these contraptions open.  Although my friend’s neighborhood bear figured out how to open the bear proof trash can.
  • Please don’t feed the foxes or raccoons.  Feed the bird, feed the squirrels, even the chipmunks, but not the foxes or raccoons.  Foxes tend to poop on things, like firewood, lawn furniture, hoses, and even trash cans.  This is especially true if you own dogs.  And raccoons are mean, and will take over your house and yard.  Give them a cookie and they take your whole kitchen.
  • Enjoy a meal at the Pancake House.  Just don’t go there anything between June 1 and Labor Day or any weekend during the entire year.  Locals like to hit this popular breakfast spot on a Tuesday morning around 7 in October or May.
  • Get Amazon Prime, you will save a ton in shipping.  You will find that you do most of your shopping online.   A 2 hour drive to get new socks is just too difficult.
  • And finally….Be Friendly and warm to everyone you meet.  Cause we are all neighbors.  Nosey Neighbors.