It's much harder to be poor out there, I've found. Minimum rents are a lot higher.

So the solution is to find a good remote job before moving out there. It's never been easier to relocate due to the advent of remote work.

Bend is beautiful but a little too isolated. How much of your dissatisfaction do you think is due to that aspect? Vs living somewhere in the Portland area, for example, where you still have decent access to the outdoor activities but also more people / other things to do.

Go do it, it's worthwhile of a week-long summer trip. Fly into SF and drive over to Yosemite/Kings Canyon/Sequoia for a few days, and then drive back to the coast (maybe San Luis Obispo area) and drive back up along the 1 through Big Sur to SF before flying home. You likely can't fit in Shasta/Redwoods unless you prioritize that over the Yosemite area or take a 2 week trip.

Just know the water is freezing all along the CA coast basically all times of the year.

Unfortunately only 1,900 people get any sort of resolution (the number of people who filed complaints to the AG office). They likely screwed an order of magnitude more people than that (myself included) who get nothing.