Vernal Pass, CA

Vernal Pass, California: A short drive from ski country and a long drive from the rest of the world. In the ‘80s and ‘90s it was an insular suburb north of Santa Agueda, but when IcePlant hit it big and the old boomtown bloomed into a metropolis, idyllic little VP was left behind.   Now things are rough. The mall is deserted, whole housing developments sit empty and the only people with money to spend are the rich techie tourists hauling snow gear. But to locals, it's home.