Tourism gets a bad rep but it's one of the few things that gets money into poor areas. What would the Algarve or Florida look like without pensionados from the North?
It's a beautiful area, unspoiled, old forests lots of water, caves, just beautiful. The county over went wet (meaning they can sell alcohol) and turned themselves into a hippy tourist destination. Rock climbing, craft beer, caving, kayaking, zip lines, the whole nine yards. Over the last decade they went from 3 restaurants to supporting dozens. The place has really prospered.
My home town has a median household income of 16k/yr, vs the tourist destination at 44k/yr.
My hometown is still dry, not a tourist destination, and is exactly the same as it was when I left it.
Definitely an interesting place to travel around. You can go drive 20 minutes and go from fairly developed tourist-ville with gift shops and well kept cabins galore to rough oil/logging roads with people living in rundown buildings in extreme poverty.
Lots of incredible natural resources that have been poorly protected compared to a lot of wild areas out west. Unfortunately it doesn't look like things are getting any better in that regard.
Funny how moving to a less homogeneous place gives you a lot different perspective on different people.
source: real people