I grew up here - back when there wan't much to do at all! Married my husband 10 years ago, moved away and came back almost 2 years ago. Much has changed!
"My" foothills are the non casino foothills; (thank goodness, who wants that kind of traffic?) the hills towards kingscanyon. We are currently living in Dunlap but will be building a house in Squaw Valley. Very pretty area - without the hideous smog.
Hope that you aren't suffering from the air - my first born was, in the year that we lived in Fresno (right next to the 41.)