I like your comments on the benefits of rural living for the frugal. It is true that less shopping opportunities will save you big buck$, not to mention lower mortgage prices.
We left the big city (Richmond, VA) when it got to be too violent and we had two young children 10 years ago. We moved to one rural area in SE Virginia, but it was TOO far out, hence our move to Scottsville, VA five years ago. It is a cute town 20 minutes from Charlottesville, VA but with homes half to a third the cost of Charlottesvilles' and one hour from other bigger towns such as Richmond, Lyncburg, Staunton, and less than three hours from the "Culture" of Washington DC. (Very important to us as homeschoolers and ex-urbanites).
This figures in well, too, if we decide to sell products from our farm, or grow bored of Charlottesville, which we don't normally, because Charlottesville has plenty to do in terms of recreation and great restaurants. In Scottsville, the main recreation options are river sports (the James) and a small amount of shopping choices- there is a current opportunity for someone wanting to start a business, as there has been a recent re-do of the town, lots of vacant storefronts waiting to be reborn as cool health food stores, local food restaurants, art studios, and a bakery also would be divine.....
Local bus service to Charlottesville is in the works, and there are established carpool groups, so check it out if you are looking for something on the east coast.
Plumas sounds great for your proxmity to the National Parks, you will have to travel almost an hour west from here to reach Shenandoah Nat'l Park from Scottsville, but not quite as far to reach one of Virginia's many great county, regional and state parks. Cheers!