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Best place to live?

Somnium

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Don’t come to Idaho... it sucks... tell everyone you know

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I have to second this in reference to Montana - it's even worse then Idaho, but I hear Wyoming is lovely this time of year... ;)
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I have to second this in reference to Montana - it's even worse then Idaho, but I hear Wyoming is lovely this time of year... ;)
There IS a reason why WY is the least populated State in the Nation.
 

Chuck

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If you can put up with some periodic rain, you might consider Bellingham, WA, which is 20 miles south of the US-Canada border (and about an hour south of Vancouver, BC), and 90 miles north of Seattle.

44259915580_0c4dec0935_w.jpg


Some of the best cold-water sea kayaking is right out your door -- either on Bellingham Bay or around the San Juan Islands, plus there are many warmer / safer lakes in the area.

34493560066_2f4a4f4c18_w.jpg


RE mountain biking, right at the edge of town you'll find a plethora of world-class trails, especially Lookout Mountain (aka Galbraith Mtn), which has about 100 trails. I no longer mountain bike, but the experienced and well-traveled bikers I know claim we have some of the best trails they've ever been on. https://www.mtbproject.com/directory/8016752/lookout-mountain-forest-preserve

RE hiking, there are 50+ miles of trails with up to 2,000 feet of gain (not including walking paths) only about 15 minutes south in the Chuckanut Mountains. Or the North Cascades are just to the east 1-3 hours. Let me know if you want to know more about hiking in Washington. My wife and I have hiked and climbed mountains every weekend here for the last 10 years. We've also hiked/climbed throughout the U.S. and in a dozen countries around the world, and I truly believe the North Cascades is one of the most beautiful places out there.

Mount Baker Ski Area is 1.5 hours east. I believe it currently has the deepest snow base in North America. Its average is usually twice that of your average Colorado ski area.

Off-roading here isn't as good as Utah or Colorado (where we used to live), but it's decent. The scenery is incredible. West of the Cascades is lush and green; Eastern WA is high and dry and wide open. Most trails are fairly easy forest roads, though there are some more challenging routes here and there, plus some extreme stuff.

Weather here is an issue for some. The bad part is that it rains off and on throughout the winter, and because we're in the high latitudes, the sun comes up late in the morning, it goes down early, and it arcs low across the sky. The good part is that it's the opposite in the summer: Very little rain, and the sun comes up at 4 a.m. and goes down at 10 p.m. Temperature-wise, it is very pleasant: 30s and 40s in the winter (1 or 2 snows and maybe 1 or 2 weeks of below-freezing temps), and 70s and 80s in the summer. It rarely gets into the 90s. There is some humidity in the summer, but it doesn't come close to other parts of the country.

If you're willing to drive out of state, there are lots of great road trips you can take from here -- either into B.C., down to Oregon, over to Idaho or Montana, or beyond. I spend part of my time in Utah, so we do that drive often. There's so much to explore in the Northwest. I have absolutely loved living here for the last 10 years (the 8th state I've lived in) ... though we're getting itchy to move again, just so we can explore another region. Good luck with finding your happy place!

Here are some random wheelin' pics I've taken in WA:

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46945086404_ba864e7852_w.jpg

48625097366_00a3a40407_c.jpg
 

cosmokenney

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If you can put up with some periodic rain, you might consider Bellingham, WA,
What's the crime rate like there? For a long time I've wanted to move to eureka ca, but there are a huge number of homeless. So going topless in the jeep would be a bad idea. Plus when you go out into the hills you are in the pot Capitol of the world. Easy to get disappeared there, if you take the wrong fork in the road.

Plus I have dogs that go everywhere I go. So I have to be careful about stuff like rattlesnakes, skunks, porcupines, bears, big cats and so on. Do you experience a lot of those on your climbs?

Know anything about Backcountry Skiing near there? How about dirt biking? And fly fishing? Is any of that close to town? I'm getting really tired of driving long distances to do the things I love.
 

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UKCATS

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If you can put up with some periodic rain, you might consider Bellingham, WA, which is 20 miles south of the US-Canada border (and about an hour south of Vancouver, BC), and 90 miles north of Seattle.

44259915580_0c4dec0935_w.jpg


Some of the best cold-water sea kayaking is right out your door -- either on Bellingham Bay or around the San Juan Islands, plus there are many warmer / safer lakes in the area.

34493560066_2f4a4f4c18_w.jpg


RE mountain biking, right at the edge of town you'll find a plethora of world-class trails, especially Lookout Mountain (aka Galbraith Mtn), which has about 100 trails. I no longer mountain bike, but the experienced and well-traveled bikers I know claim we have some of the best trails they've ever been on. https://www.mtbproject.com/directory/8016752/lookout-mountain-forest-preserve

RE hiking, there are 50+ miles of trails with up to 2,000 feet of gain (not including walking paths) only about 15 minutes south in the Chuckanut Mountains. Or the North Cascades are just to the east 1-3 hours. Let me know if you want to know more about hiking in Washington. My wife and I have hiked and climbed mountains every weekend here for the last 10 years. We've also hiked/climbed throughout the U.S. and in a dozen countries around the world, and I truly believe the North Cascades is one of the most beautiful places out there.

Mount Baker Ski Area is 1.5 hours east. I believe it currently has the deepest snow base in North America. Its average is usually twice that of your average Colorado ski area.

Off-roading here isn't as good as Utah or Colorado (where we used to live), but it's decent. The scenery is incredible. West of the Cascades is lush and green; Eastern WA is high and dry and wide open. Most trails are fairly easy forest roads, though there are some more challenging routes here and there, plus some extreme stuff.

Weather here is an issue for some. The bad part is that it rains off and on throughout the winter, and because we're in the high latitudes, the sun comes up late in the morning, it goes down early, and it arcs low across the sky. The good part is that it's the opposite in the summer: Very little rain, and the sun comes up at 4 a.m. and goes down at 10 p.m. Temperature-wise, it is very pleasant: 30s and 40s in the winter (1 or 2 snows and maybe 1 or 2 weeks of below-freezing temps), and 70s and 80s in the summer. It rarely gets into the 90s. There is some humidity in the summer, but it doesn't come close to other parts of the country.

If you're willing to drive out of state, there are lots of great road trips you can take from here -- either into B.C., down to Oregon, over to Idaho or Montana, or beyond. I spend part of my time in Utah, so we do that drive often. There's so much to explore in the Northwest. I have absolutely loved living here for the last 10 years (the 8th state I've lived in) ... though we're getting itchy to move again, just so we can explore another region. Good luck with finding your happy place!

Here are some random wheelin' pics I've taken in WA:

46945086904_28ef1aebb8_w.jpg

43054369564_e931ee5a80_w.jpg

43054364914_04a65e6e51_w.jpg

43402608392_d98d6f3b9b_w.jpg

47616386522_399f28c778_w.jpg

46945086404_ba864e7852_w.jpg

48625097366_00a3a40407_c.jpg
Great pics.
 

Chuck

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What's the crime rate like there? For a long time I've wanted to move to eureka ca, but there are a huge number of homeless. So going topless in the jeep would be a bad idea. Plus when you go out into the hills you are in the pot Capitol of the world. Easy to get disappeared there, if you take the wrong fork in the road.

Plus I have dogs that go everywhere I go. So I have to be careful about stuff like rattlesnakes, skunks, porcupines, bears, big cats and so on. Do you experience a lot of those on your climbs?

Know anything about Backcountry Skiing near there? How about dirt biking? And fly fishing? Is any of that close to town? I'm getting really tired of driving long distances to do the things I love.
The population of Bellingham is only 90,000. Crime here is better than average; mostly petty crimes. We do have a homeless problem, kind of like most places these days, but it's nowhere near as bad as Everett, Seattle, Portland, etc. I live close to downtown, and we do have car prowls of unlocked vehicles; break-ins are rare. There really isn't what I'd call a bad part of town, though there are some less-desirable areas. Overall, my wife and I don't have a problem walking anywhere at night.

Pot is legal in Washington ... and I've never heard of any illegal grow operations in the mountains. We've never had any problems exploring back roads in the mountains -- anywhere in the state. During hunting season, you may encounter hunters, but that's about it.

RE animals in the mountains: There are rattlesnakes on the east side of the Cascades, but there are no venomous snakes on the west side. We definitely have mountain lions (a mountain biker was attacked and killed by a mountain lion near Seattle last year, but it's extremely rare) and black bears, plus a handful of Grizzlies in the far northeast corner. I've only encountered cat tracks a couple times, though we've come across bears many times (never had any problems). As long as you don't leave food in your vehicle, animals shouldn't bother it. I've never heard of bears breaking into vehicles in Washington like they do in California.

I've smelled skunks, but never come across one. Never seen a porcupine up here, either. Can't think of any other dangerous animals. On the upside, bald eagles are everywhere. I see them all the time, even from my back yard. Just watch your small dogs and cats, as they'll snatch them.

There is quite a bit of backcountry skiing around here. Some is easy to access, such as the out-of-bounds areas near the Mt. Baker Ski Area. Other areas are a bit tougher to get to, as you may have to hike in a ways and/or bushwhack a bit. It gets pretty remote pretty fast in the North Cascades. You also must be very knowledgeable about avalanches, have the proper equipment, yada yada. The North Cascades region (the National Park and the mountainous region around it) has 300 glaciers and it gets a crapload of snow. A portion of the North Cascades Highway (20) shuts down every winter because it has so many avalanches.

Dirt biking: Yes. There's TONS of it. Lots of forest roads across the state. Some stuff just a half hour or so from town. Maybe some better stuff a bit farther out. You'd love the Methow Valley area (Winthrop, WA), 3 hours east of B'ham (when Hwy 20 is open) ... or the Cle Elum to Ellensburg area (about 3 hours SE). Miles and miles and miles of dirt roads to explore.

If that's not enough, there's this 575-mile route through WA for Jeeps and dirt/adventure bikes:
https://ridebdr.com/wabdr/

RE fly fishing, I'm not an angler, but I know there's a ton of fishing in nearby lakes, rivers, and the sea. If it's trout you want, I've heard you may have to go to the east side, such as Yakima Valley, or maybe north into B.C. I could be wrong though. I just know I see a ton of people fishing along side countless roads in the mountains (Hwy 542, Hwy 2, Mtn Loop Hwy, etc.).
 

blessidsoul12

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The population of Bellingham is only 90,000. Crime here is better than average; mostly petty crimes. We do have a homeless problem, kind of like most places these days, but it's nowhere near as bad as Everett, Seattle, Portland, etc. I live close to downtown, and we do have car prowls of unlocked vehicles; break-ins are rare. There really isn't what I'd call a bad part of town, though there are some less-desirable areas. Overall, my wife and I don't have a problem walking anywhere at night.

Pot is legal in Washington ... and I've never heard of any illegal grow operations in the mountains. We've never had any problems exploring back roads in the mountains -- anywhere in the state. During hunting season, you may encounter hunters, but that's about it.

RE animals in the mountains: There are rattlesnakes on the east side of the Cascades, but there are no venomous snakes on the west side. We definitely have mountain lions (a mountain biker was attacked and killed by a mountain lion near Seattle last year, but it's extremely rare) and black bears, plus a handful of Grizzlies in the far northeast corner. I've only encountered cat tracks a couple times, though we've come across bears many times (never had any problems). As long as you don't leave food in your vehicle, animals shouldn't bother it. I've never heard of bears breaking into vehicles in Washington like they do in California.

I've smelled skunks, but never come across one. Never seen a porcupine up here, either. Can't think of any other dangerous animals. On the upside, bald eagles are everywhere. I see them all the time, even from my back yard. Just watch your small dogs and cats, as they'll snatch them.

There is quite a bit of backcountry skiing around here. Some is easy to access, such as the out-of-bounds areas near the Mt. Baker Ski Area. Other areas are a bit tougher to get to, as you may have to hike in a ways and/or bushwhack a bit. It gets pretty remote pretty fast in the North Cascades. You also must be very knowledgeable about avalanches, have the proper equipment, yada yada. The North Cascades region (the National Park and the mountainous region around it) has 300 glaciers and it gets a crapload of snow. A portion of the North Cascades Highway (20) shuts down every winter because it has so many avalanches.

Dirt biking: Yes. There's TONS of it. Lots of forest roads across the state. Some stuff just a half hour or so from town. Maybe some better stuff a bit farther out. You'd love the Methow Valley area (Winthrop, WA), 3 hours east of B'ham (when Hwy 20 is open) ... or the Cle Elum to Ellensburg area (about 3 hours SE). Miles and miles and miles of dirt roads to explore.

If that's not enough, there's this 575-mile route through WA for Jeeps and dirt/adventure bikes:
https://ridebdr.com/wabdr/

RE fly fishing, I'm not an angler, but I know there's a ton of fishing in nearby lakes, rivers, and the sea. If it's trout you want, I've heard you may have to go to the east side, such as Yakima Valley, or maybe north into B.C. I could be wrong though. I just know I see a ton of people fishing along side countless roads in the mountains (Hwy 542, Hwy 2, Mtn Loop Hwy, etc.).
Bellingham is great and NW Washington and NW Oregon have a ton to offer... but the cost of living is INSANE. Period. If you consider what it has to offer I think you can barely make the case for it, but so many other places in the PNW have about as much to offer but at a much lower expense.

Eureka, CA is a homeless mecca. No matter how bad my family has to pee when driving through we just press on rather than stop and be pressed by nonstop drugged out homeless people.
 

cOtter

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Boarder?!
Oh, yeah. That reminds me that the California school system is bad as well...
;)
BC, Canada has the kindest and most hospitable people I have ever met. Also, they keep their campgrounds, cities, roadsides clean and beautiful.
That place is very high on the short list.
oh I love it. Of course I meant “Border”. Thx for your response. I got a good chuckle out of it this morning. Happy jeeping!!!!
 

Chuck

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Bellingham is great and NW Washington and NW Oregon have a ton to offer... but the cost of living is INSANE. Period. If you consider what it has to offer I think you can barely make the case for it, but so many other places in the PNW have about as much to offer but at a much lower expense.

Eureka, CA is a homeless mecca. No matter how bad my family has to pee when driving through we just press on rather than stop and be pressed by nonstop drugged out homeless people.
True, the cost of living is higher than the national average (COL 100), though it's lower than most West Coast cities of its size or larger. COL index of Bellingham is 121, Seattle is 172, Washington state average is 118, Portland is 130.

Real estate is the biggest problem around here (it's very high) ... but again, it's not as high as many other places. Ironically, part of what's driving it up so high is that so many people are flocking here from other, more expensive places -- such as Seattle and many overpriced California cities. Even some Vancouver, BC people buy houses down here because it's so "cheap" for them. At a party a couple weeks ago, I actually met a guy that lives here and commutes to Seattle four days a week.

My last three moves have gotten increasingly more expensive, so I hope my next one will be to a more affordable city. But oftentimes that comes with being in a less-exciting area.

That's too bad about Eureka. I was actually born in that area ... though I haven't been back in more than 30 years.
 

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MDG

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I don't understand all the bad reports about Connecticut. I lived there for many years, and I can tell you this----they have the best politicians that money can buy.
What, we haven't had a governor go to prison in a while!!
 

ekohn00

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Definitely not Northern Virginia. All concrete and people everywhere. I pay to park everywhere (Costco, Mall, Grocery store), pay to drive on the highway (unless I want to sit in traffic), liberal, crazy laws, anti gun, sirens every night, I go through metal detectors two or three times a day, etc..... sorry - I had to vent. I feel better now....thanks....(I miss Georgia).....
Coming from NYC to NoVA, I have the complete opposite view. I'm also in Loudoun,...so less concrete than say Arlington.
 

JohnAinVA

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Coming from NYC to NoVA, I have the complete opposite view. I'm also in Loudoun,...so less concrete than say Arlington.
You definitely have a point! Welcome to Virginia - the western part of Virginia is beautiful....enjoy the wineries!
 

ekohn00

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You definitely have a point! Welcome to Virginia - the western part of Virginia is beautiful....enjoy the wineries!
LMAO..... been here for over 20 years. My college kid has no idea what real pizza is, and we spend weekends touring wineries. They’re never ending!
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