summers in Eugene

[ctr88]

Thanks delta07 and haggardhouseelf for the warnings on Seattle. I didn't think about the amount of traffic to get to the outdoor activties in Seattle. Bend sounds pretty ideal for the summer months for me, I need to take a hard look at that town. I can't wait!

Kind of outside of this OR board...but I have also become very interested in Steamboat Springs Colorado and Crested Butte CO to live for a month or 2 in summer. Steamboat seems to be a summer paradise of hiking, Mt. biking, kayacking, has a small but lively downtown and lot's a outdoors music festivals. And they are both RIGHT in the mountains...you can WALK to the trailheads Ever been to those 2 towns?

[delta07]

ctr88, I just posted on the CO forum. I have spent time in both of those towns, and love them both. They are both pretty isolated, but if you are only looking to spend a month or so there, then isolation isn't a problem. I prefer Crested Butte to Steamboat though. I find Western CO to be more beautiful in general. I also think Crested Butte has more to offer in the summer.

Bend is an amazing place to live! I've only been here since July, but I can't be happier. The outdoor activities are endless, and you can pretty much walk/bike to the trailheads here as well. It really is similar to most mountain towns in CO that I have been to/lived in. Bend does get warm in the summer, but really there was only a few days where it was downright hot. The rest was perfect! We had a great fall as well (although I don't think that is always the case), and now it's starting to snow, yooohoooo!!!! I highly recommend spending a month or two in Bend as well. You probably won't want to leave!

[ctr88]

Thanks delta07, you are very knowledgeable about all the cool towns in the Western U.S.! Bend is definately up there with Crested Butte as a top choice. 2 posters on the CO board also liked Aspen. I've been there once before back in the summer of 1995 and it's not bad. Especially if I can find someone's room to sublet in either July or August. Subletting rooms off Craigslist makes it very affordable to hop around & stay places for a month, I can also sublet my place out when I go to cover my rent.

It's funny, a gal from Bend subletted my apartment in San Francisco back in 2006. She moved to Bend from Steamboat Springs.

I guess come around this May I will just have to make the call between Bend, Crested Butte, and Missoula. Those are my top 3 choices.

[delta07]

Originally Posted by ctr88

Thanks delta07, you are very knowledgeable about all the cool towns in the Western U.S.! Bend is definately up there with Crested Butte as a top choice. 2 posters on the CO board also liked Aspen. I've been there once before back in the summer of 1995 and it's not bad. Especially if I can find someone's room to sublet in either July or August. Subletting rooms off Craigslist makes it very affordable to hop around & stay places for a month, I can also sublet my place out when I go to cover my rent.

It's funny, a gal from Bend subletted my apartment in San Francisco back in 2006. She moved to Bend from Steamboat Springs.

I guess come around this May I will just have to make the call between Bend, Crested Butte, and Missoula. Those are my top 3 choices.

Great minds think alike! I actually considered most of the towns that you are considering as well. Of course, I was looking at permanent residence, so that changes your perspective a bit. Crested Butte is amazing, but darn cold in the winter! Plus, I knew that we could never afford to buy a house there, and employement would be tough. We really needed to live in a town large enough to have a hospital for work.

We had our choices narrowed down to Missoula and Bend. My sister actually lives in Missoula and loves it there. She was recruiting us hard. I love, love, love Missoula in the summer, but winter can be dreadfully gloomy for months on end. It definately follows more of a PNW weather pattern than Bend. It really came down to salary. If we moved to Missoula my husband would be taking a $15-$20K pay cut a year! It was just too much, and the cost of living isn't that much more in Bend. Housing is a bit more expensive, however, the real estate market is really hurting right now, and there are some great deals to be had.

So far for us, Bend is everything we have wanted in a town. This summer was fantastic! We saw Wilco and Beck at the Les Shwabb ampitheater right here in town. We also went to a local music festival with some great west coast bands. Every Wed there is a farmer's market with good food and entertainment, and one other day a week there is an outdoor food and music gathering that is free. The outdoor activities are endless! Mountain biking here rivals Colorado anyday. In fact, I am actually enjoying it more than my home state. Smith Rock, with world class climbing, is a half hours drive, and Mt. Bachelor with great skiing is 20 minutes away. The backcountry skiing here is supposed to be fantastic too. The trailheads are all really close to town, so you can bike/hike to them if you want. It really is an outdoor lover's paradise! Good luck on your search. I know that regardless of which town you choose to spend the summer, you will love it. You really can't lose with your top 3 picks!

[ctr88]

delta07, couple of questions, if your husband would have made the same money in Missoula vs. Bend, would you still have chose Bend?

Also, if it were your choice to go anywhere for 2-4 weeks in the summer in Colorado to vacation, would you choose Crested Butte? If not there, where?

Thanks you've been an great help!!!

[delta07]

I'll send you a direct message, since you've asked questions about CO too.