Why are few Illinoisians attracted to the Pacific NW?

[linicx]

Rain is an arthritis killer. Rain aside, there is a wonderful garden in Grove, OK. called Len-Don Wood that features plants from the pacitic northwest. Logiclly these plants should not survive in the blazing hot Oklahoma sun but they do, and they do it quite well.

[karlsch]

Originally Posted by Schmoo

I am an Illinoisan who would love nothing more than to jump ship to Portland, or anywhere in the PNW! As a liberal vegan, it's safe to say I'd fit in a heck of a lot better there.

And it looks like there is a friend waiting for you...................

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by karlsch

And it looks like there is a friend waiting for you...................

LMBO

[karlsch]

Portland, OR drivers in the snow:

YouTube - Portland drivers in the snow

[nanannie]

Originally Posted by karlsch

Portland, OR drivers in the snow:

YouTube - Portland drivers in the snow

I know this so well. I lived it in Portland. What you dont know is the sheer terror of 'black ice' under the thin coating of snow and those HILLS Driving uphill then all of a sudden, foot on the gas, you start going down backwards. My street had cliffs that dropped down to the city and neighbors used to tell me "dont worry, if you fall off the cliff a tree or two should slow down your car. Hate to say it, I laughed out loud at this video though.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by nanannie

I know this so well. I lived it in Portland. What you dont know is the sheer terror of 'black ice' under the thin coating of snow and those HILLS Driving uphill then all of a sudden, foot on the gas, you start going down backwards. My street had cliffs that dropped down to the city and neighbors used to tell me "dont worry, if you fall off the cliff a tree or two should slow down your car. Hate to say it, I laughed out loud at this video though.

Hey, at least they attempt to drive in the stuff unlike other areas of the country! *cough* the south *cough*

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by trailerguy

If I were ever to leave Chicago it would have to be for someplace better, which the Pacific NW is definitely not. I spent one miserable year in Grants Pass, OR before I decided I would prefer the company of intelligent human beings and came to Chicago. Example: Grants Pass shut down the county library because they thought $500,000 a year was a waste of money on books nobody wanted to read; when I moved to Chicago, they had just opened a brand new $100 million library building and everyone was delighted with it.

Chicago: breathtaking architecture, opera, symphony, theater, jazz, blues, great restaurants, great newspapers, intelligent conversation. Oregon: none of the above.

Rain, shmain. The coast and mountains are pretty. It was the knuckle-dragging Oregonians I ran away from. You can have it. I love Chicago. You couldn't get me out of here with dynamite.

I think its more of a preference and opinions. Depends what you like. I haven't been to the Pacific northwest. Maybe I wouldn't like it, I don't know, but what I do know is that the stereotypical interests of the PNW is more of my cup of tea.

I have little to no interest in jazz, theater, symphony, opera, architecture, sports, etc. I do like Blues though.

I love the outdoors and have settled and love the nature within an easy days drive of Chicago, (and do make trips elsewhere once a year). While I like pizza and other Italian-American junk food, natural foods, produce, etc. is much more INTERESTING to me.

Also folk and bluegrass, other roots music is the best. These can be found in Chicago, but the major things that Chicagoans make a big deal about, just don't get into at all.

Chicago may have a lot of diversity, but the diverse BY NO MEANS, means intelligent. Not putting anyone down, but I would say Seattle on average I'm guessing is in many ways more educated, at least in the academic sense.

[SixFive175]

I lived in WA state for the better part of 3 years. What most people don't know is that it's only wet WEST of the Cascades.

Look on a map. The Cascade Range runs north-south about 100 miles E of the Pacific Ocean. East of that it is desert or near desert, and beautiful.

Let's take Wenatchee, WA. It is the Apple Capital of the World. It is also bone dry. The apple orchards are irrigated. Mountains rise to the west of Wenatchee (The Cascades), and are very snowy in the winter.

The east slopes of the Cascades are very beautiful: lightly forested, but heavy forest the further west you go. The climate of that area is very temperate. Winters would compare to those of Missouri. Summers are dry but the temps compare to southern Wisconsin. It is a very agreeable temperate climate.

Go east of Wenatchee and it is very dry, flat to undulating, wheat country. Spokane is on the western slope of the Rockies. East of Spokane is lumber country. Again, the climate is mild for the latitude.

Then there's British Columbia, in Canada. It contains some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. The climate ranges from rain forest, along the coast, to desert far inland.

People don't know this, but the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada is almost semi-tropical. They grow peaches there. Prickly pear cactus thrives in the valleys. The winters compare to those of Missouri or Arkansas; the summers compare to those of Utah.

Oregon has a similar east-west divide. The western areas, like Portland, are wet. The eastern areas, E of the Cascades, are desert.

Idaho is generally desert, except in the north, which is mountainous lumber country.

Simply put, the NW is far more than rain. You only hear about the wet climate because that's where the big cities are.

Oh yes, and NW Montana is also part of the Pacific Northwest. Missoula is one of the prettiest towns in the world: rung on all sides by the Rockies. It is also a college town. The rest of NW Montana is lumber country, and the winters compare, temperature wise, to those of Northern Illinois. Summers are pleasantly warm: about 80/50.

I currently live in East Peoria, IL: there is beauty here also, along the bluffs of the Illinois River. I live up on a bluff overlooking downtown Peoria and the river. The views here compare to those I remember in Seattle: hills and water.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by SixFive175

I currently live in East Peoria, IL: there is beauty here also, along the bluffs of the Illinois River. I live up on a bluff overlooking downtown Peoria and the river. The views here compare to those I remember in Seattle: hills and water.

You might be interested to know that prickly pear cacti grow in your area too. You can find them in the sunny, sandy areas along the river.

[ShampooBanana]

As an Illinoisan who has traveled all over the country, it just so happens that I find the Pacific Northwest to be the most beautiful place in the country that I have seen. It has everything I would ever want in a place to live: beaches, mountains, forests, hills, lakes, freindly people, and great cities with educated people. I love that in some places it could be possible to enjoy the beach and skiing in the same day. There are great national parks nearby, with extinct volcanoes, quaint little islands, temperate rainforests, and glaciers. There are vineyards and orchards and farmers markets in the cities to rival any. Portland has a great mass transit system and is a very livable, well planned city. Seattle is beautiful and has it's own unique culture (coffee, grunge music, pike place market, and hi-tech come to mind). Plus, it's not far from BC and Vancouver, which are fantastic in their own rights.

You can at least count me as one Illinoisan (two, including my wife) who would love to move out to the PNW someday. We plan on visiting Sacramento, Portland, and Seattle this summer which will give us a better idea of where we might settle down and start a family in a couple more years.