Would you choose to move to Northern Nevada or Eastern Washington ?

[wonder66]

I know a nice lady here in Washington, she is on disability now, and her taxes have been cut from $1800 on her house to a little over $700. That cut, on a sliding scale, applies to any adult on Social Security Disability of any age also. It's a nice thing so that folks won't be kicked out of their own homes when they are down and out.

Entering Spokane from the east are pines, to the south are the Blue mountains and lots of pines and to the north of Spokane the entire top quarter of the state is pines. The center of the state is really ugly/blah and barren on down to the Columbia, but I still find lots of pines. From the Cascades on East it is just wall to wall pines unless they pave it over.

Problem is over the last few years esp. the forest floors of those forests are covered with fallen and dead brush, choking alders, etc. and are near impossible to walk through. Pine forests aren't much use if you can't get through them by foot. In western Washington it's even worse with undergrowth than I have ever seen it in 30 years and now and on top of that the Scotchbroom weeds (4 ft high and super tough) have came up the freeways from California and taken the state over.

To be truthful, when it comes to the great outdoors I prefer Northern Nevada, and have had some great adventures there. One of my favorite towns is Gabbs and that's way back when Basic was the big employer in town. Many great times hiking the Pilot Peak range in NE Elko county, trying, but never making it, to get to the top of the peak itself........(too old and tired now to try).

[rjcjmom]

I just had to put in my 2 cents in. Born and raised in Western Washington, spent college time in Eastern Washington and have been to the Reno area only twice and loved it.

Having said all of that - Yes, there are trees on Washington's east side, but way up near the ne corner of the state, mostly above Spokane. Have relatives in the tri-cities area, and was most recently visiting there last summer, but trees I did not see. Traffic galore, I did see. You will get all of the amenities of a big city, but I didn't find anything about the place that said 'move here!' After you have been traveling a while to get there, bam, suddenly all of this congestion comes up out of nowhere. It feels especially cramped as it comes upon you so sudden.

As far as Walla Walla goes, I think the city is all right, but I can't think of the place without thinking of the prison there.

As for the beauty of open spaces, I prefer the Nevada kind. If it is going to be hot and there are no trees, I think Nevada wins hands down. If you are talking the mountain and trees kind, then western Washington is where you would be happy. Where you have clear visibility for roughly - somebody posted elsewhere here - 71 days per year.

O - somebody mentioned about the undergrowth. It may be worse recently, I hadn't really noticed. To me, there has always been tremendous undergrowth in any Washington forest. Growing up, I thought every forest was that way. So it was revelation going to Reno via Susanville where there was a forest where the light was easily visible through well-spaced trees. And not a speck of undergrowth. It practially said 'get out of that car right now and explore.'