Oregon City vs. Estacada?

[karenbiz]

Thanks for all the information! You are right, it will definitely be a big change, but we're ready to get back West. I'm used to long commutes, working in DC. (And I actually do live in Maryland Larry, so not much of a stretch!) It would just be a switch from public transportation to driving I think. I like the overview of Sandy a little better from what I've read, but will definitely check out both areas when I have a chance. Estacada does seem awfully small, and I think Sandy might be the good alternative as a slightly larger town. My husband is a teacher, so he will need some school options as well.

pdxMikepdx, you mentioned the traffic and weather in the winter, does it get pretty bad? Should I be looking at trading in my Mazda3 for a CRV? (Which I've actually been considering, so it would be a good excuse.)

[pdxMIKEpdx]

Originally Posted by karenbiz

pdxMikepdx, you mentioned the traffic and weather in the winter, does it get pretty bad? Should I be looking at trading in my Mazda3 for a CRV? (Which I've actually been considering, so it would be a good excuse.)

If your job is indeed 25 miles up into the mountains, the majority of your driving will be a winding two lane mountain highway.
In the winter you will encounter mostly cold wet nasty rainy weather, with snow and icy spots happening the farther up you get.
I would say that the Mazda3 would get you by 60% of the time, but it will take it's toll on that car.
In the summer, you would be OK. In fact it would be fun driving. In the winter it's a different story.
If you really want a CRV, it would be a better choice, at least it's all wheel drive, so it would be safer and you could possibly explore the gravel forest roads that you will be driving by everyday when curiosity gets the better of you.

Estacada is kind of gateway to that particular section of national forest, so you will encounter the traffic of hunters and fishermen, rafters, campers, hikers, off roaders, day trippers, etc.
It is also the back way into Detroit and Timothy Lakes (among others).
Once you get past Estacada, it's isolated with no amenties like gas stations or 7-11's, or phones, -- and cell phones don't work up there, but there is enough people on that road that if something happened, you wouldn't be left stranded for days.

What I'm talking about is the commute from Sandy to Estacada.
It's doesn't look that far away on a map, (10 miles if you take 211 to 224) but dealing with it in the dark cold rainy days of winter could end being a drag.
It would add about an hour a day to your commute, and it in my opinion it's just not worth it.
Estacada has grown from a small timber town to a town surrounded by gentleman "five acre farmers".
It feels like a rustic small town, but you might be suprised.
Estacada feels like a suburb of Portland as you drive up to it, but once you go through it and get up past North Fork Reservoir, it's just national forest with no houses, etc. Just a highway up through the mountains.
You really need to visit or rent once you get here to scout things out before committing on a town.

BTW, my son and his girlfriend took her Ford Fusion for a drive to Ollalie lakes Saturday.
They got stuck in a little patch of mud (I don't know what they were doing but they're both 19 so who knows).
He wanted to show me on googlemaps where they were and we were amazed that you can get street view all the way up the highway.
Try that so you can see what the road and terrain looks like.
It looks like the streetview stuff was done in the summer, so try to imagine the same in a gloomy cold wet rainy environment.

[karenbiz]

Thanks again for the information. We will definitely visit before making any decisions and I was also thinking we should probably rent for the first year to figure out where we want to be.

[Larry Caldwell]

Tires are more important than 4WD when driving in snow. I have cruised over mountain passes in a front wheel drive car past 4WD rigs in the ditch. Studded tires are legal in Oregon, because we don't salt the roads. My wife drives mountain passes to work every day, and I just buy a second set of rims with studded traction tires and swap them around the first part of November and the last part of March. You will want to do this even if you buy the CRV.

You didn't ask, but your husband needs to look into getting Oregon teacher certs ASAP. After he passes the required tests, the TSPC is currently 12 weeks out for issuing licenses. The state is short a lot of money, so it's not likely they will hire any more staff. Education is taking a pretty big budget cut, which means teachers are being laid off. Teaching jobs will be hard to come by, but there are always jobs. If your husband has good credentials, he should be able to find a job, but it might take a while.

Teacher Standards and Practices Commission
State of Oregon: Teacher Standards and Practices Commission

If you want a slightly larger community, try Gresham. The light rail runs to Gresham, which will take you right to Portland's "Fareless Square" streetcar system. There are other stops of interest, like the Zoo, but you can find parking at the Zoo, which is not always so easy downtown. Of course the bus system runs to Estacada, so it's easy to get from Estacade to downtown Portland without driving.

[karenbiz]

I hadn't even started looking at the teaching certs. Thanks for that information!

[hamellr]

Depending on who you're working for, you might also look into renting at the Timber Lake Job Corp, or up on Three Lynx. They're not towns - just small housing developments purpose built in the 1950's. You'd "Go into town" (Estacada) once a week, or even every couple of weeks.

[CarolWyatt]

Originally Posted by hamellr

Depending on who you're working for, you might also look into renting at the Timber Lake Job Corp, or up on Three Lynx. They're not towns - just small housing developments purpose built in the 1950's. You'd "Go into town" (Estacada) once a week, or even every couple of weeks.

Do you have any information about renting at Three Lynx?

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by CarolWyatt

Do you have any information about renting at Three Lynx?

I believe Three Lynx is owned by PGE, and you have to be an employee to rent there. I could also be wrong as it may have changed in the last few years. Mr. Google is not helping me find any info for sure one way or the other.