Any info on Cook WA? (Vancouver, Camas: sales, motels, movies)

[brokencrayola]

I was wanting to find out any information on the Cook WA area. Mostly I am interested in finding out about the weather. Does it have a ton of rain, how about snow or icy roads, are the summer very hot? I know the Oregon side of the river is suppose to be very windy, is it windy around Cook? What about shopping? Is there much in that area as far as store like Target, Wal-Mart etc.? Restaurants? Are the schools good and what about crime? Any info appreciated.

[allforcats]

Hi, brokencrayola. You've asked about a place that's so small! Here's a website that might give you a scrap of info:
Lewis and Clark's Columbia River - Cook, Washington (broken link)

Here's City-Data's stats on White Salmon, which is just about 5 miles away and which would therefore be quite similar in weather, crime, demographics, etc. but the population size of Cook would be lower:
White Salmon Profile | White Salmon WA

Have you Googled and read everything you can find about Cook? I think we would all suggest that your best source of information might be to take a vacation in the area and determine for yourself how you like the place. The closest location of motels to stay at while you do that would be across the river in Hood River, Oregon.

[allforcats]

I did a little more scratching around, mostly looking for someplace you could stay in Washington, rather than spending your money in Oregon :-)

Cook, WA is in the far southwestern corner of Klickitat County (a wide county which straddles the Cascade Mountains). The "largest" population center I can find near Cook is White Salmon, which has only about 2,200 people. Cook seems to be only a fire district of Klickitat County, and not a place with a Chamber of Commerce, etc.

This, then, suggests the likelihood of a large population of deer and bears, and a small population of humans, thus no businesses such as those you asked about. Such stores, restaurants, movies, etc. are likely to be found in Washougal, Camas, and in splended quantity in Vancouver. If anyone knows of anything closer, please jump in here :-)

As for schools, I'd say no. As for crime, I'd say where there are almost no humans, there's likely to be almost no crime. If I were you, I'd study up on White Salmon, and divide by 10. Or 100. I've researched other tiny towns in Washington that have no public identity, and they've all turned out to have almost no resources.

This is the official link for Klickitat County: Klickitat County Home

[scirocco22]

No Target in the area but there is a small Walmart in Hood River. I think the closest Target will be in the greater Portland area. And I think I remember a Fred Meyer in The Dalles, about 20 miles from Hood River.

[scirocco22]

There's plenty of great restaurants and relatively large stores in both Hood River and The Dalles. I wouldn't spend the fuel to go to the Vancouver area.

And remember, no sales tax in Oregon!

[allforcats]

Originally Posted by scirocco22

There's plenty of great restaurants and relatively large stores in both Hood River and The Dalles. I wouldn't spend the fuel to go to the Vancouver area.

And remember, no sales tax in Oregon!

Hey! Whose side (of the river) are you on?? Hahahahahaha

Scirocco is right, of course, about the sales tax. I was just trying to keep WA-resident spending within WA, to add to WA funding.

Yes, I agree about the restaurants in Hood River -- do you think all or most of them stay open in the winter?

[dachmom]

Yes, I agree about the restaurants in Hood River -- do you think all or most of them stay open in the winter?

Yes,the restuarants stay open all year round in Hood River. It's not a "resort" town. People live and work there all year round. I don't know of any restuarants that close in the winter.