Need info about EASTON or CLE ELUM (Seattle, Ellensburg: schools, living in)

[cspeaker]

I am looking into moving to Easton (preferably) or possibly Cle Elum. Can anyone from around there, or someone who knows about the area, tell me about it? We're outdoorsy kind of people: my husband and I, plus 15 and 10 year old boys. We're from the NW and we want to live in a small town. Anything (ANYTHING) that you can tell me would be helpful, both positive and negative. I would like anyone's experience with the area. Thanks for reading!

I especially want info on what the drugs and alcohol situation is (especially among teens), the schools, what the people are like, and what the Seattle commute is like.

[the dufferz]

I don't live there, but it is one of my favorite places.

Here is what i know for sure. The commute from easton and cle to seattle is made everyday by many of the residence over there. The growth in the area around Roslyn with the Suncadia development will increase the number of people making that trek. Snoqualmie pass (I-90) is the best maintained mountain pass in washington, so the number of days it is closed is measured more by number of hours. The roadway, while being a mountain pass is not steep on the east side, and on both sides, the road is pretty straight for a mountain pass.

Snowmobiles are common in Easton. Expect lots of snow. In the summer it's very beautiful with lots of outdoors activity. Lake Cle-elum is large and available for water sport.

There are several medium sized hikes in the pass that get you way up without a lot of work. Incredible views.

I have not heard anything about the schools over there. Drugs are only not a problem in Amish country.

The folks there are pretty nice. Small town feeling with lots of retired folks. They laugh at the people who live is Seattle because we have not figured out where god's country is yet.

If you go visit, look around, make sure you try and get as far east as Ellensburg.

If you talk with a native over there, you can easily learn the language:

If you are asked if you came from or live on "the coast" it means they want to know if you came from or live in seattle. (the coast is another 2 hours from seattle).

If they ask you how things were coming over the "hump" they want to know how the drive was over the pass.

If they live in Ellensburg and they say they have a "little farm" it means that the most likely have a 1000 acre spread.

If you ask them "how do you like living in eastern washington" they will inform you that they do not live in "eastern washington", they live in "Central Washington".

So, you will fit right in of you meet someone who lives there, and you shake their hands and say "I came over the hump from the coast on tuesday. I love Central washington!".