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I have to agree, that Bend is definitely sunnier than Portland overall. There is no way I would move anywhere west of the Cascades. I couldn't do it. I actually lived in Seattle for all of 4 months. I had to leave at the end of October. The rain was relentless. Bend, for me, is still not as sunny as I would like in the winter, but it is still the PNW. You can't escape the clouds entirely while still living in the PNW. OP, if you wife really loves Portland, Bend may be a great compromise for you both. It's sunnier than Portland, hands down, and it's still close enough to drive there when you and your wife need the city fix. Of course, I wouldn't even consider the move without securing some type of employment for at least one of you. But, you didn't ask about that, so hopefully you already know enough about our economy to realize this.
I have to question people that dump on Bend because "It's soooo Brown". I mean, it's a high dessert climate (just like Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, parts of Idaho and Montana). It's supposed to be brown, it doesn't get very much rain. It's pretty typical in the Western and Mountain states of the US for the eastern side of mountain ranges to be very dry, and the western side to be very wet (just like the Cascades in this situation).
The soil is sandy and not very inviting to most plants because of the dryness.
I could understand someone coming from Portland (who is used to ridiculous amounts of green) saying Bend was brown. I just can't believe that someone wouldn't have guessed it was going to be like that. I live in Portland, and my wife grew up in Colorado, and she cannot get to Bend enough, as she is used to that type of openess, dryness, and limited plant life. She finds Portland really clostrophobic and "too green". Every time we go she just wants to stay (and if I could move my school program there, I would be ALL FOR IT!), it's great therapy for her.
Delta, did you guys ever decide about Fort Collins?
Colorado, Utah , Arizona (you forgot too mention) and even some parts of the Idaho desert have awesome canyon scenery and lots of sunshine. Bend doesn't!! Not all deserts are equal. Bend's desert scenery sucks, to be blunt. All the nice scenery is in the mountains where the forests start. I use to go shooting at the COSSA range out east of Bend 40 miles. Very bland scenery. The Badlands Recreation Area is interesting, but nothing to write home about. If you are going to live in a desert, at least you can live in one with lots of sunshine and cool canyons.. IMO, at least from living there for a year and checking the forecast once in a while, it doesn't have that much sunshine. Colorado has a genuine 300 days of sunshine a year, as does places like Utah and Arizona.
Blue River just west of the Cascades is so beautiful! Sisters is also a nice town with a yuppie, wannabe-cowboy feel. Bend, itself, is just ugly. If I had enough money I'd live in Blue River which is at the base of the mountain for all the outdoor activities and about 50 min from Eugene and another 1.5 hours from Bend.
Not all deserts are infertile. I live in Treasure Valley in Idaho, a desert valley that is highly fertile. Bend has a very high amount of volcanic matter in the soil , from being at the base of a large chain of volcanoes. This is what I am told, I am not a geologist, so don't quote me. They say the soil is very poor, because of the geological activity that occurred in the region in the past. We are talking 10000s-100000s of years I am assuming. Many parts of Central and Southern California gets the same amount of rain as Bend, but has way more abundant plant life.
Colorado, Utah , Arizona (you forgot too mention) and even some parts of the Idaho desert have awesome canyon scenery and lots of sunshine. Bend doesn't!! Not all deserts are equal. Bend's desert scenery sucks, to be blunt. All the nice scenery is in the mountains where the forests start. I use to go shooting at the COSSA range out east of Bend 40 miles. Very bland scenery. The Badlands Recreation Area is interesting, but nothing to write home about. If you are going to live in a desert, at least you can live in one with lots of sunshine and cool canyons.. IMO, at least from living there for a year and checking the forecast once in a while, it doesn't have that much sunshine. Colorado has a genuine 300 days of sunshine a year, as does places like Utah and Arizona.
Blue River just west of the Cascades is so beautiful! Sisters is also a nice town with a yuppie, wannabe-cowboy feel. Bend, itself, is just ugly. If I had enough money I'd live in Blue River which is at the base of the mountain for all the outdoor activities and about 50 min from Eugene and another 1.5 hours from Bend.
Nice. I'll take my beautifully wooded Cascade mountains/westside of town and horribly baron dessert to the east over your horribly baron Treasure Valley all over. Seriously, when I pass through Boise I feel like I'm on mars. Which is pretty neat, for the time, I have to admit. Same with parts of Utah, Arizona, etc.
Honestly, this is one of the main reasons I'm so glad I live in Bend over the Front Range in CO and the like. The greenery and proximity of Bend to water is what makes it special for me. That means having to deal with the PNW weather pattern during winter months, but I'm happy to do it. Again, though, everything we're saying here is anecdotal and we're all entitled to our opinions.
EITHER WAY - this thread is about Portland vs. Bend. Let's keep it there.
Last edited by kapetrich; 03-17-2012 at 11:16 AM..
OP, sounds like you have a strong sensitivity to SAD. That means most of the PNW will be challenging for you. Bend is quite a bit better than Portland. So is Medford/Ashland/Grants Pass (though all three can get serious winter fog..bleh). For me, the move to S. Oregon did the trick, the gloom bugs me a bit a times, but the beauty if well worth it. I am borderline for SAD (I muddle along on gloomy days, but find myself incredibly livey and energetic when that strange bright orb in the sky appears-or when I can admire a starry night sky). My Irish-American wife never minded NW Oregon. She loves the rain and mist.
If you really need sun, I would recommend Utah, S. Colorado, New Mexico, or N. Arizona. You can find beautiful mountain towns in all those states with SUN IN WINTER.
If this year is bugging you, bear in mind this is the easiest winter in at least a decade. The year I moved from Colorado to Corvallis, it rained almost 80", with 8" in April. Brutal, but we survived. It can and will get much worse.
I have posted many times that these personal reactions to weather vary by person, and for someone who needs winter sun, this place is not it.
I am thinking about this myself, because I have a job app. in in Burlington, VT. I worry it would be too cloudy for me, but I think the snow might brighten things a bit. I know that I like 5 degrees below freezing with snow much more than 5 degrees above freezing and frigid rain all winter, but I am not sure how would like six months of winte, icy roads, shoveling snow,etc....it is all personal, and jobs, schools, housing,etc. all weigh in too. So, you do the best you can..
I have to question people that dump on Bend because "It's soooo Brown". I mean, it's a high dessert climate (just like Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, parts of Idaho and Montana). It's supposed to be brown, it doesn't get very much rain. It's pretty typical in the Western and Mountain states of the US for the eastern side of mountain ranges to be very dry, and the western side to be very wet (just like the Cascades in this situation).
The soil is sandy and not very inviting to most plants because of the dryness.
I could understand someone coming from Portland (who is used to ridiculous amounts of green) saying Bend was brown. I just can't believe that someone wouldn't have guessed it was going to be like that. I live in Portland, and my wife grew up in Colorado, and she cannot get to Bend enough, as she is used to that type of openess, dryness, and limited plant life. She finds Portland really clostrophobic and "too green". Every time we go she just wants to stay (and if I could move my school program there, I would be ALL FOR IT!), it's great therapy for her.
Delta, did you guys ever decide about Fort Collins?
I have to agree, that saying Bend is brown is again, relative. Coming from Western Colorado, Bend is much greener to me. I do love the green scenery and such in the Valley, but I love it in terms of visiting. I think that's what keeps us in Bend actually. The location is really great. We haven't made any decision as to whether we are leaving. Every time I think I've had enough of the weather, the sun comes out and I think it's not that bad. Realistically, we can't really leave yet anyhow. We own our home and probably wouldn't get what we paid for it. So we are here for a little while longer. I'm going to enjoy my time in the PNW, even if it means I have days where I hate the weather.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticalDream
Colorado, Utah , Arizona (you forgot too mention) and even some parts of the Idaho desert have awesome canyon scenery and lots of sunshine. Bend doesn't!! Not all deserts are equal. Bend's desert scenery sucks, to be blunt. All the nice scenery is in the mountains where the forests start. I use to go shooting at the COSSA range out east of Bend 40 miles. Very bland scenery. The Badlands Recreation Area is interesting, but nothing to write home about. If you are going to live in a desert, at least you can live in one with lots of sunshine and cool canyons.. IMO, at least from living there for a year and checking the forecast once in a while, it doesn't have that much sunshine. Colorado has a genuine 300 days of sunshine a year, as does places like Utah and Arizona.
Blue River just west of the Cascades is so beautiful! Sisters is also a nice town with a yuppie, wannabe-cowboy feel. Bend, itself, is just ugly. If I had enough money I'd live in Blue River which is at the base of the mountain for all the outdoor activities and about 50 min from Eugene and another 1.5 hours from Bend.
Not all deserts are infertile. I live in Treasure Valley in Idaho, a desert valley that is highly fertile. Bend has a very high amount of volcanic matter in the soil , from being at the base of a large chain of volcanoes. This is what I am told, I am not a geologist, so don't quote me. They say the soil is very poor, because of the geological activity that occurred in the region in the past. We are talking 10000s-100000s of years I am assuming. Many parts of Central and Southern California gets the same amount of rain as Bend, but has way more abundant plant life.
While the desert in Oregon doesn't have to amazing red rock canyons of the Southwest, there is still plenty of beautiful desert scenery. Smith Rock, only 25 miles north of Bend is spectacular! The painted hills and John Day Fossil Beds are stunning. Abert Rim in SE Oregon is truly unique. The Steens are impressive. To say the desert around Bend is ugly, just isn't the truth for most people, but it may be to you. I don't find the desert around Oregon to be infertile either. I've seen lots of wildflowers in the spring, just like I would see around Grand Junction, CO where I lived before. There's yucca, juniper, and sagebrush, just to name a few plants. There's also an abundance of wildlife. It's far from barren.
I also find the town of Bend itself to be very beautiful! The Deschutes River running through town, along with the tall pine trees, and the views of the Cascades are truly gorgeous! Downtown is very cute, even if it's a bit on the touristy side. But, you may not like that. It's okay. However, most people will not agree that Bend is ugly. Most of us find Bend to be beautiful!
Quote:
Originally Posted by kapetrich
Nice. I'll take my beautifully wooded Cascade mountains/westside of town and horribly baron dessert to the east over your horribly baron Treasure Valley all over. Seriously, when I pass through Boise I feel like I'm on mars. Which is pretty neat, for the time, I have to admit. Same with parts of Utah, Arizona, etc.
Honestly, this is one of the main reasons I'm so glad I live in Bend over the Front Range in CO and the like. The greenery and proximity of Bend to water is what makes it special for me. That means having to deal with the PNW weather pattern during winter months, but I'm happy to do it. Again, though, everything we're saying here is anecdotal and we're all entitled to our opinions.
EITHER WAY - this thread is about Portland vs. Bend. Let's keep it there.
I agree with you regarding Boise. Personally, I think it's ugly. I don't like much of the desert land between Boise and Western Colorado though. But, I've never spent much time there. I'm sure there is beauty there as well. There's beauty in a cornfield too. It's just not my cup of tea. Like you said, it's all anecdotal and we are entitled to our opinions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fiddlehead
OP, sounds like you have a strong sensitivity to SAD. That means most of the PNW will be challenging for you. Bend is quite a bit better than Portland. So is Medford/Ashland/Grants Pass (though all three can get serious winter fog..bleh). For me, the move to S. Oregon did the trick, the gloom bugs me a bit a times, but the beauty if well worth it. I am borderline for SAD (I muddle along on gloomy days, but find myself incredibly livey and energetic when that strange bright orb in the sky appears-or when I can admire a starry night sky). My Irish-American wife never minded NW Oregon. She loves the rain and mist.
If you really need sun, I would recommend Utah, S. Colorado, New Mexico, or N. Arizona. You can find beautiful mountain towns in all those states with SUN IN WINTER.
If this year is bugging you, bear in mind this is the easiest winter in at least a decade. The year I moved from Colorado to Corvallis, it rained almost 80", with 8" in April. Brutal, but we survived. It can and will get much worse.
I have posted many times that these personal reactions to weather vary by person, and for someone who needs winter sun, this place is not it.
I am thinking about this myself, because I have a job app. in in Burlington, VT. I worry it would be too cloudy for me, but I think the snow might brighten things a bit. I know that I like 5 degrees below freezing with snow much more than 5 degrees above freezing and frigid rain all winter, but I am not sure how would like six months of winte, icy roads, shoveling snow,etc....it is all personal, and jobs, schools, housing,etc. all weigh in too. So, you do the best you can..
Fiddlehead, I couldn't agree with you more regarding SAD! I know, I'm borderline SAD too. The last few days were hard for me. I was in a total funk. It was overcast, windy, and at times rainy. I didn't want to go outside. Today the sun is shining and I'm in a much better mood! I need the sun. I don't mind the rain, once in a while, but this time of year is always hard for me. I'm ready for warmth by now and spring is finicky in the northwest. I'm learning this! Depending on one's degree of SAD, living in Bend can be tolerable, but it won't be paradise unless you don't suffer. I do believe this.
I agree that the scenery around Boise is ugly..Uglier than Bend as a whole, agreed! The Treasure Valley is nothing special. You are preaching to the choir here. I moved to Boise because it was cheap and I have been having problems with business. However, I think Boise is a much nicer town, with more amenities than Bend. I work from home, so Boise was a cheap alternative. However, about 1.5-2 hours from Boise is some of the most spectacular mountain, forest and desert scenery in each direction. Bend has spectacular forest and mountain scenery nearby, but I never thought the desert scenery was nice. Yes, the Painted Hills are awesome, but they are quite far from Bend. Hell's Canyon is awesome, once again far from Bend! Also, the desert east of The Dalles can be quite interesting in the Gorge. I suppose the one really cool spot that is near Bend would be that giant canyon you see entering the town of Madras from the north. That is pretty awesome, but even that is at least an hour from Bend.
Bend does have its beauty, but the beauty is all west of Bend, so why not live on the west side of the Cascades and enjoy even more of the beauty? My point was that even though Bend has less rain, the cloud cover is almost the same for both West and East of the Cascades (until you get much farther east of Bend). At least in the Winter. But I hardly saw the sun all spring.. We had snow in April which turned into the miserable Portland drizzle that lasted all month, albeit it would usually just be overcast without the drizzle. Bend is very cloudy in the winter, at least the year I was there.
The Treasure Valley is nothing special. You are preaching to the choir here. I moved to Boise because it was cheap and I have been having problems with business.
I think we just got to the nut of your over the top dismay of Bend. It is definitely not a easy place to make it, especially in 'this economy.' That's why many posters have asked the OP about job security. It's a HUGE factor.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticalDream
However, I think Boise is a much nicer town, with more amenities than Bend.
Yes. Boise proper has 2.6x the population of Bend proper and Boise's metro is 3.6x the population of Bend's metro, according to Wiki's numbers. Amenities often times coincide with population.....
Also, the metro sprawl, aka suburban sprawl, is a huge factor in why Boise is so cheap. Personally, I can't stand it (it's bad enough in Bend), but again, that's a personal choice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MysticalDream
However, about 1.5-2 hours from Boise is some of the most spectacular mountain, forest and desert scenery in each direction.
Yes, if you like driving 1.5-2 hours away to see spectacular mountains, forests and desert scenery. Personally, that doesn't sound like a lot of fun if you're an outdoor enthusiast. That said, Boise has plenty of outdoor activities to do very close, but I'm just going off what you've said.
Again, I can get on my mountain bike and in not more than a blink of an eye be in the Deschutes National forest on world class single track. I moved to Bend so I didn't have to drive to fantastic scenery and outdoor activities. FWIW, My business has thrived in Bend (note: not tied to local economy).
Today was a typical winter day. Forecast was for snow and mostly cloudy, yet the reality was a sunny day (very clear brilliant blue sky) until late afternoon when it clouded up for a few hours with some light snow then cleared again. I could see the Cascade mountains with some clouds near their peaks.
I live in Portland and would like a drier climate. When I compare the winter weather in bend to Portland, it is always so much colder in Bend and I don't think I could stand living there all year. Bend is nice in the summer though.
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Bend
