Living in the outskirts of Tillamook- The Town (or City) (Rockaway Beach: transplants, camping)

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by OutdoorsyGal

Is it sunny in those towns?[/b] ... Luckily it's finally rained, the drought means dust is everywhere. Sunnier= longer growing season so that is a plus as we love to grow our own food.

You are coming from an area that averages 270 days of sun and 17" of rain. Most of the coast areas (defined as towns to the west of the Coast Range, which separates the Willamette Valley from the coast) get half the sunny days and between 70-95" of rain. Towns in the Willamette Valley get 135-155 days of sun and 38-45" of rain. The longest growing season is in the Willamette Valley.

If your job will be in Tillamook, then you want to stay on the west side of the Coast Range, because commuting over rainy (occasionally icy), heavily forested narrow roads is just not a good idea. Definitely rent before you buy, because some people with breathing problems have trouble with "heavy" damp, foggy air and mold spores - because some one has no problems with occasional rain doesn't mean that same person would be okay with weeks to a month on-end of rainy weather.

[knucklehead 61]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

I don't know if Tillamook has had a big real estate price increase. if not, I was looking there last summer and saw several manufactured homes on big lots, just outside of town that were under $100,000.

I like Garibaldi better, because it has that ocean / beach town feel to it. Tillamook isn't right on the ocean.

Tillamok ice cream is the best. They do a good job with sour cream and butter, also. All the cheese is good, but the black label extra aged white cheddar is really outstanding.

If you get inland about 10 miles, you should miss out on a lot of the fog.

oregonwoodsmoke, you are right about their ice cream, the oregon hazelnut salted caramel is delicious!
I also love the black label white cheddar. living in california we don't get all their specialty cheeses, so we stock up the motorhome when we visit the factory.
have you had their "squeaky" cheese curds? they are also great.
Tillamook yogurt is pretty delicious as well.
i am pretty sure everything they make is excellent, as i have never been disappointed.
Garibaldi is a nice area, we have stayed in the rv park a few times.
we bought a vacation house in Winchester Bay though, as the fishing is fantastic, & the sand dunes are right there to play on.

[Silverfall]

Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal

If your job will be in Tillamook, then you want to stay on the west side of the Coast Range, because commuting over rainy (occasionally icy), heavily forested narrow roads is just not a good idea. Definitely rent before you buy, because some people with breathing problems have trouble with "heavy" damp, foggy air and mold spores - because some one has no problems with occasional rain doesn't mean that same person would be okay with weeks to a month on-end of rainy weather.

I agree with this. The Coastal Range is a mountain range and driving over it during the winter months for commuting isn't a good idea. There are occasional slides, and it can get icy.

I also second that you should rent where ever you end up as it seems about half of Californians can't handle the gray skies of Oregon and move away. Oregon has a lot of mold spores flying around since we generally have conditions that mold needs to grow. It isn't toxic, but someone that already has breathing issues might not be able to tolerate the natural mold spores out here.

[patches403]

Originally Posted by knucklehead 61

we have visited Tillamook many times.
Great cheese!!!
very pretty area.
but I don't remember ever seeing the sun shine there.

That's because the sun doesn't shine all that often. An average of 238 days per year the sun doesn't show itself at all. Another 76 days on average are considered partly cloudy (mostly cloudy would be more accurate), which leaves an average of 51 days per year that are considered sunny. On average Tillamook sees some type of precipitation 193 days per year. The average high temperature, even during the summer, will rarely surpass 70 degrees.

To the OP:

Moving to Tillamook from a sunny area in California will be a huge adjustment; see above for my description of the weather. Most transplants can't handle the Coastal weather and leave within a few years. Pretty much any property that needs work will have lots of moss, mildew, mold and water damage from all the moisture. Even on sunny days, it's still damp most of the time; that's just how the Oregon coast works.

You will have a tough time growing most vegetables; there won't be enough sun and hot temperatures to ripen most things. Vegetables like lettuce and broccoli that don't like lots of sun will probably work.

On the plus side, you can probably find a selection of property for 100k around Tillamook since few people consider it a desirable place to live. It's doubtful 100k will get you much of any properties, except maybe the most run-down shack in Sheridan or Willamina. 100k won't get you a cardboard box anywhere near Hillsboro.

If your job will be in Tillamook, live on the Western side of the Coast range; the drive over the coast range can be miserable in the winter and crowded full of slow-moving RVs in the summer. Plus one of the roads over the Coast range seems to wash out every winter; they often take several days to get the roads reopened. There are few alternate routes if this happens and the ones that exist would add hours to your commute.

I third the poster who said to rent for awhile. Go through a couple of Oregon winters to see if your husband's health can handle the weather.

[pdxMIKEpdx]

I remember one time I went to Tillamook on a Saturday, and it was 80°F and sunny.
All the summertime tourists wanted to move there, and all the locals were grumpy.

The nice warm air made it smell like.......well, you know......pungent.

Oh, the memory!

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by knucklehead 61

........but I don't remember ever seeing the sun shine there.

It was sunny all summer this year.

However, I watch the coastal weather maps because I have a place in Yachats. The rain storms tend to hit about the area of Newport and north from there. So if there is a rain storm, Tillamook is going to get rain, but not as bad as Astoria gets it..

Tillamook is also prone to flooding, so be sure to buy high enough from the river level that you won't be affected by flooding.

If you live on the coast, you can take a couple of mental health trips to Bend every year and dry out and recharge your solar batteries.

You have to learn how to maintain a house in a damp area. It's not that hard. You only get mold in the house if you don't keep the house dry.

There is wonderful fishing, crabbing, and boating in the Tillamook area. There is access to excellent camping and hiking. The little beach towns nearby have fun shopping, and there is the train ride in Rockaway Beach.

It might not be right on the beach, but the ocean is not far, so you have to live like you are living in a beach town. Nothing awful about that.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by knucklehead 61

.......we bought a vacation house in Winchester Bay though, as the fishing is fantastic, & the sand dunes are right there to play on.

My family was just in Winchester Bay a couple of weeks ago. Great boating. We didn't catch any fish. A few cojo were caught right at the bar by other people but I get seasick so can't sit in the bar. We caught one really nice big crab. Not a huge success of a fishing day, but some of the prettiest boating on the coast.

The boat docks and launch are some of the best on the coast, too. Nicely sheltered.

Winchester Bay is going to be too far to commute for the OP, but maybe she can do a day trip down there to fish.

The whole coast line it dotted with wonderful little villages and beautiful scenery. There is plenty to see and do.

[PNW-type-gal]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

The whole coast line it dotted with wonderful little villages and beautiful scenery. There is plenty to see and do.

That last line should be: "There is plenty to do and see as a tourist, part-time resident or retiree."

The OP says she has an "in" to a job in Tillamook, which is good, but the problem tends to be that there are few jobs and most don't pay well and aren't full-time or are seasonal. Moving over the hills to the Willamette Valley and larger towns opens up the job prospects quite a bit.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

I think you'd be better off getting a home close to work. Then deal with visiting your son when you want to. I'm not sure where in CA you're used to living, but I am from CA but lived in WA for 18 years, mostly the western half. And I can tell you that the winters are very icy.

People may tell you there isn't that much snow and that may be true. But, ice is worse, in my opinion. It makes driving horrible. White knuckle, miserable.

So, first consider your day-to-day commute during winter. You probably won't be visiting your son during those months anyway, so why make your day-to-day commute miserable?

So, my advise is to buy or rent as close to work as possible. It will make normal living so much better. Then, when the weather is good, go visit your son.

If I ever had to deal with that weather again, I will say that wood heat is wonderful, so if you can find a place with a wood stove it will improve winter for you. The wood heat is so good for your bones - there's just nothing like it for comfort. And the sound of wood crackling is romantic. And if you also have a wood stove where you can see the fire, there's nothing better.

[OutdoorsyGal]

Thank you everyone Especially those that pointed out possible further breathing issues due to the mold in the air and houses. And the commute and the fact most transplants don't stick around. Renting first was always the plan


My company has offices in Fort Bragg also. It's much more expensive but if we wait a little longer, we can probably afford it (due to an inheritance). And it's sunnier there...back to the drawing board.

We will still go vacation in Tillamook.