Moving...Suggestions? I've been being told Forks and PA are bad? (Seattle: motels, vacation home)

[Andy]

I'd check out the Kitsap Peninsula (Gig Harbor, Port Orchard, Silverdale, Poulsbo, Kingston), Bellingham and Ferndale up north, and Olympia down south.

Make sure to visit during winter before moving here. Our summers are great. Its the winters that get the newcomers.

Steer clear of Forks. Twilight is a bunch of Hollywood lies filmed in Oregon.

[jkoenning]

THANK YOU for all of the information. I am goingto look into all of it! As far as the schools go, I know I am an outsider, for now at least, but how come noone had stepped in or up to create these programs, so these kids aren't so tempted and drawn to drugs. I saw a few empty buildings there. They need to make a teen hangout with some of the money from tourism. Start a dare program, hold community rallies, get the parents involved. Start sports in the school AND community. With all the celebrity that come through there, I bet some would be willing to back it. Be prepared IF we end up in Forks, my mission will be all lined out in the things I just described. Possibly even if we just end up close enough. I HATE to keep hearing about all the drug issues. These kids are our future.

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by jkoenning

THANK YOU for all of the information. I am goingto look into all of it! As far as the schools go, I know I am an outsider, for now at least, but how come noone had stepped in or up to create these programs, so these kids aren't so tempted and drawn to drugs. I saw a few empty buildings there. They need to make a teen hangout with some of the money from tourism. Start a dare program, hold community rallies, get the parents involved. Start sports in the school AND community. With all the celebrity that come through there, I bet some would be willing to back it. Be prepared IF we end up in Forks, my mission will be all lined out in the things I just described. Possibly even if we just end up close enough. I HATE to keep hearing about all the drug issues. These kids are our future.

I'm not sure what you mean... The D.A.R.E. program is already been long set up and going in Washington. D.A.R.E. I still remember the D.A.R.E. officer I had when he visited my elementary school (back in the 90s)... he was a cool guy.

Folks... has a lot of problems. Alcoholism, the unemployment... It is a very depressed town. I don't think they actually do get a whole lot of money off the "Twilight" tourism and the whole "Twilight" craze has gone down. But if you want to make the change... I applaud the notion-- I just don't think you'll get that far. The Forks folks will definitely not be appreciative of you coming in and changing status-quo, even though you have good intentions.

But if your husband is looking to work in a chemical plant, I don't think there's any on that side.

ETA: Just notice the "celebrity" part... What celebrities?

[jkoenning]

I wasn't refering to wanting to come in and step on toes, Just that the individual before said there were no plans in place. I have done alot of work here setting up and running sports leagues for kids etc, mainly because, if kids are busy, they are less likely to do the drugs. I am not by any means saying I can make anyones problems go away, I just like to help, especially if it is my community. If they DON'T get the money from the twilight tourism, they should. They are the ones having to deal with it. As far as celebrities. I know for sure at least 2 of them go to La Push every July for Quileute days. They support causes, help out etc. Forks should get a little attention too. Again, just my opinion. I saw on another thread that they are planning to open a Twilight museum in Forks after the next movie, that will bring more in as well. As I said I am NOT trying to change something everyone is happy with. They just don't sound very happy. I know there is a DARE program in Washington, one of the other responders just mentioned it wasnt in effect there. I've visited there twice. I don't know that it will be where my family and I go, especially if there are no jobs. I just think it's sad to let a beautiful place fall apart and let bad things take over, and the OP is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I certainly wasn't trying to offend anyone. As far as my husband, if he can get away from it, he does NOT want to work in a chemical plant. That is what we have always been around, and what I am trying to get my kids away from. So many kids here have cancer it's sad. That is just his current trade, there are LOTS of jobs here, if you can deal with all the bad parts, and thats what were tired of.

[rainforest338]

I'll add for anybody that is considering moving to the Olympic Peninsula some information on driving.
Essentially very few major roads/routes. You have US 101 and SR 104, then some smaller but important links SR 112 (Neah Bay/Seiku) and 19/20 Port Townsend.
The main system is 101/104. Most of the time it is fine to drive, but there are plenty of expected and unexpected slow downs. In summer there are usually lots of RVs that head out for the campgrounds, many of which will slow traffic down, especially when they near the hills on 104, Lake Crescent, and the turns around 101 by Brinnon.
Festivals..for example the Lavendar Festival. A couple years ago traffic was stopped from Sequim to the Hood Canal Bridge. Took about 3 hrs to make that drive.
Speaking of Hood Canal Bridge, it randomly closes to traffic, adding however much extra time to a commute. The longest I've been trapped at the bridge is around 45 minutes.
Fishing..from about May to July (maybe later) certain fishing seasons open up (in particular halibut). The seasons vary for regions of the state, and different parts sometimes open/close at different dates. Seems nearly everyone in WA with a large trailerable boat will head to the peninsula during some of these---the effect is similar to the RVs.
Mudslides seem to happen a few times a year on 101 south of Quilcene and on SR 112. Sometimes blocking the road for a few days. Not much of a summer occurrence due to low rainfall. 101 just south of Forks is sliding little by little (you can see the slivers of road, mostly shoulder, working their way down the hill).
Snow in Western Washington provides its own problems. It rarely gets cold enough for the snow to stick, and if the air is cold enough the ground usually keeps enough warmth to keep the snow from being sticky. It turns to a slippery, slush very quickly; unlike Eastern WA or other parts of the US. Combine with hills, turns and infrequency and it makes the roads here something to want to avoid.
Like I first stated though, MOST of the time roads are fine, but you can predict many of the times when longer commutes may occur. Reason I mentioned this is because I've known a few people that wanted to move out to this area stating they want to be 'within an hour or hour and a half' from an area with an airport or hospital, etc., but after dealing with traffic snags decided they would want to look elsewhere.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by jkoenning

With all the celebrity that come through there, I bet some would be willing to back it. Be prepared IF we end up in Forks, my mission will be all lined out in the things I just described.

STEER CLEAR OF FORKS!

Again, Twilight is a bunch of Hollywood lies filmed in Oregon.


If you want to save Forks, open a factory there that will employ a lot of medium skill, medium educated folks.

There is no $ in Forks. What you outlined above is impossible without jobs and a real economy there. They need natural resource or value added jobs that import new money into the economy.

If you haven't spent a week in Forks in December, you haven't visited Forks. It is a sad, depressing place. It needs REAL jobs, not a bunch low revenue, low employment business that cater to a bunch of ignorant Hollywood fans visiting during the few dry months.


Sorry for being so harsh, but this Twilight nonsense needs to stop. Too many ignorant dreamers have ruined theirs and their families lives by moving to that sad place. Forks needs real jobs, not more dreamers who are easily duped by Hollywood lies.

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by Andy

Sorry for being so harsh, but this Twilight nonsense needs to stop. Too many ignorant dreamers have ruined theirs and their families lives by moving to that sad place. Forks needs real jobs, not more dreamers who are easily duped by Hollywood lies.

I wouldn't call it Hollywood lies. Those movies were not meant to promote growth or tourism in Forks, it just happened to be the location the book used for the story. There are just a lot of ignorant people that don't understand the difference between a movie and real life.

The Forks economy is based on illegals picking salal in the woods for the floral industry, and those pickers fight over territory. We pass through there every year or two on the way back from the Hoh Rainforest and rarely stop other than for gas or something to drink at the one grocery store. We tried to find a decent place to eat dinner once and ended up going on to Port Angeles.

[rainforest338]

Originally Posted by Hemlock140

The Forks economy is based on illegals picking salal in the woods for the floral industry, and those pickers fight over territory. We pass through there every year or two on the way back from the Hoh Rainforest and rarely stop other than for gas or something to drink at the one grocery store.

Yes, unfortunate. It isn't limited to floral though. Many of the pine boughs that are used for X-mas wreaths are from illegally harvested forest products by illegals. They also search the woods for trees like maple and cut the best parts of the trunk to be used in guitar necks. Has become a real problem. Forest Service can't combat it because of numbers. The Border Patrol has grown out here by about 10X. You may not see them on the main roads, but I encounter them on the old logging roads more frequently now.
The largest employer for the peninsula is the federal government--National Park Service, US Forest Service, Border Patrol, US Coast Gaurd (Port Angeles, La Push, Neah Bay), Pacific Northwest National Lab (Sequim), Indian Affairs, to name a few.
I don't expect any real change to the economy of the area unless it is based on service. Most attempts to pursue manufacturing, resource extraction or development tend to be met with many lawsuits, to the point of being too costly. The 'Twilight' themed businesses (many of which are now gone or on their last breath) were some of the few opportunities for a business in that area due to regulation/litigation.

[jkoenning]

There has to be money somewhere, drugs and alcohol cost money. I don't know where it would be coming from, and it's obviously being spent on the wrong things. It's that way everywhere though. I don't think, after all this, that it's the city I will be moving my family to, but I still think it's sad. I still want to be somewhere on the OP, but since my children are priority 1-I don't think it will be Forks. Although the Twilight movies were mostly filmed in Canada and Oregon, when the first movie was released with the documentary "Twilight in Forks", I think that helped kick in the tourism. The entire west coast is beautiful compared to where I live.

[jkoenning]

I do have another question though, when researching property, I saw Forks had some moderately priced housing, but noticed a lot of them were in excess of 300k. How do the people there afford that with no revenue or economic sources?