Family looking to move to Washington... (Seattle, Spokane: house, purchase, schools)

[Foreverking]

Your answer is Bellingham Wa. I live in Phoenix, but Spent years up there. Bellingham Bellingham Bellingham. IF that doesn't work, try Bellingham.

[509]

About 250,000 people from western Washington travel to eastern Washington on a typical weekend for sunshine, smaller towns, outdoor activities, and water activities. If you don't have to live in western Washington....

Originally Posted by midwest_moon

Seriously?

Seriously....true. I am no longer working, but here are some of my data points.

From the 2006 Forest Service Recreation Use Survey typical number of visitors from western Washington was on the 28 week recreation season (May-October and Jan-Feb) was 60,000 people. That is a statistically valid number. That is JUST ON FOREST SERVICE LANDS!! Does not includes towns, state or local parks, motels, wineries, etc. etc.

For example, on Snoqualmie Pass the weekend vehicle traffic was around 50,000 vehicles in the mid 1990's. Not sure what the number is today. We figured that 20% of Forest Service recreation traffic came over Snoqualmie Pass. So three people per vehicle that is 150,000 people coming over on a typical weekend on Snoqualmie Pass. Now add Stevens, North Cascade Highway, White Pass, etc. and your probably getting real close to that 250,000 number.

On most summer weekends it is difficult to find a motel unit or camping site from Walla Walla through Tri-Ciities, Yakima, Wenatchee, Chelan and Leavenworth. So that number is probably 80% visitors from western Washington.

Then there are all the summer homes owned by residents of western Washington in eastern Washington. I only have firm numbers for Okanogan County and Chelan County. In Okanogan County HALF the homes are owned by people from western Washington. In Chelan County it is 35%. I don't have numbers for Grant, Douglas or Kittitas County. But in Douglas County the third largest city is a second home development for western Washington residents of several thousand homes.

Anyway, you get the drift. That number of 250,000 is probably pretty close. Don't the Sunday evening traffic tie-ups on Snoqualmie and Stevens prove anything??

Anyway, getting back to the poster and her needs for sunshine, water, and outdoor recreation AND NOT HAVING TO LIVE IN WESTERN WASHINGTON........why she was not considering towns east of the Cascades.

I was just curious since so many western Washington residents when they get the chance move immediately to eastern Washington. In her case, she can start here.

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by 509

For example, on Snoqualmie Pass the weekend vehicle traffic was around 50,000 vehicles in the mid 1990's. Not sure what the number is today. We figured that 20% of Forest Service recreation traffic came over Snoqualmie Pass. So three people per vehicle that is 150,000 people coming over on a typical weekend on Snoqualmie Pass. Now add Stevens, North Cascade Highway, White Pass, etc. and your probably getting real close to that 250,000 number.

I don't think the ski resorts at the summits of those passes in winter qualify as tourists going to Eastern WA. They are all closer to Western WA than Eastern. I agree though that places like Wenatchee and Tri-Cities might be a better choice for the OP.

[509]

The ski traffic is pretty minor......in winter it really is the snowmobile folks. Snoqualmie Pass is great for people wanting to ski in the rain. Stevens is crowded. You have to go all the way to Wenatchee to get decent powder and then there are years with minimum snow.

The winters when it does NOT snow in Puget Sound there is a lot of traffic for people that want to experience snow. But that is a fickle season to build a business. A snowy winter in Seattle makes people fed up with snow. A season without snow in Seattle has lots of traffic over the passes for people needing their snow fix. I know....we have a vacation rental home just outside of Leavenworth.

[sequoias]

Originally Posted by midwest_moon

Seriously?

Yep, seriously. I was one of them, I went to Lake Chelan from Seattle for a weekend.

[Christa54]

Thanks so much for all your input. I've never been east of the Cascades so it didn't really occur to me. I will need to investigate - any towns you could recommend?

Gig Harbor looks amazing, but after some research it seems like it is always grey skies? While I was investigating that area I found that Whidbey Island gets a lot more sunshine. But it seems like the schools might not be very good - any thoughts on that?

I'm really thinking we would need a whole month to tour the state - it's quite overwhelming. We will just be renting for the first year, but I would still like to "get it right" before we move.

[MJ5150]

If gray skies are an issue, you would do well to follow up on the advice already given about Eastern Washington.

-Mike

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Christa54

Thanks so much for all your input. I've never been east of the Cascades so it didn't really occur to me. I will need to investigate - any towns you could recommend?

Gig Harbor looks amazing, but after some research it seems like it is always grey skies?

If Gig Harbor is too grey, then all of Western Washington other than Sequim is probably too grey. If you ski a lot, you can get out of the grey during the winter.

[Foreverking]

Originally Posted by Christa54

Thanks so much for all your input. I've never been east of the Cascades so it didn't really occur to me. I will need to investigate - any towns you could recommend?

Gig Harbor looks amazing, but after some research it seems like it is always grey skies? While I was investigating that area I found that Whidbey Island gets a lot more sunshine. But it seems like the schools might not be very good - any thoughts on that?

I'm really thinking we would need a whole month to tour the state - it's quite overwhelming. We will just be renting for the first year, but I would still like to "get it right" before we move.

Whidbey is amazing. Lived there for four years. The Entire time I lived there it never snowed once..however you could drive to snow if you wanted it. If I didn't need to find a job in sales (which is what I seem to know) I would move to Coupville. I don't remember it being less grey different than when I lived in other parts of Western Wa. If grey bothers you, I mean months of grey, then don't come anywhere near the Pac NW. I love the cloud cover.

[Christa54]

I've been basing a lot of my research on the climate data. According to that:
St. Clair. MI (where I currently live) has 180 days of sun/yr
Friday Harbor: 157 days/yr
Bellingham: 157 days/yr
Coupeville: 161 days/yr
Gig Harbor: 139 days/yr

I don't need sun all the time and I'm good giving up 20-30 days of sun per year to live in the beauty of Washington. For those of you who live in western WA, do you think this info is fairly accurate?