Talk to me about White Salmon! (Seattle, Leavenworth: sales, Valentine's day, coupon)

[oakstgal]

There is a chance that my family of four will be moving to the Hood River/White Salmon area this summer. I have a daughter who's entering kindergarten next year and a toddler. We have only lived in cities (Portland, OR; Manhattan NYC and now in Seattle) so what is it like to live in White Salmon/Hood River for a young family? What kind of weekend activities do you do? In Seattle we tend to visit the zoo or aquarium, explore new neighborhoods or visit a park. I suppose we can drive to Portland but am curious about local activities.

Also, how are the public elementary schools in White Salmon and Hood River? Any particular one better than others? What about private school options? I did a little research and there were just a few options. I am open to a Christian school and am also curious if anyone has feedback on Little Acorn Montessori in White Salmon.

What about crossing the bridge from White Salmon to Hood River? The homes we like are in White Salmon (for the amazing views) but work is in Hood River. Is that doable or will it break the bank?!?!

I will post this in the Oregon forum too to get some Hood River feedback...
Thanks in advance!

[justducky2]

I too, am looking for input on White Salmon. Potential job in the area. Looking for input on where to avoid and favorite areas to live and play. We love to river raft and kayak, and hike, and explore small towns and scenic byways.

Also interested in how the bi-state area works when you live in one state and work in the other? The potential job is on the Washington side.

THANK YOU!!

oakstgal, did you move???

[Hemlock140]

Since there are only a couple of thousand people there, it seems unlikely that you will get many knowledgeable responses. My only experience there is visiting as a tourist on vacation. Beautiful area, and the best of both worlds with no state income tax in WA, no sales tax across the bridge in Oregon. My sister and family thought about moving there but found the schools to have very low ratings. They are still considering it or Hood River for retirement, it is a great location for outdoor activities.

[j_k_k]

If you work or live in Oregon, you will pay Oregon's state income tax. If you work in Washington, therefore, it's better to live in Washington. Schools are also typically better. You can always go across the river into Oregon to shop tax-free, except for cars, which you will then have to pay Washington sales tax on when you register.

I had a lot of familiarity with White Salmon and Bingen years ago from living near there, but my memories are very outdated and very prejudiced (I disliked both places). Thus, I'm not going to present them in full form, because I don't see how they can be helpful. I do think that both towns have adapted to tourism, especially the sailboarding, but also the fact that they have a beautiful setting right about where the Columbia Gorge transitions from the dry side to the wet side. I think they have become artsier than they were before, and probably less backwaterish.

Back in the 70s, Bingen was trying to play Rhenish village much like Leavenworth plays Bavarian. Unlike Leavenworth, Bingen happened to share a name with a Rhenish town, but it still got silly; I remember selling yearbook ads to a guy who ran "Der Body Shop," and he explained that the town had asked him to go along with the Germanic theme in his business name. They seem to have given up on that some time back. If I had to guess, nowadays I would expect the river views to be stratospheric pricewise, there to be some wine tasting rooms and holistic massage places, lots of ways to buy sailboarding equipment and repairs, and a permanent population that has lived there for generations and remembers how it all used to be.

Hemlock is very correct that the area has lots of outdoorsiness close to hand on both sides of the river. Hiking, fishing, hunting, camping, boating; not too far from skiing. In my day, winters could be substantial; not sure how that is now.

I hope that's at least some help. I had friends who lived and went to school there, but the area has really transformed. I'm not even sure anymore if the Bingen Police are still so completely revenue-driven, though I'd tend to expect it.

[StealthRabbit]

Since White Salmon (Bingen) hosts High Tech Insitu, and Hood River is home to many 'Boardheads and skiing Trust Fund Babies' AND both are in CGNSA (land locked). Housing is expensive. But...... both are an Excellent place to live (Hood River more services / choices)

Schools are pretty good in each (Troutlake is considered best for pre high school',) many excellent resources and opportunties, cuz STEM parents add a lot to local programs. This is a superb network group Welcome! - Gorge Technology Alliance

As well as their parent group. MCEDD
Which has also formed:
Gorge Grown Food Network | Building a resilient food system
Home* |* Columbia Gorge Wine Country
+ Healthcare, housing, transportation, energy sector groups. CGBREZ I.e. A great community resource

Excellent place to raise family, work, garden, grow, and rec-create. Amazing bike trail system and access to forest. Very progressive and environmentally conscious with solid AG background to add 'reasonable-ness' to govenrment and community growth.

My kids were homeschooled, so were available to be ski instructors during the week, they also worked at excellent golf courses in the region. Plenty of farms and orchards too. +/-... (living too close to orchards can be an issue for frost machine noise and spraying . Please be a nice neighbor and not hinder a farmer who has worked generations to build the soils, schools, community, businesses). We are all trying to make the quaility of life better, but some AG and business practices have yet to become 'urban friendly', but.... we are trying
you can get a coupon book for commuting via bridge. $1/ trip

Oregon might best best while young, but As your family ages... consider WA Running Start. ( free FT college vs. HS). There are many students participating from WS. Connect with some teachers and homeschool groups. (Many Homeschoolers are WA and OR teachers)

As mentioned,,,, generally live in the state you work, especially with young kids. Time with kids is short. Coming home for lunch, participating often in school / activities is best done from working nearby your home). (I muffed that by working international.... but family came along when possible)

You should love it in WS or HR, 1 hr to PDX / east Portland. A few days / year ice and wind will keep you from driving to Portland. Usually <5 days of really bad stuff. Best to stay home anyway. ( or stay with your friends in Portland)

[carroll4628]

StealthRabbit is spot on.

I have in-laws who have lived in Hood River for nearly 30 years, and I've been "visiting" for the past 15 yrs (the past 12 years with kids). For 3 years, we would spend 2-3 months in the summers and 2-4 weeks in the winter in HR (when we lived in Texas.)

Based on *everyone* we met (from the old wooden playground to the "new" waterfront park), I have the impression that schools are better in Hood River than in White Salmon in a traditional sense. My MIL taught in Troutdale for 10 yrs before retiring. She still volunteers at Westside ES in Hood River.

Hood River is just so much better for kids.

The regional indoor swimming pool is in the Heights area of Hood River (in addition to the baby pool, therapy pool and lap pool, they have a good swim team and a rather competitive Waterpolo program - the rope swing is also a must). My kids have been going to the pool for 12 years (or pretty much since they were born.)

The library is downtown Hood River. (Not too far from the seasonal ice cream shop run by seasonal residents.)

The Hood River Parks and Rec department has a variety of activities for kids. So does Hood River Hobbies - RC airplanes to Magic tournaments.

I think if you move to White Salmon, you'll find yourself driving over to Hood River for all the kid activities. I suppose you could look at the housing prices. Hood River has really been growing the past 5 (or so) years. White Salmon is "quieter" and Hood River is more "transient" (i.e., more seasonal housing). They're struggling with affordable housing, especially since there has been an increase in vacation rentals in the past 5 or so years. (i.e., the advent of VRBO).

There are classes at the Hood River Community College that students at the High School can take (I believe it's like WA State's Running Start program - but).

You could probably get a little cheaper housing up in Odell. It's an agricultural community, but they feed into Hood River HS. I think the demographics would be similar to White Salmon.

(Now I that I re-read your post, you didn't mention kids like the first poster. Sorry...)

[justducky2]

Thank you for the responses!

Applied for a job...now waiting hoping to be called for an interview.

Can you tell me about weather in White Salmon? Is there snow? A lot of wind?

More or less of either if you travel up towards Husum?

[StealthRabbit]

Snow <10x / yr, rarely over 4", but... 24" on occasion.

Elevation is what brings the snow, so a tad more in Husum,
LOTS more snow in Troutlake, WA (up to 4' at times)

Weather is quite nice, constant wind, sometimes a LOT of wind, but it is NOT WYOMING, just a great place to windsurf /kiteboard.

WS / HR is on the transition from DRY eastside to the WET we_tside. East of WS you will find ticks and rattlesnakes, west... moss and rain. It really is quite nice and very accessible to forest / skiing / HR, east or west PNW.

[carroll4628]

Hood River is the wind surfing capital of North America. People come from all over the world in the summers. It's amazing and gorgeous.

Yes - there is a lot of wind AT THE RIVER. Once you're up in the hills and back from the river, it's just breezy - unless you're on top of a hill with no trees. It can be very windy on the water (great surf day), and a just a little breezy in Odell. I'm guessing it would be similar in Husum (never been there, will have to check it out in December.)

Snow, some years there's 2-4 feet on the ground in December and February, some years we're playing golf on New Year's and Valentine's Day. The Sno-Parks in Oregon (up Hwy. 35 toward Mt. Hood) can have 4-8 feet and we won't have any snow in HR. But, because of the hills some people put on the studded tires for the winter (others just use chains as needed - like my FIL). I'm guessing the snow in Husum would linger a little longer than in White Salmon.