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My husband and I are thinking of moving our family (3 small kids as well) to Washington from Southern CA. My dream is to have a piece of land (at least 1/2 acre) to grow a gigantic garden on - if we couldn't grow enough to store/preserve for the winter, we would like to buy at farmer's markets if possible. My husband's dream is to live near water that he could fish in. We both love hiking and the outdoors. Our kids love playing in the water (lakes nearby for that as well?)
We are both teachers. He would be looking for a full time job in physical education (possibly through the community college level) and I would seek part time in elementary education or counseling through the community college level (I would love to not work at all but we're thinking we couldn't afford that).
Although we seek the acreage, we'd also like to be somewhere with a community, with park and rec programs, etc. We don't necessarily want to be too far away from everyone else.
As far as the weather is concerned, we are tired of so much sun here in So. Cal and would like more rain and clouds but a nice mix with sun sometimes would be really nice. Maybe the "rain shadow" area would work well for us?
What is the job market like in WA? For teachers? It's not as bad as Oregon, is it? I know it's not a good time to be looking for a job at all, but relatively speaking, I'd like some input.
And are there areas in WA that are better for serious gardening?
Also, we'd love to be in a community with progressively thinking people - coops, farmers markets, sustainability, etc.
Any advice out there for us? Thanks so much in advance!!!
Olympia seems to fit the bill: Good schools, progressive and safe community, awesome farmers market, food co-ops, beautiful geography, affordable properties. You should come up for a visit.
My husband and I are thinking of moving our family (3 small kids as well) to Washington from Southern CA. My dream is to have a piece of land (at least 1/2 acre) to grow a gigantic garden on - if we couldn't grow enough to store/preserve for the winter, we would like to buy at farmer's markets if possible. My husband's dream is to live near water that he could fish in. We both love hiking and the outdoors. Our kids love playing in the water (lakes nearby for that as well?)
We are both teachers. He would be looking for a full time job in physical education (possibly through the community college level) and I would seek part time in elementary education or counseling through the community college level (I would love to not work at all but we're thinking we couldn't afford that).
Although we seek the acreage, we'd also like to be somewhere with a community, with park and rec programs, etc. We don't necessarily want to be too far away from everyone else.
As far as the weather is concerned, we are tired of so much sun here in So. Cal and would like more rain and clouds but a nice mix with sun sometimes would be really nice. Maybe the "rain shadow" area would work well for us?
What is the job market like in WA? For teachers? It's not as bad as Oregon, is it? I know it's not a good time to be looking for a job at all, but relatively speaking, I'd like some input.
And are there areas in WA that are better for serious gardening?
Also, we'd love to be in a community with progressively thinking people - coops, farmers markets, sustainability, etc.
Any advice out there for us? Thanks so much in advance!!!
I live in the Bellingham area ... I lived many years in Seattle. I went to Evergreen College in Olympia (a 100 years ago or so ). Back in my military days, I lived in California (Lemoore, near Fresno, and San Francisco). I spend lots (lots) of time in Oregon and still down to Calif.
okay then ... Oregon is Tough (capitol "T") for employment right now - yep. Washington ain't great ... but better ... and teachers have a better shot than some other professions right about now.
Affordable (land) is a relative term ... and with prices having gone schizoid in Calif. as well as up here, I'm don't know what your relative baseline is. But, generally speaking, you will probably find that 1/2 acre lots or so in either Olympia or Bellingham areas are not out of reach for a double-salary household of teachers. Not cheap. But not out of reach either.
Soils. hmmph. well, not great either place in general but there are notable variations depending on your site -- and there are solutions. I created a garden, 24' x 120' for my wife, carved out of a piece of our forest that had been logged many years back. Not great garden soil at all. Fenced it up (oh do NOT forget the deer-fencing up here!!!) and arranged boulders into six 3' x 6' raised beds with gravel paths around for working access ... then a strip of 9 fruit trees horizontal to the southern sun path and behind the vegetables. I took my old beater-farm-pick-up truck to the local nurseries and Bought composted soil to fill the beds and start the fruit trees.
We raise enough for three families for sure ... it doesn't even take 1/2 acre to get 'er done. If you don't have the best soil: Buy IT! ... you're not creating acres of field crops
"Progressive" community? hmmm ... six of one / half dozen of the other ... tending toward Bellingham, I'd say subjectively. Splitting hairs maybe there.
Which brings us to weather: ugh! (yet I've lived here nearly 40 years) ... you are NOT going to be happy fully for 1/2 the year. Accept it. Or look for rural California north maybe. This is NOT sunny from mid-Oct. thru March ... some years worse. It is NOT the inches of rain. That's all nice. It is the gloomy, cold, dampness growing moss on your shoes INSIDE your [heated!] home's closet that will drive you nuts, coming from Calif. Days are REALLY short in winter, also ... we are WAY north. It drizzles for weeks and weeks without end and not a spot of blue or sun. We get SMACKED with some nasty wind storms, and occasionally ice and snow. You'll love the green it all supports. But you will need to escape to find a break.
And I am not kidding: thinking you 'love the rain' is insufficient to prepare you for living in this elephant's-butt gray fishbowl -- WITH the fish swimming around you it will feel like ... on the other hand: about 4 months a year up here are Spectacular!
Final comment re: the "[in-]famous" rain-shadow" ... don't buy into too much of that myth. In fact: don't buy into ANY of it. There IS a "rain-shadow" with fewer inches of precip. than other areas -- but that does NOT translate to more sun, or really mentionable nicer weather. Period. Despite what the Sequim Chamber of Commerce promotes. Baloney. The clouds break up a tiny bit more around these areas providing brief glimpses of blue and spots of yellow that tease you to heartbreak. That all said however, there are areas that have Worse rainfall than others: and Olympia is one of them. Also the closer you go toward the mountains (Cascades or Olympics, either) the rainfall increases exponentially in a short distance on the map.
All said, now that I've generalized, you might well consider, given your descriptions of your interests / curiosities, three areas you didn't mention:
Whidbey Island (but stay away from the jet noise north around Oak Harbor)
Port Townsend
the San Juan Islands (if you can stand island / ferry limitations of life and can find teaching jobs)
Parts of Whidbey Island (ferry not required, but optional, depending on where on the island you live and where you are traveling to) are in the rain-shadow (but pretty windy and cool). Other parts of Whidbey get LOTS of rain. It is a Big island.
Port Townsend IS in the rain shadow (and top choice in my book).
The San Juans are -- well -- the San Juans ... world famous ... but isolated islands with expensive and frustrating ferries to the mainland ("going to America" as we say out here) (yep I live on one of 'em ... but off the State ferry system near Bellingham). A unique lifestyle of its own.
You might want to look at a Washington State climate zone map. Olympia and Bellingham have a shorter growing season than many other towns around Puget Sound. This morning Olympia was about 10 degrees colder than Seattle.
I live in the Bellingham area ... I lived many years in Seattle. I went to Evergreen College in Olympia (a 100 years ago or so ). Back in my military days, I lived in California (Lemoore, near Fresno, and San Francisco). I spend lots (lots) of time in Oregon and still down to Calif.
okay then ... Oregon is Tough (capitol "T") for employment right now - yep. Washington ain't great ... but better ... and teachers have a better shot than some other professions right about now.
Affordable (land) is a relative term ... and with prices having gone schizoid in Calif. as well as up here, I'm don't know what your relative baseline is. But, generally speaking, you will probably find that 1/2 acre lots or so in either Olympia or Bellingham areas are not out of reach for a double-salary household of teachers. Not cheap. But not out of reach either.
Soils. hmmph. well, not great either place in general but there are notable variations depending on your site -- and there are solutions. I created a garden, 24' x 120' for my wife, carved out of a piece of our forest that had been logged many years back. Not great garden soil at all. Fenced it up (oh do NOT forget the deer-fencing up here!!!) and arranged boulders into six 3' x 6' raised beds with gravel paths around for working access ... then a strip of 9 fruit trees horizontal to the southern sun path and behind the vegetables. I took my old beater-farm-pick-up truck to the local nurseries and Bought composted soil to fill the beds and start the fruit trees.
We raise enough for three families for sure ... it doesn't even take 1/2 acre to get 'er done. If you don't have the best soil: Buy IT! ... you're not creating acres of field crops
"Progressive" community? hmmm ... six of one / half dozen of the other ... tending toward Bellingham, I'd say subjectively. Splitting hairs maybe there.
Which brings us to weather: ugh! (yet I've lived here nearly 40 years) ... you are NOT going to be happy fully for 1/2 the year. Accept it. Or look for rural California north maybe. This is NOT sunny from mid-Oct. thru March ... some years worse. It is NOT the inches of rain. That's all nice. It is the gloomy, cold, dampness growing moss on your shoes INSIDE your [heated!] home's closet that will drive you nuts, coming from Calif. Days are REALLY short in winter, also ... we are WAY north. It drizzles for weeks and weeks without end and not a spot of blue or sun. We get SMACKED with some nasty wind storms, and occasionally ice and snow. You'll love the green it all supports. But you will need to escape to find a break.
And I am not kidding: thinking you 'love the rain' is insufficient to prepare you for living in this elephant's-butt gray fishbowl -- WITH the fish swimming around you it will feel like ... on the other hand: about 4 months a year up here are Spectacular!
Final comment re: the "[in-]famous" rain-shadow" ... don't buy into too much of that myth. In fact: don't buy into ANY of it. There IS a "rain-shadow" with fewer inches of precip. than other areas -- but that does NOT translate to more sun, or really mentionable nicer weather. Period. Despite what the Sequim Chamber of Commerce promotes. Baloney. The clouds break up a tiny bit more around these areas providing brief glimpses of blue and spots of yellow that tease you to heartbreak. That all said however, there are areas that have Worse rainfall than others: and Olympia is one of them. Also the closer you go toward the mountains (Cascades or Olympics, either) the rainfall increases exponentially in a short distance on the map.
All said, now that I've generalized, you might well consider, given your descriptions of your interests / curiosities, three areas you didn't mention:
Whidbey Island (but stay away from the jet noise north around Oak Harbor)
Port Townsend
the San Juan Islands (if you can stand island / ferry limitations of life and can find teaching jobs)
Parts of Whidbey Island (ferry not required, but optional, depending on where on the island you live and where you are traveling to) are in the rain-shadow (but pretty windy and cool). Other parts of Whidbey get LOTS of rain. It is a Big island.
Port Townsend IS in the rain shadow (and top choice in my book).
The San Juans are -- well -- the San Juans ... world famous ... but isolated islands with expensive and frustrating ferries to the mainland ("going to America" as we say out here) (yep I live on one of 'em ... but off the State ferry system near Bellingham). A unique lifestyle of its own.
good luck.
Here we go again, somebody trying to keep someone new from moving here by exaggerating about the weather...
Truth is, Western Washington has one of the best winters outside of the sunbelt. There isn't snow ALL winter like the mid-west and it has pretty mild temperatures in the winter. And we DO see sun in the winter...Even if its just for one hour every 4 days from those "sunbreaks"
Here we go again, somebody trying to keep someone new from moving here by exaggerating about the weather...
Truth is, Western Washington has one of the best winters outside of the sunbelt. There isn't snow ALL winter like the mid-west and it has pretty mild temperatures in the winter. And we DO see sun in the winter...Even if its just for one hour every 4 days from those "sunbreaks"
Boy, considering my whole response to the OP, I would hardly expect to be accused of trying to keep them from moving here ...
... in any case, I don't consider my statements exaggerations. The only place in the U.S. that sees less sun than the NW coastal areas in winter is Alaska. So, and the reason I bring this up is: that sort of supports my point in saying what I do about our regional climate. When folks from other places inquire about our weather, they are writing from: southern Calif., Arizona, Florida, Texas, even N.Y., etc. They tend to focus on 'love the rain' statements ... when the rain isn't the issue, it's the lack of sun and daylight hours. I believe they should be educated frankly and honestly and a bit harshly. Moving here from afar is a big deal: commitment, expense, dream-seeking. I'd personally hate to see their resolve for a new life, their bank-roll, and their imaginations get all wet and moldy.
I live in the Bellingham area ... I lived many years in Seattle. I went to Evergreen College in Olympia (a 100 years ago or so ). Back in my military days, I lived in California (Lemoore, near Fresno, and San Francisco). I spend lots (lots) of time in Oregon and still down to Calif.
okay then ... Oregon is Tough (capitol "T") for employment right now - yep. Washington ain't great ... but better ... and teachers have a better shot than some other professions right about now.
Affordable (land) is a relative term ... and with prices having gone schizoid in Calif. as well as up here, I'm don't know what your relative baseline is. But, generally speaking, you will probably find that 1/2 acre lots or so in either Olympia or Bellingham areas are not out of reach for a double-salary household of teachers. Not cheap. But not out of reach either.
Soils. hmmph. well, not great either place in general but there are notable variations depending on your site -- and there are solutions. I created a garden, 24' x 120' for my wife, carved out of a piece of our forest that had been logged many years back. Not great garden soil at all. Fenced it up (oh do NOT forget the deer-fencing up here!!!) and arranged boulders into six 3' x 6' raised beds with gravel paths around for working access ... then a strip of 9 fruit trees horizontal to the southern sun path and behind the vegetables. I took my old beater-farm-pick-up truck to the local nurseries and Bought composted soil to fill the beds and start the fruit trees.
We raise enough for three families for sure ... it doesn't even take 1/2 acre to get 'er done. If you don't have the best soil: Buy IT! ... you're not creating acres of field crops
"Progressive" community? hmmm ... six of one / half dozen of the other ... tending toward Bellingham, I'd say subjectively. Splitting hairs maybe there.
Which brings us to weather: ugh! (yet I've lived here nearly 40 years) ... you are NOT going to be happy fully for 1/2 the year. Accept it. Or look for rural California north maybe. This is NOT sunny from mid-Oct. thru March ... some years worse. It is NOT the inches of rain. That's all nice. It is the gloomy, cold, dampness growing moss on your shoes INSIDE your [heated!] home's closet that will drive you nuts, coming from Calif. Days are REALLY short in winter, also ... we are WAY north. It drizzles for weeks and weeks without end and not a spot of blue or sun. We get SMACKED with some nasty wind storms, and occasionally ice and snow. You'll love the green it all supports. But you will need to escape to find a break.
And I am not kidding: thinking you 'love the rain' is insufficient to prepare you for living in this elephant's-butt gray fishbowl -- WITH the fish swimming around you it will feel like ... on the other hand: about 4 months a year up here are Spectacular!
Final comment re: the "[in-]famous" rain-shadow" ... don't buy into too much of that myth. In fact: don't buy into ANY of it. There IS a "rain-shadow" with fewer inches of precip. than other areas -- but that does NOT translate to more sun, or really mentionable nicer weather. Period. Despite what the Sequim Chamber of Commerce promotes. Baloney. The clouds break up a tiny bit more around these areas providing brief glimpses of blue and spots of yellow that tease you to heartbreak. That all said however, there are areas that have Worse rainfall than others: and Olympia is one of them. Also the closer you go toward the mountains (Cascades or Olympics, either) the rainfall increases exponentially in a short distance on the map.
All said, now that I've generalized, you might well consider, given your descriptions of your interests / curiosities, three areas you didn't mention:
Whidbey Island (but stay away from the jet noise north around Oak Harbor)
Port Townsend
the San Juan Islands (if you can stand island / ferry limitations of life and can find teaching jobs)
Parts of Whidbey Island (ferry not required, but optional, depending on where on the island you live and where you are traveling to) are in the rain-shadow (but pretty windy and cool). Other parts of Whidbey get LOTS of rain. It is a Big island.
Port Townsend IS in the rain shadow (and top choice in my book).
The San Juans are -- well -- the San Juans ... world famous ... but isolated islands with expensive and frustrating ferries to the mainland ("going to America" as we say out here) (yep I live on one of 'em ... but off the State ferry system near Bellingham). A unique lifestyle of its own.
good luck.
Nullgeo,,,,,
I think your description of the N. Sound area is right on the spot!
I also disagree that your post was in any way, an attempt at "discouraging" people from moving there!
The weather....IS ALL that!
But....to some of us, it's PERFECT....or the pros of the entire area.....outweigh the cons of the weather despite the REALITY of the sheer number of cloudy, gray, drippy days from October 'til June.
BTW....the windstorms CAN get wicked and exciting for sure.......unless the power goes out or a big 'ol tree crashes through your roof and slices your house in half......like a hot knife through butter.
EXCITING....when you hear a BIG windstorm is approaching! LOVE IT.
And.....just a few years ago, I vividly recall the MESS that most of Whatcom County was after 2 snowstorms back-to-back around Thanksgiving left 18 INCHES of heavy, wet snow on the ground in Birch Bay......this much at SEA LEVEL!
CRAZY, icy and snowpacked, messed up roads for a week....around Blaine and Ferndale.
STILL....it is so, so VERY gorgeous and worth it if you CAN handle this sort of weather!
I think your description of the N. Sound area is right on the spot!
I also disagree that your post was in any way, an attempt at "discouraging" people from moving there!
The weather....IS ALL that!
But....to some of us, it's PERFECT....or the pros of the entire area.....outweigh the cons of the weather despite the REALITY of the sheer number of cloudy, gray, drippy days from October 'til June.
BTW....the windstorms CAN get wicked and exciting for sure.......unless the power goes out or a big 'ol tree crashes through your roof and slices your house in half......like a hot knife through butter.
EXCITING....when you hear a BIG windstorm is approaching! LOVE IT.
And.....just a few years ago, I vividly recall the MESS that most of Whatcom County was after 2 snowstorms back-to-back around Thanksgiving left 18 INCHES of heavy, wet snow on the ground in Birch Bay......this much at SEA LEVEL!
CRAZY, icy and snowpacked, messed up roads for a week....around Blaine and Ferndale.
STILL....it is so, so VERY gorgeous and worth it if you CAN handle this sort of weather!
I agree with everything you say about this place we live ... I've been here nearly 40 years -- which says it all, despite the weather. Folks "from away" (as the citizens of Maine say) need to have just this kind of input to give them the reality to chew on:
it's not the rain that gets you ...
it's the chilly, dark, sunless damp that is so thoroughly persistent for such Very long periods of time that will likely get to many of you ...
if you love rain, you can get that MANY places with more light ...
places that dry out in between rains.
If you want the relatively mild winter and summer temperatures of the NW coast here, there are serious trade-offs ... consider them wisely if you have not experienced them for years and years. That's how long you all intend to stay, isn't it?
Yep, I would LOVE to live back up your way AGAIN......and this time, STAY for the long haul too!
The biggest mistake I made was leaving the Bellingham area for the likes of Colorado's Front Range.......and it SURE WASN'T WORTH IT!
Colorado has gotten so far beyond overcrowded now, it may as well be California...w/o any beach!
Also....the WORST drivers I have EVER seen ANYWHERE in the US........are ALL over Colorado....or should I say, CALI-rado?
Western WA IS......WAAAYY Better for sure......despite the weather!
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). Back in my military days, I lived in California (Lemoore, near Fresno, and San Francisco). I spend lots (lots) of time in Oregon and still down to Calif.
... it doesn't even take 1/2 acre to get 'er done. If you don't have the best soil: Buy IT! ... you're not creating acres of field crops 
