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Roly Poly
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PostWed Feb 21, 2018 4:02 pm 
Where would you pick if you were a single female that would like to get involved with the community? And have access to trails that are not busy. Spokane, Winthrop, Walla Walla? Experience and opinions welcome!

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Bernardo
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PostWed Feb 21, 2018 4:25 pm 
Why do you prefer eastern versus western washington?

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DIYSteve
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PostWed Feb 21, 2018 4:27 pm 
If you're also considering central WA: We moved to Ellensburg 1-1/2 years ago after living in Seattle for 30+ years (me) and 24 years (my wife). We like it over here. It's a nice mix: college town, county seat, agricultural hub, lively growing arts community, great access to hiking (mountains and scrub steppe), ski touring and XC skiing. Eburg people have been very welcoming to both of us. FTR, I'm semi-retired (attorney) and my wife is a health care provider KVH. We loved living in Seattle, but we don't miss it -- especially don't miss the traffic -- and when we want a Seattle fix, it's less than a 2 hour drive. We spent several years planning to move E of the mountains. We settled in Eburg because it had the best job opportunity for my wife, but we were also attracted to the college town culture, proximity to Seattle and the ability to meet up with our Seattle skiing/hiking buds in between. My wife has made friends with some very nice active women who hike, ski and/or bicycle. We have done some birding with the Kittitas Audubon Society -- good bunch. CWU has music concerts (jazz, vocal jazz, classical), music theater, short film and other presentations for cheap or free. The arts community hosts a monthly First Friday Art Walk. Also see My Ellensburg Events

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RichP
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PostThu Feb 22, 2018 7:06 am 
I like Ellensburg too. Cheaper cost of living, a university and abundant sunshine are big draws though prices have been going up as they have everywhere in the past couple of years. People keep telling me about the wind though. I've been asking myself the same question for a couple of years but have yet to find the perfect place. I have a spouse that is not all too keen on small town living and a young daughter who still needs to go to school so those are factors I must also take into consideration.

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treeswarper
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PostThu Feb 22, 2018 8:20 am 
Define crowded trails. According to a friend who is a native Mazamian, the trails in the area are crowded. She complained about rude people, unleashed dogs where leashes were required and all the usual stuff. I was warned to make sure my pickup was cleaned out if I park it anywhere along the North Cascades highway. Can you handle settling somewhere and not say, "Back in Seattle..."? Or deal with a two hour drive to a Costco? I am glad I did not settle back in the Twisp/Winthrop area. I lived there back when there was a mill going and some fairly well paying jobs for average people. Now it seems to be the land of the Stepford All Wheel Drives. I felt out of place driving my pickup. To fit in I needed a new or late model all wheel drive with Yakima box on top. I will not say where I ended up. It is probably too small and conservative for most. I was very familiar with the area, having lived nearby for several years beforehand. I also had friends here. I was shocked to see that it now has a few homeless people around like everywhere else, and the library has a security guard. I spent at least two years pondering relocation. My reason was totally different, I wanted to move to a bigger place with services available. I did not want to keep on wasting a half a day to "go to town" to get more of a variety of groceries. I wanted to eat cherries fresh off the tree again. Are you ready for cold winters and hot summers? How about smoky summers? I'm living where they were wearing face masks last summer. Can you live in a really conservative thinking place? Can you co-exist with cattle drives on county roads? Orchard spray? Pot farms? The influx of migrant workers? And a big time consideration--the medical services will not the same. People here go to Spokane for serious stuff. Those are just a few things to think about. I also glamped in the area and wandered around town for a few times the last few years. You might try renting something before making the final move. Moving sucks.

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities
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Roly Poly
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PostThu Feb 22, 2018 9:07 am 
Interesting about Ellensburg. I like that it is a university town. The only thing that I would not like about it is that (being a vegetarian) there is a huge cow killing facility there. Also interesting about the Twisp area. Treeswarper, I thought that might be far enough away from Seattle so that there would not be so many of dog haters on the trails. And no, you would not catch me saying "back in Seattle ". I can't stand it here and there is no point being here beyond having a job.

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PostThu Feb 22, 2018 9:13 am 
RichP wrote:
People keep telling me about the wind though.
It spooked us before the move, but it's not been a big deal. It's windy (>8mph) a bit less than half of the days per year, and most of those are between March 15 and October 15. The pattern (pressure equalization over Stampede Gap) is predictable a few days out, so it's easy to plan bicycle vs. hike vs. hike or ski tour up the T-way vs. whatever a few days beforehand. The other good news is that the wind blows out the bad stuff. Eburg has the cleanest air of anyplace I've lived. My advice: If Eburg checks your boxes otherwise, don't let the wind veto your decision. Re housing prices: Yes, they are on a rising trend as a result of tight inventory, although if you're selling a paid-off house in Seattle and using the proceeds to buy in or around Eburg, you'll be fine. We sold a nice but small bungalow in West Seattle, used the proceeds to buy a much nicer new construction home with a big shop building and a bit o' land, and had a few bucks left over.
Roly Poly wrote:
The only thing that I would not like about it is that (being a vegetarian) there is a huge cow killing facility there.
I was unaware of that, so I wouldn't think it's a problem unless you look for it. (FWIW, there are animal kill operations all over WA and OR.) Farm fresh produce is cheap. There are plenty o' vegan and vegheads in Eburg, and a nice health food store. If you eat eggs, you can buy farm fresh organic eggs from any of numerous local farmers.

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treeswarper
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PostThu Feb 22, 2018 9:17 am 
My friend is not a dog hater. The trail was a popular one, leashes were the law, and people were letting their rude dogs tear around. That is not hating dogs. My friends have two rowdy dogs and follow the rules. I even leash up mine if there are rules and people around. Cows and ranching are big time all over the eastside. Also, on Forest Service roads or shortly after cows have been moved on a county road, you'll get special undercoating on your car.

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities
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Randito
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PostThu Feb 22, 2018 10:04 am 
My niece and nephew live in Yakima. One thing to be aware of is that winter there is every bit as grey as Seattle. It doesn't rain nearly as much Nov->Mar but it still cloudy and often foggy in the morning. My niece's house is off of Summit View drive. I visited them for over five years without understanding what that name was about, until I visited in July and was wowed by the outstanding view of Mt Adams that I had never seen previously. White Pass is nice, uncrowded skiing. My nephew says about Yakima, "There is no 'Happy Holidays' in Yakima, it is definitely 'Merry Christmas'" The jewish community is maybe a dozen families.

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MtnGoat
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PostThu Feb 22, 2018 11:52 am 
"Back in Seattle..." is the new "In California we...." The thing about the dog haters so to speak, is they're often not born they're created....by abusive practices. Just like gated roads with former casual access lost, because of locals tired of having to deal with entitled attitudes. and people leaving gates open or getting in private owners faces about their own cows on their own land. Eburg has gone from being an authentic cow town to a growing case of Seattle envy, so if you're looking for someplace for the long term where this pressure will grow more slowly, I'd write that one off too.

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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MtnGoat
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PostThu Feb 22, 2018 11:54 am 
treeswarper wrote:
Cows and ranching are big time all over the eastside. Also, on Forest Service roads or shortly after cows have been moved on a county road, you'll get special undercoating on your car.
Those things can be surprising, they get dried on the outside while still gooey on the inside, drive over one and there's a pop and explosion all over the sides of your rig

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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treeswarper
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treeswarper
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PostThu Feb 22, 2018 12:02 pm 
MtnGoat wrote:
Those things can be surprising, they get dried on the outside while still gooey on the inside, drive over one and there's a pop and explosion all over the sides of your rig
For some reason, we kids called those Fake Cowpies. They look hard and dry on the outside but that is fake. Step in them and squoosh. I'd rather step in cow poop than people poop. Don't worry, it washes right off your car or shoe or whatever. I have lain down in the dark to find out in the morning that my "pillow" was a dried up cowpie.

What's especially fun about sock puppets is that you can make each one unique and individual, so that they each have special characters. And they don't have to be human––animals and aliens are great possibilities
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DIYSteve
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PostThu Feb 22, 2018 12:23 pm 
MtnGoat wrote:
Eburg has gone from being an authentic cow town to a growing case of Seattle envy
down.gif down.gif down.gif

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MtnGoat
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PostThu Feb 22, 2018 12:25 pm 
Truth is often unpopular.

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock. - Will Rogers
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DIYSteve
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PostThu Feb 22, 2018 1:28 pm 
your disparaging opinion has no relation to the truth have you considered moving to Somalia Libertarian Paradise? You'd fit in nicely

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