Moving from Steamboat to Bellingham

[fatnslow]

Overall, I would say there are pluses and minuses, with the big plus being the variety of outdoor recreation in the area. The big minus is that you have to drive a fair bit for most of the goods - that's no different from Portland, but Portland does a little better on urban amenities. My wife is really unenthusiastic about the town though, so it's probably not our forever home.

More detail on the upsides:
-People are noticeably more friendly than Portland
-I've never had any crowds on my Schweitzer days (but the 2-hour drive each way got pretty old)
-There's a great beer scene and an okay restaurant scene - there's a small number of outstanding places and a reasonable number of places that are fine
-Awesome gravel riding into the Palouse out my door

Downsides:
-We didn't pick a great neighborhood, if we were doing it again, we would have bought in a more chi chi area
-The winter weather is pretty intense compared to Portland (one week last November had a high temp of -10 F). My wife really struggled with this, and even I started to question our choices when I found myself thinking we might need a space heater in the basement to keep it above freezing.
-Alaska slashed their flights, and with our parents in Portland and Bend, that's been a bummer. Also makes work travel a PITA / more expensive

Too bad you seem to be confirming all things I was afraid about Spokane. I have spent many single days there and have never had a feeling of I could live here. It's nice enough but the bottom does seem to fall out pretty quickly and it sort of lacks any kind of soul in my experience.

[mud]

Saguache, CO is great this time of year.
The hot spring are especially sulfurous.

[fastfred]

^^ delete the post bro
don't need to start advertising certain places ok

[dan_pdx]

Too bad you seem to be confirming all things I was afraid about Spokane. I have spent many single days there and have never had a feeling of I could live here. It's nice enough but the bottom does seem to fall out pretty quickly and it sort of lacks any kind of soul in my experience.

Well, drop me a line next time you're in town and I'll take you out and see if I can change your mind :-) I'm in Bend visiting my in-laws until mid-November, then I'll be back in Spokane.

[skaredshtles]

Saguache, CO is great this time of year.
The hot spring are especially sulfurous.

^^ delete the post bro
don't need to start advertising certain places ok

Come on, guys... Saguache has been played out for at *least* a decade. San Luis is the new Saguache.

[Danno]

Come on, guys... Saguache has been played out for at *least* a decade. San Luis is the new Saguache.

I think you meant Wray.

[skaredshtles]

I think you meant Wray.

Dude. You gotta try to ruin EVERYTHING??

Delete your post.

[CarlMega]

San Luis is the new Saguache.

It's like coming back to London's West End.

[BmillsSkier]

I think you meant Wray.

Is that close to world class skiing, loaded with single women and affordable housing?

[lowsparkco]

Is that close to world class skiing, loaded with single women and affordable housing?

The thing about Wray, is once you taste this gravel riding you’ll never live anywhere else. Rumor has it there’s going to be a new Lifetime Grand Prix race here.

[fatnslow]

Well, drop me a line next time you're in town and I'll take you out and see if I can change your mind :-) I'm in Bend visiting my in-laws until mid-November, then I'll be back in Spokane.

NFW I would ever live in Spokane and it's always a need to stop basis on my way to Montana at this point. I made a mistake of stopping at a Fred Meyer in Spokane Valley a few months back and that place made SE 82nd and Foster seem downright classy.

[Danno]

Is that close to world class skiing, loaded with single women and affordable housing?

of course.

[riser4]

People ruin everything.

[Mofro261]

It's a shame about Wray.

[dan_pdx]

NFW I would ever live in Spokane and it's always a need to stop basis on my way to Montana at this point. I made a mistake of stopping at a Fred Meyer in Spokane Valley a few months back and that place made SE 82nd and Foster seem downright classy.

Hahaha, yeah, Spokane Valley is the East Portland of Spokane.

[The AD]

I'm in Bend visiting my in-laws until mid-November

You're spending a month with your in-laws? Vibes, dude. Vibes.

[dan_pdx]

You're spending a month with your in-laws? Vibes, dude. Vibes.

Well, we're renting a house, so we've been here a few weeks already and I've only seen them twice. It's actually pretty awesome - Bend is a bougie white playground, who knew that would be so pleasant? Also, my inlaws are cool peeps - FIL was a journalist at the SF Chronicle in the late 60s/early 70s and has some good stories, and MIL is tough but hilarious and a savage Scrabble player.

[BmillsSkier]

It's a shame about Wray.

The 90s had so much good music

[The AD]

Well, we're renting a house, so we've been here a few weeks already and I've only seen them twice.

Well that changes things significantly. Seems like a long time away from home, though. Your wife must really dislike Spocompton!

[MagnificentUnicorn]

Fred, do you know this woman?

That’s why she’s leaving


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[dan_pdx]

Well that changes things significantly. Seems like a long time away from home, though. Your wife must really dislike Spocompton!

I think "dislike" is waaaay too mild a word to use, I'm pretty sure she would agree.

[fatnslow]

Well that changes things significantly. Seems like a long time away from home, though. Your wife must really dislike Spocompton!

Night Ranger, mullets and acid wash jeans never went out of style in Spokane from what I can tell after traveling through there for the last 30 years

[Ted Striker]

I think "dislike" is waaaay too mild a word to use, I'm pretty sure she would agree.

Would she have liked it here? When we were seriously considering Bend, my better half vetoed it due to the heat.

[Jvhowube]

Would she have liked it here? When we were seriously considering Bend, my better half vetoed it due to the heat.

So you moved to Birmingham, Alabama instead?

[Ted Striker]

Lol, what? We were going to leave Bellingham for Bend, but didn't.