Retiring in the Pacific Northwest

[Salmonchaser]

No Elgin, place is f up. Where all the outcasts go. Cove , Union, Baker or over in the valley, wallows or Enterprise. I worry more about having my pistol with me in Elgin than I do in Portland. Here is a listing in Cove, just up the hill from us. Guy who owns it is a craftsman builder. Kind of guy you ask him to build you a crate he builds a grand piano. 4 hours to Portland.

 

[Bonasababy]

No Elgin, place is f up. Where all the outcasts go. Cove , Union, Baker or over in the valley, wallows or Enterprise. I worry more about having my pistol with me in Elgin than I do in Portland. Here is a listing in Cove, just up the hill from us. Guy who owns it is a craftsman builder. Kind of guy you ask him to build you a crate he builds a grand piano. 4 hours to Portland.

What about coastal towns? Tilamook?

 

[Salmonchaser]

We enjoy visiting the coast but damn it's wet. But you never have to drive on snow.

 

[jimh406]

People like the coastal towns in Oregon. The issue is how overcast it is much of the year. It's can be great otherwise.

 

[Straight Arrow]

People like the coastal towns in Oregon. The issue is how overcast it is much of the year. It's can be great otherwise.

We stayed near Cannon Beach couple years ago and travelled along the coast on Hwy 101. We loved it ... however, the traffic etiquette there is even worse than in Bozeman, with dipchits speeding and passing on double yellow and blind curves. We loved the area but hated the highway travel up and down the coastal 101!

 

[brymoore]

I like the coastal towns but I’m not sure I’d want to live there. It does have advantages. It’s going to be 101 in Boise today but only 64 in Newport. Great saltwater fishing, crabbing and clamming. You’d have to drive for hunting or fly fishing.

 

[Greybeard]

What about coastal towns? Tilamook?

When my son and his wife first moved out to Oregon, they started in Tilamook. We visited them over Thanksgiving. It was nice. The weather was exactly as you would expect for that time of year, but we still enjoyed hiking out in the cool, misty rainforests around there.

 

[Greybeard]

Man, the Willamette valley isn't getting enough love. It's beautiful. The rivers that flow from the westside of the cascades are incredible from the Molalla to all the Santiams, the Sandy and Clackamas, the McKenzie and Willamette. And the rolling oak topped hills with snowy peaks in the background, and the coast only an hour over the hill.

After your post, I watched a few YouTube videos about the Willamette Valley. It does look beautiful.

 

[Irrelevant]

After your post, I watched a few YouTube videos about the Willamette Valley. It does look beautiful.

If I had a do-over in life I might have tried to build a life in the Willamette valley, in the Estacada/Molalla area. Short drive to ski or hop over the mountains to the Deschutes, similar to the coast. Close enough to Portland to make "real" money.

 

[El Jason]

After your post, I watched a few YouTube videos about the Willamette Valley. It does look beautiful.

My cousin has lived in Grants Pass for years and loves it.

 

[Salmonchaser]

The valley from Eugene to Portland is a great place to live. Good hunting for Blacktail deer, long season, my niece two brothers and a brother in law routinely shoot Rosie bulls with in an hour of their homes, good to great steelhead fishing on coastal streams within an hour. You can be on the coast in an hour on the Deschuttes in two. Two downsides, it's a long drive to far eastern Oregon to hunt chukar and the sky's are gray for nine months. Climate wise the thing to remember about Oregon, from the crest of the Cascades west is rain forest. From there east is high desert. If you live in Corvallis you might have three inches of snow all winter, if you live in Cove or LaGrande you will be trapped by a mountain pass and winter snow to the east and west that make interstate 84 between Pendleton and Ontario the most frequently closed section of freeway in the country. If you live in the valley you can get to an airport in an hour and a half. Good medical as well. We drive three hours to Boise for both.
There is a lot to like about Oregon but I still wouldn't want to live in Portland, but I don't have to.

 

[Irrelevant]

 

[Irrelevant]

My cousin has lived in Grants Pass for years and loves it.

The Umpqua, just north of there, was one helluva steelhead river back in the 90's. I never drove the extra 1 hr to try to Rouge.

 

[Salmonchaser]

All that being said, wife and I are in Portland currently. Son in law being treated in hospital. We spent last evening walking around down town from our hotel, showing the grand daughter the sites. It seems to me there is a movement beginning to bring Portland back to the sane side of things. It's subtle, they need a couple of cycles with a good Mayor, it could happen.

 

[brymoore]

All that being said, wife and I are in Portland currently. Son in law being treated in hospital. We spent last evening walking around down town from our hotel, showing the grand daughter the sites. It seems to me there is a movement beginning to bring Portland back to the sane side of things. It's subtle, they need a couple of cycles with a good Mayor, it could happen.

I was downtown Portland in May. I enjoyed myself. I didn’t see any active drug use but did see a couple drug users.

Portland vs Seattle, I’m a Seattle guy. I’ve spent more time there. If Boise blows up, I’m going to long commute to Seattle for my next job.

 

[Irrelevant]

I was downtown Portland in May. I enjoyed myself. I didn’t see any active drug use but did see a couple drug users.

Portland vs Seattle, I’m a Seattle guy. I’ve spent more time there. If Boise blows up, I’m going to long commute to Seattle for my next job.

You're crazy. Traffic alone would tip it to Portland for me

 

[brymoore]

You're crazy. Traffic alone would tip it to Portland for me

I wasn’t talking the whole picture. I wouldn’t buy a house in either city. For my potential job (won’t happen), I’d get an apartment downtown and commute from Boise.

Which city to visit? Seattle for me.

 

[Drake4]

I wasn’t talking the whole picture. I wouldn’t buy a house in either city. For my potential job (won’t happen), I’d get an apartment downtown and commute from Boise.

Which city to visit? Seattle for me.

Same. I've been to both numerous times. Love going to Seattle. Do not enjoy going to Portland.

 

[Greybeard]

We will be going up there over the Christmas holidays. Not just to visit, but this will be a serious scouting for relocation. Thanks to you folks, we have some places to focus on. The valley that Salmon Chaser and Irrelevant have been describing really checks a lot of boxes. We will likely start looking there first. My wife has been already looking at listings. It's great to get intel from folks that actually live there and have the same interests as me, not just some realtor sales pitch from YouTube.
Thanks to all of you and keep the suggestions coming!

 

[Salmonchaser]

Good luck