Relocating to Oregon

[Corporate ORphan]

Based on 2010, it looks like its the Winter months. Maybe fireplaces?

[Brat]

This is about the time when DEQ will put in place a burn ban, perhaps folks are burning trimmings to get ahead of the ban. I know my husband is thinking about that out at or son's marina property.

The purpose of the burn ban is to prevent fires from getting out of control and to a certain extent to maintain air quality.

When I was a child forest fires terrified me. I would hide under a blanket in the car when my parents took me to the beach because they drove through the Tillamook burn. To this day I remember seeing the glow of a forest fire just over the crest of the hill from our home - and I am 70.

[Corporate ORphan]

We have been looking at real estate on the internet and it looks like most of the houses in the Eugene, Portland, etc. area don't have basements. Is that true? Where we are currently, most houses have basements. Basements are wonderful! I would definitely miss having one.

[Life_is_Good]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corporate ORphan We have been looking at real estate on the internet and it looks like most of the houses in the Eugene, Portland, etc. area don't have basements. Is that true? Where we are currently, most houses have basements. Basements are wonderful! I would definitely miss having one.

Most houses in my area (Eugene/Springfield) don't have basements. We don't have tornados, hurricanes or other natural disasters that knock down buildings... so I'm not sure they are needed.

On the other hand, I've seen houses advertised as having a bonus rooms. Usually it's something upstairs similar to a loft. People turn them into offices, or game rooms. I saw one which was hidden behind a bookcase. It was cool.. they had made it into a game room with a pool table.

[braumeister]

Not trying to hijack the thread, but another part of Oregon I have heard has a good quality of life is Medford.
Anyone know that area?

[Brat]

Humm, the homes I frequented in Eugene when I was a kid had basements, as do most homes in NW Portland. I think it is primarily a factor of the age of the house. If it was built before WWII they would be much more common. This is because in those days to have central heating you needed a furnace with octopus in the basement. When I was a child our home was heated by sawdust which required a room for it's storage.

Basements take extra money to excavate and with the advent of smaller heating systems and buried oil tanks there wasn't a demand for basements. I found a pretty one for sale at 1718 LINCOLN ST. A local realtor should be able to generate a list.

I don't know Medford well. It is popular with California retirees and it has a VA medical center. Homes, as compared to Portland and Eugene are less expensive. Ashland, home of a small state college and the Oregon Shakespearean theater, is not far south (commutable).

[kyounge1956]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corporate ORphan We have been looking at real estate on the internet and it looks like most of the houses in the Eugene, Portland, etc. area don't have basements. Is that true? Where we are currently, most houses have basements. Basements are wonderful! I would definitely miss having one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Life_is_Good Most houses in my area (Eugene/Springfield) don't have basements. We don't have tornados, hurricanes or other natural disasters that knock down buildings... so I'm not sure they are needed. (snip)

Another thing they don't have in western OR is winter soil-freezing to great depths. Lots of the country, by the time you've gone deep enough to get your footing below the frost line, you've dug half or two-thirds of a basement, so you might as well keep going. But in the maritime NW, the ground doesn't freeze as far down as elsewhere. The deepest I can recall it ever freezing here in Seattle in the almost 30 years I've lived here is a foot or so. Oregon is south of here. I'd guess they have an even shallower frost line than we do.

[Helen]

I grew up in Michigan, then moved to Boston for eight years after college, then moved to Oregon twenty years ago. I love it here, especially now that I am in the NE neighborhood of Portland instead of 30 miles west of the city (just moved in January). I would never want to move back to the midwest or the east coast.

Today, I drove 1/2 hour to Multnomah Falls and hiked 14 miles with a 4,000 ft. elevation gain. Tomorrow I will drive 1.5 hours and be at Cannon Beach, OR - our beaches are owned by the public and they are beautiful.

Next month I am going on a five day backpacking trip to the Wallowa Mountains in Eastern Oregon - it is breathtakingly beautiful there and about a six hour drive.

In Sept., I have a permit to climb Mt. St. Helens, which is probably about a 2.5 hour drive from here.

Once the snow melts, I will be doing a lot of hiking and backpacking on Mt. Hood, which is about a 2 hour drive.

I love this part of the country. I can not wait to retire so I have more time to try new things like salmon fishing and kayaking. If you are into the outdoors, you will never have enough time to explore and enjoy.

And, both houses I have owned here have had basements.

Best of luck on your decision.

-helen

[Helen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brat When I was a child forest fires terrified me. I would hide under a blanket in the car when my parents took me to the beach because they drove through the Tillamook burn. To this day I remember seeing the glow of a forest fire just over the crest of the hill from our home - and I am 70.

Very interesting:

The Tillamook County, Oregon, forest fire of 1933 is remembered as one of the fiercest timber fires in U.S. history. It was the first of four forest fires which, together, came to be known as the “Tillamook Burn”. Every six years after that first fire — in 1939, 1945 and 1951— another huge fire would break out in what is now the Tillamook Forest.

Tillamook 1952 by George Wright

[Brat]

My father said that men and boys were literally conscripted off the street to fight that fire.

I must remember the fires of 45 and 51. During my grade school years one of the ways to get out of school for a day was to plant trees in the Tillamook burn. A classmate of mine produced a photo of the both of us eating lunch during those forays. We both laughed at my saddle shoes which my Dad thought were the only suitable footwear.

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Take note that Portland (and other NW towns and cities) have hills (not everywhere, so choose your area). Houses on hills may have a daylight basement, as all of ours did.

Use Google maps with the little man to see the streets of Portland. You can wander for days. Or, take a trip and look around for a week or two.

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Portlandia! Far out! Where you never have to grow up. Buy the bumpersticker: "Keep Portland Weird".

The suburbs and their streets are getting crowded. The old eastside (of the Willamette--pronounced wil-AAH-met, not will-a-met-ee) River is still pretty much at the old population density and is pretty groovy these days.

If you have time to explore, consider settling across the Columbia River in Vancouver, Washington, where there is no income tax. Then you can shop in Portland easy where there is no sales tax.

There are some cool little towns up and down both rivers.

[Corporate ORphan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed_The_Gypsy Take note that Portland (and other NW towns and cities) have hills (not everywhere, so choose your area). Houses on hills may have a daylight basement, as all of ours did.

What is a "daylight" basement?

[Brat]

Basement - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Thank you, Brat!

[Linney]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helen Today, I drove 1/2 hour to Multnomah Falls and hiked 14 miles with a 4,000 ft. elevation gain.

Larch Mountain Trail, by any chance? It is one of my most favorite trails in the Columbia Gorge. I have an incredibly huge 'bucket list' of hikes yet to do in this area. With the Columbia Gorge, Gifford-Pinchot forest, Mount Adams wilderness, Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens all within a couple hours drive of the Portland area, there are so many great hikes I have yet to experience. This area is a hill / mountain hiker's dream come true.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helen In Sept., I have a permit to climb Mt. St. Helens, which is probably about a 2.5 hour drive from here.

I did that a couple years ago and boy was that a tough one. But so worth it. Amazing view from the rim. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I plan to do it again now that I've forgotten how much work it was

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helen I love this part of the country. I can not wait to retire so I have more time to try new things like salmon fishing and kayaking. If you are into the outdoors, you will never have enough time to explore and enjoy.

+1! I am chained to my desk Monday through Friday. Too often by Saturday I am so exhausted I can't rouse the energy to get outside like I did when I was younger

I really enjoyed reading about your weekend. And I can't wait to RE so I can do more of what I love and not be so tired from work stress all the time.

[Helen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linney Larch Mountain Trail, by any chance? It is one of my most favorite trails in the Columbia Gorge. .

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!!! Yes, it was Multnohma to Larch Mountain. That was the first time I've hiked it. The view at the top is the best view I've seen from a gorge hike! I will be doing that hike a lot more often.

So far this year, I've hiked Wakeena to Multnohma (beautiful!), Opal Creek (we hit snow), Dog Mountain (peak wild flowers), Indian Point, Nesmith Point, Mt. Defiance, Wakeena to Devil's Peak to Multnomah and Larch Mountain. Plus a two night backpacking trip to the Wallowas.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linney I have an incredibly huge 'bucket list' of hikes yet to do in this area. With the Columbia Gorge, Gifford-Pinchot forest, Mount Adams wilderness, Mount Hood and Mount St. Helens all within a couple hours drive of the Portland area, there are so many great hikes I have yet to experience. This area is a hill / mountain hiker's dream come true.

I agree, there are so many places I have yet to explore. Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens are two areas I've barely been to. Also, central, eastern and southern Oregon. I haven't been to the Strawberry mtns or the Steens, have you?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Linney I did that a couple years ago and boy was that a tough one. But so worth it. Amazing view from the rim. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I plan to do it again now that I've forgotten how much work it was

How much conditioning did you do before the St. Helens climb? I'm hoping the five day backpacking trip to the Wallowas and the South Sister's climb will have me in shape.

Thanks for your post!

-helen

[TromboneAl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by braumeister Not trying to hijack the thread, but another part of Oregon I have heard has a good quality of life is Medford. Anyone know that area?

My sister lives near Medford. When we visit, I see it as too hot and way too crowded.

[Linney]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Helen I agree, there are so many places I have yet to explore. Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens are two areas I've barely been to. Also, central, eastern and southern Oregon. I haven't been to the Strawberry mtns or the Steens, have you? How much conditioning did you do before the St. Helens climb? I'm hoping the five day backpacking trip to the Wallowas and the South Sister's climb will have me in shape.

To get ready for the St. Helens climb we hiked Dog Mountain, Mount Hamilton then Larch Mountain in three consecutive weekends. You have already done the equivalent hikes with Nesmith / Defiance / Larch Mountain all of which have some serious elevation gain. Add the backpacking trip and South Sister climb and you should be more than ready. Quite frankly, though, all of the people we saw turn back during the St. Helens climb were thwarted by altitude sickness, not by lack of conditioning.

I haven't been to the Strawberry Mountain or the Steens. I should check them out for my hiking bucket list! Right now I am doing the planning for our first ever camping/hiking trip to Mt. Rainier. Just waiting for the snow to melt . . . .

--Linney

[TromboneAl]

Here is a traffic cam picture from Medford, OR:



Here's a picture of Portland traffic: