Took a vacation in Victoria one year. Used the Ferry service to get us and our Jeep over from the mainland, with several island stops along the way. I fell in love with all the little island communities that were so close to Seattle, Victoria, and Vancouver yet a million miles away. I would love to live there, but DW is not so sure. She thinks I should go sometime other than June and see if I still love it.
Looking for Retirement Heaven? I've found it!!
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I stay away from Point Roberts during the winter seasons for that exact reason. Rains like crazy, and when the sun does show it's face it's gone before I get my clothe on! Spring & Fall is fine, and the Summers are just beautiful. I have a winter home in Florida and Arizona as of now.ShokWaveRider said:
Brat
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
If the worst you can say about a place is that it rains a lot in the winter you have found retirement heaven. Give me rain over heat and humidity, bitter cold, hurricanes or tornados.
In that vein... all it does is rain, rain, rain, rain. I am absolutely sure that the bridge the heaven is up!
In that vein... all it does is rain, rain, rain, rain. I am absolutely sure that the bridge the heaven is up!
cute fuzzy bunny
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I spent a lot of time in portland, even had a girlfriend there for a year. Warm humid summers, cold wet fall and spring, cold somewhat snowy winter. Nice restaurants. Lots of pretty scenery. Fair bit of decent culture. Lots of very bad traffic problems in some areas. Lots and lots and lots of rain.
unclemick
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Hmmm
Forty years ago - Portland was one of those legendary places lost in the mists - drew girls from all over. Great place as I remember. Still has a lot going for it - retirement wise from what I've read - pac NW climate though. Hate to think what some of those old wood Victorian houses cost today.
Forty years ago - Portland was one of those legendary places lost in the mists - drew girls from all over. Great place as I remember. Still has a lot going for it - retirement wise from what I've read - pac NW climate though. Hate to think what some of those old wood Victorian houses cost today.
Vancouver and Vancouver Island are definitely among the best places to retire. We go there quite often and will probably move to the island when we ER. Real estate is definitely appreciating quickly but there are still some less expensive spots. The climate on the island is great , the scenery is spectacular, people are low key and the pace of life is just right.
JoJo
JoJo
Brat
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Wildcat, I think YOU would like it. The best way to evaluate the rain issue is to look at the stats. Take our rain stories cum grosos saltos. However, consider the culture of Gov Tom McCall who proposed that visitors should be required to post bond that was returned upon departure. 
There is an attitude in the NW that new arrivals are to be discouraged.
Portland is a 'dine out town', it is also a community of readers. My daughter used to go on dates to Powell’s bookstore. Housing isn't cheap, however. The area has experienced significant population growth.
My bias is great public schools and at least the availability of cultural activities.
In addition to Ashland, Hood River is worthy of consideration. Hood River is known for wind sailing, not cultural activities. Google is moving to The Dalles, just east of Hood River. Generally speaking the arrival of high tech improves the public schools.
Bend is also very popular and has grown like crazy. Consider Sisters or Redmond. Cold in the winter, hot in the summer, very little rain.
The NW is dissected by the Cascade mountain range. The mtns wring out moisture as the weather systems head east. East of the mtns is a high plateau that is relatively arid. The Columbia River Gorge is a wind tunnel.
A little known part of Oregon is known as the Blue Mountains, near La Grand. Take a ride down the Snake River between Oregon and Idaho at least once in your life.
Then there is Gold Beach and Brookings ...
There is an attitude in the NW that new arrivals are to be discouraged. Portland is a 'dine out town', it is also a community of readers. My daughter used to go on dates to Powell’s bookstore. Housing isn't cheap, however. The area has experienced significant population growth.
My bias is great public schools and at least the availability of cultural activities.
In addition to Ashland, Hood River is worthy of consideration. Hood River is known for wind sailing, not cultural activities. Google is moving to The Dalles, just east of Hood River. Generally speaking the arrival of high tech improves the public schools.
Bend is also very popular and has grown like crazy. Consider Sisters or Redmond. Cold in the winter, hot in the summer, very little rain.
The NW is dissected by the Cascade mountain range. The mtns wring out moisture as the weather systems head east. East of the mtns is a high plateau that is relatively arid. The Columbia River Gorge is a wind tunnel.
A little known part of Oregon is known as the Blue Mountains, near La Grand. Take a ride down the Snake River between Oregon and Idaho at least once in your life.
Then there is Gold Beach and Brookings ...
Victoria and Vancouver I are great to visit and live. Really enjoyed the ferry trips over and back through the San Juan Islands. Went to Vancouver also. Nice, but just another big city looking to take $$ from tourists. There are a tremendous number of people on the corners seeking a handout. I was really dissapointed in Chinatown. Really seem a seedy area compared to the main downtown area.
Spanky
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
wildcat said:Thanks for the response Brat. I am going to OR for a short vacation. I will keep everything a secret & discourage others upon my return
Wildcat,
Do share with us about your visit. It would be nice to see if you think Oregon is a place for retirement.
Spanky
Spanky
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polloloco said:
Most Chinatowns (e.g., San Francisco, Oakland, Chicago, LA, New York) are usually dirty and crowded.
Brat
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Polloloco: Comax on Vancouver Island is popular for BC retirees. Vancouver is charming.
My issue with Vancouver Island is enviornmental: they don't treat their sewage.
My issue with Vancouver Island is enviornmental: they don't treat their sewage.
Mr._johngalt
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Spanky said:
Hi Spanky. I am not an expert on Oregon. However, my son lived there for years (Eugene) and my brother lived about 50 miles away
at the same time. They both loved it. I wouldn't be surprised if my son moved back some day. I have only visited and so have no
strong impressions or expressions.
JG
unclemick
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I love sewage! Route it to a special area of my swamp after blasting it in a special holding tank with chlorine(pool tablets). 15' swamp cane and 6' cat-tails compared to half those heights in the untreated area.
Of course my degree was in chemistry. Sewage and DRIP stocks - some of the fun things to putz with in ER.
Different strokes for different folks!
Heh, heh, heh, heh - no kayak yet though.
Of course my degree was in chemistry. Sewage and DRIP stocks - some of the fun things to putz with in ER.
Different strokes for different folks!
Heh, heh, heh, heh - no kayak yet though.
Brat
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I like it too, just not in the Sound.
I am one of three Commissioners of the local sewer district. We pride ourselves in a potable outflow, an efficient and low cost service. Yes, we say we are full of ... with pride!
I am one of three Commissioners of the local sewer district. We pride ourselves in a potable outflow, an efficient and low cost service. Yes, we say we are full of ... with pride!
cute fuzzy bunny
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
unclemick2 said:
Beats Ted's reported efforts to remove condoms and chewing gum from sewage and recycle them.
Not sure I liked that idea.
We have a couple of more wilful polluters up here.
Montreal has a population of 3 million and dumps untreated sewage directly into the St. Lawrence. No wonder the Belugas downstream are a toxic hazard.
And Halifax continues to be a dump, in spite of decades of promises to clean things up.
Montreal has a population of 3 million and dumps untreated sewage directly into the St. Lawrence. No wonder the Belugas downstream are a toxic hazard.
And Halifax continues to be a dump, in spite of decades of promises to clean things up.
I would mock this third world approach to effluent but here in our very progressive midwestern metro area, most of the sanitary sewers are tied in with the storm sewers and so any heavy rainfall entraps the gunk headed for the treatment plant and diverts it directly to our local rivers RAW (sewage, that is). Billions for Iraq while our infrastructure is/turns to crapola.Zipper said:We have a couple of more wilful polluters up here.
Montreal has a population of 3 million and dumps untreated sewage directly into the St. Lawrence. No wonder the Belugas downstream are a toxic hazard.
And Halifax continues to be a dump, in spite of decades of promises to clean things up.
unclemick
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Go outside to visit the neighbors for a while and come back to this? Apparently "turds" have legs - discussion wise that is -heh, heh.
Slidell, La uses the Fritchie swamp and Arcadia, Ca makes use of Mother Nature also - the trick is to manage the flow. New Orleans - I believe will divert in heavy rain also and commit - no, no's - sewage wise.
Septic systems like ungerground graves have a water table problem in south La.
Slidell, La uses the Fritchie swamp and Arcadia, Ca makes use of Mother Nature also - the trick is to manage the flow. New Orleans - I believe will divert in heavy rain also and commit - no, no's - sewage wise.
Septic systems like ungerground graves have a water table problem in south La.
Oregon is one of my favorite states. This is to add to what's already been said.
The views are spectacular. From many places in Portland you have views of Mt. Saint Helen, and Mount Hood. Portland is about 1/2 way between the ocean and the mountains. It's about an hour drive to get to either.
The Oregon coast is magnificent. Many beaches are near empty and are surrounded my tall bluffs. Bring warm clothes, it can be cool, even in summer. The water is cold. You need a 3/2 steamer to get in.
Hood River and the Columbia River Gorge are nice, but I wouldn't want to winter there. I've passed through several times in the winter, it's wet, windy, cold, and miserable. Makes portland and seattle seem nice.
The skiing is good arount Mt. Hood, and even better at Mt Bachelor in Bend. They usually get a lot of snow, aren't very crowded.
I haven't spent much time east of Bend.
If you want to see much of Oregon is will take longer than a week, or even too. I'd plan on a month in the summer. It takes a very long time to drive around the state, especially if you plan to drive RT 101 on the coast.
The views are spectacular. From many places in Portland you have views of Mt. Saint Helen, and Mount Hood. Portland is about 1/2 way between the ocean and the mountains. It's about an hour drive to get to either.
The Oregon coast is magnificent. Many beaches are near empty and are surrounded my tall bluffs. Bring warm clothes, it can be cool, even in summer. The water is cold. You need a 3/2 steamer to get in.
Hood River and the Columbia River Gorge are nice, but I wouldn't want to winter there. I've passed through several times in the winter, it's wet, windy, cold, and miserable. Makes portland and seattle seem nice.
The skiing is good arount Mt. Hood, and even better at Mt Bachelor in Bend. They usually get a lot of snow, aren't very crowded.
I haven't spent much time east of Bend.
If you want to see much of Oregon is will take longer than a week, or even too. I'd plan on a month in the summer. It takes a very long time to drive around the state, especially if you plan to drive RT 101 on the coast.
Mr._johngalt
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Zipper said:We have a couple of more wilful polluters up here.
Montreal has a population of 3 million and dumps untreated sewage directly into the St. Lawrence. No wonder the Belugas downstream are a toxic hazard.
And Halifax continues to be a dump, in spite of decades of promises to clean things up.
Hi Zipper! That does not surprise me. A little surprised you'd
admit it.
JG
Brat
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
The hidden cost of retirement heaven:
Ah yes, dealing with that one reality of life.. effluent. It is both an economic and environmental issue.
In rural and some suburban areas residences have septic systems. They work well as long as their by-products do not enter waterways enriched. When that happens water is robbed of oxygen (such as is happening in Hood Canal), contaminates sea life, or exposes land creatures to pathogens. As communities with septic systems develop water run-off loads concentrate making land less effective in handling the combination of storm water and septic fluids, and septic systems fail.
In cities a similar process is underway. A combined sewer and storm water system worked with a moderate density. Storm water, in fact, may have flushed the pipes of sediment. With increased density, storm water is not dissipated over days or weeks- it is concentrated. Sewer treatment is overwhelmed by the volume and by-passes treatment. Now cities must construct separate storm water and sewer systems…. Not an inexpensive project. Add to that the probability that the original pipes are disintegrating and the systems are handling industrial effluent, we have a significant environmental issue and cost.
How does this impact our decision about where to live in retirement? First accept the fact that this problem must be addressed in our lifetimes and the users will pay for it. You could choose to live in a rural area where the risk of development is low; the trade-off is higher transportation costs. If you are considering a suburban or urban community this risk is worthy of evaluation. In my own city we have septic, village, and district systems and a city policy that the user of a resource pays the freight. The village system is old and user fees are rapidly increasing to address the cost of the system. Septic systems in several neighborhoods are failing because of increased density. The district system (where I live) is state-of-the-art, no increases in user fees are anticipated.
Almost all cities have a capital facilities plan that includes all community entities (schools, public safety, parks, water, sewer, etc) even if they are separate political entities. Ask to see it.
Ah yes, dealing with that one reality of life.. effluent. It is both an economic and environmental issue.
In rural and some suburban areas residences have septic systems. They work well as long as their by-products do not enter waterways enriched. When that happens water is robbed of oxygen (such as is happening in Hood Canal), contaminates sea life, or exposes land creatures to pathogens. As communities with septic systems develop water run-off loads concentrate making land less effective in handling the combination of storm water and septic fluids, and septic systems fail.
In cities a similar process is underway. A combined sewer and storm water system worked with a moderate density. Storm water, in fact, may have flushed the pipes of sediment. With increased density, storm water is not dissipated over days or weeks- it is concentrated. Sewer treatment is overwhelmed by the volume and by-passes treatment. Now cities must construct separate storm water and sewer systems…. Not an inexpensive project. Add to that the probability that the original pipes are disintegrating and the systems are handling industrial effluent, we have a significant environmental issue and cost.
How does this impact our decision about where to live in retirement? First accept the fact that this problem must be addressed in our lifetimes and the users will pay for it. You could choose to live in a rural area where the risk of development is low; the trade-off is higher transportation costs. If you are considering a suburban or urban community this risk is worthy of evaluation. In my own city we have septic, village, and district systems and a city policy that the user of a resource pays the freight. The village system is old and user fees are rapidly increasing to address the cost of the system. Septic systems in several neighborhoods are failing because of increased density. The district system (where I live) is state-of-the-art, no increases in user fees are anticipated.
Almost all cities have a capital facilities plan that includes all community entities (schools, public safety, parks, water, sewer, etc) even if they are separate political entities. Ask to see it.
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