Living in the Pacific North West:  An Outdoors Person's Dream
Consider Retiring to Washington, Oregon or Idaho!

If you are the outdoors type, the Pacific Northwest could be for you!  Here is just a brief list of what you could  participate in:  hiking, skiing, skijoring, snowmobiling, dog sledding, snowshoeing, tubing, horseback riding, clamming, beachcombing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, all types of fishing from fly to deep-sea, whale watching, bird watching, scuba diving, paragliding, windsurfing, ballooning, camping, hunting, ice skating, golfing, rock climbing, and that’s just to name a few.  If watching sports is more your thing, there are also 20 professional sports teams to follow.

When you think of the area, the thought that may immediately come to mind is too much rain.  Indeed, many areas have plentiful rainfall and it houses some of North America’s most lush and extensive forests.  However, the area experiences a wide variety of climates, which naturally lends itself to all the outdoor recreation possibilities.  The area houses an Oceanic climate in the coastal areas between the ocean and the high mountain ranges.  In the high mountains, there is an Alpine climate.  East of the higher mountains is an Arid and Semi-Arid climate. 

Also adding to the recreation opportunities is the geographic diversity of the region.  It is dominated by several mountain ranges.  The highest peak at 14, 410 feet is Mt. Rainier in Washington.   Inland from the Cascade Range, there is a broad plateau where there are many coulees, canyons and plateaus.  Then there are the forests which locals call the “cold” jungle.

The region has four U.S. National Parks – Crater Lake in Oregon, and Olympic, Mount Rainier and North Cascades in Washington.  It also has six national forests, 6 national wildlife refuges, a national conservation area, numerous wildernesses and numerous state parks and recreation areas.  Other famous features include Mt. St. Helens, Hells Canyon and the Snake River.

The Pacific Northwest was originally occupied by a diverse array of Native Americans some 15,000 years before the Europeans arrived.  With the abundance of fish in the area, they were some of the most complex hunter-gatherer-fishers in history.  Initial formal claims to the area were made by Spain.  The United States later established a claim following a Lewis and Clark expedition. 

Throughout the area, 1000’s of descendents of the original tribes still live and many of their cultural traditions continue to be practiced.  In addition to that, the region has a diverse culture resulting, in part, from the varied geography of the region.  This makes for some great cuisine and music.  Cuisine of the area includes wild salmon, huckleberries, locally-produced fruits, vegetables and cheeses, fine wines and hand-crafted beers.  Oh, and for those of you who might be interested, Cannabis use is relatively popular and in some areas is a low law enforcement priority.  Musically, the area is known for its Indie music, especially grunge and alternative rock.  It is also known for its folk and world music traditions. 

The area is also known as a magnet for a wide range of philosophical and spiritual belief systems.  Eastern spiritual beliefs have been adopted by an unusually large number of people.  Yogic teachings, Sufism, New Age, Neo-Paganism, tribal and ancient beliefs are widely studied and appreciated.  Interestingly then, the Pacific Northwest has the lowest rate of church attendance in the U.S. and consistently reports the highest percentage of atheism. 

The region has a long history of what might be considered political radicalism dating back to the states’ formations.  A number of anarchist communes sprung up there in the early 1900’s.  Now, the coastal cities in particular are some of the most liberal parts of North America.  Many jurisdictions have relatively liberal abortion laws, gender equality laws, legalized medical marijuana, legalized physician-assisted suicide and they are supportive of gay rights.  The region is also ahead of most of the U.S. in environmentalism with services such as recycling, organic farming and extensive public transportation.  Seattle in particular is home to a large number of publications and institutions concerned with the environment and its sustainability. 

In addition, the region has a long history of starting cooperative and communal businesses and organizations, including publicly-owned power and utilities.  As a result, the region enjoys the lowest electrical power rates on the continent.  Major industries include agriculture (Washington fruit, Idaho potatoes, wine and cheese), Aerospace (Boeing), entertainment industries (film and television), forestry, fishing, high technology (Microsoft), hydroelectric power, mining, and apparel (Nike)

Some fun facts about the region that might help characterize its citizens are:

WASHINGTON:

• It is America’s coffee capital with more coffee bean roasters per capita than any other state. 

• “The Wave”, a popular fan cheer, was started at the University of Washington

• It has the most residents of any state holding high school diplomas and Seattle leads the country with the most college degrees per capita

• The state produces 70% of the nation’s hops used to brew beer, and perhaps not coincidentally, produces the majority of the nation’s mint crop

• It is the nation’s 2^nd largest producer of wine and has more than 350 wineries

• In Seattle, more people commute to work on bicycles than any other city nationwide

• One in every 6 residents owns a boat

Our Pick Washington State Communities:
Bella Housa Village
Cascara at the Villages
Reunion at Redmond Ridge
Fairway Point
Montreaux Active Adult Community

OREGON

• The state has more ghost towns than any other state

• Eugene has been rated as one of the top ten bicycling communities in the U.S.

• Portland is considered an example of outstanding urban planning

• The village of Bickelton is filled with bluebird houses seen on the posts of every house

Our Pick Oregon Communities:
Ceres Gleann
North West Crossing
Falls at Eagle Crest

IDAHO

• Idahoans were once called Fortune Seekers because of all the people who moved there to mine silver or gold

• The town of Rigby is considered the birthplace of television

• The world’s largest potato chip is in the Idaho Potato Museum in Blackfoot and is 25x14 inches

Our Pick Idaho Community:
Golden Spike Estates

So, now that you know all that you can do, just a brief caution about what you can’t do should you decide to visit or move to the area.  In Washington, it is against the law to  boast that one’s parents are rich, to ride an ugly horse in Wilbur, buy a TV on Sunday or spit on a city bus in Spokane, take a fishbowl on a bus or carry a concealed weapon that is over six feet long in Seattle and to have live, hypnotized people in a store window.  In Oregon, it is against the law to use canned corn as fish bait, to box with a kangaroo in Myrtle Creek and to whistle underwater in Portland.  In Idaho, it is illegal for a man to give his sweetheart a box of candy weighing less than fifty pounds, to fish on a camel’s back, to ride on a merry-go-round on Sundays and in Boise, to fish from a giraffe’s back.  As an aside for your personal knowledge, if a police officer in Coeur d'Alene sees a vehicle and suspects that the occupants are engaging in sexual relations, he must either honk or flash his lights and wait three minutes before approaching the vehicle. 

As you have now read, there is a plethora of recreation should you decide to locate to the Pacific Northwest.  We encourage you to visit the area in your quest to find an active adult community.