Great info chunk. I would hate to be on the list. In fact the Battle Ground to Washougal area looks to be a possibility. We're gonna fly up there next spring to look around the Vancouver/Portland outskirts for some property. I sure hope the spring is green.
I would agree on Bend, OR. as well not just because I'm from there Its beautiful in the Summers but it gets pretty bad around the winter time, but there's nice areas of land all over.
Good luck with your move. The Portland area is great, I'd like to live up there one day. Watch out for the bad parts though, and it is very crowded so choose a place outside of it It's a really great place for art! I've lived in small towns outside of Eugene all of my life. Bend is also pretty cool too.
I lived in Bend for over 15 years and it is beautiful. I have seen frosts in August in Bend however so doing an outdoor grow can be a crap shoot. I have friends there that grow in greenhouses that do good and they're in Redmond. If your wife likes the occasional bright lights/big city, Portland has a lot to offer and living in the Battle Ground/ Washougal area is within a 45 min drive. Bend has it's share of things to do for sure, but not quite on the scale of Portland. If you enjoy outdoor activities like skiing/snowboarding/hunting/fishing then Bend is a playground, but if you're in the Portland/Vancouver area, you're a couple of hours from Bend. You're also less than 2 hours from the Oregon/Washington coast which is also a great place to explore. All in all, wherever you end up in the Great Pacific Northwest I can assure you that you will be pleased. chunk
Some of the suburban areas of Portland might be worth considering like Sandy which is on the way to Mt. Hood and Timberline Lodge (The Shining movie). Sandy is east of PDX on the old US Highway 26 (pre interstate highway system) South of Portland you might want to consider Keizer (adjacent to the state capital - Salem). Nice area with good pricing on homes especially if your don't mind driving 10 - 15 miles. West of PDX towards the Oregon Coast are several nice areas and some that are just too crowded in and around the Intel complex. Pretty much sucks like Irvine, California. Maybe worse because native Oregonians are the worst drivers in the 11 Western States with the exception of the clowns in and around Seattle. You can also live in Vancouver, Washington and the surrounding areas in Clark County. Eugene is nice - The People's Republic of Eugene. Corvallis is nice as well. Stay out of Albany - basically Butt Crack, Oklahoma transported to the Pacific Northwest. Same for Springfield that sits next to Eugene. Yin-Yang deal. HTH LD
Im with Wharfrat, Southern Oregon is great for growing and everyone does!!! On a dirt road of 6 houses........5 of us grow. And cant get much closer to the emerald triangle without just moving there.
Yeah if it were up to me I'd be right there in the Emerald Triangle. Almost did back in '82, haha. But now I'm pretty much committed to be within an hr of Portland or Seattle. I'd like to be down around Medford but culture has me necessitating a different destination. I'm sure I'll love it anywhere compared to the droughts and police mentality we have around here.
The PNW is good, and the PNW is bad brother. Like anywhere really. It's more liberal out here, yes. That mindset brings it's own set of issues, which, in the case of WA are pervasive in the whole political system. That means it effects your wallet; usually in a way that also leaves a lingering, mysterious pain in the same anatomical area one's wallet usually resides. Look into Bellingham, WA so long as you are in the research phase. Little town/city up there by the BC border. Pretty progressive little town, home to Western Washington University, and loaded with access to about every outdoor activity one could ask to do in this area. Practically at the footstep of Mt. Baker, if I could pick anyplace in Western Washington to live, that would prolly be it. I'm guessing that one could find a property within 25 miles of that town for a very, very good price right now. Would put you out in the foothill woods for horticulture, but still give you plenty of access to culutre and society. Oregon is pretty cool too; they are absolutely not without their issues down there either in spite of the comparisons to Seattle.
Thanks for all of the input everyone. Washington does seem to have the most friendly grow laws. But I like the 0% sales tax in Oregon. But living in WA and shopping in OR makes the most sense, right?