SummitPost.org

For crying out loud !!! "West coast" people are SUPPOSED to be more laid back.

Does it get any better than this

Looks good Larry, though I doubt that your photo was taken lately. Seattle's weather is in a late spring funk right now. I was there the weekend before Memorial Day and it was very cool, never saw the mountain.

I would have to say that I really like Seattle. My daughter lives there so my wife and I visit often and always enjoy our time there.

I find people in general to be stand-offish to strangers in Washington, Oregon and California. Not like New York or Philly peeps but aloof to people that aren't part of their circle. Still, I like the city a lot. In my experience, if your median age is 25.4, you'll fit right into Downtown, Capitol Hill or Fremont! If you're 30 something, Ballard might be the place for you.

People in general seem to be friendlier away from the coasts, be it east or west.

For outdoor opportunities, it would be hard to find a city with more options.

For weather, there's always June (though not so far this year), July, August and maybe part of September, to enjoy summer in the NW. It can be spectacular, like Larry's photo.

I haven't visited in the dark time, November to April, so I can't personally attest to it, but it sounds like it could be rough for those that like to see the sun occasionally.
But then, there are a lot of Starbucks locations to ease the pain.

Bill Reed wrote:If you're 30 something, Ballard might be the place for you.

Yeah. I try to put one past you guys, and look what happens ...

What if you (happen) to be 50 something ???

Is there any hope for you? How 'bout Enumclaw or Puyallup? Federal Way, maybe?

How 'bout ROCKY MOUNTAIN WAY ?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYHNg20MkRk ???

I think Portlanders and Seattlites (Seattlers?) are just a bit cranky lately as we've seen nothing but rain for about 7 months now. Some years are just wetter than others but I would have hoped to have started seeing some sun in the last month or so. Could be the people you met are just in a bad mood.

Seattle is a larger city but on the whole is pretty cool. Have a number of friends up there. (Minus Klenke, the bastard.) I think Portland is a bit friendlier though. It feels much smaller than Seattle although it's still about 2 million. The East Coast is tough. West Coast is much more laid back, provided we've seen sun in the last 7 months.

Good luck if you are in the oil clean-up.

PS Portland has the most micro-brews per capita of any city. It helps the winters.

b. wrote:I drove almost the entire left coast over the last couple of weeks. The peeps I met in Seattle seemed completely put off by conversation. It wasn't the kind of place where you could meet someone in line at the book store and get a reply. Everyone seemed closed up. Is that normal? Anomaly?

Its called the 'Seatte Freeze'.

I've lived in Washington my whole life, plus the Seattle area for the past few years, and let me just say that all the rumors you hear are true: Its cloudy and rainy for about 9 months out of the year, Seattle and Bellevue people are about as smug as they get, cost of living is through the roof, and you can't go out for a night on the town without being accosted by at least three homeless people (Seattle only; Bellevue doesn't have this problem).

However, the positives are true as well: you can't beat climbing in the North Cascades, its green all year long with mild temps, summers are amazing, the resources for anything outdoors is top notch, and the coffee is pretty good.

But then again, who cares about good coffee when Portland has the good beers?

ExcitibleBoy wrote:

b. wrote:I drove almost the entire left coast over the last couple of weeks. The peeps I met in Seattle seemed completely put off by conversation. It wasn't the kind of place where you could meet someone in line at the book store and get a reply. Everyone seemed closed up. Is that normal? Anomaly?

Its called the 'Seatte Freeze'.

Awesome, it even has a name.

lcarreau wrote:For crying out loud !!! "West coast" people are SUPPOSED to be more laid back.

Does it get any better than this

Actually yes - the fact that there's also things like this not too far away to the east of Rainier makes it even better...



with this view from the top:

Bill Reed wrote:For outdoor opportunities, it would be hard to find a city with more options.

LA. Two mountain ranges run right through the city; adjacent to ocean; deserts close; more tall mountains nearby.

And when you go outside and look up, there's the sun!

redneck wrote:

Bill Reed wrote:For outdoor opportunities, it would be hard to find a city with more options.

LA. Two mountain ranges run right through the city; adjacent to ocean; deserts close; more tall mountains nearby.

And when you go outside and look up, there's the sun!

Except in summer, when it's obscured by the smog:

SLC = best city for climbing options (living under a theocratic regime is a major show stopper for me however)

rpc wrote:SLC = best city for climbing options (living under a theocratic regime is a major show stopper for me however)

Yeah, don't you just hate it when you climb a wicked sandstone tower all day in the blazing sun and when you top out there's this Book of Mormon waiting for you? You say to yourself, "Man, that guy Joe Smith got here too before me!"

Klenke wrote:

rpc wrote:SLC = best city for climbing options (living under a theocratic regime is a major show stopper for me however)

Yeah, don't you just hate it when you climb a wicked sandstone tower all day in the blazing sun and when you top out there's this Book of Mormon waiting for you? You say to yourself, "Man, that guy Joe Smith got here too before me!"

yeah that and the lack of liquor stores (& carbonated horse urine for beer)....btw Paul, what's that discoloration on the right one? EDIT IN: shaving rash?

You try manscaping something like that.

And that shall conclude this crude interlude, dude.
Now to write that rude etude in the nude with a prude attitude...

I drove through LA the other day. Couldn't really see much of it at all. I thought San Diego was much cooler and easier to deal with. There is definitely not enough skiing or ice climbing down there for me.