My wife and I currently live in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and are seriously considering a move to Bellingham. I grew up a lot in nearby Montana and we both love the outdoors, like camping, fishing, hiking, tubing, just plain having fun. We are sick and tired of the cold, snowy winters and as much as we don't want to have to leave, we are going to. My wife grew up near Belfair, Wa and she is done with winters! We have record snow of 100 inches this year with 5ft on the ground forever. We have looked into Bellingham, my wife is close to completing her degree in Chemical Dependency Counseling and she has talked to employers in Bellingham and the need is great for her line of work there, so jobs seem to be no problem.
What can local Bellingham residents tell us about life there? Fun things to do, culture, people, the outdoors, etc. How far is it to drive to get into the actual forest service of the Cascades? We are looking for a place comprebale to here, but obviously with milder winters, etc. Of course, we have found that people differ here too, which my wife has let me know she misses the western washington type of people. Job market here is only ok, even with Spokane nearby.
Thanks in advance for any and all input!
As far as the winters go, even snow in Bellingham is not a bother since from what I have seen it does not last on the ground for 4-6 months of the year with constant temperatures of below freezing, teens, and negatives for long extended periods of time. At least checking out the wsdot webcams this winter, we did see Bellingham get plenty of snow, but it never lasted for any extended time like here, so that in itself is a plus for us. My wife's sister lives in Stanwood near Mt. Vernon
What can local Bellingham residents tell us about life there? Fun things to do, culture, people, the outdoors, etc. How far is it to drive to get into the actual forest service of the Cascades? We are looking for a place comprebale to here, but obviously with milder winters, etc. Of course, we have found that people differ here too, which my wife has let me know she misses the western washington type of people. Job market here is only ok, even with Spokane nearby.
Thanks in advance for any and all input!
As far as the winters go, even snow in Bellingham is not a bother since from what I have seen it does not last on the ground for 4-6 months of the year with constant temperatures of below freezing, teens, and negatives for long extended periods of time. At least checking out the wsdot webcams this winter, we did see Bellingham get plenty of snow, but it never lasted for any extended time like here, so that in itself is a plus for us. My wife's sister lives in Stanwood near Mt. Vernon