Planning a motorcycle trip to find a new home in CA or OR or WA. Suggestions?

I think the Seattle metroplex (though not Seattle proper) may be better suited than Eugene. I live less than a mile (as the crow flies) from the Puget Sound but can see snowy peaks not too far off.

The outlying areas (Kirkland, Bothell, Everett, Marysville, and more)—are pretty close, and if you catch the traffic flow just right, you can get to downtown Seattle in 15 minutes or so, or to the center of those communities (or at least somewhere decently cool) far quicker. There are some places around here where they are so relaxed that a non-native would check the natives for a pulse.

I happen to live in a fairly quiet suburban neighborhood with woods nearby yet only minutes from a few different varieties of city life. A good place for a family, I would think.

The only downside really is price; the state and county sales tax are a combined 9.5%, and $800 for a 2-bedroom apartment is about normal. Being from New Hampshire, I am used to 0% sales tax. As for the rents, they are about the same as NH, but I hear from people in other parts of the country that $800/month is expensive :/
At least they two states have one thing in common; no state income tax :)

BTW, Seattle is considerably different from the rest of WA state, so don’t judge the state until you get up North, and for the love of Bob, don’t go East! There is nothing of interest there, and not much that isn’t interesting either. High desert with occasional gatherings of rednecks.

Gig Harbor, WA is a picture postcard town that is a short drive to Tacoma. It is on the water (Puget Sound).

Also, Half Moon Bay, CA (very near San Francsco).

I presume you just mean northern California and not Southern? If you want a really big town nearby, you don’t have many choices. The only towns with populations over 300,000–400,000 in that stretch are San Francisco, Sacramento, Portland and Seattle. Santa Rosa and Eugene are only around 150,000.

Pretty much anywhere between the coast and the Sierras or the Cascades will be near mountains or ocean. What else is important to you? What do you do for work? How much do you want to pay for housing? What kind of a vibe do you want other than “relaxed” (which typically doesn’t fit big cities)? What kind of weather do you want? I’m pretty familiar with lots of West Coast towns, and a few specifics of what you are looking for will help.

@jerv

Hey, I can think of one redeeming feature in eastern WA- the Maryhill Art Museum.

Pismo Beach meets all your requirements, unless you need a job.

Are you retired or telecommute? Does price matter? Laguna Beach is a nice little artsy town but real expensive.

Eugene has better weather than Seattle. Do you mind rain?