Moving to PAC NW- Advice, Tips, places to check out?

[ikkin]

Soooo...hubby and I are moving from New England to La Conner, WA (1 hour North of Seattle, 45 mins south of Bellingham) in a month or so.

We're psyched! Psyched about the beauty, psyched about all the fresh farm food, psyched to just be somewhere new! Looking for tips on things to do/places to check out. Some of your local secrets, maybe...

Here's what we like to do:

1. Ski (backcountry and resort)
2. Eat Good Food
3. Ride (mountain bike w/hubby, plus road for me)
4. Pretend to be "city people" now and then
5. I love bookstores.

Also, any advice for someone embarking on a cross-country move? Thanks y'all!

[Grog]

1. Ski (backcountry and resort)

Mount Baker will be right in your backyard.

2. Eat Good Food

Not sure about the town you're moving to specifically, but that may involve some home cooking... or driving.

3. Ride (mountain bike w/hubby, plus road for me)

I'll leave others to comment on mtb, but for road you'll have a few options in the area for sure, and others a 1-hour drive away. There is a good book of rides in Puget Sound to get you started (I think it's called "Road Riding Puget Sound" or something like that).

4. Pretend to be "city people" now and then

Drive up to Vancouver (1h30m) or down to Seattle (an hour?). Takes longer to come to Vancouver because of the customs.

5. I love bookstores.

I find Elliott Bay Bookstore in Seattle to be FANTASTIC. It's like all the books have been chosen just for ME. If you're willing to drive down or take the train to Portland (well, that's another 4-5 hours south), there is the one and only mecca: Powell's.

For amusement, you can take the ferry to Sidney, B.C. (on Vancouver Island). They like to call themselves "Booktown" because they have something like ten bookstores (in a city of just a few thousand people).

Vancouver, B.C., sadly, is low on the bookstore ranking but there are a few options...

Good luck and enjoy! It's a great place to live in.

Oh, by the way: get rubber boots.

[Biciclista]

Hi Ikken
Welcome! (when will you actually be here?)
The good news is we get less snow, and probably less rain than you get where you are now. The bad news is you might lament that it never gets warm "enough".

LaConner is one of my favorite little towns, and there is lots of great riding around there.

I can't say much about skiing, I know nothing; but we do have lots of great farm cooperatives so you can get amazing veggies in the summer; and we're close enough to California to get good stuff from down there all year long.

Elliott Bay Books is my favorite bookstore too, but as I recall, there are nice book stores in LaConner as well.

[badger]

I've never been to La Conor, but my friend goes there almost annually for the tulips in spring.

I live in Vancouver, one thing I will say is: be prepared for lots of rain!! Commuting in the rain in the dark isn't all that fun, but the summers generally tend to be gorgeous.

Mt. Baker's nearby so you'll be set for skiing. They have one of the cheapest lift tickets around, if you can manage to go there mid-week. Whistler's a bit farther, and Montana's probably about equal time away (factoring in the border, sometimes less, I think!).

And speaking of borders, it's a mess right now with construction. I remember during Easter weekend, the wait was 6 hours long!?!?

Oh, and there's also an outlet mall about an hour away from you

[Eden]

Lots of great riding around there! Whidby Island is beautiful and the Olympic peninsula is pretty easily accessible with a ferry to Port Townsend. There's nice cycling, hiking and skiing over there.

One thing about back country skiing out here..... you do have to be prepared to research your areas carefully - many places high enough to snow out here are also high and rugged enough to have avalanche danger...., so you either have to avoid dangerous areas or know how to stay safe (how to use an avalanche beacon, etc). As far as resort skiing goes you'll be pretty close to both Mt. Baker and Stevens Pass. Stevens has groomed cross country trails. I'm not sure about Baker. REI is a great resource for books and maps.

[roadie gal]

There used to be a place in Bellingham (don't know if it's still around) called the Colophon Cafe - a bookstore with a cafe. It's a great place... if it's still there. I was last there about 10 years ago.

[Eden]

And speaking of borders, it's a mess right now with construction. I remember during Easter weekend, the wait was 6 hours long!?!?

not only that... but the new ID requirements were causing major hassles at the border for a while too (and at the passport office...) There are some smaller crossings like at Sumas that I've heard can be quicker sometimes. (There's a terrific little hotel up in Sumas too call of all strange things Bob's Burgers.... its attached to a restaurant.)

[Grog]

There used to be a place in Bellingham (don't know if it's still around) called the Colophon Cafe - a bookstore with a cafe. It's a great place... if it's still there. I was last there about 10 years ago.

It sure is!
http://www.colophoncafe.com/
I'll stop there next time I'm on my way down.

[malkin]

Elliot Bay Books rocks!

[tc1]

Oh, too much to list where you are going! Here are some terms you can google:
Ross Lake, Diablo Lake, North Cascades Recreational area, tulip farms, Birdsview, Anacortes, Bellingham, Skagit River.

If you ever have a reason to make it down to Seattle, (bout two hours from where you will be) Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park is great, and there is a bakery in the complex. And, you can park your car for free and pick up the Burke-Gilman/Sammamish River bike and pedestrian trails.

It is cold out here. Ambient temps don't get that low, but high humidity can make the air feel like you are lying on a marble slab. Bring lots of layers, oh, and tire chains.

Welcome! And if you want to make friends, you must talk to people. Seattle people will give you space, we think it is courteous. The rest of the country often sees it as rude and cold. But if you say hi, everyone will talk to you.

[ikkin]

thanks y'all!

the more we learn about the area the more excited we get. it really seems like mecca for active young folks like us. we thought we wanted to live in a mountain town (and maybe we will someday) but we'll see how we like washington...i think we're really going to enjoy it!

keep the suggestions coming! loving the bookstore recs. what about resturants?