Moving from TN to WA

As a lifetime WA resident, I can tell you the place has a way of growing on people who move here. The rain is a little overblown, it rains a lot, don't get me wrong, but it's usually not monsoon type of rain. I've noticed that almost nobody uses umbrellas in this state. You just get used to it.

The summers are pretty awesome and on the west or "wet" side, it's green and lush pretty much year round. Mild winters, great scenery, tons of local art and culture, great music and lots of hunting and fishing opportunities.

If you're a whitetail hunter, the east side has some great whitetail hunting if you put in the effort to learn the areas. If you're interested in that kind of stuff, send me a PM and I can get you started. Big, and I mean 170"+ whitetails can be taken here and 140+ can be taken regularly. Did I mention the bodies on these deer get real big too? Makes some of the Texas deer look tiny. Every time I see a big trophy Texas whitetail I laugh a little, cuz the bodies are the size of a small blacktail.
 
I never carried an umbrella. A fleece jacket under a long rainshell were adequate for winter conditions on the wet side - along with a hood or hat.

One thing that almost got me, though, was skiing. I was used to skiing in very cold conditions (ME, NH), where if you fall down, you get up and brush off the (still-frozen) snow. Went skiing at Mt Baker in blue jeans over thermals, and nearly went down from hypothermia. Snow melts to you very quickly when the ambient temperature is 30+; being wet at 32 degrees is much, much colder than being dry at -10. Legs turned blue before I realized I needed to go in, dry off, and warm up.

The weather is mild (on the west side of the Cascades), but you will still want to acquire an appropriate wardrobe (IE water repellent gear for winter) if you are an outdoors type.

Aside from shooting and hunting, other hobbies that will transfer directly over between TN and WA - whitewater (from Everett, drive east on State Highway 2 for an hour or so, Wenatchee River has several outfitters); mountain biking; hiking; water skiing (though depending on where you go, I've known people to water ski in dry suits - water temp is often in the high 50s to low 60s).

With regard to the roads comment, compared to New England (land of frost heaves) or Florida (land of constant construction delays), the roads in WA are nice. I-90 is a bit bumpy (tar strips between concrete slabs to absorb frost heaving). Beware of black ice in the early mornings during colder times of the year.
 
Thanks for all the replies, we don't want to buy and are looking to rent a house or apartment.
As far as shooting ranges, are there many & are they affordable?
 
Around Everett, not sure.

There was a gun shop with range in Bellevue, but I can't remember the name. They had a policy of bring one to rent one, because of a suicide case many years ago. (Theory is their moral and legal liability are reduced if it happens again, because the shooter would have had his own gun anyway.)

There is a combo indoor / outdoor state owned range off exit 246 (I think) from I-5, near Fairhaven, but that's a ways from Everett. (It's up between Burlington and Bellingham.)

I'm sure there are others, but those were the two I normally used back in the mid 90s and early 2000s.
 
Seattleites do not tan, they rust - and so do their guns - nice thing, once you cross east of the Cascades, you are in , IMO, the prettier part of WA state - great upland, elk, deer, etc

Good luck on your move
 
If you move here to WA, west or east, visit this site and click at the top for maps of ranges and gunshops:
http://www.waguns.org/

And then, join the Washington Arms Collectors (WAC)
http://www.washingtonarmscollectors.org/

WAC usually has 2 gun shows a month, and one is in Monroe. That town is straight east of Everett on Hwy 2, and it is not a long drive. These are the biggest and best shows in the state.

I hope to hear that you make the move and find good job(s).

Bart Noir
 
+1 on joining the WAC.

Norpoint shooting range is a good indoor range. $15.00 no time limit. Ladies shoot free on mondays and veterans shoot free on the 1st and 15th with 20% off on all other days.
 
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