So, I applied for a job in Washington State yesterday.  I'm a long way out from getting the job, but I'm curious about NW Washington in particular.  It'll likely be a year until I move up that way (assuming I get hired).  I am excited about getting out of the armpit of Missouri and getting to a nicer place.  

My interests include hiking, being outdoors, the ocean, and I plan on partaking in a lot of that stuff in my off time.  I've been to Olympic National Park before, and it was awesome.  I also love to shoot guns, and in my current job, I get to shoot often (pistol, shotgun, AR, Bolt action).  I'm curious what the gun culture is like up there.  From what I've read, Seattle kind of trumps all of the smaller more conservative areas with their liberalism.  I see that the gun laws aren't the best (not as good as Missouri) but I don't think anything I own would be illegal.  

I'm thinking about living somewhere around the Blaine area.  Anyone have input on that area?  Obviously housing seems to be more expensive than here, but by the time I move I should have no debt whatsoever, and maybe 15-40k to put down on a house.  I don't need anything huge by any means.  

So, is the NW area also full blown liberal?  How is the hunting out there?  I know some about the hiking.  Weather wise it doesn't seem to get too super cold, but the summers seem to be very mild as well.  

Anything you folks can tell me would be appreciated.  I've read through some of the other threads, I know everyone likely hates these "tell me about your state" type of questions...I just don't know what to expect.  I have friends in Portland, and I have been there many times.  I know how liberal it is up there in Portland.  How does it compare to say NW Washington?

Thanks!

Whatcom county isn't terrible compared to the Seattle area as far as liberals go.  Bellingham has a generous amount of them in downtown, fairhaven and around the college though.  I spend a lot of time working in the area and it really isn't that bad.

As a hunter and hiker who lives up there I can say it is awesome.  Hwy 542 and hwy 20 further south have amazing areas to hike and climb.  


Check the ferndale and lynden areas for housing as well, they are very close to blaine.  If you don't mind a bit more driving check out places further east like sumas, everson, maple falls etc.

I can't think of anything you could have in MO that you can't have in WA, other than MGs - state law prohibits any new MG transfers after 94.
We also have retarded UBC law (I-594) now as of last year, which prevents private sales without involving an FFL, but don't get confused, you do not have to register anything in WA.
We just fixed our Form 1 SBR issues as of this week.
Suppressors are GTG.

The hunting & fishing is good, other than having to deal with the stupid timing of big game seasons as set by WDFW.

Up near Blaine you should be good doing whatever you want to do, as it's far enough away from the Seattle busybodies. Really, anywhere outside of the greater Seattle urban area in WA is going to be relatively conservative/libertarian leaning.

When you get tired of the rain and gloom, head over the mountains for a day or two and get your fill of recreation on millions of acres of state/public land that is pretty well accessible - climates on the other side of the mountains ranging from high mountain, high plains & desert, to arid farmland & rolling hills of wheat. There is a really huge diversity of landscapes here, almost like there is a little slice of almost every type of climate in the country, all in one state.

There is a shitload of stuff to do in WA.. I'm just pretty tired of living on the west side myself, and dealing with the ever-looming political domination of the state by the Seattle area. Most of the state has a seething hatred for Seattle, as they get just about anything they want, imposing their will on the rest of the state while bleeding them dry of infrastructure funds.

Do not move here.
It's cold, wet and miserable here.
You have to drink Starbucks coffee.
You'll have to become a Hillery supporter.
If you're male, you have to learn to talk like the governor.

If you drive a Subaru with Obamy stickers in the back window? You'll fit right in here.

Been living here for 41 years and It won't be too many more before we head south.

I prefer Portland to Seattle actually, its a bit younger and less pretentious feeling. But thats neither here nor there. I recently moved here from Virginia via Guam. I love it so far. If you like the outdoors, Washington is a state with few peers.

There will be liberals pretty much everywhere along the I-5 corridor, but that far up in the N Sound area there are much less than down south. Weather isn't that bad, its rainy/gray about 3 weeks per month. Just throw on a gore tex and carry on as before. Its been sunny since Tuesday (got the sunburns to prove it) as a matter of fact.

As to the political situation, Seattle does hold a disproportionate amount of influence. But we do have pre emption, and currently a majority in the legislature. Honestly though, my outlook is slightly negative long term and Id say were on a slippery slope and vigilance is very important here to at the very least, maintain our rights.

I knew all that going in and still came here and am glad that I did.

It's become more gay by the hour.  The state is becoming quite the liberal/socialist cesspool.  You will be taxed and taxed and taxed.  Two Psycho-liberal counties run the state.  We used to have some great gun laws here; they are under attack.  The liberals that keep getting elected to office by the FSA (Free Shit Army) will not represent the majority, but the minority.  A move to ID or MT is looking promising.  I promised to stay and fight, but the number of pets and dead people voting democrat, have been winning.  A nice state with a lot to do, but the politics and the taxes are going to force a move if change doesn't happen.

Probably because many of the hipsters in Portland are actually poor.
In Seattle they may be MS or Amazon loaded employees. The MS employees are easy to spot though, most being Indians.

As for pre-emption, they are actively planning right now on how they can eliminate that. Seattle is starting to make a stink about not being able to enact their own anti-gun ordinances. They want to turn Seattle into a little Chicago, and King Co. into little Cook Co.

Taxed and taxed and taxed is barely addressing the tax situation out here. I pay $29 a month on just cell phone taxes. Not the recovery fees or universal access fees but straightup state and local taxes. The state loves to say it doesn't have an income tax but they sneak in so much that it doesn't seem that way.

Fucking ridiculous and the property tax/bond measures are getting out of control as well. The town I live in has a 19.4 million dollar bond measure that has 15 million going to athletic facilities but only 800k going towards STEM education.


The town size? A little over 3,600 if you count the area surrounding the town as well. Yet the town also has an average 12 minute EMS response time with at least a 30-40 minute trip to the closest hospital if they run lights and sirens. Misguided priorities? Nope. Kids need a new ballfield and fuck you if you have a serious medical emergency.


I moved away from King County to get away from all this bullshit but it's spreading like cancer. So many fucking free riders using services where they have little to no skin in the game.

Short Barrel Shotguns are illegal in WA as well. Completely lame. I'm not rich enough to have much of an MG collection, but I would have already built 3-4 SBSs if the state of WA didn't suck.



I don't know if databases are being built based on these background checks, but regardless 594 is a foundation for a gun registration/tracking scheme...and it has a major, and negative, impact on the used gun aftermarket. Most people just don't want to deal with that shit.

In any event, I'll be leaving WA as soon as work allows. I've lived here for about 35 of my 40 years and I've just had it with the liberalism of Seattle. If that hell hole fell into the ocean tomorrow, the state would be pretty good. Not gonna happen though. WA is very much like CA minus about 10 years....fantastic array of climes, terrain, and things to do...and all that potential is completely buggered by city-dwelling libtards. I'd rather be in UT.

Thank you for all of the replies.  Missouri is slightly more conservative I suppose, although we have an anti gun mayor in my city...it is led by primarily democrats at a local level.  The city is also extremely violent and there just isn't much outdoors camping, no mountains, no ocean, etc.  Winters are very cold at times, and summer can get extremely hot with high humidity.  I want to live somewhere with lots of camping and outdoors possibilities, and somewhere that I can still have my 30-round magazines and semi automatic rifles.  I don't have any NFA stuff yet.  I don't have a ton of interest in living anywhere near Seattle, nor would the job allow it (too far away).  

Keep the responses coming.  Unfortunately I think a lot of nice places are going down the path toward liberalism.  It'll be more liberal politically out there, but also much less violent and crazy.  Trade offs with everything I suppose.

Yeah, on the wet side of the state, the weather blows. Not because it's extreme... quite the opposite. It's more like a gray depressing drizzle from October 1-July 5th, then the rest of the year is nice. It keeps everything green I suppose, but it also gets extremely old after a while.

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If you are looking at the Blaine area, you will have good opportunities for hiking, fishing and hunting. Some pretty hiking/hunting up around Mt. Baker and the North Cascades. And you would be right next to the Straight of Juan De Fuca for the ocean. Vancouver Island is a day trip and there is good hiking there too.

I've been all around the world and I have to say this state has the worst drivers ever . Rolling road blocks and 40's in the fast lane . I'm used to driving in the SF Bay Area which is sorta like a scene from Mad Max but at least it's moving fast. I'm out on the Olympic Peninsula and we have great outdoor activities . It's a beautiful state and not to bad other then Seahawk fans and bad drivers

Bad drivers are better than living in a city with 100-130 homicides every year, or sweltering heat and frigid cold, with no mountains or ocean.  At least if I'm driving slow there is some scenery around.  

I'm sorry, but even if I do move, I still have to remain loyal to the Chiefs and Royals.  :-)

Agreed 100%, Im trying to plant a flag in N. ID by election time as a matter of fact.

Too bad Eastern WA is not an option, I live here and love it. I grew up in Leavenworth WA, moved to Los Angeles for school and work, was able to travel extensively and stay for extended periods all over the country through my work but when I had a chance to move pretty much anywhere I wanted I chose Wenatchee.
Good luck with the job and message me if you ever want a tour of this side of the state.

This is right on....  Just dropped daughter off in Seattle for a new job.  And the Subaru's with liberal stickers were a plenty.   However, not at many Subaru's as here in Colorado.

as long as you stay away from the Seattle area you should be good, Also, if you have depression, the state might not be that great for you,, you dont see the sun for weeks at a time sometimes

Wonder Mountain Wilderness:

Beautiful.  That's what I want to be doing right there.

I'm on a tac squad currently in a city that has probably 2/3 as many homicides as the entire state of Washington.  I'm a sniper here, and I really enjoy shooting and my 2A rights.  That being said, the city I work in is a proverbial armpit of the state (St. Louis being the other) and I'm over it.  I feel most complete (as lame as this sounds) when I'm in the country with peace and quiet and the ability to not be constantly scanning for trouble etc.  I feel my best in the woods.  I love the outdoors.  

I do not have depression, and I understand it is gray there from time to time.  It's colder than shit here at times, and hot as hell in the summer.  The only perfect weather is in San Diego or Hawaii, and those aren't happening.  I understand my new job will be MUCH slower pace than my current one, but I am okay with that.  The new job will pay a ton more, and I won't be disappointed with less "action".  

Thanks for all the input you guys have shared with me.  I do appreciate it.  

When I retired from the U.S. Army in 92, I chose Wa as home. All those outdoor activities that were mentioned... I've been doing them. Wash. is a lot more than big city libs. All that hunting and fishing and hiking and shooting and camping... it's all still here. You do have to get away from the populated areas. I really can't remember the last time I was in Seattle, or even King County. No need to go there. I stay rural, and I stay happy.

Sounds like we would get along...

I have no use for Seattle or any other big city for that matter.  I grew up in a town of 420 people, and I love the country.  I wish I could own land here, but my job requires I live in city limits and I'll never be able to afford land within city limits.  

Glad you are enjoying all that Washington has to offer outdoors.  I hope that I'll be able to do the same!

I have lived all over including Missouri (my home State) and Washington (near Blaine).

WA is a great place to live, yes it is too liberal but you can find plenty of normal non-libs once outside of areas like Seattle. I work with several guys who I met at work who are big time hunters/collectors/shooters.

The rain is over blown, yes it drizzles a lot, but it is not non-stop in areas like Blaine. A typical January week might be highs in the 40's or even 50's, 3 days of drizzle and 2 days of clouds with a few sun breaks, then back to drizzle, back to clouds, and some truly sunny days scattered in between.  Compared to the oppressive Summers in Missouri it is paradise.

http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/blaine/washington/united-states/uswa0036

January 2015 (no 2016 data on the site I used).


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Here is a July Blaine weather grab, no comparison to hot/humid areas.

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I used to live in KS, just a mile west of the KS/MO state line and south of KCMO. I moved here for the exact reasons I highlighted in red above and I haven't been disappointed. Move here, bring us a +1 (or more) conservative votes and enjoy the outdoors.

Also, I own page two. UNEDITED.

http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1737899_Washington_state_is_a_rainy_hell__Do_not_go_there__EVAR___.html

But for only like 3 months out of the year does the wet side look like that

I wish I had never come to WA! Lived in MT prior, and the allure of money brought me to Western WA. That was 20 years ago. I now have a wife, from the Midwest, and two kids that are burrowed in deep here. Once the kids are established on their own two feet, my wife and I are out. Politics, infrastructure, shitty public education, and PC bullshit is just too much for us. I'll trade the little bit of fishing, for an annual trip to AK. The subpar game management that this state feigns to offer its sportsman, for real game management of the inter mountain states that care about doing a superior job. Politics that aren't driven by PC bias, and the freedom of not sitting in yet another ridiculous traffic jam. Hopefully we will be gone prior to west side user tolling on all of the highways...... Yes, it's just a matter of time. That camel's nose is well inside the tent....
One large quake, and this place will become a a festering hole of entitled liberals begging for the tit of the Federal government. Just hope I'm 5 passes to the east when that day comes.

One too many Porters ,-)

Blaine is awesome. I spent lots of time up in Bellingham and frankly it's pretty "red" until you reach anything South of Marysville. . . then it slowly starts turning into a third world hell hole.

Fuck Seattle. For anyone anywhere thinking of moving to Seattle I'll tell you right now it's just not worth it.

Washington is Washington, which is why I live in Montana, but I still maintain a couple of houses in Washington and people pay me quite well to live in them!

That has not been my experience, but to each their own.

+1, lots of very nice days year round on the West side. It certainly rains & drizzles especially Nov - Feb but not non-stop.