Boise area: Visit or Reside?

Different strokes for different folks. I wouldn't move there for the city. I couldn't care less about that. I've lived in my fair share of large cities and don't have any reason to go back. Living an hour or so away from Seattle is fine for me.

Part of the appeal is that it is off the radar and the hasn't been flooded with California money. Actually….. Wenatchee really sucks. No one should move there.

Edit: Yakima is bad enough that I suffered through a 150 mile round trip commute to avoid living there for five years. I finally was able to transfer to an office closer to home so life is bueno.

They are working hard to turn the city around but the bangers keep the Yakima in a perpetual state of misery. I wish them well as the location is not horrible once you get past the crime. One hour to White Pass Ski resort; one hour to Rainier; two hours to Seattle for the occasional Mariners game; great hiking; fishing; cheap housing; etc.

Where I live now is no prize necessarily but it's fine until I retire in 9 years 4 months 5 days.

Thats why they say Crackima and Spokompton

BTW- Thanks everybody!! Good answers! (the ones I wanted to see) (yessss) We'll make a trip and hopefully my position opens up.

Yakima: lived there 10 years, great if you want your kids to join a gang. White Pass ski area is close, Goat Rocks have some hiking but not a lot. Snoqualmie Pass, Alpine Lakes, and Stuart Range are close by, Rainier and Olympics are not far.

Wenatchee: lived there 10 years, liked it. The Stuart Range and Icicle canyon is in the back yard. North Cascades, Leavenworth, Lk Chelan, North Cross Highway, Alpine Lakes, Stevens pass and Snogualmie Pass ski areas are close, Mission Ridge very close

Boise: have lived here 18 years. Its a paradise for mtn bikers, and white water fans. There is far more backpacking in Idaho than in Washington state. Lots of road biking. Hiking in foothills. Something like 19 mountain ranges in the state. Lots of road biking, club rides, and group rides. Much sunnier and drier than Portland. You can fly fish, kayak, and canoe in downtown Boise, and lots of same in the rest of the state. Good university. Bogus Basin ski area 19 miles away, season pass is $225. Cross country skiing all over the place. If you are outdoor oriented, you would like Boise.

links to Idaho trip reports:

http://backpackingtechnology.com/backpacking-trips/kane-lake-in-the-pioneer-range-of-idaho/

http://backpackingtechnology.com/backpacking-trips/wood-river-magic-rocks/

http://backpackingtechnology.com/backpacking-trips/bonneville-hot-springs-in-winter/

http://backpackingtechnology.com/backpacking-trips/white-cloud-mountains-idaho-castle-peak-loop/

http://backpackingtechnology.com/backpacking-trips/sawtooth-8-day-backpack/

Yakima, Spokane, Boise – dry, hot, dusty, miserable in summer, blizzardy in the winter – more based on my folks who escaped the area than my own experience. (spoken by a jaded mildewed west sider)

"Goat Rocks have some hiking but not a lot."

What are you talking about??? That has to be one of the best areas in the galaxy. Might be tough to do a long thru hike like in the Sierras.