Candidates

[degringolade]

 

Expressionism / Yasuo Kuniyoshi/ Dream

Going on a road trip soon  I have been talking trash out getting the fuck out of Dodge and it is time to start putting some mileage on Bessie to better reconnointer the possibles.

I am thinking about driving to the East, cross the river and drive up fourteen and actually look at the Tri-Cities as it is the first of the the places that I am speaking of will have VA clinics in them and I will be looking for jobs.  But I am wondering when I hit Goldendale I should take a hard left and go up and check out the Clinic in Yakima.  This must be decided soon.  That little side trip will cost me a day, but will also get me access to the best tamales this side of Santa Fe.  

Anyway, after I check out the Tri-Cities, then back on the road to Walla Walla.  There is a VA hospital there and more possibilities.  

At this point things get a little harder.  Do I take a left and head up to Lewiston or do I take a right to go down to Lagrande?  

Even more relevant, do I keep my search between Washington and Oregon or do I add in Idaho?  There are clinics in Lewiston, Sand Point, Caldwell, and Grangeville.  There are also clinics in Boardman and Brookings.

Comments

MYSTERIOUS FORCES

[mschmidt]

A few days ago you said: "I came from dirt poor Italian truck farmers".

Maybe there is some type of force pulling you back to the dirt farm.

been there, done that

[chefxh]

Idaho is gorgeous but getting crowded. And, well, the crazy. I wanted to move to Boise 25 years ago for the co-op and the Basque food and it was beautiful. Hundreds of thousands more people there now, I'm afraid.

Tri-Cities? Hm. When I was an intern in La Grande, it seemed like the big city. But naah. La Grande has a certain small-town charm and at least one place for really good food. The Tri-Cities has Hanford. My cousin has lived there for decades, though.

Yakima? Stopped there once and bought Rainier cherries and the best carne al pastor I ever had. Not surprised the tamales are good. One of the pleasingly less white places in Washington.

For me, it's a matter of how far I have to go for groceries I want and restaurants that I enjoy. That was one of the problems with the move back to St. Joe -- the nearest Thai food was 40 miles away in Leavenworth KS.

I accepted a job in Walla Walla, but the guy flaked on me when we were in town shopping for housing. Nice, nice place, though really far from just about anything. The center of the Magic: The Gathering world, of which I am not part. Good colleges (even mediocre ones) often bring good food from around the world. Same with Air Force bases. But I digress.

Just checked in on Spokane County, which I guess is hot now??? The crooked old farmhouse on a half acre in Medical Lake (half a mile from Fairchild's bomb disposal range) that I bought for $95K in 2009 is now worth north of $250K. Maybe not the most economical place to land, though at least you can get good Asian groceries there.

If you do take 14 east, stop in Stevenson and have lunch at the Big River Grill. Tell Justin Gross that Chef Frank says hello. But for living in the Gorge again, I would want the dry side, Home Valley to Goldendale rather than Stevenson or Carson.

Just my impression. Good luck!