Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge moving

Hi everyone i'm in the navy on a submarine based out of Norfolk VA, and right around january i will be moving to my next duty station. So my question is, should i go to south GA or Seattle WA. I'm leaning more towards Seattle but I'm worried about the riding season there. Any info you folks can give me would be helpful. Also thanks for the tech advice my bike now doesn't mind running in wet weather.

GA!

My uncle lives there and he likes it in GA. I would think much better riding season just due to geography. I know nothing about WA though so I am sure it has its pluses too.

WA has good seafood but lots of rain. GA has good seafood but lots of rain. WA is cooler though temperature wise.

really boils down to whether you want to live in the south or in the snow. i vote snow.

thorn

As much as it would be nice to have another member of this forum in the Northwest, go to Georgia. It's not so much the length of the riding season, it really is about average in the U.S., but it's the constant grey skies and rain fro months that stink. I miss the snow sometimes only because snow is (usually) white and even with snow, the sun still comes out once in a while.

Plus, another reason is that if you do come out to the Northwest, you may not want to mention that you were in the service, very unfortunatley the political climate here against the military is horridly horrible.

Soren

Thats a shame to hear. Agree or disagree with the war people should support the men and women fighting for thier rights and freedom.They are heros.

Whats your boat?
My wife is at Newport News right now training some sailors for an overhaul.
We have been at most of the sub bases at one time or another for her job. And have traveled to just about all the states.
We lived in Bermerton for a while and decided its one of the really short list of places where we would live. (northern new england, Olympic Peninsula, Mountains of Colorado, or anywhere Ak.)
Washington is beautiful, with the easiest weather I have ever seen, highs around 80 lows around 40. Amazing mts, with skiing everywhere and skiing is cheaper compared to out here. Lots of mutli use trails so if you have a jeep or hike you can do either. Miles of forest service road, probably the best place to own a dual purpose machine I have seen.
Plenty of hunting, fishing, boating oppurtunities.
Oh and no income tax and if you claim residency in a sales tax free state, no sales tax just show id.

Welcome aboard Lenex? So are you a QM or FT? I was an A-Ganger on the Augusta(SSN-710) a while back out of Groton. What boat, I'm assuming a fast boat since you're out of Norfolk? Would you be going to a Boomer then out of Kings Bay or are fast boats there too?

I have a nephew now stationed at Ft. Lewis (Tacoma). Following graduation from West Point, he has been at four different state side posts, to the "sandbox" twice and getting ready for a third trip in July. He has often stated that the Northwest is more supportive of troops than anywhere else he has been stationed in the states. "Horridly horrible" has not been the experience of this soldier's family at all... the opposite, actually. Though the Northwest is extremely liberal we, as a military family, have never experienced anything but fierce support from those in the Northwest who despise the war but cherish those thrown in the middle of it.

It depends Lenex, what do you think of Southern Girls?

I would agree with that. When the Lincoln came back from a very long deployment 10+ months at the beginning of the sandbox problem the whole area turned out to welcome her home. The progress of the ship was on TV for 3 days prior to home coming. The areas around the navy bases are very closely tied in with the navy. Lots of civilians work for the navy and lots of retired navy. So the support is there.

If you are on the boats, you will be at Bangor, near Bremerton. It can be rainy, but not much snow in that area, but the area around Squim WA is more sunny, for some reason and is close by. During spring, summer, and fall, you can usually get away from the rain by coming over the Cascade Mountains to excellent riding, hunting, hiking, fishing and etc. During winter there is lots of sking to be had. WA on the west side of the mountains is very liberal and sales tax is 9%, where on the east side it's 8%. Reg fuel is now $3.30. As far as treatment on military, I have found it no different than anywhere else. You always have the jerk now and then. I know nothing of GA. I was a tincan rider from 1960 to 1971

Dave ::

Bremerton and Washington, as a whole, is a pretty amazing place. Not just because of it's community arms wrapped around the Navy (more so than even those stationed at Ft. Lewis in the Army) but amazing in general. Washington is probably one of the most scenic places to ride/road trip. The Olympic Penninsula, the Columbia River Gorge, the Palouse, the Wenatchee/Yakima Valley orchards and vinyards, Mt. Rainier and the Cascade mountain range, the rugged coast... okay, this weekend it's time for a trip north. Pretty amazing place and the rain doesn't really take much to get used to. The mild, perfect summers are a good trade off for a little bit of tolerable rain.

I spent 14 days in Seatle, it rainded 9 of them.
Spent a summer in Ga, hot.

I live in Bothell...kind of between Seattle and Everett. I have also been to Bremerton so I assume you’d probably be there.
I lived in Portland for five years, Seattle for a couple now and have visited Atlanta for an eight week stint.

Humidity sucks! But Ga is nice!
Rain sucks! But the Northwest is beautiful.

Contrary to Sorens comment about military views...I have never experienced that but he does live in Portland area and the folks down there can be very opinionated (no offense Soren). I grew up in LA. When I came to the NW and I was told... "don’t tell people you’re from LA...they wont like that". Umm...yeah...I have never met anyone that had a problem with me being from LA, be it in Portland or Seattle areas. Granted I’m not military so I don’t know first hand what that is like.

Since this is my first season riding I don’t know any better but I would ride in the rain. I just won’t ride when it’s colder than 40ish. Maybe with the right gear that will change but for now...****** no! Funny…I see riders on the FWY any give day. Even saw a Goldwing when it snowed this last winter.

One last thing to add...in the NW...Seattle specifically...yes it’s gray a lot but I have noticed that unless the weather is just rainy all over the NW there is usually an area of sun somewhere. Like if it’s gloomy in Bothell I head south and by the time I hit Tacoma it usually changes. Downtown is usually grayer than the outskirts. My g/f works in downtown. Well chat and shell tell me its ugly, gray and windy… my next comment is that its nice so I’m riding.

Just my two pennies.

some GREAT rideing in Ga. and every May we have a gathering there of America's and Speedmasters that is, not to be missed if your anywhere near it.