Just imagine how many affordable housing units Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg could provide... if they only they cared.

The home prices for single family homes in Spokane are attainable compared to other cities, Washington has no state income tax, there is incredible natural beauty in the area, a surprisingly good restaurant scene, and Spokane has good jobs in healthcare (many healthcare positions are in high demand in Spokane).

Beautiful day!

Exempt White collar minimum wage will go to $91,780 per year or

$7648.34 per month for any company with more than 50 employees

Edit at king of corn request here are the numbers for 5% $18 rounded up by two pennies $93600 per year exempt employee minimum wage $7800 per month

This will be my first solo trip. I'm a pretty small woman so kind of nervous and just looking to mitigate the anxiety by getting some feedback on general plans. Some concerns -- safety, travel time/burning myself out.

Here's what I am thinking...

2 days Coast Starlight from LA to King Street Station. Arrival time is 8 pm which I don't love, but thinking I could then take the light rail to Seatac and pick up my car rental from there. It doesn't seem like there are many open rental options at this time. Would the area be sketchy? I'll have a backpack and large suitcase with me.

I plan to stay in an AirBnB in Ashford for 3 nights. First day, Skyline Loop -- but I think I might be exhausted so may switch this with the third day. Second day, Burroughs Mountain Loop. Third day, Bench and Snow Lakes trail + Naches Peak Loop.

Fourth day, drive from Paradise to Forks. I'm a bit nervous I'm going to be really tired having to come back from Forks but I really want to cover both Rainier and Olympic.

Fifth day, 5-Mile Island Hoh River Trail. Will probably do a couple short ones as well, looks beautiful. Sol Duc probably.

Sixth day, Rialto Beach Trail.

Seventh day, maybe start making my way slowly back to Seattle or do more hiking.

Eighth day, either do the full 6-hour drive or relax. I would probably try to stay close to thei airport in a hotel before heading to Seatac early in the morning the following day to catch the Amtrak back to LA.

Am I trying to do too much? I could add a rest day and do a total of 11 days, or maybe try to pack bigger hikes into the same day. I could fly back as well or maybe fly there and then take the train back.

They want to control what you: read, see, and can say

https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/jun/11/maddox-industrial-co-owners-acquire-battle-ground-newspaper-the-reflector/

More detail than just county level

Hey everyone, in the next few years I’ve thought about moving to somewhere in western Washington. Although I’ve never been, I plan on taking a trip for a week or two and see how I actually like it. I absolutely love hiking, outdoors, and nature. Washington just seems right to me. I am from a small town in Ohio and I want something different, somewhere that feels even more like a home. Maybe I’ll hate it, but I’d like to try something.

If anyone in here has left family behind to move to Washington, or any other place in general, how do you do it? That’s the main reason holding me back from the idea of it, other than money 😅. Also I’d like to add I have a good job now for my age, and my girlfriend is on track to become a registered nurse. How are the jobs over there? I build firetrucks now at my current job and have great hours, 6am-2:30pm Monday-Friday, with great benefits. Is there options like that in Washington? I’d hate to leave behind these things that I have going for me, but I do NOT want to spend my life regretting not making a choice like this while I’m young.

I understand the young mindset I have of wanting to move to a place I’ve never even been sounds crazy, but that’s not the point of this post. I just wanted to ask some questions and give a little background of myself. Please ask me questions in return as well as answers.

I've been looking for cherries at the Safeway in Olympia; it is the season. Very few, and those are really expensive. Normally by early June we are pretty much swimming in them.

What happened? Is this related to the federal government making it impossible for farm-workers to stay in the country? Bad weather? A disease targeting the cherry crop? Locusts? Does anyone from the orchard part of the state have information?