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Ellensburg, Washington

 
Posts: 8
Location: Riverside, CA
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My family and I were thinking of purchasing some land in this area. Is there anyone from this area that can tell me about it? I would appreciate any info that you have.

Thanks.
 
pollinator
Posts: 343
Location: Dry mountains Eastern WA
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I live farther East but have been through the Ellensburg area a lot.  

It’s flat farmland near the Columbia River Gorge.  Lots and lots of farms.  It’s just East of the Cascade Mountain range so it’s kind of a hub for people traveling East or West in Washington State on I-90. It’s a sprawling kind of city since it’s quite flat there. I wouldn’t say it was pretty or picturesque unless you’re into scab rock, coulees and farmland.

The city does have all the shopping and conveniences you would expect in an urban environment. It is a college town.

Most of the outlying towns are quite small and quite far apart.  Again because it is primarily a farming area. It’s a pretty bleak 3 hour drive from Ellensburg going East and going West you’re in the Cascades which has skiing, hiking etc. The Cascades are driving distance to Seattle so Urban people play in those mountains. They are busy.

It’s hot in Ellensburg.

I would definitely spend time there before deciding to move there.  There are many many prettier places in Washington.



 
valmour sellers
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Hello Janet,

Thanks for the heads up. We're still looking in Washington.  Where would you suggest? We were looking more coastal but our money says probably not. I've only been to Washington twice so not all familiar the state.
 
Janet Reed
pollinator
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Location: Dry mountains Eastern WA
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Explain to me in some detail if you are looking for a home, land ; what you intend to do there( retire, farm, work) and the type of recreation or other things you are looking for.
 
rocket scientist
Posts: 6121
Location: latitude 47 N.W. montana zone 6A
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Another thing about Ellensburg is the WIND...  it blows big time there.
Northern Washington has much prettier country and it has trees!  
North of Spokane is where I would look.   Up by the border if your wanting remote.
 
Janet Reed
pollinator
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Please feel free to send it by purple mooseage
 
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I was going to go where Thomas went - WIND. Ha!

It is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. You are a hop, skip and a jump from real mountains.

You are right off a main freeway, so getting to most anywhere distant, be it Seattle or Spokane, is a breeze.

The area is a mix. A lot of desert like land with, for lack of a better term, an oasis here and there. A friend is north of town and surrounded by Hawthorn trees. A small year round creek ambles through his dirt, and can roar in the summer.

In addition to prepping against both cold and hot, consideration should be given to fires, which, as the intermittent news indicates, can happen any time.

My friend has electric heat, but heats, exclusively, with wood.

He raises goats. He has a pistol because, occasionally, big kitties want one, or the chickens.

You are not far from orchard country, about 45 minutes east, via freeway, where I live, surrounded by thousands of acres of apples, cherries, fields of onions, potatoes, peas, corn, buckwheat. . .

ALL that aside, even south of and close to Spokane has some interesting country. Sparse pine trees and many bodies of water, big and small.

I grew up in the Okanogan area (actually, Brewster and Ephrata). That is some beautiful country. More beautify if you can get away from the towns and cities.

I loved the Methow valley, but Microsoft and Amazon types have priced much of it out of reach of people prone to a conservative (tame) life style.
 
pollinator
Posts: 564
Location: Nomadic
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For anyone interested in focusing on a wind/solar energy system then the hills around Ellensberg are primo. The best I’ve been too. I visited a home with a wind turbine that was humming at full speed. The house was earth bermed to deflect the wind up and over the house. Other types of house designs might have been awful but I really liked this setup. It would be a great place for someone who likes to build wind turbines and test them. We are searching for land in 2022 and it’s on my radar. Though I am leaning more towards the Okanagan area. Are land prices going to come down anytime soon? Thanks
 
Kelly Craig
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Yep, it's a little known fact that the wind blows in Ellensburg over forty-five hours a day.  

Those windmills sure litter the otherwise pristine desert landscape.  Too bad, since we live in hydro country (I'm only a few miles up and down river from two dams).

For those without an extra million or three to dedicate to installing wind machines, there is a place, as you're leaving E-burg, with several different wind mills on display. Some are actually nice looking. At any rate, they give you and idea of how many different types of wind units there are out there.

On the up side, disturbing the soil means a few rains down the road and the Ellensburg Blue hunting should be good.

Forty-five minutes somewhat east of E-burg, my buddy is becoming disillusioned with his wind unit. The wind wants to beat them to death, even with brakes and clutches.
 
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