All 2st Seattle Area Q's

Thanks. I will have to check that area out. 45 mins is totally doable. I will be travelling WA and OR with the emphasis on Seattle/Portland. Have you ever spent much time in Tacoma? Is that a horrific commute? If you want to see some bad driving, come to I-15 in Utah when it snows.

as firecrotch said, depends on your to/fro destinations. North Bend or Issaquah to downtown Seattle is very easy - especially by bus. Didn't list Bellevue because it's pretty expensive as is Seattle too if you want a bettter neighborhood with a good school. Tacoma to Seattle can work if you take light rail or ride a bus in the HOV lane. If you're commuting during business hours from Tacoma to Seattle in a SOV - it will be highly variable and stressful. Routes going North or South in/out of Seattle are clogged during normal commute hours but the east path to Issaquah or North Bend is wide open comparison wise. Another option is Kitsap (west of Seattle across water) as listed earlier. Takes 50 minutes door to door assuming you're working in a high rise in Seattle and live on Bainbridge Island. For 35 of those minutes you can sleep, drink beer, be online, etc. because you're on a ferry.

Hey Shrubitup! Great to hear of another BI dirt biker! I thought I was the only one. Let's definitely hit GM and Tahuya sometime this spring. My wife gave birth to our second daughter in late February, so I'm home bound for a little while longer. Looking to get out more in April and beyond. I stick to my husky for the woods. My 500 is a little too much for the single track the way I have it geared; much better for my occasional desert voyages. Cheers!