Ft Lewis?

Christina - posted on 03/31/2010

Hey Kyra,
what kind of housing did you live in? We could choose between the Ranch Style and new Duplex houses. I heard they're medium sized (1300 square feet?) and they won't give us a 4 bedroom cause we only have 1 kid... Off post we could rent 4 br 2 baths I thiknk. My family comes to visit a LOT from Germany and they stay for weeks at a time so I'm a bit worried about the whole signing in/out process and everything. Otherwise I'd totally live on post!

Ellizabeth - posted on 03/31/2010

I have been there

Kyra - posted on 03/31/2010

We just left Ft. Lewis last year and we miss it! We loved it there. The weather isn't as bad as everyone says, it's all about how you make it. We went on walks every day, went to the park. There are MANY places to go pick fresh berries, apples, pumpkins. Every season there is something like that to do which is fun and educational. There was a farm we found, you can pet the animals, feed the animals and they also made fresh apple cider and other goodies fresh from their produce. My kids loved it and we always got a treat when we left. There are so many cities around the military area, there is a lot to do. You just have to look for what you're family enjoys and find it. I think you will LOVE it. We lived on post and really liked it. You're right by everything, there are trails on post you can walk in the woods, many parks and very beautiful. Our housing was very spacious with a lot of storage. You just have to find a layout you like. There are so many different ones. Hope this helps!

Corinne - posted on 03/31/2010

i have a cousin thats graduating from UT@arlington! also one of my best friends is getting married in austin on the 1st and im a bridesmaid...so ill be down most of may doing all of that and seeing family!

Christina - posted on 03/31/2010

haha omg! World's so small isn't it? My hubby's graduating also this May (the Army sent him to school here for 3 years). What graduation are you going to?

Corinne - posted on 03/30/2010

aw cool! im from austin! met my hubby when he was stationed at hood! actually going home in may to visit/wedding/graduations!

Wendy - posted on 03/30/2010

We were at Lewis for 3 years. Great base. Live in Lacey, Oly, or DuPont. Lacey is a growing community. South of the base, you get more bang for your buck, and the commute is waaaaay faster. If you look at Lakewood, be careful: it's hit or miss. Try Chatelain Property Management (chatelainpm.com). It's owned and fun by former military, and they really take care of you, whether you're renting or buying.
The weather is not as bad as you hear. It's more rain than the rest of the country, but the summers and the fall---wow are they beautiful. There is a ton of stuff for little kids: The children's museum in downtown oly, the farmer's market, sand in the city. Get the local paper, the Olympian; Every week they have an insert with activities .

Christina - posted on 03/30/2010

oooops, really? We live about a 70 min drive away from Ft Hood in Austin so I won't be able to enroll her until we're there. Too bad :-/ but I wasn't gonna send her until 3 (the earliest) anyway so I have time :-)

Corinne - posted on 03/29/2010

beeT season in belgium! the sugar beets... if you got stuck behind one of the trucks hauling them you went about 5 miles an hour and it made the 30 minute drive to base more like 45-50 minutes!!

Veronica - posted on 03/29/2010

Keirnan's first day at the CDC is tomorrow! I have a friend who uses them regularly without an issue. She only uses the hourly care and that is what Keirnan will be in, but I have heard good things!

Ha! Its such a small world! I absolutely loved it over there and was sad when we came back! I had a harder time adjusting to being here than I did Germany! :P

Corinne, are you talking about beef season here or in Belgium? Cause I haven't had any issues here. And yes, the 2 lane road is the bad part!!

Corinne - posted on 03/29/2010

i just finished enrolling my daughter in CYS! its a pain in the butt with all the loops they make you jump through! cant wait to get some "me" time though!! id say if they have a cys on your base...start that process NOW! hopefully when you get here it will mean you wont have as big of a headache!?

Christina - posted on 03/29/2010

LOL you 2 are funny - we'll look at houses in Yelm AND Tumwater I guess! hahahaha :-)
I'm from Berlin but when I met Rey I moved to........ the Hanau area!!! We actually lived in southern Frankfurt and he commuted to Hanau every day. While he was in Iraq for the 1st time in 03 he was stationed in Budingen though but I didn't know him yet then.
We were so lucky - he hasn't been deployed since the first Iraq trip so it'll be a completely new experience for me. Not like it gets better the more often it happens I suppose... but I'm, def dreading it!!!
Are any of the kids you know attending preschool on the base? Or have you heard anything about it? Catie is supposed to start next spring when she turns 3...

Corinne - posted on 03/29/2010

oh fyi V - the reason i think the drive to yelm suckssssssssss is that retarded two lane road!! when we stayed with our friends out there i despised that drive! especiallyyyyyy if you hit the traffic from the base! when we were in belgium the base drive was the same thing! a small two lane road and always backed up! i always cringed when i had to make that drive (especially during beet season!!!!) ugh i dont miss that at ALL! lol

Veronica - posted on 03/29/2010

Christina, we came here from Germany so that was probably half my problem with the weather here! lol I was already over it before even getting here! ha! In the 2.5 years I have been here I have not felt a single earthquake! Apparently we have had them though! I guess that tells you how small they are! Where in Germany are you from? We were stationed in Buedingen, Hessen. It was in the Hanau area. I was sooo sad to leave there. The weather is so much like it is there, just a lot more constant grey here! The rain doesn't bother me as much as not being able to see the sun for about 5 months straight!

Christina - posted on 03/29/2010

Veronica- thanks for the link!!! Will check it out right away.
I'm actually from Germany and totally used to horrible weather....hahaha
Texas weather was kind of rough for me so I'm looking forward to some cooler temperatures and no more Tornadoes... are there really that many earthquakes up there btw? Just wondering...

Corinne - posted on 03/29/2010

thats righttttt!! traitor!!! ;) lol jk V you know ill cry everyday youre gone!! *sniffles*

Veronica - posted on 03/29/2010

Cori, Yelm isn't THAT bad a drive- you just hate it because you are coming from so far!! :P

Corinne gave you a lot already. Yelm, isn't too bad a drive, but its out the bases back gate and its a small town. We have a Walmart, but for anything else we go into Lacey, or up to the big cities. I live in the Clearwood community out here, which is not actually in Yelm, its 12 miles into the hills. Its about a 35-45 minute drive to get to the base depending on which part of the base you are going too. (From the actual city of Yelm, the drive isn't more than a half hour, again depending on where on base you are headed!) Like, Corinne said, it is still a very large military community!
Lacey is nice, Tumwater isn't bad, but its on the far side of Olympia from the base, (I-5 exits 102-104, and the base is exits 119-122) Since its the highway its not bad, but traffic up here is rediculous!! There are parts of Spanaway that aren't bad, and there are parts of Lakewood that are nice. All of them have not so good sections so you really need to look at that when you get here.
This station is a love it or hate it place. I personally am excited to leave. I have made some great friends (Corinne) but the weather does get to me! I'm from FL too, so the lack of sunshine is the major cause!! :P There is plenty to do. In Olympia there is a great Kids museum we just checked out yesterday! Its a hands on, and the kiddos really have a blast!

Have you checked out militarybyowner.com? You can find some really good houses to rent through that website!! I will have already left when you get here, but I know Cori is in the market for my replacement already!! :P

Corinne - posted on 03/28/2010

ack! sucks! :( mine will probably be going again around that time too! getting a little tired of this military life sometimes!

Christina - posted on 03/28/2010

I'd love to join you guys once we're up there, Corinne! True, our daughters are really close in age - yay :-) It would be great if I could tag along to get to know places. We're almost sure we're gonna live off post, the housing areas that they offered to us (only 2 are possible) don't look all that great location wise.
Sucks that your hubby is deployed - mine will probably have to go in 2012 sometime :-(

Brandi - posted on 03/28/2010

Im at lewis right now, We live off post in Lacey its really nice here and im close to alot of stuff. They is alot of stuff for the kids, I have twin boys that are 2 and we dont somethin every weekend. There is alot in Seattle for kids too. We have so much fun on Mtn. Rainer too. So if you need to know more let me know

Corinne - posted on 03/28/2010

there are some pretty good playgrounds around! theres an awesome one down the road from my house and theres a really good one in lacey! the base also has several around and theyre in the process of building what we think will end up to be a fun water park! once a week my friends and i take our babies to mcveigh gym bc they have an indoor pool! theres only certain times for family swim though! mcchord has an outdoor pool that we go to in the summer (baby pool). on the north side of lewis there is a play center called raindrops and rainbows (you can google the website)! there are a lot of fun things i want to do but i have to wait till my daughter is a little bit older so for now we stick to the usual things that i just mentioned! wed love to have you join us when you get here! i checked out your profile and noticed your daughter is only 5 months older than mine! :) i also wont be under as much stress bc my hubby is suppost to be coming home sometime this summer!

Christina - posted on 03/28/2010

Corinne,
wow, thanks so much for the answer! My husband has mentioned Tumwater to me, he said it looked really good online. It doesn't look like there are tons of rental houses up there but I NEED a house next because we've been living in an apartment complex for nearly three years now and I've had it with noisy neighbors...lol What do you do with your kid, are there good playgrounds around?

Corinne - posted on 03/28/2010

HEY! im stationed at lewis! we actually live 20 minutes west of olympia! we bought a house ehre bc the taxes were cheaper and we got a good deal on our house! as for where to live... its best to avoid tacoma and puyallup if you dont want to deal with the traffic and big cities! dupont is nice and right across the highway from lewis but it can be pretty spendy! lacey has a ton of military and you hit the traffic when the military is going to and from work but otherwise its a nice enough area! i personally love olympia! tumwater is a suburb of olympia but you take your chances with the neighborhoods! yelm/clearlake is also a biggg military town but the drive to it SUCKS!!! north of the base is lakewood and steilacoom but again ..the traffic! my personal advice is to live south of the base bc youll hit WAY less traffic and the neighborhoods seem to be nicer and friendlier! gl on the move and welcome! its not so bad if you keep yourself busy! otherwise the rain will get to you and youll feel the cabin fever!