Grew up Here
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5/25/2006
I grew up in Lewiston in the 80's and early 90's. There is some stuff to do like fishing, rafting, and skiing at nearby resorts. If you don't like the outdoors you probably won't have much fun as there aren't many other attractions. The Potlatch paper mill emits a noxious stench every day of the year. Most of the time this is carried down the river by the wind, but when the wind stops, a thick fog can build up in the valley that makes everything smell like rotten eggs (and there's no getting away from it unless you stay indoors all day).
The general climate is varied, but it doesn't change at the drop of a hat like in other places. The main thing is it's only 700 feet above sea level, so there's very little (sometimes no) snow in the winter, and intense dry heat in the summer. It's not uncommon for temperatures to reach 20 deg F in the winter and 100 deg F in the summer. Very little precipitation here (12" annually), so the only time you'll see much green is in the spring.
I didn't notice a whole lot of crime, but there is a marijuana problem and I wouldn't be surprised if the meth craze hit too. I guess that's just a side effect of not having much to do for the non-outdoors type people.
Pay sucks in this city! Unfortunately, the housing is slightly above the national average to boot. The city of Clarkston is directly across the Snake River and many people from Clarkston are forced to seek employment in Lewiston which decreases the job pool.
The people of the Lewis-Clark valley are a bit strange. I don't mean that in a bad way. They're friendly, but very untrusting at the same time. There are also racist undertones throughout the attitudes of some of the locals. It's not blatant, but it's there.
There is a 2-4 year college with a pretty good baseball team in the valley. Also, the civic theatre is quite impressive. Parks are very nice and streets are fairly clean.
I know it sounds like I hate this city, but I really miss it. It is where I grew up after all. I think, as with a lot of cities, you have to learn how to appreciate the good and deal with (not ignore) the bad.
Thomas | Austin, TX