WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT THE PNW?
Do you want to have your mind blown by immense natural beauty?
Imagine driving alone on a winding, open road through a massive, lush canopy of towering trees as you cut through the mountains. The morning fog swirls around and silhouettes the giant evergreens. As you hug the road, wandering through the dense forest, suddenly you are hugging a restless, whitecapped sea with beaches speckled in driftwood. Crack the window and listen to the wind rushing through the trees as the smell of fresh pine and salt hangs in the air. Ahhhh….
The PNW is eye melting, invigorating and captivating.
And this is just my morning ride to Costco. If I really want to spoil myself, I take the long way home on a country road through a bucolic, pastoral setting to see the old barns and meandering, grazing cows.
The landscape of Washington is pure poetry.
It embodies the Pacific Northwest and extends beyond our home on the Olympic Peninsula.
PNW includes Washington, Oregon, Northern California.
Some will argue it includes British Columbia, Montana and Idaho but I don’t want to argue the boundaries so much. The way I see it, the PNW includes a region but is more than the land boundaries – it is a way of living with nature, and a distinct energy.
PNW is not just a place, it is a vibe.
The PNW vibe comes from a mix of ingredients: the land, the local food, the way of dressing, the sounds, the mix of cultures. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it until I moved here and was fully embraced in it. I admit, I am in love with it at this point so it was initially hard for me to narrow what the PNW is to a few points. So I had a few glasses of wine, and tried to nail it. So, here we go!
What makes the PNW so spectacular:
1. The Tremendous Landscape
2. Connection to Nature
3. The Climate Variety
4. The National Parks
5. The Endless Choices of Sports and Adventures
6. Environmentally Aware Consciousness
7. The Local Food
8. The Rugged and Practical People
Let’s explore each of the ingredients a bit more…
The Mind Blowing Landscape
The massive landscape of western Washington takes my breath away every day. Everything is HUGE here. I mean COLOSSAL HUGE. It is liking living amongst giants with 80 foot trees lining the roads. And there are millions of these green giants!
The lush greenery envelops you in the PNW.
Due to the wet winters and dry summers, evergreens grow in abundance. By abundance, I mean there are millions of trees in Washington state. And they grow old and tall. One of the most common is the Douglas Fir tree, which typically grow 3-4 feet a year and can routinely live for 500 years. You can do the math – we are talking about very large evergreens!
Fun fact according to The Seattle Times :
The largest ever officially recorded tree in this state was the 1,020-year-old Mineral tree near Mount Rainier, which was 393 feet tall and 15.4 feet in diameter.
Currently, the tallest fir tree is a 302 foot tree on the west side of the Olympics. It is not unusual to see trees here that are 20 feet in diameter. But these trees are not just a pretty face! The fresh air here will take your breath away because…
The millions of trees act as a natural air purifier.
Trees act as a large filter absorbing polluting gases and cleansing the air. Since PNW is covered in trees, my husband often claims that we live in the world’s largest air filter! The air is amazing and confirmed by the many lichen you spot dangling from the trees. Lichen is an indicator species of clean air and out here it is everywhere! For more on lichen, see the National Parks Service article.
The massive trees are complimented with the immense mountains.
The Mountain Ranges in Washington include the Olympic and Cascade Mountains with the highest peak at Mount Rainer – 14,410 feet (4,392 m). These surrounding mountains create a majestic moodiness with their looming profiles. It is absolutely ethereal to see the fog rolling over the mountaintops in the mornings.
Yet the beauty doesn’t end in the Mountains.
There is a Spectacular Coastline throughout the PNW. A road trip down the Pac Coast Highway (101) is one of the greatest road trips ever! The jagged shoreline is dotted with rock sea stacks, rugged seas and small, charming towns. Last year, my husband and I headed down 101 with no reservations and plenty of time. We wound our way along the coast from Washington to Oregon and Northern California stopping at several drop dead gorgeous places along the way…
Because you are surrounded in beauty, there is a natural connection to nature.
Living here is like living in the Nature Channel. It is impossible to tune out the beauty and ignore the grandness that confronts you daily. A gentle rain brings out the Christmas tree smell and even the shortest walk will lend a deer sighting. If you really pay attention, you can see soaring eagles, barn owls, elk. And if you venture into the mountains, you will find skillful mountain goats climbing the tiniest of ledges, adorable marmots popping out of holes, and brown bears grazing. Because you are constantly surrounded by nature, you develop an awareness and deep appreciation for all that surrounds you. The outdoors beckons you and…
The temperate Climate allows for year round adventure
The PNW Climate is mostly temperate with wet winters, dry summers and four 4 distinct seasons. Because the landscape is so varied, there are different climates within the region. And each region can have microclimates.
Climates can vary depending on location
The Oceanic climate, where we live, is from the coast to mountains and gets about 23 inches of rain a year. In comparison, Miami Beach, where I moved from, gets about 60+ inches of rain a year. The Alpine climate is in the high mountains with 30-35 feet of snow annually. And the desert, arid climate is east of the Cascade Mountains. There is also a microclimate in the Hoh Rain Forest getting 140 inches of rain a year - and yet within an hour, there is another climate considered the “Banana belt” or rainshadow which gets very little rain (Sequim gets less than 16 inches of rain a year). So you can choose your climate and…
The rain doesn’t stop the adventure!
The rain here isn’t a downpour type of rain like I knew in Miami, or even growing up in Oklahoma. The only people with umbrellas in the PNW are the tourists as the rain in the PNW is more of a mist. The rain doesn’t stop you from doing things – you thrown on a cap, a rain jacket and hardly notice the mist.
And the mist doesn’t prevent adventure – it adds to it. On a cold, wet day you grab a serious coffee (and yes, there are coffee shops on just about every corner), hop on a ferry and marvel at the scenery of the Puget Sound. You just may catch a glimpse of a whale, sea otter or the playful harbor seals. There could be a dude playing guitar on the ferry too - so just relax into it. You are catching the PNW vibe!
With the landscape and climate, it is ideal to explore the parks.
The PNW has 3 National Parks including Olympic National Park, Mount Rainier, North Cascades and Crater Lake in Oregon. However, there are also hundreds of additional local parks, trails, and hidden gems. A Discover Pass (https://www.discoverpass.wa.gov/) allows you access to over 100 Washington state parks pass is just $32 annually. A National Parks pass (https://usparkpass.com/) covers entrance to all 3 National Parks in Washington State (and all other National Parks) and is $80 annually. With all the parks and trails, there is an outdoor activity for everyone and every skill level.
There are endless adventures and sports in the PNW
These include Hiking, Skiing, Snowboarding, Mountaineering, Cycling, Camping, Fishing, Kayaking, Boating. And these sports aren’t just for the tourists – these are the locals favorites! You will regularly see Subarus at the grocery store loaded with a kayak, a dog in the front seat and bicycle on the back. Outdoors exploration is local and easily accessible. I typically have my bike in the back as there are trails all over the Olympic Peninsula and I can fit a 40 minute ride in just about any day.
For a day adventure, there is Whitewater Rafting, whale watching, day hiking (See Tips for Day Hikers post here) Everything leads to the outdoors, which naturally makes the inhabitants protective of the resources and brings us to…
PNW is environmentally aware
There is an awareness of the earth and the practice of recycling and restoring as part of the culture. Forests are protected and you will often see a clear cut forest with the restoration project in progress and even posted dates for the next clear cut or planting. Generally, there is a leave no trace philosophy that runs through PNW to ensure the purity and integrity of nature.
The reverence for nature exudes into the Foods of The PNW
There are plenty of local Farmers Markets, Co-ops, and Wineries to enjoy the local flavors. Organic foods are easy to find! Some of the most popular local dishes include Fresh Halibut, Wild Salmon, Shellfish, Marrionberries, Apples. The organic vibe even dips into the local breweries, cider mills, and of course cannabis stores. Yes, you can get organic cannabis!
All these attributes lend to relaxed, outdoorsy, PNW people.
The people of the PNW have a spirit of adventure, a ruggedness for the outdoors, and a practical nature. This is so evident when you look around at the architecture, the cars, the dress. A large majority drive SUVs so they can haul the kayaks, mount the bicycles, tow the boats. It is unusual to see showy cars such as Ferraris, Corvettes, Mercedes. The majority of vehicles are those built for adventure: Subarus, Toyota or Ford Trucks, SUVs.
The practical nature extends to the clothing with REI being the go to store for outdoor wear. (I think of The North Face as the common trusted brand of PNW how Louis Vuitton and Vineyard Vines are of the East Coast.) People dress for the changing weather in layers and comfort for walking through puddles, trails.
There is an ease to the dress code and to the people.
The relaxed vibe also comes from the low density of people. There are far more trees in Washington state than people. I realize this is not for everyone but I just love it! I can take a trail through the woods for hours without seeing a soul. I adore being alone on a trail with the massive trees, the whispering winds, and the calm. And I appreciate pulling into a store and finding parking immediately. It’s the little things!
It’s the little things and the big things that make the PNW special.
If you appreciate nature, your heart will be forever full in the Pacific Northwest. If you don’t feel connected to nature, I tempt you to dip your toe in the PNW and see how you feel! The gigantic lands, variety of climates, and thousands of trails present an activity for people of all ages and skill levels. I encourage you to grab a cup of coffee, study the trail maps, and plan your PNW adventure!