Did You Know Washington Is Home To Many Incredible Things?

I found the following "did you know?" questions, on Facebook, and thought the questions to be shareworthy....

Did You Know?

Did you know? Washington is home to Mount Rainier, a towering active volcano that dominates the skyline and is one of the most glaciated peaks in the continental United States!

Below, that is me and my sister-in-law, Kristen's mom, Janet, hiking at Mount Rainer on a pleasant day in August of 2008.

Olympic National Park offers three distinct ecosystems—rainforests, rugged coastlines, and alpine mountains—making it one of the most diverse national parks in the U.S.

North Cascades National Park is nicknamed the "American Alps," with jagged peaks, turquoise lakes, and over 300 glaciers.

Me taking a rest on a granite slab after a long hike to Hidden Lake in North Cascades National Park.

Seattle, known as the Emerald City, boasts iconic attractions like the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, the Amazon complex and the original Starbucks.

Below, my niece Ruby is showing me the Amazon Spheres, in downtown Seattle.

San Juan Islands are a paradise for whale watching, kayaking, and exploring quaint seaside towns like Friday Harbor.

The below photo was taken with my now ancient Casio digital camera. The location was Rosario Beach in Deception Pass State Park. The water here is crystal clear, but, even so, you cannot see the huge whale, which was making its way, slowly, along the shoreline, seeking food, we assumed. The slight wave action is the only visible sign of the huge whale. This location is at the east end of the San Juan Islands, in Washington's Puget Sound.

Washington’s Mount St. Helens, which famously erupted in 1980, is now a fascinating site for hiking, learning about volcanic history, and witnessing nature’s recovery.

The Hoh Rainforest, located in Olympic National Park, is one of the largest temperate rainforests in the U.S., with moss-draped trees and serene hiking trails.

Leavenworth, a charming Bavarian-themed village, is a year-round destination for festivals, outdoor adventures, and cozy mountain vibes.

Here we see Wally and Wanda at an outdoor Leavenworth coffee bar.

Puget Sound offers stunning views and abundant wildlife, from bald eagles to orcas, making it a must-visit for nature lovers.

Nephew Theo, and me, building a sand fort at Birch Bay, at the far north end of Puget Sound. The shallow bay makes for warm water when the tide comes in on a Summer day.

Columbia River Gorge, on the state’s southern border, is a windsurfing hotspot with breathtaking waterfalls like Multnomah Falls just across the Oregon side.

Washington is the nation’s leading producer of apples, and its orchards come alive during the fall with U-pick farms and cider tastings.

The Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail, one of the longest rail-trails in the U.S., takes adventurers through forests, mountains, and historic tunnels.

Well, there you go, some things you now know you can find in Washington, along with some illustrative photos...

Western Washington Braces For A Strong Pineapple Express Today

You are looking at what Granite Falls looked like in November of 2006, when the Stillaguamish River and all the other rivers of Western Washington went in to flood mode brought on by several Pineapple Express Storms in a row.

Washington is scheduled to get hit with a Pineapple Express Storm this afternoon, dumping 8 inches of rain in the mountains, with 3 inches expected to fall on the lowlands.

Along with the rain the temperature will rise, with melting snow adding to the flood.

I don't remember when the term "Pineapple Express" was first heard by my ears. It seems it was during the Thanksgiving Day Storm back in the 1990s. That was the worst flooding I remember ever seeing. I'd been up well past midnight, helping sandbag downtown Mount Vernon. The flood was expected to go over the sandbags and flood downtown Mount Vernon.

That would have been a real bad thing. When the Skagit River runs high, downtown Mount Vernon is like New Orleans, well below the water level.

During that particular flood a large crowd had gathered to view the crest of the river, from elevated vantage points. But, just as the time of the predicted crest arrived, the Skagit River dropped a couple feet. The dike had broken down river, flooding Fir Island, saving downtown Mount Vernon.

Two weeks after the Thanksgiving Day Flood, which was supposedly something like a 100 year, or more event. It happened again.

I hope today's Pineapple Express is not a real bad one. But I suspect it may be. There is a lot of snow on the Cascades, ready to melt.

"A Chinook" was what warm tropical air hitting the Pacific Northwest used to be called before the "Pineapple Express" phrase became the popular term used to describe the weather phenomenon in which a strong flow of atmospheric moisture forms near the Hawaiian Islands and then extends to any location along the Canadian or American Pacific Coast.

In Washington Drinking Smoked Salmon Flavored Vodka

I've never understood the point of flavored distilled adult beverages, like citrus flavored vodka, or peach flavored rum. Why not just mix in some citrus drink, like orange juice, into your vodka? Or peach juice into your rum?

There is a new flavored vodka that I really don't know how one would make your vodka this particular flavor, other than buying the flavored vodka.

I am talking about Alaska Distillery's Smoked Salmon Flavored Vodka.

Apparently once you have a Bloody Mary made with Smoked Salmon Flavored Vodka, you'll never want to return to boring, flavorless vodka.

It took several tries before Alaska Distillery successfully infused vodka with the essence of smoked salmon. Apparently early efforts were too oily.

Currently the only states in which you can buy Alaska Distillery's Smoked Salmon Flavored Vodka are where it is brewed, that being the state of Alaska. And Alaska's good friend and almost next door neighbor, that being the state of Washington.

I am currently in the state of Texas. Can it be long before some enterprising Texan comes up with Texas BBQ Flavored Vodka?

Record Breaking Washington Heat Wave Hotter Than Texas

I am currently in North Texas where it usually is a lot hotter than Western Washington. But today, where I am right now, Fort Worth, Texas, the high today is expected to be 89.

Meanwhile Seattle is predicted to hit a high of 95 today, with another record-breaking high on Friday.

I like how the weather descriptors are so different. Today Seattle's is "Blazing Sunshine". While today Fort Worth's is "Showers". Up in Washington you are going to have a return to relatively cool temperatures on Saturday. While in Fort Worth it is day after day in the 90s. With rain. As you can see below.

Coho Salmon Returning to The Columbia River in Record Numbers

It does not seem all that long ago that the picture being painted about the health of the salmon fisheries in Washington was very very dire, with salmon pretty much wiped out in the middle to upper Columbia River.

Coho salmon in the lower Columbia River received protection under the Endangered Species Act. Upriver there were no Coho left to protect. Now there are.

10 years ago on 12 coho salmon make it past Rock Island Dam by Wenatchee. In 2009, 19,805 made it past Rock Island Dam.

In the 1990s work began to try and restore the coho runs with fish hatcheries and making it easier for the fish to get past the dams to their spawning zones.

Biologists attribute improved conditions in the Pacific Ocean as also helping increase the number of salmon.

The number of hatchery Coho salmon returning far exceeds expectations. There is also an increase of returns from natural spawning. Which bodes well for the future of the salmon runs in Washington.

State of Washington Deep Freezes

Wow. I'd say I'm glad I'm not in Mount Vernon right now. 14.3 degrees. That is cold. Appears all of Washington is in the Deep Freeze today.

Currently I am stuck in Fort Worth, Texas, not all that much warmer than Washington. Here it is currently 26 degrees with the Wind Chill factor making it feel like 16 degrees. A couple hours ago it was 23 with a Wind Chill of 14.

So, with that Texas Wind Chill Factor, I know how cold you're feeling right now up in Washington.

Here in Fort Worth, unlike up in Washington, there is no snow in the Texas forecast. The first snow of the year hit North Texas a week ago today. It didn't stick around for long.

Brrrrr.

There is No Starbucks in Starbuck Washington

This morning I got a Facebook message from Miss KPF, sent from an Internet Cafe in Dayton, Washington.

I knew Miss KPF was over in the Tri-Cities, Walla Walla zone. She crosses the Cascades about every week to stay a couple days in either Richland, Pasco or Kennewick. I don't know which one because she always refers to where she is as the Tri-Cities.

I did not remember where Dayton was in eastern Washington. So, I looked it up. Dayton is about 30 miles northeast of Walla Walla on Highway 12. Miss KPF was in Dayton to make reservations at the Weinhard Hotel for her group of hardened Harley riders.

When I found Dayton, on the map, another town caught my eye. Starbuck. Now, everyone knows there are plenty of Starbucks in Washington, with the original being at Seattle's Pike Place Market. But I did not know there was a town of Starbuck in Washington.

Starbuck is about 20 miles northwest of Dayton on Highway 261. Population 128. Named after railroad official W.H. Starbuck.

And I am not the first person to ask if there is a Starbucks in Starbuck.

There is not. I also do not know if there is a Starbucks in Dayton. But I do know there is an Internet Cafe there, where Miss KPF was drinking a latte while she played Scrabble on Facebook.

I forgot to mention. That picture at the top, that is the Starbuck City Hall. I don't know if it is still in use. But doesn't it look like it's make a great little Starbucks?

Seattle, Washington

I think this picture of Seattle is likely over 10 years old. The Kingdome is still standing and I see no Safeco Field being built south of it.

In the 10 years since I left the Pacific Northwest, and moved to Texas, a lot has changed in Seattle. There no longer is a print version of the P-I. The Supersonics left town for Oklahoma City. This would have seemed unimaginable when I lived in Washington. Seattle without the Sonics, stolen away by an Oklahoma con man named Aubrey McClendon? Aubrey's done a lot of dirty dealings here in Texas. Had I realized he was operating in Washington I would have sent a letter to an editor, or something, with a dire warning.

Since I've moved to Texas the Kingdome is no more, replaced by Quest Field. I remember returning in 1999 and watching Safeco Field under construction. When a Fort Worth Star-Telegram sports reporter first reported on Safeco Field, he said Seattle now has the Taj Mahal of ballparks. I'd been in the Ballpark in Arlington, where the Texas Rangers play and thought it was pretty impressive. I've yet to get to experience Seattle's Taj Mahal of ballparks.

I've seen the light rail under construction and was in the bus tunnel in August of 2008 and saw the signage already in place for the now operating light rail. I remember when the voter's approved building the new mass transit. That happened before I moved. The target completion date seemed so far off then.

Speaking of August of 2008. I spent several days in Seattle during a month stay in Tacoma. Sat in a booth at the Fremont Sunday Market 3 times. That was fun. Spent a day at Pioneer Square at Art in the Park on Thursday, August 7, 2008. On that day I was shocked at how much had changed in Seattle. I took my video camera and wandered all over downtown, Pike Place, the waterfront and the bus tunnel.

One very noticeable change was there were way more people all over downtown than 10 years ago. 10 years ago I don't think any cruise ships homeported in Seattle. Pike Place Market was as crowded as the Saturday before Christmas. It was all such a contrast with the number of people I see on the streets in Dallas or Fort Worth.

Another thing that is real noticeable, when you've been gone for awhile, is well, the first time it happened was February of 2004. I was picked up at Sea-Tac and brought to Pioneer Square due to needing to go to a gallery there. I was so struck by how it seemed as if so many people were deflated. I'd grown way too used to seeing way too many obese people. Not that there aren't any big people in Washington, but their numbers are definitely fewer.

The other huge change in Seattle, and I really hated this one, is parking meters are everywhere. 10 years ago I could park for free at REI. At that point the new REI headquarters was in a neighborhood of old houses. All that is no more, the houses all gone, everything built up, and parking meters everywhere. I eventually gave up trying to find a place to park for free and ended up paying 25 bucks to park near Art in the Park in Pioneer Square.

Traffic has gotten so much worse all over Western Washington since I moved away. I hope that improves with the new light rail. I saw the Lake Union SLUT trolley on the way to Fremont. Impressive looking and fits with Seattle's super sleek, clean and shiny look that has gotten even brighter since I moved away.

When the Alaskan Way Viaduct comes down, opening up the waterfront, I'm guessing yet one more huge downtown Seattle renaissance will be the result. The way time flies, that will happen real soon.

Washington My Old Home

Washington has become a tourist Mecca in the past few decades.

With iconic attractions like Pike Place Market, Mount Rainier and the Space Needle along with the Cascade Mountains, the Olympic Mountains, Mount St. Helens National Monument, North Cascades National Park, Olympic National Park, Mount Rainier National Park, 5 volcanoes including Mount Baker, destination tourist towns like Leavenworth's Bavarian Village and Winthrop's western town, both in Eastern Washington. In Western Washington you can sort of visit Holland in Lynden. Another tourist town is La Conner in the scenic Skagit Valley, where in the Spring the valley floor is covered with tulips and other flowers.

Add in a thriving arts scene including music, theater and museums, plus, orchards, breweries, wineries and to give you plenty of energy to see and do it all, the world's highest per capita number of places to buy coffee.

And in the past decade Seattle has become the homeport to 5, or is it 6, cruise ships, sailing to Alaska, sort of a modern day version of the Alaska Gold Rush when Seattle served as the launch pad to Alaska, with many Seattle fortunes made outfitting gold seekers.

In Washington you can try and seek your fortune in the many casinos owned and operated by Washington State Native American tribes, like the Tulalip and the Puyallup.

While it is true that it rains in Washington, particularly on the west side of the Cascade Mountains, in summer you'll find many days without a cloud in the sky.