Washington
State, the Coffee Capital of America and home of Mount St. Helens, the Space
Needle, Bigfoot, the Appaloosa, lots of apples.
Its climate and terrain is diverse in the extreme, from the temperate
rain forest on the Olympic Peninsula to the rolling hills of the Palouse, our
version of prairie, in the eastern half of the state. Mount Rainier is the tallest mountain in
Washington State with a summit elevation of 14,411 feet. Yep, it’s an active volcano and overdue to
erupt, but so far isn’t showing any signs of it.
When
in Washington, be aware that anything east of the Cascade Mountains is called
Eastern Washington, so Ellensburg, which is right square in the middle of the
state, is located in Eastern Washington.
That always confused me.
Apparently, no one knows the term “central” here.
Washington
is also home to the Driloleirus (Giant Palouse Earthworm—three feet long!), and
in St. John, the Codger Pole, which is the tallest chainsaw carving in the
world, standing 65 feet. In Seattle,
you’ll find Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe with its famous mummies, Sylvester and
Sylvia. Anything you want to know about
Jimi Hendrix, you’ll find in the Experience Music Project Museum. Want to see the world’s largest frying
pan? It’s in Longview in the southwest
corner of the state. 
Obsessed
with dinosaurs? Head to Granger,
Washington, and visit Dinosaur Town.
Don’t forget to stop at the Volcano Toilets. For a change of pace, travel to Spokane to
see Marvin Carr's One of a Kind in the World Museum where you can sit in one of
Elvis’ cars, and see the skin of Fritz, a 16-foot boa constrictor who
electrocuted himself.
If
you’re an apple aficionado, head to Wenatchee, where you can also do a little
white water rafting, and if you have a sweet tooth while you’re there, try my
daughter’s favorite, Aplets and Cotlets.
Come
visit! We can chat over a couple grande
triple-shot lattes (make mine skinny).
Jacquie’s
latest release is Sleight of Heart, set in Colorado and
Nevada. Also available is her Hearts of
Owyhee series set in Owyhee (the original spelling of Hawaii) County, which is
in Southwest Idaho where she grew up.
She currently lives and plays in Seattle, Washington. Sign up for her newsletter, the Pickle Barrel
Bar & Books, at http://eepurl.com/qhA_1
or visit her website at http://www.jacquierogers.com.
Books
Sleight
of Heart, http://amzn.com/B00FMZYP5Y
Hearts
of Owyhee:
Much
Ado About Marshals, http://amzn.com/B0058ON1LS
Much
Ado About Madams, http://amzn.com/B007HRTQ0O
Much
Ado About Mavericks, http://amzn.com/B008EDN9T4
(Pictures
Provided by Author)
Hi, Jacquie,
ReplyDeleteI'm another Jacquie! I would love to visit Washington. Your book looks intriguing. Congrats.
Hello Jacquie. I love Washington. My son lived there I I enjoyed The sites, and how beautiful the scenery was. The only thing I had trouble with is the sun never came out for the seven days I was there. I would have to take a lot of vitamin D if I lived there. Thanks for sharing and your books sounds great. One I will have to get. Lynda
ReplyDeleteI'd love to visit Washington. From the pictures I've seen, it's beautiful. You did a great job of describing it.929
ReplyDeleteWashington is gorgeous and very diverse geographically and population. My son lives in Boise so I am very familiar with the Owyhee Mts.
ReplyDeleteMay you have great book sales.
I think I'll pass on those giant earthworms. Ick! But the museums sound fantastic. I would worry about having a volcano in my back yard...kind of scary.
ReplyDeleteI wish you all the very best.
Suddenly I understand where all the odd creatures in your stories come from. You're not making them up! ;-)
ReplyDeleteHi Jacquie! Nice to see someone I know from my former state! Good post!
ReplyDeleteJacqueline, thanks for stopping by! (I'm just plain Jacquie, not Jacqueline.) I've lived here quite a while and do enjoy the temperate climate of Puget Sound. If you ever get in the area, look me up! ♥
ReplyDeleteLKF, the sun? Well, it depends on the time of year. During the summer months we actually have drought, so there are lots of sunny days. From November to June, well, you can count on a little--not a lot, but a little rain every day. That's not such a bad thing for a writer.
ReplyDeleteCara, please do! There's a little of everything here--beaches, mountains, prairie, sagebrush, rainforest. Of course, my favorite thing is a coffee shop on every corner!
ReplyDeleteFran, I'm from Owyhee County and we may move back there. I love Idaho, too. It's a whole lot different, though. The Owyhees are really beautiful--blue and purple. I've always loved the shades of color. And I lived in Boise (two blocks from the capital) for over 10 years.
ReplyDeleteSarah, you won't find me looking for those earthworms, either! Shudder. As for Mt. Rainier, I guess everywhere has its sticking points. We don't get hurricanes or tornadoes, just volcanoes and earthquakes. Mt. St. Helens made quite a statement in 1980.
ReplyDeleteTex, you've got it! I seriously considered putting Bigfoot in Have Wand - Will Travel but decided I'd already thrown enough weird stuff in that story. Next time. :)
ReplyDeleteHeidi, come back! I think a lot of the population only know about Seattle and don't realize what all they can find here. And thanks for sharing on Facebook. ♥
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like Washington State has something for everyone. How is the winter weather?
ReplyDeleteSome of my old roommates from college live up by you now. One brags she can see mountains from her apartment. I'd love to head up there someday to do some camping, to enjoy the natural splendor that must be all around you. Thanks for sharing items about your state.
ReplyDelete