Ausralian lobster at Anthony's Restaurant on Fathers Day
Life is good in Gig Harbor!
(Anthony's Restaurants)


Seattle fire boat shooting a spectacular spray of water.
Have you been to Seattle?


Scenic Byway:
The International Selkirk Loop

Tour the Inland Northwest
(TourTheInlandNW.com)


Pacific N.W. Guides:
The Pacific Westcom Network

Fun Things to Do in the Pacific Northwest!



The Pacific Northwest!

Road-side fruit-stands do a brisk business in Eastern Washington. Eastern Washington is known for its produce, especially apples and cherries.

The Walla Walla area of eastern Washington is known for its wineries.


The Pacific Northwest is spectacularly gorgeous.

Speaking broadly about the climate in the Pacific Northwest, I personally divide the Pacific Northwest into "Western Pacific Northwest" and "Eastern Pacific Northwest." Western Washington residents refer to "This side of the mountains", and "The other side of the mountains" (They're refering to the Cascade Mountains).

The Pacific Northwest actually includes Alaska, northern California, and the western-most part of Wyoming.

For our purposes, let's say that the Pacific Northwest includes Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.

In this scenario, "Western Pacific Northwest" encompasses southwest Canada, western Washington, and western Oregon. The climate in this region is strongly influenced by weather that rolls in off the Pacific Ocean.

The climate is very moderate. Rainy winters, but not without some gorgeous crisp clear days. In coldest winter, temperatures hover in the mid-30's, might briefly drop into the twenties, and rarely the teens. Usually only a few inches of snow, at most, and it quickly melts. Summers are nothing short of perfect.

The Greater Seattle area is known for its seafood. Here's a roadside seafood stand in Discovery Bay, which is in a rural region about 2-1/2 hours travel northwest of Seattle.

A typical offering here would be Hood Canal oysters and dungeness crab. Chainsaw carvings have become a fine art in this region.


Going east, from western Washington, over the Cascade mountains (into what I think of as the "Eastern Pacific Northwest") eastern Washington and eastern Oregon's climates offer warm dry summers and colder, drier winters. You'll see many gorgeous crisp-cold sunny days in winter. Locals and tourists enjoy winter snow as much as they enjoy the summer.

Summers can get hot in the Eastern Pacific Northwest, and that's when locals grab their water toys and head for their favorite swimmin' hole (Perfect for vacationers).

As you continue east, into Idaho, Montana, and northwestern Wyoming, winters are increasingly colder, with more snow, and summers are warmer.