There’s no place quite like Washington. If you’ve ever moved away for awhile or even just gone on vacation for a few days, you may know how easy it is to miss everything about this gorgeous Evergreen state. But no matter where you are in the world, these 12 things will remind you why the Pacific Northwest will always feel like home.
- There’s nowhere else quite as green.
Ed Suominen/Flickr Washington is known as the “Evergreen State” for a reason. Even though the eastern side has a lot more desert terrain, you can still find plenty of lush green scenery - like these trees pictured in the Colville National Forest.
- Washington has some of the most dreamy beaches.
Scott Costello/Flickr You can find beautiful beaches outside of the state too, but there’s just something uniquely special about our rugged coastline in the Pacific Northwest. The tree-covered sea stacks, tide pools, rocks and driftwood make it a serene place unlike anywhere else in the world.
- The scenery here is incredibly diverse.
Lindsey Ashline/Flickr If you drive across the state you’ll be able to see almost every kind of landscape. Washington has nearly everything you can think of: desert, mountains, forests, ocean, rivers, rainforests, plains, islands, volcanoes, glaciers - and they’re all absolutely stunning.
- We always have somewhere new to go hiking.
Chris/Flickr With so many photogenic landscapes, Washington has endless places to go exploring. Here are a few of our favorite scenic trails you should take this summer.
- After all, the waterfalls here are just extraordinary.
Joe Parks/Flickr Like Falls Creek Falls (pictured here) in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. It’s only about a 5-mile hike out-and-back to reach this two-tiered beauty.
- There’s always a place to head out on the water.
Jonathan Miske/Flickr Washington is a total paradise for boaters, fishers, or anyone who loves to go kayaking or canoeing. Whether it’s on Puget Sound or any of our other rivers, lakes or streams, we’re definitely at no shortage of places to enjoy all of our favorite water activities.
- The views on our ferry rides are so relaxing.
Casey Yee/Wikipedia If you haven’t already been on one of our many ferries, it’s definitely worth adding to the ole bucket list this summer. You can take one out to the San Juan Islands, Bainbridge Island (pictured here), or even hop on the “Lady of the Lake” ferry that goes over Lake Chelan.
- The selection of wine, beer, and coffee just doesn’t compare in other states.
Justin Faulkner/Flickr You can still find some good brews and wines outside of Washington, but you probably won’t have nearly as many options to choose from. With hundreds of wineries, breweries and cafes, our wide, local selection offers a little something for everyone.
- The produce here is some of the freshest.
Jefferson County Farmer’s Market/Facebook Our various climates across the state are perfect for producing all kinds of fruits and veggies. And as the top leading producer in the country for apples, pears, red raspberries and more, we’re able to pick up some of the freshest local ingredients from our countless farmers markets. Pictured is the Jefferson County Farmers Market in Port Townsend - which is now up and going for the season on Saturdays!
- Other places don’t recycle (or compost) nearly as much.
Christopher Platt/Flickr The Pacific Northwest is one of the most sustainable areas in the country, so it can be kind of weird going to another state and not being able to find recycling and composting bins to properly dispose of our garbage. Besides, those bottles can easily be washed out and filled up with more wine.
- The vibrant sunsets here are truly second to none.
JD Hascup/Flickr Sure, you can enjoy sunsets everywhere. But when you get to see it setting over our trees, mountains, valleys and waterways, there just isn’t a more lovely, picture perfect way to end the day.
- And there’s nothing like seeing our mountains in the distance.
Jonathan Miske/Flickr Even after living here all this time, seeing our peaks in the distance is always worth stopping and taking in for a moment - whether it’s the Olympics, Mount Rainier or the Cascades. We really do live in one of the prettiest areas on Earth.
Isn’t this state just amazing? Has Washington always been your home?
Ed Suominen/Flickr
Washington is known as the “Evergreen State” for a reason. Even though the eastern side has a lot more desert terrain, you can still find plenty of lush green scenery - like these trees pictured in the Colville National Forest.
Scott Costello/Flickr
You can find beautiful beaches outside of the state too, but there’s just something uniquely special about our rugged coastline in the Pacific Northwest. The tree-covered sea stacks, tide pools, rocks and driftwood make it a serene place unlike anywhere else in the world.
Lindsey Ashline/Flickr
If you drive across the state you’ll be able to see almost every kind of landscape. Washington has nearly everything you can think of: desert, mountains, forests, ocean, rivers, rainforests, plains, islands, volcanoes, glaciers - and they’re all absolutely stunning.
Chris/Flickr
With so many photogenic landscapes, Washington has endless places to go exploring. Here are a few of our favorite scenic trails you should take this summer.
Joe Parks/Flickr
Like Falls Creek Falls (pictured here) in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. It’s only about a 5-mile hike out-and-back to reach this two-tiered beauty.
Jonathan Miske/Flickr
Washington is a total paradise for boaters, fishers, or anyone who loves to go kayaking or canoeing. Whether it’s on Puget Sound or any of our other rivers, lakes or streams, we’re definitely at no shortage of places to enjoy all of our favorite water activities.
Casey Yee/Wikipedia
If you haven’t already been on one of our many ferries, it’s definitely worth adding to the ole bucket list this summer. You can take one out to the San Juan Islands, Bainbridge Island (pictured here), or even hop on the “Lady of the Lake” ferry that goes over Lake Chelan.
Justin Faulkner/Flickr
You can still find some good brews and wines outside of Washington, but you probably won’t have nearly as many options to choose from. With hundreds of wineries, breweries and cafes, our wide, local selection offers a little something for everyone.
Jefferson County Farmer’s Market/Facebook
Our various climates across the state are perfect for producing all kinds of fruits and veggies. And as the top leading producer in the country for apples, pears, red raspberries and more, we’re able to pick up some of the freshest local ingredients from our countless farmers markets. Pictured is the Jefferson County Farmers Market in Port Townsend - which is now up and going for the season on Saturdays!
Christopher Platt/Flickr
The Pacific Northwest is one of the most sustainable areas in the country, so it can be kind of weird going to another state and not being able to find recycling and composting bins to properly dispose of our garbage. Besides, those bottles can easily be washed out and filled up with more wine.
JD Hascup/Flickr
Sure, you can enjoy sunsets everywhere. But when you get to see it setting over our trees, mountains, valleys and waterways, there just isn’t a more lovely, picture perfect way to end the day.
Even after living here all this time, seeing our peaks in the distance is always worth stopping and taking in for a moment - whether it’s the Olympics, Mount Rainier or the Cascades. We really do live in one of the prettiest areas on Earth.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
