Previously published at MoneyLife
Washington: Rainforests & Volcanoes
September 22, 2011 09:05 PM
|
Jaideep Mukerji & Veeresh Malik
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Jaideep Mukerji visits an iconic state in the US which offers grand landscapes and endless opportunities to visit historic, cultural and scenic locations
In the far northwest of the continental United States is located the state of Washington. Not to be confused with the American capital, the city of Washington, DC, the state of Washington was carved out of land which had been surrendered by Britain in 1846. The state is named after George Washington, the first president of the US and is the only American state named after a president.
Approximately 60% of Washington’s residents live in the Seattle metropolitan area, the centre of transportation, business and industry along the Puget Sound region, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean consisting of innumerable islands, deep fjords and bays carved out by glaciers during the last Ice Age. The rest of the state comprises dense rainforests in the west, mountain ranges and a semi-arid (almost desert like-centre), given over to agriculture.
The Cascade Range, which dominates Washington state, contains five volcanoes that tower over the other mountains. From the north to the south, these volcanoes are: Mt Baker, Mt Rainier, Glacier Peak, Mt St Helens and Mt Adams. Mt St Helens is currently the only actively erupting volcano in the US, though all of these are considered active volcanoes. The 14,411-ft high Mt Rainier, the prominent snow-covered volcanic cone 80km south of the city of Seattle, is considered the most dangerous volcano in the US due to its nearness to the Seattle metropolitan area. On clear days, it dominates the south-eastern horizon in most of the Seattle metropolitan area to such an extent that locals sometimes refer to it simply as ‘the Mountain’. With 26 major glaciers and 93sq km of permanent snowfields and glaciers, Mt Rainier is the most heavily glaciated peak in the US with its summit topped by two large volcanic craters. After Mt Rainier, Mt Baker is the most heavily glaciated of the Cascade Range of volcanoes with its volume of snow and ice more than that of all the other Cascade volcanoes (except Mt Rainier) combined. It is also one of the snowiest places in the world; in 1999, the Mt Baker Ski Area, located 14km from the mountain itself, set a world record for highest snowfall in a single winter season—1,140 inches or about 95ft of snow fell that year!
At the extreme northwest corner of Washington is the unique Olympic National Park. A must-see for any visitor to the state, the Park became an International Biosphere Reserve in 1976 and was designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations in 1981. With no obstruction for thousands of kilometres to the west in the vast Pacific Ocean, impressive waves that form come crashing ashore along the rugged coastline of the Olympic Peninsula in showers of spray and foam.
To the east, are ancient temperate rainforests, including the Hoh Rainforest which receives annual rainfall of about 150 inches (380cm) making this perhaps the wettest area in the US. Because this is a temperate rainforest, unlike a tropical one (like the Amazon Rainforest in South America), it is dominated by dense coniferous trees and mosses that coat the bark of the trees and drip down from their branches in green, moist tendrils.
Prior to the arrival of European settlers, the area’s human population consisted of Native Americans, indigenous people who used the peninsula mainly for fishing and hunting. Most, if not all Pacific Northwest indigenous people, were severely affected by European diseases and their numbers were greatly reduced. A number of indigenous cultural sites have been identified in the Olympic peninsula; important sites and artefacts are now protected and are worth a visit to appreciate the region’s native history.
Located only an hour’s drive north of Seattle, and just south of the Canadian border, is Washington state’s scenic Skagit Valley which comes alive with brilliant colours each spring. Acres and acres of daffodils, tulips, irises and lilies bring visitors to the towns of La Conner and Mount Vernon. The flower-viewing season begins with dainty yellow daffodils in mid- to late-March; a rainbow of tulips takes the stage in April. Irises and lilies follow, providing colour well into the month of May. The fields are also cultivated to produce bulbs of flowers, a major industry in the Skagit Valley. In addition to viewing and photographing the fields of colour, visitors to the Skagit Valley tulip festival (held every April) can explore the different display gardens and garden centres to learn about bulb-gardening.
While driving to the Skagit Valley, do not miss The Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour located in Mukilteo, 40km north of Seattle. The 90-minute public tour of Boeing’s Everett aircraft factory is available seven days a week and you can see the Boeing 747, 767, 777 and 787 Dreamliner airplanes being built for Boeing’s worldwide customers. During the tour, you will also see the world’s largest building by volume (472 million cubic feet) where some of the aircraft are assembled.
Finally, end the tour with a visit to Seattle’s Space Needle and the waterfront Pike Place Market. The Space Needle Tower is a major landmark of the entire region of the US and a symbol of Seattle. Located at the Seattle Center, it was built for the 1962 World’s Fair and is 605ft (184m) high. The Space Needle features an observation deck, a gift shop and the rotating SkyCity restaurant that rotates 360 degrees in exactly 47 minutes, all at a height of 500ft. From the top of Space Needle, one can see not only the Seattle city skyline, but also the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Mt Rainier, Mt Baker, Elliott Bay and the surrounding islands.
Seattle’s Pike Place Market is a public market built on the edge of a steep hill on the waterfront of Elliott Bay. Pike Place opened in 1907 and is one of the oldest continually-operated public farmers’ markets in the US. It is a place of business for many small farmers, craftspeople and merchants and remains one of Seattle’s most popular tourist destinations. Local farmers and craftspeople sell year-round in the arcades in accordance with the Market’s mission and founding goal: allowing consumers to ‘Meet the Producer’.
Though often overlooked, this corner of the US offers grand landscapes and endless opportunities for visiting historic, cultural and scenic locations.
Why Go There: Washington and the Pacific northwest of the US is an area bordering the Pacific Ocean consisting of innumerable islands, deep fjords and bays carved out by glaciers. The rest of the state consists of dense rainforests, mountain ranges and an almost desert-like centre, apart from bustling Seattle and its many attractions.
Getting There: There are direct flights to Seattle from several European cities with convenient connections from most of the major metros in India as well as from all major American cities.
Visas: Indian nationals require a US visa.
Where To Stay: It is easy to book Washington state hotels online on any of the popular hotel sites like Expedia, Travelocity or Hotels.com. The official tourism website of the state—www.washingtonbeautiful.com—has a wealth of information on the dozens of attractions
Washington: Rainforests & Volcanoes
September 22, 2011 09:05 PM
| Jaideep Mukerji & Veeresh Malik
Jaideep Mukerji visits an iconic state in the US which offers grand landscapes and endless opportunities to visit historic, cultural and scenic locations
In the far northwest of the continental United States is located the state of Washington. Not to be confused with the American capital, the city of Washington, DC, the state of Washington was carved out of land which had been surrendered by Britain in 1846. The state is named after George Washington, the first president of the US and is the only American state named after a president.
Approximately 60% of Washington’s residents live in the Seattle metropolitan area, the centre of transportation, business and industry along the Puget Sound region, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean consisting of innumerable islands, deep fjords and bays carved out by glaciers during the last Ice Age. The rest of the state comprises dense rainforests in the west, mountain ranges and a semi-arid (almost desert like-centre), given over to agriculture.
The Cascade Range, which dominates Washington state, contains five volcanoes that tower over the other mountains. From the north to the south, these volcanoes are: Mt Baker, Mt Rainier, Glacier Peak, Mt St Helens and Mt Adams. Mt St Helens is currently the only actively erupting volcano in the US, though all of these are considered active volcanoes. The 14,411-ft high Mt Rainier, the prominent snow-covered volcanic cone 80km south of the city of Seattle, is considered the most dangerous volcano in the US due to its nearness to the Seattle metropolitan area. On clear days, it dominates the south-eastern horizon in most of the Seattle metropolitan area to such an extent that locals sometimes refer to it simply as ‘the Mountain’. With 26 major glaciers and 93sq km of permanent snowfields and glaciers, Mt Rainier is the most heavily glaciated peak in the US with its summit topped by two large volcanic craters. After Mt Rainier, Mt Baker is the most heavily glaciated of the Cascade Range of volcanoes with its volume of snow and ice more than that of all the other Cascade volcanoes (except Mt Rainier) combined. It is also one of the snowiest places in the world; in 1999, the Mt Baker Ski Area, located 14km from the mountain itself, set a world record for highest snowfall in a single winter season—1,140 inches or about 95ft of snow fell that year!
At the extreme northwest corner of Washington is the unique Olympic National Park. A must-see for any visitor to the state, the Park became an International Biosphere Reserve in 1976 and was designated a World Heritage Site by the United Nations in 1981. With no obstruction for thousands of kilometres to the west in the vast Pacific Ocean, impressive waves that form come crashing ashore along the rugged coastline of the Olympic Peninsula in showers of spray and foam.
To the east, are ancient temperate rainforests, including the Hoh Rainforest which receives annual rainfall of about 150 inches (380cm) making this perhaps the wettest area in the US. Because this is a temperate rainforest, unlike a tropical one (like the Amazon Rainforest in South America), it is dominated by dense coniferous trees and mosses that coat the bark of the trees and drip down from their branches in green, moist tendrils.
Prior to the arrival of European settlers, the area’s human population consisted of Native Americans, indigenous people who used the peninsula mainly for fishing and hunting. Most, if not all Pacific Northwest indigenous people, were severely affected by European diseases and their numbers were greatly reduced. A number of indigenous cultural sites have been identified in the Olympic peninsula; important sites and artefacts are now protected and are worth a visit to appreciate the region’s native history.
Located only an hour’s drive north of Seattle, and just south of the Canadian border, is Washington state’s scenic Skagit Valley which comes alive with brilliant colours each spring. Acres and acres of daffodils, tulips, irises and lilies bring visitors to the towns of La Conner and Mount Vernon. The flower-viewing season begins with dainty yellow daffodils in mid- to late-March; a rainbow of tulips takes the stage in April. Irises and lilies follow, providing colour well into the month of May. The fields are also cultivated to produce bulbs of flowers, a major industry in the Skagit Valley. In addition to viewing and photographing the fields of colour, visitors to the Skagit Valley tulip festival (held every April) can explore the different display gardens and garden centres to learn about bulb-gardening.
While driving to the Skagit Valley, do not miss The Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour located in Mukilteo, 40km north of Seattle. The 90-minute public tour of Boeing’s Everett aircraft factory is available seven days a week and you can see the Boeing 747, 767, 777 and 787 Dreamliner airplanes being built for Boeing’s worldwide customers. During the tour, you will also see the world’s largest building by volume (472 million cubic feet) where some of the aircraft are assembled.
Finally, end the tour with a visit to Seattle’s Space Needle and the waterfront Pike Place Market. The Space Needle Tower is a major landmark of the entire region of the US and a symbol of Seattle. Located at the Seattle Center, it was built for the 1962 World’s Fair and is 605ft (184m) high. The Space Needle features an observation deck, a gift shop and the rotating SkyCity restaurant that rotates 360 degrees in exactly 47 minutes, all at a height of 500ft. From the top of Space Needle, one can see not only the Seattle city skyline, but also the Olympic and Cascade Mountains, Mt Rainier, Mt Baker, Elliott Bay and the surrounding islands.
Seattle’s Pike Place Market is a public market built on the edge of a steep hill on the waterfront of Elliott Bay. Pike Place opened in 1907 and is one of the oldest continually-operated public farmers’ markets in the US. It is a place of business for many small farmers, craftspeople and merchants and remains one of Seattle’s most popular tourist destinations. Local farmers and craftspeople sell year-round in the arcades in accordance with the Market’s mission and founding goal: allowing consumers to ‘Meet the Producer’.
Though often overlooked, this corner of the US offers grand landscapes and endless opportunities for visiting historic, cultural and scenic locations.
Why Go There: Washington and the Pacific northwest of the US is an area bordering the Pacific Ocean consisting of innumerable islands, deep fjords and bays carved out by glaciers. The rest of the state consists of dense rainforests, mountain ranges and an almost desert-like centre, apart from bustling Seattle and its many attractions.
Getting There: There are direct flights to Seattle from several European cities with convenient connections from most of the major metros in India as well as from all major American cities.
Visas: Indian nationals require a US visa.
Where To Stay: It is easy to book Washington state hotels online on any of the popular hotel sites like Expedia, Travelocity or Hotels.com. The official tourism website of the state—www.washingtonbeautiful.com—has a wealth of information on the dozens of attractions
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