On Thursday night, Andy and Marci hosted a delicious dinner at their beautiful home in Belleview and on Friday Sam, Andy, Marci, Georgia and Tom drove across the state from Belleview to Walla Walla, home of Whitman College, where Stu is a senior and star soccer player. Washington's topographical variety as we drove from the northwest of the state to the southeast corner was stunning. The far west of the state receives far more precipitation and therefore is green and lush, where the Cascade Mountains are blanketed with forests while the state's central and eastern regions are dry, almost arid. From west to east, Washington's status as an agricultural powerhouse was evident. Apple orchards, vineyards, seemingly endless wheat fields and livestock farms punctuated the state's vast open spaces, in some areas hilly, in others mountainous, in others broad and flat, drained by the mighty Columbia River and its tributaries.Washington is a leading lumber producer. Its rugged surface is rich in stands of Douglas fir, hemlock, ponderosa and white pine, spruce, larch, and cedar. The state is the biggest producer of apples, hops, pears, red raspberries, spearmint oil, and sweet cherries, and ranks high in the production of apricots, asparagus, dry edible peas, grapes, lentils, peppermint oil, and potatoes. Livestock and livestock products also make important contributions to total farm revenue. The southeast has fully emerged as one of the nations leading producers of quality wines, where vineyards and wineries have multiplied. Walla Walla, in the center of the wine producing region, is a lovely and prosperous town with numerous grand homes from the late 1800s and early 1900s. The bucolic Whitman College campus, with its mix of classic old Georgian buildings and interesting modern structures, is a gem that complements the charming old neighborhoods that surround it.
A beautiful view from Andy's and Marci'sCapture Date: Sep 18, 2014 07:00 PM•Views: 177No comments yet. All fields are required, fill in the form. Comment successfully added. Comment
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Feasting al fresco chez Andy and MarciCapture Date: Sep 18, 2014 07:00 PM•Views: 177No comments yet. All fields are required, fill in the form. Comment successfully added. Comment
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Feasting al fresco chez Andy and MarciCapture Date: Sep 18, 2014 07:01 PM•Views: 178No comments yet. All fields are required, fill in the form. Comment successfully added. Comment
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Feasting al fresco chez Andy and MarciCapture Date: Sep 18, 2014 07:01 PM•Views: 176No comments yet. All fields are required, fill in the form. Comment successfully added. Comment
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The Cascades shrouded in mist
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades. The small part of the range in British Columbia is referred to as the Canadian Cascades or, locally, as the Cascade Mountains. The latter term is also sometimes used by Washington residents to refer to the Washington section of the Cascades in addition to North Cascades, the more usual U.S. term, as in North Cascades National Park. The highest peak in the range is Mount Rainier in Washington at 14,411 feet.
Capture Date: Sep 19, 2014 12:46 PM•Views: 176
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Laurie Nov 18, 2014 04:44 PM
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Beautiful shot Tom |
An abundance of moisture keeps the Cascades verdant
From the Cascades westward, Western Washington has a mostly marine west coast climate, with mild temperatures and wet winters, autumns and springs, and relatively dry summers.
Capture Date: Sep 19, 2014 12:48 PM•Views: 175
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A monochromatic morning in the Cascades
The high mountains of the Cascade Range run north-south, bisecting the state
Capture Date: Sep 19, 2014 12:51 PM•Views: 175
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A splash of blue sky as we begin the descent out of the CascadesCapture Date: Sep 19, 2014 12:54 PM•Views: 176No comments yet. All fields are required, fill in the form. Comment successfully added. Comment
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Fog churns from the hollows to the heightsCapture Date: Sep 19, 2014 12:56 PM•Views: 176No comments yet. All fields are required, fill in the form. Comment successfully added. Comment
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Deciduous trees are evident, but the slopes are dominated by conifersCapture Date: Sep 19, 2014 01:00 PM•Views: 174No comments yet. All fields are required, fill in the form. Comment successfully added. Comment
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Washington's Dairy Farms generated $1.2 billion in revenue last year.
Only apples (#1 in the nation) and wheat contributed more to the state's agricultural economy.
Capture Date: Sep 19, 2014 01:01 PM•Views: 174
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Grand Fir/Douglas Fir ecoregion
Descending down the east side of the Cascade Range is the Grand Fir/Douglas-fir ecoregion with a very diverse forest. This forest has the most diverse trees of the forested ecoregions in Washington state which includes Grand Fir, Douglas-fir, Engelmann Spruce, Subalpine Fir, Ponderosa Pine, Lodgepole Pine, Western White Pine, Whitebark Pine, Western Larch, and Subalpine Larch
Capture Date: Sep 19, 2014 01:06 PM•Views: 176
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The CascadesCapture Date: Sep 19, 2014 01:07 PM•Views: 174No comments yet. All fields are required, fill in the form. Comment successfully added. Comment
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Reservoir east of the cascadesCapture Date: Sep 19, 2014 01:10 PM•Views: 174No comments yet. All fields are required, fill in the form. Comment successfully added. Comment
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A small Washington farmCapture Date: Sep 19, 2014 01:52 PM•Views: 174No comments yet. All fields are required, fill in the form. Comment successfully added. Comment
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