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 Go Northwest!
Evergreen forests, beaches and the local mountains, the Cascades, outline a typical, picturesque scene in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. From this natural beauty, a environmentalist culture developed. Many cities here organized nature conservation programmes and with Seattle's mayor as a role model these cities even ratified the Kyoto Protocol, even though the American federal government did not it. Because of this awareness, this area has become a mecca for American environmentalists and liberals. These locals started the scene called alternative rock. With bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden, this music scene became very popular in the late 1980's and 90's.
An excursion should give you a closer view of this region. This tour starts on the Canadian border and follows the Interstate highway 5 south. The first stop on this tour is in Anacortes; from here the ferry to the San Juan Islands leaves the docks. These islands are famous for expeditions to see Orcas and bald eagles.
Further south, Seattle welcomes its visitors. The city is surrounded on all sides by water - Puget Sound on the west and Lake Washington on the east. The most recognizable building here is the Space Needle, which dates back to the 1962 World's Fair. The fairgrounds surrounding the Needle have been converted into the Seattle Center. From the entertainment centre, a monorail runs to the Westlake Center, a shopping complex in the heart of the city.
Seattle's economy got its start during the Klondike Gold Rush. Miners stopped in Seattle on their way to Alaska. During the rush, several companies were established, which still exist today among these are UPS and the retailers - Nordstrom and Eddie Bauer. Shipbuilding became an important industry during the rush, too. During World War II, ships were needed to carry soldiers to battlegrounds. Boeing made a successful beginning during this time. Later it became the largest employer in Seattle. In 2001 Boeing moved its headquarters to Chicago; fortunately production stayed. In the 1980's and 90's, the computer industry had a boom. During this prosperity, Microsoft, a local company, sold its operating system successfully. Further big names in this new emerging industry, which set up in Seattle, are Amazon.com and Real Networks.
Eighty-seven kilometres south of Seattle, a inactive volcano comes into view, which erupted 150 years ago. With an elevation of 4392 metres, Mount Rainier is the highest mountain in the region. Staying in the Cascades, the next mountain in the chain is Mount St Helens and, unlike Mt Rainier, it is an active volcano, which erupted in 2005 last. Moreover, this mountain is famous for its eruption on 18 May 1980. On this day, 57 people died and 250 Houses were destroyed. One cubic kilometre of ash spewed into the air, during which 400 metres of the summit was blown away. This event is the deadliest and most economically devastating volcanic eruption in the history of the USA.
Further down the highway, over the Columbia River, we enter Oregon and also Portland at the same time. This city has the perfect climate for the cultivation of roses - mild temperatures, plenty of rain and sunshine. That's why the American Rose Society created the International Rose Testing Gardens, which houses 550 types and spreads out on 18 square kilometres. The gardens lay on tiers, which look out towards the Willamette River and city centre. Downtown, in front of the Portland Building is "Portlandia", a massive copper statue. The design of the statue was taken from the city seal, on which there is an image of a river, mountains and a woman in an ancient Greek robe with a trident, who greets a ship in her harbour. The modern statue now welcomes visitors to Portland. With 11 metres in height, "Portlandia" is second highest statue in the USA. On extremely clear days, you can see the Cascades, to which the highest mountain in Oregon, Mount Hood, belongs. The area around the mountain is popular with locals for hiking and skiing. With such sports opportunities in the area, it is no wonder why two of Portland's best-known companies are sports equipment manufacturers, Nike and Columbia Sportswear.
Four hours south, you will run into a wonder of nature - Crate Lake was formed when the volcano Mount Mazama collapes into itself. Crater Lake covers an area of 8 by 9,6 kilometres. The lake is at an elevation of 1883 metres above see level. Under the water surface, Crater Lake has an average depth of 350 meters; with 589 meters as its deepest point, it is the deepest lake in the USA. The National Park surrounding the lake offers visitors more than 150 kilometres of hiking trails; one of these, the Cleetwood Trail, leads directly to the lakeside and onto the docks. From here out, Xanterra Parks & Recreation offer boat tours to Wizard Island, a volcanic island in the middle of the lake.
All-in-all from the Orcas near the San Juan Islands to the wondrous blue water in Crater Lake, this region is a real gem of natural beauty. In order to truly experience all of this, which is offered here, you just need to "go Northwest"!
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