Pacific Northwest Tour Bingo -- Twelfth numbers posted!

[bookknurd]

4/10.

[Ketta]

I'm definitely not a fan of the Twilight series either, I much prefer ideals like those shown in True Blood (a little Buffy's good, too!).

Today's picks are 18 and 32.

18. Portland

While Portland's most recent census stated a population of nearly 600,000 (making it the 28th most populous city in the US), it's really well over 1,000,000 when outlying areas are included. Portland is growing quickly. Portland's infrastructure has shown signs in the last decade that it can't keep up, and one of the most recent (and best) examples is the Interstate 5 bridge that crosses the Columbia between Washington and Oregon. For several years, a major plan between the two states has been slowly growing, only to be shot down earlier this year by a simple 'non-vote' action by Washington state. The project is a horrible loss, as some construction and other measures had already been taken (on the island where I lived for several years bears most of the brunt of this). Like many other structures in the US, that bridge desperately needs replacing.

Portland is said to be one of the most progressive cities in the US, and one of the most open minded. You can't drive anywhere in Portland without seeing 'Keep Portland Weird!' bumper stickers, people of all ages doing all things odd and curious, and any and all manner of off the wall shops, activities, and foods. It's the basis of the show 'Portlandia', and the show does a fairly good job of pegging the people of Portland (the Angry Biker is probably one of my love to hate favorites). I read or heard somewhere once that 'Portland is that city that got stuck in the 1990s and doesn't really want to leave', and I think that's quite apt!

Located near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland has another fitting nickname 'City of Bridges'. It doesn't have the most of any city, but it does have a lot. Portland's downtown area is going through a bit of a 'rebirth', and it's probably one of the neatest 'downtowns' I've ever spent time in.

Honestly though, I hate cities. I lived in Portland for 12 years though, and found that countless areas like trails, parks, and other similar retreats are short drives away or even incorporated within the city. It definitely made city life tolerable.



32. Siskiyou

The Siskiyou Mountains, located in southwestern Oregon and northwestern California, aren't the highest or the most stunning, but they have a high diversity of plants and serve as the wildest area in the region. Part of the Coast Range, they serve as a watershed for two major rivers in the area.

Many in the Pacific Northwest know of them not for these facts, but for a massive and, at the time, tragic fire that occurred in 2002. Known as the 'Biscuit Fire', it burned nearly 1/2 million acres and was named after Biscuit Creek in southern Oregon, where it was believed to have started. Several lightning strikes in the hot, dry region struck in mid-July and were the cause. The conditions were 'just right' for a forest fire, and this one was major.

Smoke from the fire could be seen up to southern Washington state, and I remember seeing it while living in Portland. No deaths occurred, but a few homes were lost. Ironically, the region bounced back far more quickly than most experts would have believed, and the Biscuit Fire has been studied deeply. It was a key part of one of my forest habitat classes, emphasizing that forest fires are natural and in some areas necessary. In the last 50 years, Forestry has come a long way in understanding how to properly maintain forests, and this is why the Biscuit Fire is studied so heavily.



An image of the Biscuit Fire:

[socialsue]

I am still at 2/10.

socialsue

[Squirrel]

Hurray, got Sisklyou giving me 5/10. Going well this weekend.

Beautiful pics especially of the mountains and that fire scene is awesome. Frightening though, having been closer than I ever wanted to be to a big fire up in the hills near us in Melbourne.

[LadyS]

4/10 for me.

[marniecat]

I'm not participating in the Bingo, but I am loving learning all about the Pacific Northwest! We are thinking of relocating to the area in the next few years, and you are providing great info!

[Dragonrider]

I had both of these so up to 3/10

[Fizzbw]

I think Dragonrider and I have the same numbers! Both for me today, 3/10.

I have a friend who lives in Portland. She's very weird!! That fire is crazy.

Niki xxx

[rcperryls]

Sisklyou brings me up to 5/10. What an awesome picture of the fire. It's amazing no one was hurt in that fire.

Carole

[wwdiva]

Woo hoo! I got 1
And it was number 18, Portland. One of my favourite cities.
So 1/10. I'm on a roll.
Cheers

[bookknurd]

Up to 6/10 now! And loving all the pictures and info about the northwest. It's on our list of possible places to move to someday, so it's nice to learn more about it.

[Ketta]

Today's picks are numbers 2 and 20!

2. The Space Needle

You absolutely can't visit the Pacific Northwest and NOT plan a stop at the Space Needle! A true symbol of the Northwest, it was built for the 1962 World's Fair. For a time it was the tallest structure west of the Mississippi, reaching a height of 605 feet. It was built to last--it can withstand winds up to 200 miles per hour and survive an earthquake up to a magnitude of 9.1. It also has lightning rods, 25 of them.

There's a gift shop and a restaurant at the top, and the restaurant rotates. I got to eat there once as a kid, but I'm ashamed to say I haven't been back since. To reach the top, you travel in an elevator that is relatively fast at 10mph, taking about 41 seconds to go from the base to the top. Wheee!



20. Redwood National Park

This is another place I've been as a kid and haven't returned (I really want to though!). Redwood National Park was established in 1968 and is located along the northern California coast. Best reached by taking scenic Highway 101, it protects about 45% of the original old growth Coast Redwoods. These trees are the tallest and among the most massive of trees on the planet.

Spending time on the trails gives you an unforgettable feeling of stepping into the ancient past, as it's believed that these primeval forests covered most of western Oregon and part of Washington long ago. Some efforts are being made to re-establish Coast Redwoods to southwestern Oregon (it's thought that the trees thrived there within the last few hundred years). If you browse through images of the park, it may seem familiar. Countless movies have been shot there, one of the most famous is Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, where they filmed scenes with the Ewoks and the hoverbike chase scenes. Yeah, I'm a sci-fi nerd.

One of the novelty things you can do when visiting the park is drive through a tree. It might seem silly, but it really puts in perspective how truly massive these ancient giants are.

[wwdiva]

Oh yea, I'm on a streak of 2
My uncle lived right across the street from the worlds fair so my first trip up the Space Needle was during the fair as a little girl. Went up again a couple of years back. I'm not as good with heights any more but it was wonderful chance to see the Puget Sound from the air.
Would love to see Redwood National Park. I get a sense it would be somewhat of a spiritual experience.
Thank you again Ketta for such an informative bingo.
2/10
Cheers

[Squirrel]

none today but very interesting to read about both places.

[Dragonrider]

Up to 4 /10 with the Space Needle. More lovely pictures to look at and interesting facts to read while having my first tea of the day, thanks Ketta

[millymolly]

just catching up, 6/10 for me. the pictures are lovely

[LadyS]

5/10. Those forests are so gorgeous.

[rcperryls]

The photos today are great. Space Needle brings me to 6/10. The Redwood Forest is awesome and I truly would love to see it some day. Just looking at the photos of the trees is breath taking. I do recognize the setting from Star Wars and wouldn't be surprised if there are some Ents lurking about in those woods also.

Carole

[Ketta]

To the folks that have mentioned the possibility of moving to the Pacific Northwest, you're welcome to PM me anytime if you have any questions or want a somewhat informed opinion on living here. There are often things you don't find out about an area you move to--sometimes finding locals can help in such a big decision!

Today's picks are 30 and 31.

30. Shanghai Tunnels

Part of Portland's 'underground' history, no one can say with any certainty that the tunnels were used for the act of 'shanghai' (abducting people and forcing them to work on ships). This network of tunnels that extends from Old Town/Chinatown to parts of downtown Portland is also called 'Portland Underground'. The tunnels connect to many basements of downtown businesses, and there are tours of certain areas, hyped by the possibility that they're haunted.

What is known for sure is that the tunnels were built for the passage of goods to and from the docks, making for quicker transport by avoiding street traffic which consisted of everything from wagons to street cars. It's without doubt they were used for illicit purposes like smuggling goods, hiding acts of prostitution, squatting, drug use (opium dens), and anything else that people would think, 'hey, deep dark tunnels...what could I get away with?" Since the tunnels were used mainly to expedite shipping, rumors of men being shanghai'd were to be expected.



31. The Cascades

The Cascade mountain range extends from British Columbia to northern California, and make the Pacific Northwest what it is today. On the west, typically wet climates prevail, while on the east, regions in the rainshadow of the Cascades are dry with more extreme temperatures. Travelling through one of the many passes, you'll see completely different species of trees on either side, showing just how influential the mountain range is on climate.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I grew up between parents: Dad in the west in a mild, temperate and wet region and Mom in the east where summers were hot and dry (often over 100F) and winters were cold (below freezing for most of it) with lots of snow some years...we had to have snowmobiles just to get around sometimes. However, the snow I saw as a kid east of the Cascades doesn't fall anymore, and the area is lucky to get more than a foot over an entire winter, contributing to a drier climate.

The Cascades are part of what geologists call the 'Pacific Ring of Fire', which is basically a ring of volcanoes associated with the mountains of the region. According to Wikipedia, all eruptions in the continental US in the last 200 years have been from volcanoes in the Cascades.

The Cascades are beautiful any time of the year, but spring is my favorite (the image below was shot in the spring). Winter is tricky though, and passes are frequently closed...some for the entire winter. Snoqualmie is your best bet, with wide, highly maintained freeways that pass through the mountains. As a result of the high amount of snowfall in the winter, skiing is a big industry here, and you can't go wrong hitting the slopes anywhere from BC down to northern California.

[wwdiva]

It's 3/10 for me today with Cascades!
Cheers