There are three major blessings of good fortune in my life:I live in what I think is one of the most amazing places on the planet.
I have eyes.
I have a camera.
I suspect most everyone, everywhere, knows of the steal-your-heart beauty of the Pacific Northwest. A hiking and climbing friend of mine who lives in Seattle once told me the story of a trip he took to Europe to ski the Alps. He spent a night in an alpine mountain hut in Switzerland where one of the decorations on the wall was a large color poster, a photograph of spectacular Mt Shuksan, 9,127 feet in elevation, here in Washington’s North Cascades.
Washington state offers mountains to climb, untamed wilderness to hike, a wild and rugged ocean coastline to explore on foot or by boat. On the west side of the state you will find lush green rainforest where moss hangs from ancient old growth trees. If you travel east, over the Cascade Mountains, you will find yourself in dry country--desert where sagebrush tumbles in the dusty wind, rocky canyons where you’d better watch your step or risk a surprise close encounter of the rattlesnake kind. There’s something else in that arid landscape you might not expect to see: Miles upon miles (and then more miles) of agricultural land, made fertile by a labyrinth of irrigation canals that carry water down from the mountains.
When visitors from out of town ask me what part of Washington they should see, it’s a tough call. There is SO much here. But more often than not, I direct people to the northwest of the Northwest, to the San Juan Islands. Travel to the city of Annacortes, get on one of the island ferries, and then keep your eyes open. There’s the man-made: picturesque, secluded homes, sailboats, quaint island towns. Nature adds her touches: Evergreen trees cover most of the islands. There are eagles to see and (if you are lucky) Orca whales.
After the Creator made the Pacific Northwest, I’m pretty sure His/Her next day was spent inventing the camera. It's a logical progression if you ask me.
