5 Reasons Why Summer In The Pacific Northwest Is The Best | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

5 Reasons Why Summer In The Pacific Northwest Is The Best

Because Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Northern California have so much to offer in these wonderful summer months.

924
5 Reasons Why Summer In The Pacific Northwest Is The Best
The Great PNW

As an Oregonian, more or less, I can't help but love summers here in the Pacific Northwest whether it's lurking around Portland, or taking trips to Washington, British Columbia or Northern California. There's just so much to do, see and experience.

1. Perfect Weather for Outdoors-y Things

Summer here in the good ol' PNW is the best time of the year to put your hiking boots, rock climbing shoes, water shoes or whatever you need, and get out there. For these few months the sun is shining, it's never quite overly hot, and there's just so many things that you can do, which brings me to my second reason...

2. Tons of Beautiful Places to Explore Outside

The PNW has so many beautiful places to experience the great outdoors. There's a plethora of national parks such as Mount Rainier, North Cascades, Olympic up in Washington, Crater Lake in Southern Oregon, and the Redwoods and Lassen Volcanic Park in Northern California. British Columbia is pretty rad too. On top of the national parks there are plenty of other beautiful places to explore. My personal favorites are backpacking the North Umpqua trail in Southern Oregon, rocking climbing (and mostly watching) at Smith Rock State Park, biking in the Canadian San Juans, and hiking around Mount Hood National Forest and the Columbia River Gorge.

3. The Lack of Rain Makes Exploring the Major Cities More Fun

As much as I do love the rain, when it comes to exploring my own lovely city of Portland or going up to Seattle for a day or two, it can put a damper on plans especially when there's so much to see on foot. Though we are seasoned to rainy weather, it's just more fun going to farmers markets, walking along the water front, and more when the sun is shining down on you.

4. Berry Picking Season

One of the best parts about summer in the PNW is the fact that there are so many beautiful farms close to the city with a crazy abundance of berries. It's crazy fun spending an afternoon filling up the basket with berries while snacking on a few in the process. What better way to spend a lazy summer afternoon than berry picking. It's easy, fun, and you get tasty fruit in the end.

5. All the Outdoor Street Fairs, Night Markets, and Such

While Portland does have things like the Saturday Market, we also have wonderful street fairs located all around the city during the summer filled with vendors of all sorts including so much great food. Venturing to the Mississippi or Alberta street fairs has proved to be tons of fun. Although I have yet to go, I've been told by many that the Richmond Night Market up in Vancouver is absolutely worth a visit for all the food, cute little stalls, and general exploration.

Overall, the Pacific Northwest is a great place during the summer with an abundance of activities whether you want to experience some beautiful natural sights or explore the city. These 3 months of great weather are an uplifting and calming time before the rain hangs around for the following 9 months of the year.



Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Lifestyle

11 Things Summer Nannies Can Relate To

There are plenty of obstacles that come when taking care of kids, but it's a very rewarding experience.

791
kids in pool

As a college student, being a nanny over the summer is both enjoyable and challenging. Underneath the seemingly perfect trips to the pool or countless hours spent playing Monopoly are the obstacles that only nannies will understand. Trading in your valuable summer vacation in return for three months spent with a few children less than half your age may seem unappealing, but so many moments make it rewarding. For my fellow summer nannies out there, I know you can relate.

Keep Reading...Show less
girl thinking
thoughtcatalog.com

There are a lot of really easy, common names in the U.S. and while many of those simple names have different spellings, most of the time, pronunciation is not an issue that those people need to worry about. However, others are not as fortunate and often times give up on corrections after a while. We usually give an A+ for effort. So, as you could probably imagine, there are a few struggles with having a name that isn’t technically English. Here are just a few…

Keep Reading...Show less
Daydreaming

day·dream (ˈdāˌdrēm/): a series of pleasant thoughts that distract one's attention from the present.

Daydreams, the savior of our life in class. Every type of student in the classroom does it at least once, but most cases it is an everyday event, especially in that boring class -- you know the one. But what are we thinking while we are daydreaming?

Keep Reading...Show less
Jessica Pinero
Jessica Pinero

Puerto Ricans. They are very proud people and whether they were born on the island or born in the United States by Puerto Rican parent(s). It gets even better when they meet another fellow Puerto Rican or Latino in general. You’ll know quickly if they are Puerto Rican whether the flag is printed somewhere on their person or whether they tell you or whether the famous phrase “wepa!” is said.

Keep Reading...Show less
girl

If it hurts now, it'll hurt again. Not because you're gullible or naive, only because you fall fast, hard, and you do it every time.

We fall each and every time with the complete and utter confidence that someone will be there to catch us. Now that person we SWORE we were never going to fall for has our hearts, and every time we see them our palms start sweating. The butterflies in our stomach start to soar and our hearts are entirely too close to bursting out of our chests.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments