5 Hysterical and Not So Hysterical Things About Living in Washington State

There are some quirky aspects of living in Washington State and here are 5 of them:

Rain

If you can’t handle rain, rain, and more rain – then the west side of Washington State is probably not the best place for you to reside. Seattle locals often joke that the state has two seasons: rainy and slightly less rainy. An umbrella is more popular than sunglasses from October through May in Seattle. What's crazier is that the east side of Washington is a desert full of tumbleweeds with temps commonly over 100 degrees during the summer months.

The Sasquatch Legend

Bigfoot sightings are not uncommon in Washington and the elusive animal is responsible for humorous jokes, stickers, coffee, and other knick-knacks. Plus, there are a number of very cheesy tourist attractions and clothing lines.

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Ferries and Traffic

Puget Sound is the Ferry Boat capital of the world with hundreds of runs each week between islands and other landings. Recently, the jokes about getting stuck in a long ferry line have been replaced with anger and resentment at the Washington State Department of Transportation. Ferry runs have been known to cancel at the last minute due to a “lack of staff”. Really? Yep, thousands of people are impacted because someone didn’t show up for work. Some daily ferry riders bring books and board games to pass the time or watch a movie on their mobile device while waiting for the boat to arrive.

Volcanos

Washington State is home to two massive active volcanoes including Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens. Yes, residents joke about these volcanos and how beautiful they are as backdrops but they all know deep down another eruption is looming in the future. It’s not a question of if but when the next big one will happen.

Coffee Obsession

Let’s face it, Washingtonians are coffee snobs. The climate (damp and cold most of the year) is perfect for a hot cup of coffee or a not-so-regular cup of coffee. Many in the State order special order concoctions like this one – “iced venti caramel macchiato with 15 pumps of vanilla syrup, with heavy whip, no ice, one shot, add whip on top, and extra caramel drizzle”. No matter where you live in Washington, you’ll find specialty coffee shops from Starbucks to independent.