1. Umbrellas? Washingtonians Don’t Need No Stinking Umbrellas
No one uses umbrellas in Washington. Seriously. The state gets about 30 inches of rain per year and contains several record-breaking cities in terms of cloudy days (Seattle has 226 cloudy days a year; just behind Forks and Olympia). In a state where it rains pretty much daily for eight consecutive months, you would think Washingtonians would have a monopoly on umbrellas, right? Nope.
For some it may be a staunch source of anti-umbrella pride, while others may deem their North Face better suited to shield against the “puff-like” rain that mists down. In the late 1800’s Robert Patton, a.k.a. “The Umbrella Man,” wore a small umbrella hat every day of the year in an attempt to push forward a pro-umbrella agenda, but unfortunately it didn’t stick. Nowadays if you see someone sporting one of those unwieldy things, chances are, they’re a tourist.
2. Dogs? Folks in Washington Never Leave Home Without One
Practically everyone in Washington has at least one dog—most have more. And those dogs go everywhere. The grocery store, the hardware store, the drive-through coffee stand (which carries dog biscuits for poochie passengers), the local brewpub…Washingtonians even go out to eat and leave their furry friends behind with windows cracked when it’s not hot outside.
There are also tons of enclosed dog parks, designated off-leash trails and ponds, and doggie daycares galore (it’s harder to get your pooch into daycare up here than it is getting your little tike into that ivy league preschool).
Either way you break the biscuit, it’s a ruff world in Washington and we humans are just along for the ride.
3. To Washingtonians Biking Is A Religion And Galbraith Mountain Is The Holy Grail
Everyone mountain bikes in Washington—even the kids. It’s a totally understandable addiction to have—Washington has some of the most stunning sights and the trails are an incredible way to glimpse those breath-taking views.
The Pacific Northwest consistently ranks among the top mountain biking destinations by biking aficionados and the trails on Galbraith, in Bellingham, are legendary.
Be sure to wear your helmet though, It’s pretty routine for newbies to go over their handlebars at least once while biking Galbraith, after which, once conquered, should be celebrated with a beer. IPA, of course. Speaking of which...
4. The Proud People Of Washington Have A Masters Degree In Beer Snobbery
Everyone drinks beer in Washington, and honestly who can blame them? In fact, if it weren’t for Washington you could kiss your favorite I.P.A. goodbye because 77 percent of all the hops in the U.S. are grown here in the Yakima Valley. And there are approximately 150 craft breweries currently in operation throughout the state, with more opening every day. That comes out to roughly 27,000 people per brewery—a figure worth toasting to.
And speaking of toasting, there are several beer fests held throughout the state each year worth mentioning: The Brewer’s Fest is held in Redmond in June; the Summer Brewfest is held in downtown Bremerton in July; and the Craft Beer Festival is held every August in Everton.
Best of all is Washington’s very own Oktoberfest, the paragon of beer festing, is held each October in Leavenworth. Count on seeing plenty lederhosen and dirndls, a lot of singing and drunken revelry, and of course steins of beer being sloshed around.
5. Everyone In Washington Drives A Subaru—Everyone
Is it really a such a surprise that this car would be a hit with Washingtonians? I mean, Washington is kind of the Subaru of states, afterall. Reliable, eco-friendly, politically progressive, outdoorsy and a little granola crunchy.
Still don’t believe me?
See for yourself.
6. OK Not Everyone Eats Granola Here, But They Do Drink Lots And Lots Of Coffee
Washington gets a bad rap for its granola-eating hippies but really there is more to the people than men with long hair who wear socks with their Birkenstocks. And while everyone doesn’t eat granola, they do drink coffee. Lots. There are more coffee bean roasters per capita in Washington than in any other state.
Let’s not forget that Washington spawned the world dominion, Starbucks. We may have to live down the grande mocha frappa latte craze it created, but otherwise the coffee here is some of the best.
Several Washington cities top the list of America’s most caffeinated cities, with a high density of drive-thru espresso stands. Where else can you go to watch bikini-clad baristas whip up your Americano?
7. They Don’t Like Cigarettes But They Sure Like To Smoke
Ever heard of Washington Initiative 502? The state is weed-friendly, to say the least, while cigarettes and booze are taxed as high as a hipster wearing an ironic shirt. A pack of smokes costs about double what it costs in other states, and the booze here is levied with a hefty 20 percent tax.
According to a CBS poll, 12.84 percent of Washingtonians smoke pot (and those are just the ones who answered honestly, or were sober enough to select the correct option, just sayin’). Washington is one of the first states (second only to Colorado) to legalize marijuana for personal use. And Hempfest, the largest weed advocating rally and festival, is held every year in Seattle.
The whole pot thing is budding out of control through. There are way more applications than allotted licenses for distribution and the state is planning a lottery system, which is making some growers paranoid they won’t get a slot to sell their pot. Cities are struggling to figure out how to regulate and monitor the new program and it will be interesting to see how it all works out once the smoke clears.
8. The Future’s So Bright, Washington Men Gotta Wear Shades...
Seattle leads the nation in the most sunglasses sales, which is ironic considering the utter scarcity of sunlight it actually gets. I am pretty sure the hipsters are funding this nonconformity revolution, but then hipsters defy conformity by definition. That is, if hipsters could be defined. But they can’t. Moving on before I fall too deep into the hipster logic black hole.
9. And The Women Here Live For North Face
Washingtonians aren’t necessarily known for their sophisticated sense of style (think socks and sandals). It’s generally a laid-back culture with a
laissez-faire attitude toward makeup (in this case, rarely) and girl-about-town get-ups (pretty much never). I must admit, that whole no-makeup challenge that was circulating nationwide on Facebook a while back was a bit frightening, but the women here in Washington do manage to rock their natural state with a grace not often seen elsewhere. Maybe it’s all the moisture in the air?
10. Washingtonians Frown On Recycling
Hold on I know what you're thinking, but stick with me here.
It’s not that they disapprove of recycling, but they do disapprove of
only recycling. The new trend of composting that is crossing the nation has been going on here for a long time.
It’s no longer enough to just sort your plastics and your paper. We need your dog poop and discarded food too. Doing yard work? We will take that as well—for a healthy recycling fee, of course. Then we’ll grind it up and sell it as mulch. Full circle sustainability, capitalist-style.
Many of the restaurants have composting bins too and it can get a little confusing as to what goes where, but it’s a good feeling to protect the environment.
Some people may call all this composting wasted hippy dippy effort, but Washingtonians are not kidding around when it comes to environmentalism. But then, if you lived somewhere as beautiful as The Evergreen State, you’d be eager to protect it too!
Feature Image Source: Flickr user Bikejuju
