Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA (Pt. 3)

So, what areas make up the Pacific Northwest, you ask? According to Britannica and World Atlas, the PNW consists of Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Some people ask about northern California, the acres north of the Bay Area, and also Alaska. There may be things about Northern California that are similar to the majestic forests in Oregon and Washington. But in terms of culture and climate, it is very different. Additionally, Alaska is to the PNW as Texas is to the South.  Alaska has its own region and culture. The residents like it that way.

Hikers love the Pacific Northwest

We moved to Washington when our boys were five and seven. Needless to say, we were in a stage of renaming everything to suit our own affinities. For our boys that meant naming things for food, cartoons, and favorite historical figures. Since we lived in Washington, there were plenty locations and monuments named for George Washington, our favorite historical figure, so the boys pretty much stuck with food and cartoons for name inspiration.

The Muppet Forest is what the boys called the forests they’d hike regularly with their dad. The forests grew so much moss that the trees looked soft and fuzzy.  Vines looked fuzzy, and even the rocks looked soft.  The trees resembled giant, green animals that appeared to lope back and forth and wave in a dopey manner as the boys hiked past.

One day when the three guys got back from a hike, the boys proudly announced that they went to the “Muppet Forest.”

If you want to find the Muppet Forest, pick any mountain on the west side of the Cascade Mountain ridge line. Go any time except summer because that when things start to dry out. This is true of any of the trails we experienced in Washington and Oregon. Where there was nine months of rain, you had fuzzy trees.

Rock Candy Mountain, is in the Capital State Forest near Olympia, Washington. We went about three miles up the mountain trail. But sadly, like many months out of the year, we could not see much due to low clouds (aka fog). This was simply a lesson for us to enjoy the trails and return to those we didn’t really get to appreciate the first go around because of weather.

Unfortunately, we did not make it back to the Rock Candy Mountain on a clearer day.  But we did take some rock candy on the hike with us, so we made a memory and ate it on Rock Candy Mountain.

Hiking was foggy on the west side of the mountains most months of the year in Washington and Oregon. You will find hiking in the high desert area of Washington and the drier side of Oregon have much more visibility through out much of the year. Idaho is likewise clear, as it is not near a large body of water.

For the Foodie

Maybe I should say “if you like seafood and Asian food” because there is a lot of both.

It seemed fresh Pacific salmon was sold everywhere. I wasn’t picky about what salmon I would eat prior to moving to Washington. While there, I learned that fresh Pacific salmon absolutely had a different flavor and texture than the farmed Atlantic salmon.

I encourage you to learn how to prepare the Pacific salmon a few different ways. You will save lots of money if you eat this PNW fave at home, rather than at a fancy restaurant.

I was fortunate while we lived in Washington because a good friend of mine who happened to be Korean introduced us to a few of her favorite dishes from her homeland. She also took me to a “hole-in-the-wall” place for Korean food and said it was authentic. It’s not every day that you get a personalized “foodie” tour or cooking lesson. As it turns out, the number of Asian grocery stores and restaurants in the area was growing in order to service the growing demand.

I hope you are not lactose intolerant because my very, most favoritest thing about food in the Pacific Northwest was Tillamook ice cream. In the South everyone was all about Blue Bell.  But sorry, not sorry.

Tillamook is creamier and has a brighter flavor profile. This delightful creamery is in Tillamook, Oregon and worth a stop for a tour and a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich.

And of course, once you do start learning to make your own salmon or know what Asian products you prefer, you can shop in any of the seven Costco Warehouse stores within 30 miles of JBLM and find what you like. Sadly, our Costco didn’t have Tillamook ice cream.

For those of you who feel wild, pick your own wild berries! We had marionberries growing in a patch about a block from our house. However, I am told they are all around the west side of the PNW. Find a patch in Oregon or Washington and enjoy a snack on your picnic or take them home to bake. They look like blackberries and can be used as blackberries, but they are not as sweet – just add a little more sugar to your pie!

You might also find that there are more things with hazelnut flavor in the PNW. Oregon is the number one producer of hazelnuts in the United States, providing 99% of the US-grown nuts according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. That doesn’t mean that your hazelnuts in the nut mix you bought at Sam’s are from Oregon, though.  Those may be from Turkey, but I digress.

Other foods… What do you think of when I say “Idaho”? “POTATOES”!

Potatoes are an under-appreciated food. I recently read in “The Comfort Crisis” by Michael Easter that potatoes are actually one of the most nutrient dense foods and great for weight loss (move over Keto!). Idaho produces 100 million hundredweight of potatoes annually across 300,000 acres. A hundredweight is a form of measurement with one equal to 100 pounds.  That’s a lot of potatoes!

Idaho is the number one producer of spuds, growing one third of the nation’s harvest, according to the Idaho Department of Agriculture. Enjoy your baked potato night in the PNW with your Pacific salmon and Marionberry Tillamook ice cream—an excellent PNW meal!

INSIDE Scoop

While the JBLM area and PNW region offer a lot to do outdoors, if you have kiddos at home, and even if you don’t, you will want to find some inside spaces to hang out. Since the mall, playground or McDonald’s Play Place isn’t necessarily where you want to be every day, know that you have other choices.

The Hands On Children’s Museum in Olympia is worth the membership! They had rotating exhibits and favorites the boys could count on every time we went. We could spend hours there and often did. There were outside activities when the weather was nice too, but plenty happened inside. Our membership allowed us to go for just an hour or come back another time.

A second inside activity while stationed at JBLM is Sky Zone. It is a trampoline park in Tumwater, south of Olympia. Call and check for special discount hours if you are a homeschool family. This was a life saver for us when the boys needed to get energy out. It did the trick!

Want to see Seattle and stay dry? Do an underground tour of the city. You will get your steps in, stay dry (at least until the end when you go outside to find your car or lunch), and it is a super cool way to get your kiddos’ history lesson in for the week. Not convinced? Visit the website that discusses why you can walk through the old city, as the new city bustles overhead.

While there, hit Pike’s Place Market and the Space Needle. Just remember your rain jacket because while these places are inside, the cues may wind you into the open air… or rain.

If you head to Portland in the rain, take the kiddos to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). There was plenty for the whole family to enjoy. It was like a “discovery” museum but had hands–on features the whole family could enjoy. We played with a giant “guitar”, simple machines, and participated in a lab experiment about DNA. My elementary schoolers thought “working” in a “real lab” was super fun.

Join us next week when Ande shares more adventures found only in the Pacific Northwest!