Follow the Sun
When I first moved to Washington many years ago, a native Seattleite I worked with took me aside and cautioned me to get enough sun.
Should I manage this, I was told, I might avoid unnecessary depression caused by lack of sunlight, frequent during Seattle’s winter. Even though Seattle doesn’t receive an over abundance of rain, consecutive overcast days, usually with light rain, are common. Seasonal Affective Disorder is higher than normal in Seattle, but if you have the time, it can be enjoyably moderated.
Many people in Seattle seek winter relief by scheduling winter vacations or even purchase second homes in sunny places in the southwest, Hawaii, or southern California. If budget is tight however, an easier remedy is available, namely eastern Washington. Most of the time clouds blow in off the ocean and travel east towards the Cascade Mountain range. When the heavy, rain laden clouds reach the foothills and mountains, they are forced by gravity to release their moisture at these higher elevations. Once the moisture is drained from the clouds, it is easier for the sun to penetrate them. There are simply more, sunny days in eastern Washington than the western part of the state. While planning a trip however, it is still good practice to look up the weather forecast for your destination, especially if you have choices of dates. During winter trips, remember to check Snoqualmie Pass conditions too.
Armed with what ultimately turned out to be good advice, I began looking for opportunities and reasons to visit eastern Washington.
As a person who loved being outdoors, finding hobbies that allowed me to pursue them in eastern Washington became my goal. At first my trips were simply to sightsee. Once I discovered areas that had natural attractions such as wildflowers, morel mushrooms, and wild asparagus, I began purposefully scheduling trips to observe, photograph or harvest them. Hunting, fishing, canoeing, snowshoeing, or just hiking eventually all became great activities for me to practice in this sunnier part of the state. Clouds usually begin to part around Cle Elum, which is just over an hour’s drive from my home. I noticed almost immediately at the top of the pass that there seemed to be new energy in my body when I began associating my trip east to a trip targeting having fun.
Scenery changes dramatically on the other side of the pass and I enjoy the change. Without the necessary amount of moisture to nourish them, large stands of trees disappear and are gradually replaced by sagebrush. Clustered housing and high-rise office buildings common in Seattle transition gradually to farms and open lands. More than just finding sunshine here, that sense of claustrophobia one gets from having their eye blocked by trees and development began to ease. It was as if my muscles relaxed at the top of the pass as my body began to absorb the extra energy in the sun.
Many years later, we still migrate to eastern Washington on a regular basis.
Rental property was acquired near Yakima, providing even more excuse for our frequent trips. Driving to visit our property is carefully planned to include passage through known scenic areas. Even though it takes 15 minutes more to drive through the Yakima Canyon between Ellensburg and Yakima, it is time well spent. Big horn sheep, deer, eagle and wild turkey lurk there and sightings are frequent during our journey. When cars come up behind us now, wishing to go faster than the posted 45 miles an hour limit, we just pull over and let them pass. We are having fun in the sun and we don’t wish to be rushed while doing so.
