Is The Grass Greener On The Other Side?

Well, yes and no. It really depends which side you choose.

I'm fresh off a short vacation in which I covered all three Pacific Northwest climates: The constant gloom that haunts the Pacific coastline towns of Oregon (west of I-5), the dry oven that bakes south-central Washington (east of I-5), and the pleasant weather stuck in between (anywhere on I-5).

Of course, this is only true during the period of time commonly accepted here as "summer", as the definition that I was brought up on (summer is Memorial Day to Labor Day on the East coast) doesn't seem to apply here.

Especially on the North Oregon coast, where the weather was startlingly reminiscent of what I've come to expect of late September or early October, even despite the warm temperatures. It was a little difficult to enjoy the natural beauty of the dramatic Pacific coast in thick fog and mist.

Or in the Cascades, which have clearly been baking in high and dry weather for quite some time, despite the patches of snow at the Mt. St. Helens observatory some 4,300 feet above the sea level I had just driven up from. (For the record, the views there are spectacular and give pause to the incredible power of the events of 1980, but I was very glad to get the heck down from there and back on the highway. I'm not afraid of heights; I'm just not used being in open space quite so high up.)

The drive west on Oregon Route 6 through the Tillamook (rain)Forest was a lush dark green, through to the quaint little town of Tillamook. Washington Route 504 from Castle Rock up to the Mt. St. Helens observatory at Johnston Ridge (52 miles of rolling hill climbs - my '99 Taurus is a tough little trooper) was different, through high forest of a lighter shade of green. And I must not forget the crown jewel of the city of Portland, the overwhelmingly gorgeous International Rose Garden for which the city is nicknamed, although green grass faces some tough competition from the bright hues of the roses. (In full bloom right when I visited, no less. July 4th was the right day for it.)

Here in the Northwest, it really is greener. But there's a catch: I miss out on my favorite time of year, Autumn in the Northeast. Here, the green just keeps going. Back east, the leaves on trees explode into hundreds of reds, yellows, and purples, all at the same time when September blows in. It's natural beauty in its own right.

It may not be a towering mountain range that dominates the landscape there, but that's not what people go to see.

So is the grass greener on the other side?

That all depends on what side you started on.

Please Look When You Cross The Street; I Don't Want To Hit You But I Will

Some say that Northeast drivers are crazy and they complain too much. This is true in any and all cases. Others say that Northwest drivers are polite and courteous. Also almost universally true.

But come on. Even Northwest drivers surprise me.

I'll lay this out in scenarios.

1. A small group of teens decides to cross the street, nowhere near a crosswalk.
The Northeast Driver: keeps going, and curses at the kids out the window for crossing outside of an intersection.
The Northwest Driver: slams on the brakes surprising other drivers behind to allow the kids to cross safely.

Okay, I'll go for broke here: if I'm crossing the street, I stop at the curb and look both ways like I was taught in kindergarten, lest the result be my untimely demise. This is undoubtedly part of a east-coast upbringing. If I'm driving, I learned that crossing outside of an intersection is the pedestrian's problem (and technically jaywalking, a ticket-worthy offense, although the number of jaywalking tickets handed out each year can probably be counted on two hands), unless they're already in the street. So when I'm walking with friends around town in the Northwest and they cross the street without looking or anything, I fear for their lives. When they see me hesitate at the street curb, I get funny looks.

So: Northeast drivers - quit your complaining. Northwest drivers - complain more so I don't rear end you for being polite.

2. The speed limit tends to be a general outline, but no one in the Northeast (and much of the rest of the East coast for that matter) takes it quite so seriously as people in the Northwest.

It was a shock to me that people on most roads (Interstate 5 being the main exception, but still not by much) actually observe posted speed limits. Here's a little math for you:

Northwest Limit = Posted Speed Limit + 5 mph.
East Coast Limit = As Close To 80 As You Can Get While Not Getting Caught Speeding.

It's no secret that east coast drivers tempt fate every time they start a car. But in the NW, its entirely a different driving culture. People slow down on roads to let people cross. No horns, no cursing. People actually drive the speed limit. I could get used to this, but I'll always have a soft spot for hurdling down windy narrow 2-lane parkways at 75 in the middle of the night.