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The Pacific Northwest
The mild, green, forested upper-left corner
The Pacific Northwest is the mild, rainy, heavily forested region of the country's upper-left corner - primarily Washington and Oregon, often extended to Idaho and across the border to British Columbia. The Cascade Range splits it sharply: a wet, green western side of temperate rainforest, fjord-like Puget Sound, and big cities, and a dry, high interior in the rain shadow to the east.
It is a land of volcanoes - Rainier, Hood, St. Helens - towering conifer forests, salmon rivers, and a deep environmental ethic. Seattle and Portland anchor a modern economy of aerospace, software, e-commerce, and coffee culture, while logging, fishing, and agriculture remain important inland. The region's gray, drizzly winters are as much a part of its identity as its dramatic coastline and peaks.