This informative post will be published on Saturday in place of my regular one.  You are invited to participate with the opening question.

Brain Teaser Question

I start with M, and end with X, and have a never-ending amount of letters.  What am I?

(answer found at the end of this post)

Featured Facts

On November 11, 1889, Washington becomes the 42nd American state.  Named for President George Washington, it is the only state named for a former President.

Here are a few interesting facts about Washington:

• Capital City:  Olympia
• Largest Cities:  Seattle (755,078), Spokane (229,447), Tacoma (222,906)
• State Bird:  Willow Goldfinch
• State Flower:  Coast Rhododendron
• State Motto:  Alki (By and By)

Nicknamed the “Evergreen State,” Washington’s landscape is nearly 50 percent covered in forests.  Forest climate zones border both the western and eastern boundaries with the Cascade Range and the Rocky Mountains.  The interior region is more arid and better suited for dryland and irrigated agriculture.

Five active volcanoes are located in the Cascade Range.  The tallest is Mount Rainier at 14,410 feet above sea level.  The peak’s native name is Tahoma, and it is located 59 miles south-southeast of Seattle.

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens collapses from a cataclysmic volcanic eruption.  While Mount St. Helens remains an active volcano, scientists continue to monitor all of the active volcanoes as much of Washington’s population lives within a significant danger zone.  

Washington is well-known for its agricultural produce as it leads the nation in harvested apples, sweet cherries, pears, and red raspberries.  Nearly 8 billion pounds of apples are harvested each year, which is about 60 percent of the annual crop in the United States.

Washington’s topography is filled with many vistas, which welcome countless visitors to the state.  Here is a sample of its natural and manmade wonders:

• Hoh Rainforest:  Only temperate rainforest located in the continental United States
• Waterfalls (too numerous to list all):  Colonial Creek, Marymere, Nooksack, and Spokane
• Grand Coulee Dam:  One of the largest hydroelectric dams in the nation (completed in 1942)

The largest city, Seattle, offers numerous attractions.  The Evergreen Floating Bridge brings vehicles over Lake Washington.  The Space Needle still stands after being built for the 1962 World’s Fair.  Pike Place Market continues to be an attraction for visitors who want to experience its lively atmosphere as well as purchase produce, seafood, and artwork.  

top left and MOVING clockwise: state capitol in olympia, mount st. helens before its eruption, mount st. helens after its eruption, SEATTLE’S evergreen point floating bridge, nooksack falls, seattle’s pike place market, willow goldfinch, spokane falls, seattle’s space needle, mount rainier, hoh rainforest, grand coulee dam, coast rhododendron.  (Courtesy of Pinterest)

Answer to Brain Teaser Question

Mailbox.