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Why are we such gear freaks in the NW? Jun 08, 2012

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In the Pacific Northwest, we know that yoga pants, polar fleece and hiking shoes are great for grocery shopping. But when we head into the great outdoors, we love to pile on the high-tech gear. Sure, the weather here demands a certain level of protection from the elements. But what is it that compels people in the Pacific Northwest to want every piece of equipment out there? Read more on I Wonder Why ... ?

Why did blackberry brambles become such a NW problem? Jun 01, 2012

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“It just doesn’t like to stop. It’s very tenacious.” If you have property in the Pacific Northwest, there’s one plant you’ve most likely encountered … and battled – The Himalayan Blackberry. It’s enemy No.1 in the Northwest. So, where did this plant come from and why did it become such a pervasive pain in the garden? Read more on I Wonder Why...?

Why can't you see the animals at Woodland Park Zoo? May 25, 2012

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Have you ever been to Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo and had a difficult time seeing the animals through all of the trees and plants? Well, it’s supposed to be that way. It’s all by design. The naturalistic animal exhibit was born in Seattle at Woodland Park Zoo nearly 30 years ago. Read more on I Wonder Why ... ?

What's with all of the totem poles in Washington? May 18, 2012

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With all the totem poles in Washington State, it might surprise you to know the cedar monument isn’t from this region. Though some local tribes now carve them, they didn’t originally. In fact, the first one here was pilfered from another state. Read More on I Wonder Why ... ?

Why is the 'Boeing Bust' still with us? May 11, 2012

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Maybe you’ve heard the line, "Will the last person leaving Seattle turn out the lights." That well-worn phrase came from a billboard in 1971 as the Boeing Company stalled and then fell into a tailspin. And while the "Boeing Bust" happened a long time ago, that economic slump, almost as much as the most recent one, is still a part of our collective consciousness. Why does it still resonate all these years later? Read more on I Wonder Why ... ?

Why the Alaskan fishing fleet is based in Seattle May 04, 2012

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On the reality TV show “The Deadliest Catch,” you see the crew of the Northwestern enduring storms and other dangers while crab fishing in the Bering Sea in the middle of winter. You might be surprised to learn that the Northwestern and the hundreds of other boats that make up the North Pacific Fishing Fleet are not based in Alaska. Rather, they travel thousands of miles south each year to tie up in Seattle. So, why is the fleet based here? There certainly are more convenient ports closer to the fishing grounds. The reasons have to do with water, weather and people. Oh, and tradition plays a part. Read more on I Wonder Why ...?

Did Jesus Christ make Seattle under protest? Apr 27, 2012

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You might say Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Protest. Or, Jesus Christ Made Seattle Under Pressure. Either way, this provocative statement is a big help when you’re trying to get around downtown Seattle. It’s a mnemonic device, a sentence that helps you remember the names and order of the city’s streets. The first letter of each word corresponds to a pair of streets between Pioneer Square and Belltown. Jesus starts with a ‘J,’ which means Jefferson and James come first. The ‘C’ in Christ signals that Cherry and Columbia are next, and so on. You might’ve already known that, but do you have any idea where the memory trick came from? Or, why it remains so popular? A useful tool It doesn’t seem to matter if you’ve lived here for three years or three decades, a lot of Seattleites rely on the phrase from time to time. “Once in a while, I’m trying to remember what the next street is,” says Tait Bowers. “I’m like, J-J, C-C, M-M. So it makes it easy to know that they’re all paired up together”

Why does Seattle still care about the World's Fair? Apr 20, 2012

Show notes

The Seattle World’s Fair – which opened 50 years ago this weekend – was pretty small on the global scale, compared to later World’s Fairs in Montreal or Vancouver, B.C., or Seville, Spain. It would seem tiny next to the immense Exposition in Shanghai in 2010. But the memories of 1962 burn strong for those who attended. And historians and civic leaders say the legacy still matters today. Even if you're brand-new to Seattle, you might have heard that once upon a time there was a World’s Fair here. Maybe, you even learned about it on an elevator ride – to the top of the 605-foot Space Needle. Read more ...

Why did Costco start in the Northwest and get so big? Apr 13, 2012

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The Northwest is home to a variety of companies that have changed how we live our lives. We spend more now on coffee thanks to Starbucks. Amazon is changing the way we read books. And another company with deep local roots has gotten many of us to buy more of everything: Costco. Read more on I Wonder Why ...?

Why do we tint our windows in the rainy NW? Apr 06, 2012

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You pull up to a stop light, look over and the windows on the SUV next to you are so dark you can’t see in. Why are we hiding behind tinted automobile windows here in the Pacific Northwest? Read more on I Wonder Why ... ?

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