12 Reasons Why The World Wouldn’t Be The Same Without Washington
Washington is home to many awesome inventions as well as several notable firsts, and things would just not be the same without our groundbreaking region! Here are 12 reasons why the world would be much less awesome without us:
We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
1. Those who love gaming wouldn't be able to play XBOX had it not been developed by Microsoft here in 2001!
2. There would also be no Windows operating system, or any office programs like Word, Excel or Powerpoint had Microsoft not developed the software in Redmond in 1990.
3. A lot of delicious beer wouldn't be produced without the hops grown here in the Yakima Valley, which make up 75% of hops grown for the entire country!
5. And delivering all of those important packages to everyone's doorstep wouldn't be possible without the United Parcel Service (UPS), which was also founded in our state by James Casey in 1907.
7. Father’s Day wouldn't be celebrated every June if it hadn’t been for Sonora Smart Dodd, a 16-year-old student from Spokane who proposed the holiday after her mother passed away, leaving her father to raise her and five brothers. After hearing a sermon at church about Mother’s Day, she was inspired to see that dads received a day of appreciation too!
9. We're home to the biggest coffee chain in the world who created everyone's fall favorite, the Pumpkin Spice Latte! Originally it was looked at as just an okay idea compared to other seasonal beverages, but Peter Dukes, lead developer of the drink, saw the delicious potential. The beverage - almost named "Fall Harvest Latte" - first became a hit in 2003 and has been widely enjoyed ever since!
11. There wouldn't be nearly as many berries without our state! We lead the nation in red raspberry production, raising over 61 million pounds of berries a year.
12. Without Washington, everyone would miss all of our delicious apples - after all, we are the largest exporter in the U.S.! Tree Top apple juice even uses our fruit to produce their sweet drinks!
