In 1995, Portland professor Alexander Baretich designed The Doug—a green, white, and blue flag meant to represent the bioregion of Cascadia, stretching all the way from British Columbia down to Oregon. And what did he slap on it? A big ol’ tree, of course—because the Pacific Northwest is full of lusty, drool-inducing nature. If you haven’t noticed, the trees here look real good. Why else would the Pacific Northwest attract so many lumberjack types?

Summer is when all this sylvan outdoor goodness really shines. According to the Sperling’s Best Places research site, Seattle and Portland rank #1 and #2 in the nation for the most enjoyable summer, thanks to our long days, low humidity, and comfortable average highs (speaking of which, did I mention the legal weed?).

The Pacific Northwest is also an incredibly biodiverse region, not only for its flora and fauna but also for its massive ecosystem of pop, folk, rock, hip-hop, and electronic festivals and concert series. They exist in the Cascadian wilderness in a variety of habitats: Washington’s Sasquatch lives in a giant gorge; Oregon’s What The Festival lives 
deep in the forest; British Columbia’s Pemberton Music Festival lives in the shadow of Mount Currie; There are probably three or four deep-sea, or even subterranean, Northwest music festivals yet to be discovered by explorers.

When it comes to outdoor music in summer, you really can’t go wrong in Cascadia. The choice isn’t which show you should go to, but how many. Throw on your hiking boots, pop a few allergy pills (it’s a pollen clustercuss up here), and get ready to rock out near or atop lots of actual scenic rocks. This is your Cascadian birthright. 
KELTON SEARS, MU

SIC EDITOR