How WA State is Just Like the Star Wars Universe

Alright, in all honesty, I really didn't see myself doing yet another May The 4th Be With You article; but even though I haven't been a Star Wars fan since I was a kid and the original trilogy was all the rage, I just couldn't resist going there today in order to have a little fun.

The thought that's on my mind this May the 4th is actually related to how much Washington State is like the Star Wars universe...or at least so many of the planets and moons that are within it.

Think about it, Washington is so diverse in its environs that you could go to so many places within the state and it would seem a lot like you'd be visiting many of the worlds from the Star Wars movies.

You want some examples? Well, okay then, let's check it out!

First of all, how about Tatooine? Even though it's got a little bit more sand and a lot less sagebrush than most of the desert landscapes in Washington, there's still a few places in the state that would make the perfect backdrop for a band of Tusken Raiders or a troop of Jawas (time to change the flashlights in your eyes fellas ;-). In fact, I can even see an Earthly version of Mos Eisley spaceport and cantina somewhere out on the Hanford Flats!

Next up, a trip to the forest moon of Endor - a.k.a. the Olympic Rainforest on Washington's peninsula.

C'mon, you have to admit that the Evergreen surroundings of our home state's very own rainforest bear (pun fully intended by the way ;-) an incredible resemblance to the same place the Ewoks called home.

Okay, I know it's May and the weather is warming up and the snow and ice from wintertime is all but gone, but we can't forget about Hoth!

Here in Eastern Washington at least, I'd say you could go just about any place where there's open fields during a snowy and cold winter and get the feeling a Tauntaun might go striding by or be seen fleeing desperately from a tromping Wompa! Remember, Tauntauns have a foul odor in general, but they definitely smell worse on the inside ;-)

And even though it might be a bit of a stretch, I can still see heading up to the top of the Space Needle on a misty day during sunset and thinking you might have been transported to the cloud city of Bespin or camping in a boggy spot just off the Washington coastline on a rainy day and being reminded of Yoda's abode on Dagobah.

Yes, we're pretty lucky to live in Washington on May the 4th, since most the other states in the U.S. have few, if any of the proper backdrops to recreate our favorite Star Wars moments!