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No trip to Washington State is complete without a journey through the Hoh Rain Forest. Located on the Olympic Peninsula, the Hoh Rain Forest is named after the river that carves through Mount Olympus navigating its way to the Pacific Coast.

From the snow-capped peaks of the Cascades to the dramatic coastline of the Olympic Peninsula, Washington State is home to some of the most breathtaking scenery in the country.

Spanning 369 square miles, the park includes five developed areas, three visitor centers, a museum, campgrounds, two inns, and several wilderness and climbing centers. The majority of the park’s 147 miles of road are open seasonally from late May to early October, while the Longmire and Paradise areas are open year-round.

meat in store behind glassImage by Flotograph (Pixabay/Creative Commons) Sadly, meat prices are expected to keep increasing in Washington state. Currently, if you look at the average figures, the cost of groceries for one individual in Spokane is $330 per month. So if you have a family of four people, you could estimate a grocery bill of over $1,300 per month, maybe even $1,400. But that amount is likely to go up for individuals in that area as price increases are expected.

That national average gas price is $4.12. In the great state of Washington, our average gas price is $4.69, an entire $0.57 more than the rest of the nation. The highest average prices per county are $5.23!

Housing costs are up. Used car costs are almost as much as new cars. Groceries, gas, and utility costs are rising all over Washington. Not just in Seattle, Spokane, Kennewick, and Vancouver but everywhere.

According to stats provided by Realtor, housing in Spokane, Washington, has gone up 42.175% since April 2019. With the current sold price being 2.13% above asking. While inflation continues to hit the nation and the city, housing prices will continue to rise. With the rise in inflation, it could be hard to see the housing market in Spokane stay competitive for local home buyers.

People flock to Spokane, Washington, to find cheaper housing and open spaces and escape the more prominent cities' rigors. Spokane offers new horizons for those coming from Portland, San Fransico, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

Across the board, Washington state is becoming one of the most expensive states to buy a house. Housing costs continue to climb and not only in the Seattle area. Spokane, the Tri-Cities, and Vancouver continue to see prices jump.

Inflation for March 2022 was 8.5% nationally. This is the third-highest it has been in the last 50 years. And it will likely continue to grow this year based on current projections.

While the all-time national average of gas prices in the past 30 years was $3.62 per gallon, states like Washington are getting hit with higher fuel prices thanks in part to local gas taxes. In Washington state, the current average price is $4.73 while the national average is $4.326. This is due in part to Washington state gas tax which clocks in at $0.494.

Washington Road Trip, day 4. The National Park Service turns 100! In this episode of the travel vlog, we visit Mount Rainier National Park. We will be exploring Longmire and Paradise.

Washington Road Trip, day 3. In this episode of the travel vlog, we visit Northwest Trek Wildlife Park in Eatonville. Northwest Trek Wildlife Park is a 723-acre wildlife park that features a tram tour which takes visitors through a 435-acre free-range area. We also go ziplining on a Zip Wild Challenge Course.

Washington Road Trip, day 1. In this episode of the travel vlog, we take the ferry to Bainbridge Island. We go on a tree canopy climbing excursion with Adventure Terra, play at Kids Discovery Museum AKA KiDiMu, explore the scenic Bloedel Reserve, and admire art at Bainbridge Museum of Art.

Today, a system will move over Oregon, bringing the possibility of light rain and snow to southern Washington and the southern Idaho Panhandle, among other places. During the early hours, light freezing rain is also likely in several areas of central Washington.

Through tonight, a coastal low-pressure system will move off the mid-Atlantic coast. After that, a cold front will move across the area on Friday. The return of high pressure will bring the area back into the spotlight from the northwest on Friday night and into Saturday morning.

A warm front will come up from the southwest today and overnight, causing snow levels to rise fast, except the Northwest Interior and Cascade foothills, where they will remain stable.

Temperatures are expected to decrease throughout the holiday weekend, returning to more normal levels for this time of year. Snow showers will be plentiful over the weekend, with the possibility of isolated heavy snowfall in certain areas.

Today, the Inland Northwest will see mostly dry conditions with lots of clouds. In northeast Washington and north Idaho, a squall line of snow is expected to arrive on Wednesday morning, creating the possibility for a hazardous morning commute.