@von I am a Californian, I've visited Washington for some mountain biking, And I really enjoyed my time in the Cascades; Angels Staircase was amazing in the fall, with the golden larches blazing.
I read a book once that I really enjoyed, Of Men and Mountains. It was written by William O. Douglas, a Supreme Court justice, about his outdoor life as a young man in Washington state. It really did a great job of describing the place and time, the outdoors, the environment, the nature. I enjoyed it quite a bit.