SEE THE CASCADE LOOP RIGHT

You know that kids’ song about the bear that goes over the mountain, just to see the other side? I believe this migratory instinct isn’t only ursine; it’s also a remarkably human impulse.

Every year, as summer starts to downshift to fall, I feel an instinctual urge to go see the other side of the Cascade Range—to see what I can see.

For me, fresh landscapes evoke new thoughts and inspirations. And, counterintuitively, new places feel strangely like home. Being comfortable in new environments is how I expand my mental, physical and artistic territory.

This summer, I road-tripped most of the Cascade Loop in a manic two days, which took me from my home near Seattle to Eastern Washington and back. The complete route is 440 miles through shifting scenery and ecosystems: Whidbey Island in the Salish Sea, rocky peaks, subalpine meadows and desert are just the tip of the iceberg. The constantly changing landscape is thrilling; disorienting. Get out to stretch your legs every