What Washington should have put in the nation's time capsule

The America 250 time capsule, left, and the bell jar that will fit on top of it. Photo: Courtesy of Rich Press/NIST

Every U.S. state contributed items to a time capsule marking the nation's 250th anniversary this year. Washington's picks were … well, a little boring.

The big picture: While states like New Mexico, Maine and West Virginia sent handmade art and cultural artifacts, Washington contributed just two things: a gubernatorial proclamation and a letter from the lieutenant governor.

To put that in perspective, Arkansas sent a diamond. California sent a fusion superconductor.

Washington sent paperwork.

If the goal was to tell people in 2276 what Washington was like, we'd have packed a little differently.

Here are some alternate ideas.

Gum from the Pike Place gum wall

The tradition sticks. Photo: Pablo Porciuncula/AFP via Getty Images

People 250 years from now probably won't understand why thousands of strangers stuck chewed gum to a brick wall.

To be fair, neither do we.

Still, it's one of Seattle's enduring oddities. The tradition began in the 1990s, when patrons and performers at Unexpected Productions started leaving gum on the wall, according to Pike Place Market.

A Dick's Drive-In bag

Sometimes the craving just strikes. Photo: Kevin Schafer/Getty Images

The appeal of Dick's is almost impossible to explain to outsiders. (Though Bethany Jean Clement at The Seattle Times captured it well a few years ago.)

Future generations should know this humble burger chain holds an outsized place in the local psyche.

Driftwood from Discovery Park

Walking toward the lighthouse at Discovery Park. Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios

Who knows what Seattle's shoreline will look like in 2276?

A weathered piece of driftwood would at least give future Washingtonians something tangible from one of the city's best places to wander.

A blanket from Eighth Generation

Native artists create the pieces at Eighth Generation. Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios

A Coast Salish wool blanket would say far more about Washington's history, artistry and living Indigenous cultures than an official proclamation ever could.

A Washington State Ferries route map

There are far worse rides. Photo: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Few Washington experiences are as familiar as waiting for a ferry that's running a little late — then forgetting all about it once you're on the water.

The views. The smell of salt air. The chance of an orca sighting. Standing on the deck in the drizzle. That's Washington.

A Rainier beer can

An original Rainier Beer sign hangs on a wall of the Western Neon shop in Sodo. Photo: Genna Martin/seattlepi.com vis Getty Images

The red "R" is instantly recognizable to generations of Washingtonians. Few brands are more closely tied to the state's identity.

We'd have preferred to include the giant neon "R" sign, but a beer can is a lot easier to squeeze into a time capsule.

A geoduck shell

Geoducks are the largest type of burrowing clam. Photo: David Ryder/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The geoduck has been part of life for Coast Salish peoples for thousands of years.

The shellfish's famously phallic appearance has also helped make it one of Washington's cult icons.

We regret nothing.

The other side: The lieutenant governor's office said the state's two documents were chosen to give people in 2276 a sense of how Washingtonians viewed the nation's 250th anniversary.

The office also had another idea.

After seeing Oklahoma submit the Thunder's NBA championship ring from last year, Dallas Roberts, chief of staff for Lt. Gov. Denny Heck, told Axios it "would have been awesome to get our hands on an early release of the Seahawks Super Bowl ring."

Now that's a submission we can get behind.

What local item would you have slipped into the nation's time capsule? Email us and let us know. We may compile a list of readers' best picks.