These are the places you DO NOT want to miss.
**This post was updated July 23rd, 2024** What better way to map out the perfect road trip than to drive along the Oregon Coast and catch all of the lighthouses? From Astoria in the north to Brookings in the south, there are a total of eleven Oregon lighthouses in existence today. A few of them…
When people think of wine produced in the United States, most immediately think California’s Napa Valley. But just up the road is the fertile Willamette Valley of Oregon, which produces some of the world’s best wines, most notably Pino Noir, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. While most wineries are open year-round, the most popular time of…
When you look at a map of the Pacific Northwest and Canada, what draws your eye when you consider a getaway to this area of the world? The lush green rainforests? The largest cities in the Pacific Northwest: Vancouver, B.C., Seattle, and Portland? The magnificent Pacific coastline? Or something else? I cannot think of any…
There is a reason people call this the “crown jewel” of state parks. At 9,200 acres, it is Oregon’s largest and most diverse state park. To my knowledge, no other state park has a total of ten unique waterfalls, some of which you can actually walk around the back of! I’m not sure you can…
Nothing is more gorgeously majestic than the Columbia River Gorge. This is the ultimate Pacific Northwest road trip itinerary. Whether you’re driving west from the Oregon desert, or east from Portland, as soon as you come upon the forested cliffs of the gorge on Interstate 84, you feel very tiny indeed. In a good way,…
British Columbia… Where the whale-inhabited waters of Puget Sound bleed into the international waters of the great Canadian province of British Columbia. This 944,735 km2 acre western section of Canada rises up to meet the untouched wilderness of Alaska. So it should come as no surprise that this entire stretch of land is a paradise…
As you step off the San Juan Island ferry into Friday Harbor, the quintessential charm of the place hits you square on. It is all at once a seaside port town and a throwback to 1940’s resort glamour. Not to say that everything isn’t up-to-date – San Juan Island has modern hotels and contemporary, chef-run restaurants. It’s just…
Orcas Island is slow-paced perfection, like much of life in the rural Pacific Northwest. Where the locals wave to you as you walk down the street. You can forget about the conveniences of city life: McDonald’s? Some people that live in the San Juans haven’t been to one in decades, if ever. It’s 10 pm…
