"But will we have time to stop at Tillamook?" I asked Bryce this question numerous times leading up to our departure for our Oregon Coast road trip. We would be driving from our home in Seattle to Florence, Oregon for a week getaway before Christmas. I was adamant that we stop in Tillamook at the… Continue reading Always stop for cheese
Category: Pacific Northwest
Always take advantage of good weather
The weather forecast for last Saturday was supposed to be "good." For Pacific Northwesterners, this means no rain. We decided to take full advantage of this by driving 60 miles north of Seattle to Camano Island. (Baby's first time on an island, check!) While Camano Island is technically an island, you don't have to go… Continue reading Always take advantage of good weather
This looks familiar
A few years ago if you had asked me what my "travel goals" were, it would be going to new cities and/or countries. I'm not one of those people who has any desire to visit all the countries in the world. (Let's be real, that would be cool, but that also would take a lot… Continue reading This looks familiar
Torrential rain won’t stop us
She stared at us from inside her presumably heated car as we walked by in rain gear and a rain cover over the baby's stroller. Saying it was pouring rain would have been an understatement. It was dumping buckets sideways. We had just parked in the lot for the Heceta Lighthouse in Florence, Oregon. It… Continue reading Torrential rain won’t stop us
Getting away from people
The one thing that is not lost this summer is hiking. Living in Seattle, there are so many (relatively) nearby mountains and forests to explore. But, hiking has always been a popular outdoor activity among Seattleites (and all the transplants). Now with the pandemic, if you want to avoid other hikers, you either have to… Continue reading Getting away from people
Fresh air, sun, mountains — and masks
When we pulled up to the trail head, there were only two other cars. Not bad. We purposely took a day off mid-week in an attempt to avoid crowds on our hike. We also didn't pick a super popular hike to begin with. As we were getting situated and out of the car, another car… Continue reading Fresh air, sun, mountains — and masks
Seattle snow days, sort of
There seems to be a trend where I go on vacation and come home to Seattle snow. Last year it was after our three-week honeymoon in New Zealand. I arrived back home to snow-covered streets and multiple more snow days that followed. That time, Seattle received more than a week of "significant" snow. I was… Continue reading Seattle snow days, sort of
A short and sweet hike
Sometimes it's hard to balance getting tasks checked off of your to-do list and doing "fun things." Fun things for Bryce and I on the weekends usually involve being outdoors. Last Sunday we decided to have the best of both worlds by waking up early and going on a short hike about an hour away… Continue reading A short and sweet hike
It’s beginning to look a lot like winter
I've now fully embraced that summer is over. I have welcomed fall with open arms and an open heart. But, I didn't know that I'd have to welcome winter at the same time. Weather in the Seattle area has been unpredictable recently. Two weekends ago, temperatures suddenly dropped to the 40s — yes, I'm using… Continue reading It’s beginning to look a lot like winter
A missed ferry, a lightning storm
It was getting late. OK, by late I mean it was 7:30 pm. But, I had been driving for more than 100 miles that day -- and, I was hungry and had to pee. We had arrived at the Kingston Ferry Terminal after enjoying an afternoon at Hurricane Ridge and were hoping we'd catch the… Continue reading A missed ferry, a lightning storm
