As someone who loves to travel to exotic international places, I must admit that I’m the first person to forget how good we have it in our very own back yard. But our recent road trip to the Pacific Northwest (Seattle, Mount Rainier, Olympic National Park, and Portland) changed that completely.
Not only did I fall in love with the region, I also left wondering if I could one day call it home.
On top of that, it was a real pleasure to watch Ivan enjoy a vacation that he both deserved and intensely needed.
As an intern, Ivan has been working like a dog – 12-hour days nearly 7 days a week with very little time off.
Sometimes it’s hard to comprehend that his job as a Doctor is to literally save peoples’ lives or help them die peacefully.
It is intense (to say the least), and very sleep-deprived.
Much less importantly – it was my 28 birthday - which we were also celebrating on this six day trip.
Here is a look at our itinerary and recommendations.
DAY ONE: SEATTLE
We started out in Seattle and stayed in an adorable “arsty” Airbnb in Capitol Hill. I worked a bit throughout our first day at Stumptown Coffee and grabbed a French Toast Donut with Almonds at Happy Donuts. Delicious.
Once Ivan arrived we hit up some bars along Olive Way (you can’t seem to go wrong), including Montana Bar, and then went over to Herban Legends – one of the many shops legally selling weed in Washington.
What a progressive state!
From there we grabbed dinner at Damn the Weather in Pioneer Square, which has delicious cocktails and serves famous Duck Fat Fries. Yum.
Everything about this entire trip was tasty.
DAY TWO: MOUNT RAINIER + SEATTLE
The next day we woke early to drive two and a half hours to Mount Rainier where we hiked the Burroughs Mountain Loop trail.
You’ve probably seen pictures of Mount Rainier before – it’s a beautiful blue snowcapped mountain featuring a backdrop of Glaciers behind bright wildflowers.
It really looks like that.
Except ten billion times better.
Once we finished hiking Rainier, we headed back to Seattle to catch a bite at Pike Place Market. I opted for Beecher’s Mac and Cheese & Ivan, as per usual, got some French pastries.
We also stopped off at Rachel’s Ginger Beer for some Ginger Beer mules.
Here’s where things got interesting. To celebrate my birthday we stopped at this little cocktail lounge Can-Can, which we didn’t realize was a famous burlesque place. We sat next to this guy who ended up being one of the main male dancers and he hooked it up with significantly reduced tickets to their Flamingo Show.
The Flamingo Show was a two-hour long cabaret show featuring amazing music, dancing, acting, bums, boobs, and more while you sit and drink delicious craft cocktails.
SO amazing.
Definitely go here if you’re in Seattle.
It was the highlight of the whole trip and a birthday for the books!
DAY THREE: OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK
While we could have spent more time in Seattle, we wanted to balance city time with time on the trails.
Olympic National Park has been on my bucket list for a long time, and it did not disappoint!
Our initial plan was to do Hurricane Ridge and then the Hoh Rain Forest (which I’d still recommend). However, due to limited time and some precarious weather coming in to Washington, we want straight to the Hoh where we hiked through the Hall of Mosses.
Hoh was a mix of Fern Gully and Where the Wild Things Are.
I can’t even describe how green and magical it was –if gnomes exist, they live here.
From the Hoh we headed to Forks, Washington (Twilight, anyone?) where we crashed for the night in a low budget hotel, made Mulled Wine, and watched Twilight movies.
Ivan had no idea that he was booking our stay in Twilight country, but when in Rome!...
DAYS FOUR & FIVE: OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK + PORTLAND
We finished out Olympic National Park by hiking up to the Sol Duc Falls and hanging out at the Pacific Northwest Beaches (Rialto Beach and Beach Four).
From there, we drove down to Portland and stayed in another adorable Airbnb in North East Portland.
That night we grabbed dinner and drinks at Deschutes Brewery. I am a big fan of their Pine Ale.
From there we grabbed dessert (Blackberry Cheesecake!) at Papa Haydn and stopped for cocktails at 23Hoyt.
DAY SIX:
I fell in love with Portland and wanted to enjoy every nook and cranny with the little time that we had.
We started our day at Screen Door for fried chicken, mac and cheese, and blueberry cinnamon roles. All fantastic – and as a MAJOR mac & cheese fan, this place takes the cake as my best ever!
Ten stars. And I’ve tried hundreds of varieties, so you should trust me on this.
Afterward we wandered through some of Portland’s hippest neighborhoods -- The Pearl, Alberta, and Mississippi/Williams – which are all full of adorable artisan shops.
Highlights included Porch Light for “woodland” lotions & scents and Powell’s Books – the best bookstore I’ve ever been to!
Yes, best mac & cheese and best bookstore in a two hour period = mind-blowing day.
We also hit up Crossroads Trading Co for flannels and second-hand sportswear before stopping at Salt and Straw for ice cream.
Salt and Straw has the craziest flavors. You can even get bone marrow ice cream!
Bold.
Portland takes “on trend” foods to the next level.
I opted for White Bread Toast with Apple Butter Ice Cream & PB&J. Ivan got Sour Cream and Pear.
After shopping we grabbed Mexican at Por Que No on their heated outdoor patio. This place was delicious with strong margs, and the décor couldn’t have created a better ambiance.
In between all of this we also spent hours driving through all of Portland’s neighborhoods obsessing over the cottage-like houses with fire pits and wild gardens in the yard.
DAY SEVEN:
On our final day in Oregon we grabbed cream cheese croissants at La Petit Provence and drove one hour to the Multnomah Falls where we hiked to the top.
It was a beautiful morning and a nice chance to see the Columbia River Gorge.
Afterward we got some pizza & stopped at Washington Park – Portland’s main park and home to their gardens and Zoo.
We didn’t get a chance, but I suggest checking out the Rose Garden, as roses are what the state of Oregon is known for (along with Big Foot!)!
IN THE END…
I can say with certainty that the Pacific Northwest is one of the most stylish, eclectic, delicious, and shockingly beautiful parts of the globe.
Every single thing I think is cool exists there in abundance. Sportswear. Station Wagons. Herbs. Candles called “Forest Floor.” Desserts with loads of fresh berries. Bike lanes. Bitters. Strong coffee shops. Epic views.
The Hipstery list could go on for days.
The people are friendly as hell too. Neighborhoods have little bookshelves full of free stuff. Restaurants give away dog bones, sidewalk chalk, and umbrellas. A bearded guy we chatted up at the bar offered up a ride home. Everything’s a co-op.
In a nutshell, it was pleasant – and an admittedly relaxing reprieve from the last few trips we’ve taken where we slept among lions and dodged motorbike traffic in Vietnam.
The pace was perfect. We are well-rested. And if you’re looking for the same, go to the Pacific Northwest and never come back!
Or at least come back extraordinarily well fed