Whew! I’ve covered three states and had some pretty thrilling experiences since I last checked in.
In an effort to fit in as many places as possible in the West, prior to heading home for the summer, I have been booking some short stays, which is a bit preventative of exploring, working, AND blogging. But alas, here is where I’ve been:
Rio Nido, California
I stayed in Rio Nido, a small resort community among the redwoods, for about 2 weeks. During my time there, I turned 25 and celebrated by taking myself out for food and a wine tasting! I also went to a cider tasting at Ace Premium Craft Cider Company, credited for starting the cider brewing movement in America. Armstrong Redwoods State Park garnered a few visits, too. When my time in Rio Nido was up, I headed north along the coast—with a stop at Glass Beach in Fort Bragg, CA—through Redwoods National Park into Oregon.

Oregon Coast (Yachats, OR)
Ever since a visit with my bestie to Portland and the Oregon Coast a couple years ago, I knew I’d like to go back. For that reason, I planned a quick stopover stay right on Highway 101 for a week. I’m convinced the Oregon Coast is one of the most beautiful places in the country, and this week only added to my assertion.
Olympic Peninsula
Next I was on to Washington. Most of Washington is unexplored territory for me, which means I had many visual treats ahead of me, starting with the Olympic Peninsula. Despite the legendary rainy weather, I got lucky with sunshine almost every day! I had one overnight in Forks, WA, where I caught a chilly, yet beautiful sunset (and Rascal decided to be a dog model—passersby were quite impressed), then drove all the way north and then east to Olympic National Park, Port Angeles, Sequim, and ultimately the Kitsap Peninsula.
Poulsbo, Washington
I called Poulsbo home for a week and, believe it or not, it only rained ONE DAY! That’s pretty unheard of for the area. I stumbled into all sorts of interesting things living the peninsula life, but being welcomed into the family of my upcoming landlords was by far the best!
I feel like you guys need a little more detail on this topic. After Poulsbo, I had a reservation to stay in the mountains east of Seattle. The couple that owns that condo happens to live right near Poulsbo, and took it upon themselves to show me some of the finer points of the area. At their recommendation, I ate the best fresh seafood I’ve ever had. At the top of that list, though, was a day of fun in Seattle! We took the Bainbridge Ferry right into downtown Seattle where we strolled the piers and legendary Pike Place Market, before hitting up the Bacon and Beer Fest, where we met up with another couple for craft beer, ciders, and SO MUCH BACON—bacon sushi, sausage, shakes… you name it! It was an awesome experience traversing the area with locals, and I can’t thank them enough for showing me such a fantastic time, and sharing their wonderful condo in the mountains with me!

Well, you’re pretty much caught up. My current location is Snoqualmie Pass. The sun is shining on the sun-capped Cascade Mountains just outside my window. But more on that, and my trip through Mt. Rainier National Park next time 🙂 And in answer to the question of where I’m headed next… I think you and I both would like to know the answer to that 😛