The First Leg of Our Trip
1,200+ miles from California to Washington
Hi Friends,
If you missed our first post last week, you can see it here and follow us on Instagram for more photos. We’ll be posting a lot more there in the future, and in more real-time, now that we’re getting the hang of our new schedule and pace.
What We’ve Been Up To
During the first week of June, we spent time in Los Angeles, CA finishing up some work projects and getting organized, and then we hit the road to make our way up to Bellingham, WA to visit family there and meet up with my parents.
Our first day on the road was a long one - 11 hours from Los Angeles to just north of Chico, CA where we camped for the night. The campground wasn’t great, the bugs were terrible, we arrived after dark (which wasn’t our plan), and it was almost 90 degrees, but we survived. It also happened to be our wedding anniversary that day 😂. Maybe next year’s anniversary will be posh…
Early the next day we headed to Bend, OR - about 5.5 hours away and we stopped in downtown Redding, CA to see Calatrava’s Sundial Bridge.
We spent a few days exploring Bend for the first time (more below), and then spent a few days in the Hood River, OR area (also more below) before spending a long weekend in Bellingham, WA.
In Oregon, Bend and Hood River are at the top of our list to go back to. We haven’t explored a ton of Oregon just yet, still, the natural beauty of each area is stunning, the people welcoming, the food and breweries are great, and there are so many outdoor activities to enjoy the weather (hiking, rafting, windsurfing, biking, wine tasting, etc.).
Did you know that you can’t pump your own gas in Oregon?
Bend, Oregon
It rained a lot of the time we were in Bend - which isn’t typical weather for this time of year, so I wish we had some more outdoors/hiking recommendations, but these will keep you happy and fed nonetheless. And next time we’re there, we’ll be hiking a lot.
Check out our drive along The Cascade Scenic Byway…
Recommendations
Eat: The best breakfast sandwich at The Sparrow Bakery Northwest.
Eat: Great food to eat in or takeaway from Jackson's Corner. It’s also a bakery so you can pick up loaves of bread to take with you. The tomato soup is one of the best we’ve ever had.
Eat: Great Mexican food, margaritas, and local beer at El Sancho Taco Shop East. They have a great outdoor patio with heaters and it’s a great place to watch the sunset.
Eat: The only place you need to know for a bagel breakfast sandwich is Rockin' Dave's (recommendation from our Airbnb host).
Eat: Chomp Chomp has a Japanese menu, lots of Japanese whiskeys, and a PNW-inspired part of the menu too. Get the ramen and Yakisoba.
Drink: After you get your bagel breakfast sandwich at Rockin’ Daves, go across the street and grab a great pour-over or espresso drink from Backporch Coffee Roasters
Drink: there are so many breweries in Bend that have so many good beers. Bend Brewing Company, 10 Barrel Brewing, Sunriver Brewing Co, and Immersion Brewing, are some of the ones we tried.
Drink/Eat: In downtown Bend, Thump Coffee has a solid cup of coffee and is right across the street from Bontà Natural Artisan Gelato (so good).
Do: Drive the Cascade Lakes National Scenic Byway around Mt. Bachelor. It takes less than 2 hours, has stunning views, and you can stop along the way.
Do: Visit the last existing Blockbuster in the world!
Do: Hike at Smith Rock State Park. There’s one steep, harder hike, but the rest are easy and go along the river’s edge. It was stunning!
Hood River, Oregon
This was our second time to Hood River and the surrounding area, and it’s the type of place that I think we’ll likely return to for a few days whenever we can.
We camped at Memaloose State Park just east of Hood River. For $21/night, it was a great campground that overlooked the beautiful Columbia River and conveniently had potable water spouts at each campsite. If you’re a light sleeper, maybe skip this campground as there’s a train that runs nearby day and night.
The towns in the Hood River area are relatively small (like Mosier, White Salmon, etc.), but they offer a lot, and the people we’ve met are welcoming, and the other travelers are easygoing. We made some new friends from Alameda, CA, and ended up having lunch with them after we met at a different coffee shop earlier that morning. Hi Bernard and Michelle, if you’re reading this!
Recommendations
Drink: Randonnee Coffee Co. has excellent coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and a patio.
Drink: After watching the kite surfers on the Columbia River, you can get some great drinks at pFriem Family Brewers or Camp 1805 Distillery & Bar, which are on the same river-front street.
Drink: While not at their original, smaller location anymore (which we loved), Thunder Island Brewing is one of our favorite breweries in Hood River.
Do: Go rafting on the White Salmon River with Wet Planet Rafting. We did a half-day afternoon rafting trip, which was SO FUN! For $80/per person, they provide all the gear you need to stay warm and have fun. Just show up with your swimsuit and sunscreen, and they’ll give you everything else.
Do: Hike to Punchbowl falls via Eagle Creek Trail.
If you go in July, August, or Sept, Mt. Hood is an excellent option for a day trip from Hood River.
Next up we’ll share info from our time in Bellingham, WA, and Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Conquer the Internet
If you have T-Mobile as your mobile provider, you now have access to more travel perks as part of your service, including a free AAA membership, free Wi-Fi on more airlines, and more.
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Have a great rest of the week and we’ll talk to you soon!
Missed your anniversary again. @#%*&! Hope your next one is cozier. I know you enjoyed this one just because you are traveling. Stay safe and enjoy!
Happy Anniversary you two! Love the pictures and seeing your face, Chris. Miss you bunches! Enjoy and safe travels 😘