I received a few request to do a post on our family trip to the Pacific Northwest. I’d love to share it, but first, I have a few disclamers!
First off, this post definitely runs the risk of reminding you of the time you went over to someone’s house to painstakingly look through the photos from their amazing trip to Europe. You’re bored. They are clueless. They pour you caffeine free coffee and keep filling it up. You keep drinking it because there is nothing else to do. HAHAHAHAHA! Am I the only one this has happened to?
Secondly, I love to travel, but I am not a good planner. I happily rely on my husband to do this part -ha! Plus, he’s really good at it! If you’d like to see the other trips he has planned, check out my “travel” tab under “life.”
Thirdly, for this trip, we used a travel agent. When we started to plan for this trip (and by we, I mean he), it was pretty clear that there were so many things to see and so many logistics to figure out, so he followed his friend’s recommendation and reached out to Sheri Doyle at Pacific Northwest Journeys. I highly recommended Sheri!
Fourthly, make sure you check out my Instastories highlight, PWN. The videos do the trip more justice :).
My BIGGEST DISCLAIMER is at the end of the post!
We started in Portland, OR and traveled up the coast to Seattle, WA (where we ended). Here’s what we did along the way…
First stop, Portland, OR:
We visited Powell’s City of Books, which is one of the largest bookstores in the world. It’s still my boy’s favorite thing we did on vacation, which makes my husband and I scratch our heads a little bit. Hahahahah!
Powell’s bookstore takes up an entire city block.
Second stop, Canon Beach, OR…
Home of the Goonies rock! I’d like to take credit for this creative shot, but I copied someone I saw doing it. They were cooler because they were holding the rock with just one finger.
S’mores on the beach at Surfsand.
You can see the moon and the sun!
Third stop, Astoria, OR:
There’s 164 steps to the top of Astoria Column. I made it, but I was so freaked out at the top! You can see that funny video on Instastories.
The view from the bottom of Astoria Column.
Fourth Stop, Lake Quinalt, WA:
Lake Quinalt Lodge has an amazing exterior. The interior is basic.
The swimming area at the Lake Quinalt Lodge.
Fifth Stop, Olympic National Park, WA:
The world’s largest cedar tree.
Rialto Beach, WA
Triple Falls Hike, WA
Sixth Stop Forks/Sequim, WA: 
Seventh Stop, San Juan Island:
Friday Harbor
Eighth Stop, Seattle, WA:
Shirley Temples!
The original Starbucks at Pike Place Market!
My youngest loves magic tricks!
Ok, so here’s my final disclaimer- this was a TRIP not a vacation! It was a wonderful trip, and I am so happy we did it because I had never seen the Pacific Northwest before. It is stunningly beautiful! We stayed in six different places, and by the time we got to Seattle, mama was soooooo tired! But in the end, totally worth it! Oh, and don’t worry, there was the normal travel blowups and tired kid, tired parent interactions. This is just the highlight reel. I just want to make sure I’m keeping it real over here.
LOVE the PNW, so glad you could share the adventures with your sweet fam, is! Let me know when you’re ready for a sisters or girlie trip, I have great recs, like: mcmenamins edggefield outside of Portland for a delightful evening of whimsy, food & music, the original Rack, the Nordstrom mothership & other great shopping in/around Pike Mkt (all a quick walk from the Four Seasons!), the ferry to & day trip on Bainbridge Island. Couldn’t live there (I ❤️Big D), but man, it’s sure awesome to visit!!! -Jennifer Clayton
Ooooooo, this sounds like a great idea!
Gorge! On our list!! Great pics and details. Highly rec Banff, Alberta/Lake Louise in Canada for a summer trip. Beyond stunning-bucket list material.;)
That’s so funny you say that because I just saw pictures of my friends trip to Banff and Lake Louise and I was in awe!!! It’s going on my bucket list!
We just did a trip to Portland for a few days of family vacation followed by my daughter’s soccer team’s Mt. Hood Challenge tournament. Love seeing your family trip photos! Such fun and iconic places! Love all the Goonies references!
Thank you, Shirley!
You’re so darn cute and authentic. Thank you! #keepinitreal
Thanks you.
I grew up in Portland and Seattle, and my heart warmed as I scrolled through your photos. You really did hit the most representative spots. Several of my favorites! I also kept thinking, “This is a ton of logistics and driving!” I’m so glad you enjoyed the “trip” and your introduction to the PNW. After nearly 13 years in Georgia, I still miss seeing mountains and water everywhere. Have you seen photos of the scenery now that there is so much smoke pollution from the wildfires?!!
I love it, because having grown up there you truly know how much driving and logistics it was for us. My husband and I were dog tired at the end. I heard that the smoke is so bad in Seattle that it’s as if the citizens are smoking 8 cigarettes a day!
And now you know why I moved to the PNW 20 years ago from Texas. It was supposed to be the first stop on a meandering road of living lots of different places after college (Hook ‘em!), but it’s just so pretty I can’t bring myself to leave. My whole family is in Central Texas still, but I’m not sure I could ever leave this place. Except maybe for the south of France. 😉 I’m so happy you got to experience the raw natural beauty here.
Well, now I need to put a visit to the south of France on my list! It is just as you say, “raw natural beauty!”
Oh my goodness! Your boys are getting so tall! You took really great photos. Were you using a DSLR or your phone? Either way, you did a terrific job capturing the atmosphere there. What a timely post. I was the closest that I have ever been to Astoria two weekends ago but we were marooned in Portland for business. I kept telling my husband that we were THIS CLOSE… let’s just sneak over. We could not. But, thankfully, you did! I am so happy that you could show us the Goonies’ stuff. “They have bullet holes the size-a matzoh balls” in that Jeep. Or, as Chunk calls it, the “ORV”…
The air was so different out there, was it not? At 9 a.m it was 58 degrees. I could not believe it. Thank you again for sharing your journeys with us so that we can get there vicariously through y’all. Now back to our regularly-scheduled 100+ temperatures in Texas 😉
Hi Ginni! I used my i-Phone for all the photos. Can you believe? I love how cameras just keep improving on phones! I love that you’re a Goonies fan like us! My boys (and husband) would love to sit down to dinner with you and quote the movie constantly! I can’t remember quotes from movies. I tell them it’s their special talent, but they don’t believe me. -ha! Yes, I breathed so much easier and better out there! Thank you for enjoying my pictures!