So, you know whenever you are a teenager and you swear that your best friends and you will take an amazing trip somewhere in the world? Like… someday whenever you all have awesome careers, houses, and money to put in a savings account. Not all of that vision applies here, but we did damn sure finally take THAT trip. Worth. It. We want to encourage you to grab up your best friends & plan that trip- borrow our’s even cause’ it was friggin’ schweeeetttttt!!!
Why Oregon? We probably couldn’t have exactly told you a few months ago- but we have some first class knowledge about why YOU should choose Oregon for your getaway adventure now! Waterfalls galore, snow covered mountains, trees as big as Texas, highway 101 w/ lighthouses and ocean waves- and delicious food! YASSSS QUEEENNNN!
Let’s preface by saying that 2020 was the weirdest, most chaotic, isolating year. We had started planning this getaway at the end of 2019 && then BOOM- COVID. We all felt that it was safe enough to move forward with our July trip as things had started to open back up again. We were going to remain with our group and avoid crowded areas as much as possible! Our goal was to escape to the mountains & social distance in the best way. If you are waiting to travel- full support to you! Do what is best for your family! The airports are likely your highest risk environment while trying to travel. Masks were required, of course, and we all brought N95’s and extra face coverings and easily accessible hand sanitizer to use after every interaction. Flights were not back to full capacity at that point in time, so we felt fairly safe wearing our masks & sitting together on the plane! Check your airlines webpage frequently when planning travel during this time!
DATES: WEDNESDAY, JULY 15TH- SUNDAY, JULY 19TH
FLIGHTS: A plus about the timing of our trip was the extremely affordable airfare! As always- we used the HOPPER APP! I love this app for tracking fluctuations in costs of airfare- it does all of the foot work for you & alerts you when the price is right! This trip was the first that I had planned for people outside of Kam and I… I think there are plenty of ways to coordinate and navigate trip planning for multiple people. Each situation is unique. I kind of took point on letting the girls know when the prices were at their “lowest” through the Hopper App & we transferred funds to one another accordingly via PayPal/Venmo! The Hopper app was able to get us roundtrip flights from San Antonio to Portland for $290 EACH (including our Hopper cancellation insurance)! STEEEAALLLL! *we booked flights in March*
Rental Car: I get a lot of questions about our trips regarding how we prefer to get around! We never take a trip that has us staying in one spot, sometimes not even staying in just one state! Renting a car is probably the most beneficial purchase you can make for these state side trips- ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE! For this trip- we definitely could have splurged on upgrading to an SUV, since there were 4 of us girls. However, there is always a pretty decent price difference between a full- size car & an SUV. For this trip the difference was $450- yiiikkkessss. The rental companies really do get you backed into a corner. We found a great full size car through Orbitz.com! The total cost WITH collision insurance was $374.42 TOTAL. We each paid $107.00- not too bad at all.
*TIP: Rental cars are the most stressful expense for a trip in my opinion. They are never quite as affordable as you need them to be. I do utilize [autoslash.com] for every trip to track the prices for that specific adventure. It alerts me when the costs are at their lowest which is helpful!! Always, always, always ensure that you are getting a rental with UNLIMITED miles- trust me!*
DAY 1- July 15th
Our flight out of San Antonio left at 0800 a.m. We arrived in Portland just after 1230 in the afternoon! We booked an earlier flight, because we knew that this first day would be a “driving day”. There is always a driving day during a trip- no magic carpets to fly us around, folks. After grabbing our rental car, literally shoving our luggage in that sucker- we headed to FOOD! Portland is a freaking dream for any foodie- but let’s remember that we are in the middle of a pandemic here, so things were still weird. It’s also worth it to note that the riots in Portland had just started to break out as we arrived… YAY for usssss, right?! *insert the deepest sigh that has ever been sighed*
NEPO 42 was in a safe part of town! Dog friendly with plenty of outdoor seating. In fact, they were outdoor seating only whenever we visited! It’s a pub grub kind of place with a decent brunch menu! Their BBQ was actually delicious! It is a “self clean up” restaurant, so you have to clear your table before you go!
Time to hit the road! Guys… We had B I G plans for this day. We knew we had a lot of driving to reach our first destination, but we were gonna check off some big bucket list places. Perhaps, the most iconic site is Multnomah Falls. You have undoubtedly seen the waterfall in photos (maybe in person)! My mother and I took a trip years back and hiked in and around Multnomah Falls- it is a must- see. It is a quick 35 minute drive from Portland Airport, following Highway 30! Unfortunately- the entire place was locked down whenever we visited. The parking lot was closed off. The visitor’s center was not accessible. GHOST TOWN. I will admit that we could have probably snuck in, but Oregon seemed adamant on it staying closed so we respected that. No biggie- there is a plethora of hiking gems to see around Multnomah. Bridal Veil Falls, Wahkeena Falls, Columbia River Gorge, Elowah Falls. Closed, closed, closed, closed. We met closed signs at every turn. The exits to these trailheads were gated & locked. We could have cried.
I will say this… You will likely never be able to see & do every single thing that you have found on travel blogs and Pinterest in ONE trip. You find that amazing place, and you plan future visits- make a list for next time! Keep checking those boxes my dear- there are more days and adventures ahead.
The forests & trails immediately surrounding Elowah Falls have been inaccessible for the last three years due to severe forest fires. We tried going around to reach the falls, but it was damn near impossible. So sad. Always check your trail statuses on ALLTRAILS.COM– this site will have live reviews from hikers to let you know the status of trails, where to start from, how much time it takes etc.
Since we were unable to see the areas that we so desperately wanted to see, we decided to keep moving towards our destination for the evening. Redmond, Oregon. Hitting Highway 35 at Hood River- you can hit Mt. Hood National Forest within the hour. Driving around the base of Mt. Hood gives allllll of the views. An entire day could be spent in this area chasing lavender fields (the pictures would be incredible)! From Mt. Hood you will connect on Highway 26 for the remaining hour or two of your trip to Redmond. This stretch from airport to Redmond takes about 3 hours not including stops/ site seeing!
*TIP: Bend, Oregon would also be an ideal stopping point for this particular trip! We only decided on Redmond because it was not as densely populated as Bend*
If you follow my other travel adventures you know I am BIG on the Air BnB stays. I really get excited about finding that adorable cabin in the woods, or that unique home with the view. BUT- I am also big on “skimming it”. We make it a point to offset costs by staying in at least one super affordable, cheap hotel during a trip! This trip landed us at a Super 8 Redmond for the night. You are literally just showering and grabbing some sleep- it doesn’t need to be fancy! You cannot beat a $100 room for a night divided 4 ways. I cannot say much more about Redmond, because we did not venture to spend much time there. I hear only great things about this town, though!
DAY 2- July 16th
Early start kids! My group might have wanted to kill me multiple times on this trip- I am not sure! *nervous laughter* I am real big on getting started with the day earlier rather than later, just to be able to pack more of a punch! We could not have even know what amazing-ness this day would hold! HANDS DOWN MY PERSONAL FAVORITE OF THE ENTIRE TRIP! Keeeepppp readddingggggg *squeals in excitement*
A quick 20 minute drive into Bend gave us a long list of trendy breakfast spots! So many precious places had not survived the previous shut downs due to COVID, so we really had to be intentional about our search for spots that were still in business. Two words: McKay’s Cottage. Yum, yum, yum, yum! Outside dining, beautiful weather, adorable mimosas, delicious scones. UGH. I am blown away every time at how large the mountain portions are (hahahah)! Serious note. This place probably had the most delicious biscuits & gravy that I’ve ever tasted. It was phenomenal.
If you ever find yourself in Bend- you owe it to your life to stop through Tumalo Falls!!! Not to be confused with Tumalo, the town… Tumalo Falls, people! While you still have signal, Google Maps ‘Tumalo Falls Trailhead and Viewpoint’. It is a quick 25 minute drive from Bend, and is more than worth it.
Tumalo Falls– that first “AH HA” moment for our trip. That, “Holy mess. Oregon really is gorgeous.” You’re about to see why! Tumalo Falls is a whopping 97 foot tall waterfall just inside Deschutes National Forest. She’s gorgeous. This area is packed full of hiking and biking- and is highly trafficked! The viewpoint entrance has a narrow gravel road that will drive you directly to the trailhead! Be careful of passing traffic** The “trail” will take you up a slight elevation gain to a viewpoint. You will be looking straight down the waterfall’s edge! Now… the real business is a hidden trailhead about 20 yards from the trailhead start. You will see what looks like a game trail cutting right off the main trail- that is the one! It is an easy hike- just be sure you have your footing and go slow! This gem will take you to the base of the waterfall. We spent our time here. You will see why below!
Remember, when I said that this was probably my favorite day EVER?! Okay. We packed an unbelievable amount of activity into this daylight! PERKS OF WAKING UP EARLY! Next stop… the BEST stop!
This area is jam packed with all kinds of hikes. You could make a list that would keep you busy for a week. This is always the most challenging part of a trip, narrowing down my dreams to fit the amount of time we actually have. UGH. The McKenzie River Trail was at the top of that list for Oregon must- sees for me, but it is a 12 miles in and out hike. TWELVE MILES. Easy miles but 12 nonetheless. That would have taken up our day, and we still had driving to do by nightfall. I highly recommend this trail if you plan to stick around the area for a while- it encompasses so many waterfalls and beautiful outlooks!
We decided on the Proxy Falls hike. BOY! Did God have a hand in this! Proxy Falls is deeper into the Willamette National Forest. So, if you were going from Tumalo Falls you will have to backtrack back into Bend and shoot for Highway 126 which is just north of Bend. More driving. The views make it worth it! You are getting circular views of Mt. Washington & The Sisters Peaks! They are almost always snow capped and gorgeous. Proxy Falls is tucked away down the windiest road you have ever been on, I am talking horseshoe turns at every corner y’all. So… DRIVE SLOW! Take motion sickness medicine if you have it! BUCKLE UP! Proxy Falls is an easy loop trail that covers 1.6 miles of amazingness. The trail is fairly easy to follow along, the key is that after you get through the volcanic rock to keep right on the trail… follow the trail down to the creek bed and keep hiking left. The falls will come into your view, but not immediately! We made it there && THEN THIS HAPPENED MUCH TO OUR SURPRISE! LOOK!
Our sweet, Madi Moo asked her bestie frand, Tealey, to be her girl forever! The sweetest, most intimate surprise proposal you have ever seen! It made for some pretty sweet ass pictures, too! GUYS!
We stayed and basked in the joy & love & beauty for hours. No time limits set here, we just stayed until we felt ready to go. You will need WATER FRIENDLY shoes for this trail. You will be hiking primarily in the creek bed, and the powerful mist of the falls will literally have you soaked. We climbed & climbed! Easily one of the most beautiful places we had all ever been, I think! **TIP: Go to the base of the lower falls- that is where these photos are taken**
Highway 242 is also just an incredible highway full of amazing views! It WILL be closed during the winter seasons, so definitely make this trip during early fall or summer!
The next bit of this journey is a real freaking knee slapper. It was a forehead slapper in the moment for us- but it has made for one hell of a story after the fact. You can’t make this stuff up. Our only regret is not having the pictures to prove it. I wouldn’t even recommend trying to reenact this part of the journey… Spare yourself the misery. LOL! LOL!
I was dead freaking set on soaking in the natural hot springs of Umpqua National Forest. I had been seeing these dreamy photos circulating among travel bloggers for years, and had this whole vision of the girl gang soaking our tired bodies in the hot pools on the side of the mountain. Big dreams. Turns out… We wouldn’t even have the guts to soak our big toe in the cest pools called hot springs, but more on that in a bit…
Getting there took just over two hours having to driving out and around the mountains up near Proxy Falls. We debated on even bothering with the hot springs at all, because they were really out of the way of our destination & next stop. But, I had gone on about them so much that the girls agreed to ride along on the adventure and have a late night. Dear Lord. Flash forward two hours, the sun is still out but it wouldn’t be out long. We drove down the sketchiest gravel road to reach the trailhead of the hot springs (the things the travel bloggers don’t tell you)… We parked in this parking lot, which seemed legit. Ya know… aside from the abandoned vehicles covered in graffiti. Nonetheless, there were groups of people coming down in their swimsuits from the trail- a mother and her daughters even! SO, we thought, okayyyyy. OFF WE GO. Up the steepest effin’ trail you have probably ever seen (dramatic effect) but literally… It was pretty steep. *huffing and puffing in our flip flops* A few girls are coming down the trail as we are going along, and they are like, “Oh yeah! Just keep going, it is worth it!” YAY! Nah fam. Big NAY. My group of Texas girls finally round the corner to the springs, and there swims… about twenty of the most naked hippies you have ever seen in your life. Including freaking Woodstock. Naked and NOT AFRAID. The bathhouse spring hosted a naked man with his junk free as the breeze, strumming the guitar and singing a song. A young girl was lining up some cocaine on their frisbee platter. The drugs were flowing & so was the piss water. It smelt like feces. It was dusk at this point. Y’ALL SHOULD BE PROUD! We kept the straightest of faces on us, and just calmly meandered along so we didn’t seem rude. The people were so, so nice guys! They probably felt sorry for us… We took to the only open pools which were lower down on the side of the hill, and yeah… I did not even get in. We were all so disgusted. Our faces looked devastated I am sure. We stayed the appropriate amount of time, stared at the infectious steam pot && then dipped harder than you have ever seen anyone dip before. As soon as we were out of sight, we hauled literal ass out of there. Jogging down the side of that mug. It was dark. We held hands through the parking lot. WE ROAD IN SILENCE AWAY FROM DEATH AND NUDITY. LOLOLOLOLOLOL! I am laughing. *sigh*
**TIP: Don’t always believe what you see on Instagram, because they lied like some fools on this “hot spot”**
Two hours of dark mountain riding to our Air BnB in Medford. It was truly probably one of the cutest Air BnBs ever, and I wish we would have had longer to stay! SEE BELOW!
DAY 3- July 17th
THIS DAY WAS SUCH A LONG DAY. Filled with adventuring & goodness. But… also so much driving. More driving than I anticipated whenever I mapped out the start- finish of each day on the itinerary. I WAY overshot this day- not necessarily in mileage, but in underestimating the time it would take to do it.
*TIP: If you are following this trip itinerary closely- this would be a day to revise! KEEP IN MIND! Driving along the West Coast is slow going. The roads are quite dangerous, winding, narrow, and take longer than you can see on a Google Map. Plusssss- you will want to have plenty of time to stop every .5 seconds, because it is THAT gorgeous. Thanks for coming to my TED talk*
Waking up early to get in some good driving today! LET’S TALK ABOUT BREAKFAST! Two words: PENNINGTON FARMS! This little gem of a place is a freaking Hallmark movie dream. It is really the only way to describe it. They have all of the best “made from scratch” baked goodies. Apple turnovers, muffins, fritters, chicken pot pies, AND JAMS! They grow and source their own fruits && create the most delicious goodies. Located in Grants Pass, Oregon, it is only a 40 minute drive from Medford. ADDRESS: 11341 Williams HWY, Grants Pass, OR.
*REMINDER: Don’t purchase any canned goods or jams that are over the regulated TSA amount! They will straight up throw that stuff away at security if you plan on taking carry- on. Pennington Farms offers an abundance of travel friendly goods!*
From Grants Pass we are heading down & out! You will get to graze through the very most northern parts of California on this portion of the trip! Goal being Samuel H. Boardman Scenic Corridor. If you have ever seen photos of Oregon (specifically the coast) you have definitely seen pictures of the natural bridges! THEY. ARE. PHENOMENAL. Stay tuned because we are about to hike them bad boys.
The drive will take you on highway 199 down into Hiouchi, California. This drive does not disappoint- it is beautiful. If you had the time- we hear that Crescent City, California is a must stop for the beach! We kept on trucking back North towards Highway 101! THE OREGON COAST HIGHWAY! It is one of the most famous scenic drives in the world! This trip gives you the opportunity to explore every bit of it! It takes about 2.5 hours to reach the natural bridges in Brookings, Oregon from the Pennington Farms! PHEW!
This entire area is saturated with scenic viewpoints, lighthouses, and “must stops”! You could spend an entire week searching the Oregon Coast ALONE! We did not have the luxury of this time, so we hit the highest points! The natural bridges can easily be found in the Google Map app, and will guide you to the parking lot just at the foot of the overlook! THIS NEXT PART IS IMPORTANT!
We were so excited to A) be out of the car B) to see this iconic spot: that we just ran out to the overlook deck && hopped on the first trail that we saw. The trail that we took to see the bridges is NOT the trail that you would probably want to take. It is definitely a skilled trail, and it is a big ass kicker. The trail is directly to the left of the observation deck. Steps will lead down off the deck, and it will take you allllllll the way around to the bridges! I don’t regret the hike, but we definitely invested in it! This trail took us on TOP of the bridges. Y’all… it was amazingly beautiful! The cove was thrashing with powerful waves, and we were teetering on the most narrow bridge ever- EEEKKKK! ADRENALINE JUNKIES!
The trail that you WANT to take is actually on the right side of the parking lot. The observation deck is so cool, but following the parking right, look for those trailheads! That trail will lead you to the more iconic views of the bridges that you might see on Pinterest! These trails are all rocky, loose graveled, and steep- so just be careful and wear sturdy shoes!
We set our ending destination for the day at Newport, Oregon. This was the part that I wish I would have planned a bit better! In my defense lodging was pretty scarce whenever we started booking Air BnBs in MARCH! MARCH! UGH! This coast stays booked out a FULL YEAR in advance! BOOK EARLY! This will give you more options for lodging. Book your stays closer together- nothing more than a 100 miles apart at the maxxx! From the natural bridges, Newport takes about 4 longgg hours– 193 miles of coastal driving.
You will want to stop often along this stretch of highway. The lighthouses were closed to visitors due to COVID whenever we visited, but they would definitely be amazing. SO AWESOME!
*TIP: Do your research for this part of the trip! Really map out your stops strategically based on what you want to see! Pinterest is an excellent resource for knowing “what to do” and “what to see”*
Remember, when I said that lodging was booked almost a full year out? That is big facts! We knew that we wanted to stay directly off the coast, because we wanted those views of the ocean! In retrospect I probably would have booked closer to Coos Bay to cut down on some travel time. We were soooo tired by the time we got here! This stop gave us THE best beach views, but the Air BnB itself was pretty out dated. I knew prior that most of the coastal towns don’t typically put air conditioning into their homes (so keep that in mind for summer trips)! Our Air BnB had one king size bed & a pullout couch bed (yikes)… no air conditioning so we just opened up the back door && listened to the waves all night! IT WAS FREEZING BY 3 AM. So, I just got up and drank some coffee on the back porch and watched the sun come up. You will never experience anything like it… Wake up to watch the sunrise <3
Day 4- July 18th
We enjoyed some time drinking coffee on the porch and watching the waves come in… Newport is a pretty big town && offered a few breakfast spots! I don’t think you could go wrong with any option! Depoe Bay is a quick drive up the road && is a must stop!! This is the whale watching capital of the world, y’all!! Although we did not see any whales, we did get to watch the surfers coming on and off the water. Beautiful.
There were sooooo many options from this point! We needed to end up in Portland by the end of the night! Originally we had planned on completing the entire coast, so that would mean continuing North on the highway up to Cannon Beach! CANNON BEACH HAS TO BE ON YOUR LIST (even though it’s not on this itinerary). Cannon Beach is the epitome of Oregon. From Depoe Bay you are about 100 miles from Cannon Beach- so make the 2 hour drive. Tillamook Creamery will be on your way- grab a yummy snackkkkkk! We decided that we were pooped and just headed back into Portland for the day. Taking it easy. It was only about a 2 hour drive back to the city!
*SIDE NOTE: Even if you are only taking a short trip to visit Portland… It would be worth your time and money to take a day trip over to the coast! Cannon Beach would take 2 hours of your time && give you such a unique experience outside of the city*
Reaching Portland by 3 p.m. we were able to check into our last Air BnB a little early! I have to touch base on this Air BnB quickly. I typically ONLY book private properties on Air BnB (which means we get the entire place to ourselves). For this trip we tried something different and booked a stay within someone’s home. This was an awesome apartment in the basement of a family home! It had everything that we could have needed including a private side entry we could come and go out of. BUT. The people lived upstairs and did have some younger children that could be heard during the day/ evening. Nighttime wasn’t too bad, but I don’t think I would recommend this type of stay unless you were just totally saving money. We took what we could get to ensure we were safe from the riots that were going on within the city.
We took the recommendations from our host and tried out some food trucks that were two blocks over! We took an evening walk to the food truck court! There were 4-5 food trucks up and running in this cool, chill vibe location! ADDRESS: 4255 SE Belmont Street, Portland, OR.
Our Air BnB had an awesome projector screen in the living room, and the most comfortable couch that you could have ever laid on- so that was the big selling point on booking this stay. An evening in before our departure tomorrow.
Day 5- FINAL DAY
Breakfast was within the same food truck park around the corner! We are so glad that we stopped here. I actually think about it quite often even still. The cannoli’s were probably the most delicious I have ever had- including Carlo’s Bakery in Manhattan!!! YUM! The real friggin’ cherry on top was the people working the truck! SO MUCH FUN! They were full of spunk and made us laugh! My heart! This would be worth the stop even if you weren’t staying in the area!
Heading back to the airport for our departure- we filled the ole’ reliable rental up with it’s full tank of gas && made sure we grabbed alllll of our belongings from the car. Oregon. We really do miss you already!
TAKE THE TRIP. MAKE MISTAKES. FIND NAKED HIPPIES IN THE MOUNTAINS. GET ENGAGED. SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FRIENDS. LIFE IS SHORT…
BUDGET:
FLIGHTS: $300 EACH *booked through Hopper w/ cancellation coverage*
RENTAL CAR: $374 TOTAL ($107 EACH) booked thru Orbitz.com
FUEL: $75 TOTAL *this covered a small care for 1,600 miles*
AIR BNB/LODGING: $805 TOTAL ($200 EACH)
FOOD/SPENDING: $200 EACH *give or take*
** You will need a National Park Pass for this trip- Military families can grab one for FREE. Average cost is $30 per vehicle for each park **
