June 22, 2009

v for vacation

Oh, vacation. Choosing the right destination can be a struggle when you have so many options, so little time and so much desire to have a good time. Many of you helped me a few months ago by voting on my poll about where we should go on vacation. Well, as it turns out, we don’t have the money or the time off at work to go cross country (sob) and we are using Southwest tickets to get there (i.e. limited airport destinations) . . .

Enter: the Pacific Northwest.
photo by Rob Ramage

I love living in San Diego. The beach weather is lovely but I need me some forest! I have found myself craving my family cabin in the White Mountains of Arizona for the last few weeks. I crave the quiet of the mountains and the brisk air in the morning. I crave enormous trees and the smell of juniper firewood smoke rising from cabin chimneys. I crave the deep grass, the calm lakes and the long walks that come from the great outdoors. So, in a few weeks we’re flying out of San Diego and up to Seattle for a day to visit my brother, his wife and baby boy (our little man’s newest cousin)! From there, we’ll drive down to Hood River, Oregon via Multnomah Falls. Then we’ll spend a couple of days at the Seven Oaks Bed & Breakfast. We’ll enjoy the beauty of Mount Hood, the freshly picked berries at the Gorge White House and then we’ll take a ride on the Mount Hood Railroad. Anything else we’re missing in the Mount Hood area, locals?

I stressed about this trip for a long time. Which destination? Which restaurants? Which B&B? Which activities? I feel like this trip is a big deal since it’s our last “hurrah” to our life as just us before he arrives. I want it to be memorable and I finally feel like it will be a great time.

9 comments:

  1. My mom grew up in Hood River so I spent lots of time there as a kid but I don't really have any recommendations (sorry!) It's changed so much from when I was little. But I just absolutely love the drive between Portland and Hood River. I love watching for all of the tiny waterfalls along the way and then stopping at Multnomah Falls for an ice cream. Have a wonderful time!

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  2. I have great memories of Multnomah Falls. Sounds like a really fun trip!

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  3. Mount Hood is wonderful. My parents live in Portland and we went last summer. They have great food and lots to eat. It is so green and lush. I will ask my mom about good places to eat because I don't remember!

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  4. I always go shopping on my layovers in Oregon...no sales tax.

    The Oregon coast is a beautiful drive. We also went to the Redwoods in CA on the same trip and flew out of SJC.

    You can drive through a Wildlife Safari Park in Winston, OR., that was cool!

    You'll love Oregon!

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  5. i'll give you my chickens and you give me this trip! ;)

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  6. I'm with you on loving San Diego -- but needing mountains and fresh air!

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  7. Oh oh oh. Darlin, you are going to LOVE it here! Talk about heaven on earth. Looks like you've found some definite musts already, but what about MY bed and breakfast?:)

    Enter: heaven.

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  8. I have only been To Oregon a few times, and I don't really know where things are in relation to the Hood river and the drive from Seattle to Portland, but We went looking for lighthouses along the coast, and I loved that! They are so beautiful, and the coast is so beautiful, it was probably one of my favorite parts of our trip. And if you are traveling from Seattle... Have you read Twilight, because Forks might be a fun stop. Also, I have heard the Portland temple is georgous. Don't miss those opportunities with your hubby if you can help it. It's a lot easier to go to the temple before you need to find babysitting! Enjoy the Greenery of the Oregon coast! I love it there. And if you go in August, make sure you stop and taste the blackberries! They grow wild there, and you can literally stop along the roadside and pick them right out of your car door. They are Amazing!!! Enjoy!

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  9. Hello from Oregon! Be sure to visit the beach in Newport, Oregon if you have time. Take the drive down I-5 south and get off at my town, home of Oregon State University - Corvallis, Oregon. Then you can drive to the Coast through the lovely forests, rolling hills covered with sheep, and see the craggy coast that we all love. You will go over the Coast Range mountains and we'll make sure to have lovely weather and lots of things for you to see on the beach!

    Love, Dozer, Dottie and Cooper, who live in Corvallis, Oregon

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