:: journal
:: CANNON BEACH
it’d had been a few years since visiting the Oregon coast, but my brother gave me an invite to come down to his wife’s family’s amazing home in Cannon Beach, right in front of the iconic Haystack Rock). after loading up the Subaru, Bill, Sheena and I took off on Friday for a long weekend. after some sluggish traffic on I-5 (there’s always a slowdown through Tacoma and the joint airforce bases just south) we headed west on 30 along the mighty Columbia River, then south after Astoria along highway 101 and made it there at dusk.
:: COLUMBIA WILDLIFE REFUGE
Over a warm April weekend I pulled together my car camping kit, kayak and SUP (stand up paddleboard) for a fun getaway to the Columbia basin area with my friends Brian and Sarah. After a long, dusty drive to eastern Washington we pulled off highway 26 onto a gravel packed road entering the Columbia Wildlife Refuge Area. About a few miles into the park, we landed at the Overlook camping area, a stunning scrubland full of shimmering clear lakes and waterways surrounded by basalt columns and cliffs.
:: METHOW VALLEY
Living in the Northwest for almost 3 decades and not (I think?) ever visiting the Methow Valley seemed like an absolute crime, so I nailed a couple dates down and made the 4.5 hour trek from Seattle. After cutting up through Blewett’s Pass from I-90 I drove east to Wenatchee, then headed north on I-97 before entering the Methow Valley on highway 153 (part of the Cascade Loop). The warm weather and sunshine made the drive more enjoyable, as well as the scenery along the mighty Columbia river.
:: ORCAS ISLAND
There is always something that feels a little magical about a journey up to the Orcas Islands in the San Juans (yep, getting a little metaphysical here). Me and Billy and Sheena piled into the truck and camper and took off for the weekend, in spite of the smokey air from all the raging wildfires. After a delayed ferry (Covid was certainly messing everyone’s schedule, including theirs) we rolled onto the island late on Thursday (the dusk view over the water was amazing) to our friends Dan and Steve’s amazing home on the water, close to the Rosario Resort.