Washington / Oregon Roadtrip
Washington. Where to begin?
I have dreamed of going to Washington since I was 12 years old. I have wanted to live there since around the same time.
Something about the forests filled with a green more vibrant than you can even imagine, covered by a constant cover of rain, yet the sun peaks through the clouds just often enough to catch a sun ray through the canopy of trees; it just spoke to me. Called to me.
It has been my biggest dream for as long as I can remember.
Each summer, I spend as much time as possible traveling. I am far too scared to drop out of college and travel full time (I also relatively like college), so instead, I squeeze as much into 3 months as I physically (and financially) can.
Back in December, I made a decision; this summer, I was road-tripping to Washington and Oregon. I had no idea if anyone was coming with me, but I booked an Airbnb and a hostel and decided I wasn’t going to wait around for the rest of the world to catch up with me.
When I returned to school after winter break, one of my friends from college said she wanted to come. We planned the trip and figured out the financials.
The biggest finance was food and gas. At the time, we had no idea how expensive gas would become by July, so at that point, ignorance was bliss.
We had extra dining hall dollars from our university, so on the last day of school, we went to our college c-store and bought as much food (that wouldn’t expire) as possible. We used up the rest of our dining dollars and stored the food till July.
Now, if you have read my Hawai’i story, this part is gonna sound a little familiar.
About two weeks before departure, my college friend pulled out of the trip, and I was left going on my own.
The going on my own part really didn’t bother me that much. I know I would have been perfectly content on my own and would have had equally as much fun. However, I had a thought. An epiphany, if you will. Maddie.
Maddie and I in Hawaii circa 2021
I sent a quick text that simply said, “How spontaneous are you feeling today?”
20 minutes later, she had a flight booked to Idaho, where I would pick her up after driving 11 hours on my own. We would sleep in the back of my car and then drive the rest of the way to Leavenworth, Washington, the next morning.
Maddie and I have been best friends since 8th grade and have made it our goal to see the world together. She is the only person in this world who will drop anything and go somewhere with me. She is the most spontaneous person I know (I give her a run for her money, but I think she wins).
We are the two most chaotic travelers together, and nothing ever goes as we plan. Yet, I can guarantee we have more fun than 90% of other travelers.
The chaos began immediately upon Maddie's arrival.
I picked her up from the airport at 2:30 am, and after driving for 11 hours, was exhausted. We found a parking garage in a hospital and set up our bed in the back of the car. It felt around 80 degrees in the car. Suddenly we weren’t tired. Instead of silence filling the car, it was just continuous rounds of giggles back and forth.
We finally decided to just drive through the night and ended up in Oregon (Where it was much cooler). We slept a total of 3 hours in a gas station parking lot, then drove the remaining 4 hours to Leavenworth.
If you have never heard of Leavenworth, it is a Bavarian-styled village in the center of the Enchantment mountains. Many of the shops are Christmas-themed. The buildings themself are all German-styled. Everything remains in theme within the town. The only thing that could have made it better is snow on the mountains.
It is genuinely magic.
After taking a walk around the Enchantment State Park Lake, we took it easy for the rest of the night.
The next morning we woke up bright and early at around 5 am and got ready to hike 8 miles into the mountains to see Colchuck Lake.
There are no edits done to this photo.
This was my favorite hike we did in Washington, if not my favorite one ever.
The views that we got both on the way up and at the top were beyond imaginable. The weather was perfect, and the pb&j’s with a lake view were the perfect reward.
I have posted another blog specifically for Colchuck, with directions on how to find it and everything you need to know before you go. Click here to read it!
The water at the top is snow melt, so the lake was freezing, but of course, we jumped in anyways.
Rule of the summer: When there is water, jump in.
By the end of the hike down, we were exhausted and could barely move our bodies. We drove home and rested for the remainder of the night.; enjoying plenty of our fruit stand fruits (which you can find all over the states of both Washington and Oregon).
When the sun rose the next morning, so did we. We packed the car with all of our belongings and made our way to Bend, Oregon.
This was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Originally we were booked for a hostel in downtown Portland, but after learning about the increased crime rates (and the likelihood of your car being broken into), we got a little more worried. With a car full of everything a person could need to survive, it was probably not ideal to have it broken into.
So instead, we chose to go to Bend, which was much higher on our bucket list anyways.
On the first day there, we went on two adventures.
The first is a lava tube in Deschutes Volcano State park. I was personally not a fan of this activity because lava tubes give me incredible claustrophobia. However, the 2-mile round trip walk goes deep into the ground, a provided flashlight being the only source of light (and your only hope for vision).
Although a cool experience, it’s definitely something you can skip on your Oregon trip.
The second adventure that day was a waterfall. Around 20 minutes outside Bend, Oregon is a waterfall called Tumalo Falls. With two viewing platforms, you can see a straight-on view and an upper view. However, most websites won’t tell you that you can also hike down to the falls. Providing you with a close-up.
I am also planning on making another blog post on these falls, therefore providing you with an in-depth map of how to get down to the falls. Make sure to subscribe to my email list in order to know when that gets posted.
This was an absolute must for visiting. Especially if you haven’t showered in a couple of days. It really does have quite good water pressure.
We drove into Bend and ate dinner on the river, watching paddle-boarders and kayakers row down the stream.
Now, the biggest goal of this trip was to spend as little money as possible. We hoped gas and the Airbnb would be pretty much our only expenses. We bought food with college dining money, chose activities that cost little to no money, and finally… slept in our car at every chance.
We only had the Airbnb for two nights; honestly, looking back would have been okay without it. The first night we slept in the car, and then the following two nights after leaving Leavenworth, we did the same.
The tricky part is finding a safe and free spot to park. Many people recommend Walmart parking lots, which are a great option but not always available. Although it sounds sketchy, I slept in a gas station parking lot for two nights and felt relatively safe. Not ideal, however.
The ideal spot was found the second to last night. National forests are BLM land, which means you can camp on them for free. It is first come, first serve.
We knew the next morning we were going to head up to the famous Blue Pool, so we drove up that night and found a campsite only 10 minutes away. It was peaceful and quiet and, most importantly, free.
The next morning we hiked the Blue Pools, which is around a 4-mile roundtrip hike. The Blue Pool is famous for a reason. The view is absolutely stunning, and although a little difficult to find, the pathway down to the pool is relatively easy.
The water, however, is far colder than your brain can ever imagine. We went into it with a mindset that since we jumped in Colchuck, this would be no problem. Well… We were incredibly wrong.
The water is no warmer than 25-30 degrees Farenheight and will quite literally numb your body. I only got as deep as my ankles, while Maddie at least sat down. We decided it wasn’t safe for us to jump all the way in, mostly due to the fear of our bodies freezing up and not wanting to swim.
Although we didn’t get to jump in, it was still a breathtaking view and a genuine must on your trip to Oregon.
That night, we drove back to Idaho. I dropped Maddie off at the airport, slept in a gas station parking lot, then drove home all by myself.
I find peace in the silence of traveling.
I have always felt the calmest and happiest in a car. I don’t know why, but driving is my safe place.
This road trip was everything I needed this summer. It took me out of my brain for a week and allowed me to just be at peace with nature.
I got to visit one of the top spots on my bucket list, and confirmed my desire to live there someday.
Adventure is out there. Whether it's Washington or Indiana, I try my absolute best to find it. Plan the trip you have been dreaming of. It will be worth it.
