It's here! The long-awaited second blog post! After many technical difficulties and not very many wifi spots, I'm glad to finally share my second week's experiences with you all. Enjoy!
The second week of the Great American Road Trip has been a blast! I've lingered in some spots longer than I did during the first week and have gotten to enjoy a lot of what the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Let me break it down by state to show you what I mean!
Montana
Let me tell y'all: this state is HUGE! On last week's blog, I checked in from Billings, which was about a four hour drive from North Dakota, where I was coming from. The next day, it took about another 6 hours to drive to Polson, a city on Flathead Lake in the beautiful northwest of Montana. There, I had my first Harvest Hosts experience at East Shore Smoke House. For those of you who aren't familiar with Harvest Hosts, I would definitely recommend it, especially if you're the road tripping type. You pay a yearly membership fee of around $100, which grants you access to thousands of wineries, restaurants, artisans, and other businesses around the country where you can park overnight for free as long as your vehicle is self-contained. At East Shore Smoke House, I was able to eat a delicious barbecue dinner and park on the restaurant's lawn. I hung out on my camp chair until it got dark, and Milo chased a few wild rabbits that came out at dusk.
The next morning, Milo and I woke up to a beautiful sunrise over Flathead Lake. We drove about an hour north to Glacier National Park, which might be my new favorite. The line to get into the park was pretty long, and once I got to the front, I discovered that passes to enter the park between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. needed to be reserved online in advance due to the sheer number of people entering the park this summer. Always do your research in advance kids! Since I obviously didn't have that pass, the park ranger suggested that I drive around to the eastern side of the park and explore and at 5 p.m., I could enter the park and drive the scenic route back to the west entrance. I didn't want to leave without seeing the park, so I agreed. The drive to East Glacier was so beautiful and green and took about 2 hours. Milo and I stopped and took a van nap, photographed a herd of bison, and cooked some lunch. At around 3:30, I wanted to check and see if I could enter early, and surprisingly, the ranger let me in! I had a few extra hours of sunlight, so I made lots of stops along Going-To-The-Sun Road, a scenic drive that cuts through a large portion of the park from east to west. This was one of the most incredible drives I've ever done. Waterfalls flowed around almost every corner, vast landscapes of pine trees met glaciers near the tops of the mountains, and crystal blue lakes and rivers were dispersed through it all. It was hard to keep my eyes on the road as I maneuvered the van around the tight corners of Going-To-The-Sun Road. After that surreal experience, I decided to keep moving toward my next destination: Couer D'alene, Idaho, and I drove another four hours into the night.
Idaho
I was only in Idaho for a short time, but Couer D'alene was a charming city! Milo and I walked along the waterfront and did some shopping. There was a fun shop called All Things Irish, which contained everything a tourist visiting Ireland would want! For lunch, I checked out Sweet Lou's, which was perfect for a quick pint with my pup! We spent around half a day downtown and then decided to journey on to our next Harvest Hosts stop. Riley Creek Blueberry Farm was everything that a Harvest Host should be! There were cute designated parking spots between blackberry bushes and a self-serve, honor-system shop with all the goods from the farm, including pies, syrups, jams, and soaps. Milo even got to play with some farm dogs, which he loved. We slept very well that night and woke up rested and ready to journey on to our next state.
Washington
As always, Washington was extremely beautiful. I got to hang out with my friend Carlie in Seattle for a few days and crash in her apartment. On the drive over, I stopped in Leavenworth, a charming, Bavarian-themed town in the middle of the Okanogan National Forest. Milo and I browsed the tourist shops for a bit and then stopped at Leavenworth Sausage Garden for a bratwurst! After we arrived in Seattle, Carlie made us some of her delicious miso pasta and we fell asleep soon after. The following day, Carlie, Milo, and I hit downtown Seattle and explored Pike Place Market, where one can witness fish being thrown in the air, wait in line to grab a coffee at the original Starbucks, or stick an old piece of gum on the Gum Wall. We ate two of my favorite foods at the market: Ellenos yogurt and Beecher's mac n cheese, and for dinner, we went to Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, which we first discovered when we went to school together in LA. Milo enjoyed all the attention he got at the market and loved smelling all the good smells. We tired him out that day, and left him in the care of Carlie's parents the next (thanks Wicks!) for our adventure to Mount Rainier National Park. We took the Skyline Trail, a heavily-trafficked but beautiful trail in the Paradise section of the park. The hike was absolutely breathtaking, both literally and figuratively. Most of the hike was an uphill trek up Mount Rainier itself, which my out-of-shape self had to get used to really quick! Luckily, Carlie and I like to stop and take pictures, which gave us some breathers, and there was definitely not a lack of photogenic spots along the Skyline Trail. Wildflowers sprouted up from almost everywhere, pine trees lined the edges of the mountain, and water from the glacier above trickled down the mountain, creating waterfalls and streams that wove on and around the trail. We saw lots of wildlife too, including marmots, chipmunks, and even mountain goats! Mount Rainier was definitely one of the most beautiful national parks I've ever seen. Carlie and I finished the hike, grabbed milkshakes, and drove home. The next day was definitely a rest day, as we were sore and sunburnt from the day before. We watched some Studio Ghibli films, ate leftovers and poke from FOB Poke Bar, and played games on our Nintendo Switch. The day after, I said goodbye to Carlie and Seattle and headed to Hood River.
Oregon
I've been visiting Hood River for years, typically staying at a family friend's just across the Columbia River in Underwood, Washington. I was passing through the area at the same time that they had invited my dad up for a friends trip, so naturally, I crashed their party. It was fun to see my dad and all his friends, and we had some delicious home-cooked meals. I only stayed in Hood River for about a day and a half, but in that day and a half, I had some very good eats from local establishments, including Dog River Coffee, Sushi Okalani, Basik Acai, and Bette's Place (their cinnamon rolls are to die for). I also brought Voodoo Doughnuts, from the iconic spot in Portland during my brief drive through town, and I made those doughnuts last for 4 or 5 more days as driving fuel (I always need to snack while I'm driving). I also visited Waucoma Bookstore and grabbed a couple books that I thought sounded interesting and am excited to read (should I start a Great American Road Trip book club??). When I left Hood River, I made a quick stop at Lavender Valley, a beautiful spot for pictures of lavender. I wish I could have bottled the smell of that place! Finally, I drove toward the Oregon coast to Cannon Beach, where my second week came to an end.
I wrote this blog from Insomnia Coffee in Cannon Beach, and I can't wait to develop and share more pictures of the area in next week's blog. But for now, thanks again for being patient and I hope you enjoyed blog #2! If you haven't subscribed yet, scroll to the bottom of the page and enter your email! You'll be notified before everyone else when my next blog is out. Thanks for reading and for now, I'll leave you with this quote that I found fitting for my journey:
“If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It's lethal.” -Paulo Coehlo
Until next time! -Elle
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