With our kids back in school, I wanted to share and reflect on our truly epic road trip this summer. I've always wanted to explore California and our neighboring states Oregon and Washington, and towards the end of this past summer, I was able to do just that with the people I love the most. As a family of four – wife, husband, and 2 children – we embarked on an adventure from Anaheim, CA to Seattle, WA and back, creating a lifetime of wonderful memories.
Here are a few stops that we made on our this particular road trip:
Day 1
Placerville, CA – a location with rich history, which was at one time the 3rd largest town in California due to the Gold Rush
Marshall Gold Discovery State Historic Park – our favorite spot when heading north to enjoy fresh river water on a hot summer day
Day 2
Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding, CA
Day 3
Portland, OR
Bigfoot Adventure, Jet boat River Tour with Portland Spirit
The Grotto – a peaceful sanctuary with beautiful gardens
Day 4
Seattle, WA
Cedardale Orchards for the best fresh apple cider
Mukilteo Lighthouse
THE Space Needle
Day 5
Day 6
Cannon Beach – ranked as one of the best beaches in the world by National Geographic AND also a Goonies film location!!!
Tillamook Creamery – tour cheese factory with free samples, good food at the dining hall, and nice gift shop with a variety of souvenirs
Thor's Well – enjoy an awe-inspiring display of nature, but please be careful!
Day 7
Trees of Mystery in Klamath, CA, a great place to enjoy a brisk walk on easy trails with lots of shaded paths. Kid AND budget friendly with netted bridges and an aerial tram.
Day 8
This was our day for family visits and rest (:
We could have easily spent 5-10 more days wandering back down the coast, exploring every nook and cranny between the Northwest and SoCal.. alas, most of us have to watch our wallets! And yes, the kids needed to get back-to-school. Personally, I would love an opportunity to explore Oregon to the fullest, hopefully sooner than later.