I've never been a huge travel bug, but I've always enjoyed long road trips, especially through mountainous terrain. That's why the trip I went on a couple summers ago was a trip of a lifetime for me. My dad and I planned out a seven-day road trip along the West Coast and were very excited to adventure through our stops. Check out some of what we did.
1. Crystal Mountain, Washington
A long eight-hour drive from Boise led us to Crystal Mountain in the Cascade range, southeast of Seattle. Here it was a cold 54 degrees Farenheit and raining. My sister and I froze getting out of the truck because we figured everywhere we went would be warm and sunny since it was mid-July–wrong. We stayed the night at a very cute, old inn with a nice restaurant and gorgeous views of mountains. It's a big ski area during the winter, but a huge hit for a gondola ride in the summer. You ride up to almost 7,000 feet in elevation and see the massive beast named Mount Rainier. You have the be there to witness it, but it's gorgeous!
2. Seattle, Washington
Who hasn't been to Seattle? Well before this, I had never been! We did the typical touristy things: Space Needle, Zoo, CenturyLink Field tour, underground city tour. Ashtyn and I fed birds on our fingers at the zoo and witnessed some pretty big bears lolly-gagging around. We toured the football stadium and got to run on the field just like the players do. We went underground and learned about bootlegging and the history of Seattle when it burned down. Another cool thing we did was go to the observation deck of the Columbia Center! This building is almost 1000 feet tall and is intimidating to look at. The observation deck is on the 73rd floor and you have to get on a couple different elevators to get to it. Not only that, but it's true you get a little vertigo going up that high!
3. Lincoln City, Oregon
Driving down the Oregon Coast has to be one of the neatest things I've ever done. You have the forest on your left with the ocean to your right and very pretty views. Lighthouses pave the way and, if you're like me, you'll just feel at peace. We stayed at a hotel right across from the ocean and walked out onto the beach around 8 p.m. Let me tell you, that water was cold! The whole area was cold, to be honest! My dad, sister and I enjoyed goofing off on the beach until we tracked a ton of sand into the hotel room and kind of got it everywhere...
4. Crescent City, California
When you think of California, you usually think of pop-stars and a huge population. Crescent City changed my view of that! Northern California has a lot to offer and the Redwoods is a huge part of that. My dad and I were especially excited for the Redwoods. We had seen a billboard for an ad that said you could drive your car through a tree and we instantly drove there. Our truck is pretty big, but we managed to fit through!! We hiked throughout the Redwoods and again I just felt at peace. Something about being so small in such a huge area made me realize how grateful I am for these cool experiences I get to venture on.
5. San Francisco, California
Of course we had to save the big spot for last. This was coming to the end of our trip and all of us were a little on edge. My dad now has the nickname "Snappy" because his attitude would snap you like a turtle. I think the best part of this trip was my poor dad booking the wrong nights at this hotel. When we planned this trip, I was the one who would book the hotels so I could overcheck and everything and make a list of our adventures. However, my dad was very excited about staying at this fancy hotel on the pier, so he booked it himself. Long story short, my dad talked to the hotel manager for over an hour and somehow booked us the last room in the entire hotel. Gotta love dads!
We walked all over the place in San Fran! On the pier, to Lombard Street, around Union Square Center, Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop, on the Golden Gate Bridge and probably more that I'm forgetting. Being the teenager I am, I didn't wear the best walking shoes so my feet killed after going up and down those streets!
I would of never have gotten to experience this trip without my dad. I'm ever so grateful to have a father who likes to adventure with his family and teach us all sorts of cool things around the country. We had a blast and I hope other people can maybe take this awesome road trip like I did!
Oh...and I guess Ashtyn is pretty cool too.
