My boyfriend and I are continuing onward on our vacation on the west and we are having a wonderful time. After a few mishaps on our first couple of days, we were ready for things to be smooth sailing.

When I wrote my last article we had just bought a new tent because our tent poles snapped in multiple places. We were staying on the very western edge of Idaho in this new tent, which luckily has been treating us well so far.

The first night with the new tent was calm and chilly and it had no problems keeping us sheltered. We were in a beautiful place in Idaho's panhandle between two mountains and we heard the coyotes howling back and forth to each other, which was pretty cool and a bit sketchy.

The second night it rained for twelve hours straight and the tent kept us pretty dry for the most part.

We were lucky to have a break from the tent life to stay with some of Jacob’s family on Whidbey Island near Seattle. To get there you drive your car up onto a ferry and ride the way over, which is something I had never experienced before.

We had never met these family members before. They sent all the directions we needed and texted us anticipating our arrival. When we finally arrived, they welcomed us with wide open arms.

Two gorgeous dogs greeted the car as we pulled up. These dogs ended up being two of the best dogs I have ever encountered (and I triple love dogs, so that is saying a lot). Jacob’s family introduced themselves and showed us around.

The property was so much more than I expected it to be. The house lies on a beautifully planted yard and it is very nice to the eye, but when you go deeper it is so much more amazing. The house is basically surrounded by forest on three sides. To the side of the house, you can enter the forest to find a chicken coup, about a dozen trails, lighting, and camp sites. Throughout our stay, they kept showing us places that they wanted to put a treehouse, a teepee and even a giant swing. There is also a small room to the side of the house with its own bathroom and kitchenette where we were lucky enough to stay.

We got along with these people great. They honestly treated us like we were adults and not that we were traveling children who could not handle ourselves. Along with that, we shared very similar views on world issues. It is spectacular to meet people who you just click with.

The two dogs were amazing. Because they live in a wooded area, the dogs are on guard, but they are the friendliest dogs imaginable. They lead us through trails and back to the house and loved to play fetch. Each morning we woke up, we found one of them laying outside the door of where we stayed.

Along with meeting wonderful people, Seattle and the surrounding area was wonderful as well. We drove through the city and experienced what it has to offer and everything was very impressive. Pike Place Market is a place we both thoroughly enjoyed in Seattle.

The next day we drove up and down Whidbey Island, seeing Deception Pass and stopping at some beaches along the way. Everything we saw was great and we kept talking about how the island was where we needed to end up later in adulthood.

We were planning to leave for Portland the next day, but Jacob’s cousin ended up getting the day off so we stayed so she could show us around the island. We went to a former World War II fort and a very nice beach. The beaches on the Pacific are all spectacular.

That night, we ate London broil which is something I was not familiar with. It was delicious and a great way to end our time on Whidbey Island.

We were sad to leave, but excited to continue our adventure. The next day we left for Portland, which was also very interesting.

We explored the Downtown area and drove around town to see the different sites. The people were friendly and the vibe was very chill. We only stayed for one night, but Portland is one of our top stops so far.

The next day we left to see more of the Pacific. We stopped at Cannon Beach first. There is so much ocean and so many birds. The sights are overwhelming. We only stayed for about an hour, but it was a great hour spent walking the beach and jumping into the cold water. It was definitely worth it.

We continued driving on the Oregon’s scenic byway right along the Pacific. It is Highway 101 and it is absolutely terrific and definitely my favorite Highway. We arrived in our destination of Lincoln City a couple hours after our beach experience.

We found a very nice campground just a ten minute walk from the ocean with a boardwalk connecting the two. We have our own area with a fire pit and are surrounded by trees for privacy. If we get bored of the ocean, there is a lake even closer.

At this campground we heard raccoons chasing and growling in the trees right behind us, and one came within five feet of us when we were sitting by the fire at night.

In Lincoln City we have had such a great time. We have explored various small shops as well as exploring a nearby city’s aquarium and historic bay district with various shops.

There is nowhere else I would rather be. I am so happy.

Everything we have been seeing is so spectacular and overwhelming. On this trip, we have also discovered that Japanese Gardens are beautiful and tranquil, but it is a bit of a rip when you have to pay ten dollars to get in and that the West Coast has some killer ice cream and doughnut shops. There is something about seeing the mountains and the sea together; it just does not get much better than that.