The Pacific North West PT. 2: Camping on the Coast and another Cousin
6/17-6/19
I woke up ready to go having rearranged my car yet again and knowing that if I was going to get a campsite I had to get on the road. I had spent the last day asking everyone if I should go west or east and it seemed to be a 50/50 response rate. I settled on the going to the coast, because every Oregonian I have ever met has raved about how nice it was, and they were not wrong. It was absolutely beautiful. I thought that the stretch of the 1 between LA and the Bay was cool, but this area put that to shame. I headed to a campground called Tillicum just north of Yatchs, but I was latterly one person too late from getting a spot. If you have ever attempted First come first serve camping (which I personally recommend if you haven’t) know that if you don’t have a spot by 10am it can get a little stressful. But I had passed serval signs for campgrounds on my way north, so I simply took a breath and turned around. Boy was I glad I had to continue the search, because about 45 minutes later I was set up in a wonderful campground called Rock Creek in the Snoqualmie forest tucked into a wooded area just a 4 minute stroll to the ocean. The best of both worlds. The area was filled with interesting tourist traps like a lighthouse and the sea lion cave boasting the ”Largest Sea Cave in America”. It also had some truly epic hiking opportunities and great climate. At sunset I walked out to the rocky shore and stared out over the ocean. I new that this would me my last glimpse of the pacific for several months and I would not have wanted to have that moment anywhere else.
After a goodnights sleep in the woods and a quick hike I headed back inland toward central Oregon to meet up with my Cousin Ryan in a town called Silverton. It was a great drive transitioning from the breezy coast, through the think forests of pines and then into farm lands. All the while getting spectacular views of the towering Mt. Hood. I pulled into the driveway of Ryan and Keri’s adorable home and was greeted by Ryan and his energetic pup poppy. Ryan and Keri had a daughter who was born in December of 2019 and due to the pandemic none of the extended family had gotten to meet her. I felt so blessed to be one of the first. She was the cutest thing in the world, already running around and talking. I’m sure it wasn’t too odd for her age, but I don’t spend a ton of time around children these days. It was great catching up with Ryan who I hadn’t seen in years and I couldn’t be more proud of him for and the life he had built in this quiet little town. After a restful nights sleep I headed out to the hop farm Ryan worked for where they had recently built a tap room called Top Wire Hope Project. Tucked in amongst the rows of hops, this baddass tap room boasted a super chill vibe and some very tasty beverages. I had to be careful since I was off to Portland that day, but I could have stayed their all day.
