Vacation Scenes : Oregon
At the beginning of 2020, Emmett and I dubbed this “our year of travel” which is so laughable at this point in the year (see all of our goals for the year here, ha). Every single one of our trips were cancelled and while we absolutely love living in Utah, we were beginning to go stir crazy over here. We were in serious need of a break and creative inspiration, so we planned an impromptu road trip to the coast. Click through for some vacation scenes during our time spent in Oregon last week. I’m also sending you a big thank you for still showing up to read my posts last week, even though I was MIA on social media. When we go on vacation, unplugging is so important to me. Lack of cell service helps, but I always wonder if people will be here once I return. I truly appreciate your support! Anywhoo… click through for a fun travel post (and our experience with road tripping during a pandemic). Hopefully this little recap of our vacay will also bring you a calm and inspiring moment.
Laurie Anne (my bestie) and her husband ended up joining us- we consider them to be in our “quarantine pod” and it made our trip more enjoyable and affordable going with friends. We packed up our dogs, road tripped to the coast, and camped remotely along the way. It was so nice to escape the Utah heat and dry weather.
We always look for dispersed camping or try to find a good spot on BLM land, because we’re not big on campsites crammed full of people. I’m not the kind of gal who needs running water or a toilet when camping, and it made me feel more comfortable, knowing we weren’t in contact with other people (again, travel during Covid is weird). We also find the best views going off the beaten path! If you’re curious about how we camp, what gear we take, or our philosophy on overlanding, you can check it out here!
Once we arrived at the coast, we primarily stuck to our Airbnb. We made a grocery run, cooked at our home away from home, and got carryout a couple times to supplement (we had to try local food- that’s one of my favorite things about traveling). Upon arriving, I also gave high-touch surfaces a thorough wipe down.
I’m not going to lie, it still felt weird traveling because we always like to do as the locals do… sit inside restaurants, hang on a crowded patio watching the locals surf, listen to live music, visit museums, stop along the way for anything that looks intriguing (there were SO many wineries I wanted to try), and it felt strange to not do those “normal vacation things” we typically enjoy. We really just kept to ourselves and the quiet beaches… Laurie Anne snapped the below image of me with her Wire Fox Terrier, Hazel (she’s the same breed as Cash).
Speaking of dogs- the three of them had an absolute blast (evidence below). Laurie Anne also took that gorgeous image… she’s much better at keeping her phone on her than I am. I tend to go into “vacation mode” and put it away altogether. Looking at it instantly reminds me of work and my to-do list.
It had been a few years since Emmett and I had visited the Pacific Northwest and I forgot how into the color palette and moody weather I am. Someone messaged me and joked that we had missed the nice sunny weather, and THIS (drizzly, cool, fog) was the exact weather I was hoping for. It was perfect.
I feel like our guest room makeover we’re diving back into this week, will be taking a moody turn thanks to this little getaway. It was already kind of headed in that direction, but I feel really inspired to add some darker elements now.
Although atypical, the change of scenery (and weather) was exactly what we needed. Emmett and I got plenty of quality time in the car together, brainstorming ideas, planning upcoming projects, and just talking. Those moments are my favorite!
We both agree someday we’d like to purchase a second property or vacation home… it’s a longterm goal we’re saving for that won’t happen anytime soon, but it’s fun to dream about. We brainstormed what that might look like- a beach cottage, a house on the river or a lake, perhaps a horse ranch or farm to get back to our roots, or maybe we sell everything and move abroad someday? Who knows what the future holds, but travel always confirms two things for us: we love where we currently live (coming home is always beautiful), and we love dreaming about houses in other places. Ha!
This trip was good for my soul and now I’m ready to work harder than ever to share some very exciting things with you this fall! I feel like I got my creativity mojo back and feel much more motivated & excited than before our little road trip. Maybe the Utah sun was starting to drain me. Amazing how a change of scenery and time away will do that, right?
It certainly has been a crazy year, but I’m glad we took a week to safely venture out of the bubble we’ve been confined to the majority of the year. Our trip was actually cut short because of all the wildfires here in the West (so sad!), but I’m still thankful for the time we had.
Questions about camping, travel during this weird time, or our trip? Leave them for me in the comment section! Have you taken any vacations or road trips this year? Did any of your planned travel get cancelled? How has travel (or lack of) been for you recently? We have an insane amount of flight credits now. Who knows when we’ll be able to use those. Until then, we’ll be enjoying our home state and welcoming fall here in Utah. After living in sweaters and jackets all week, coming back to 90 degree weather was a rude awakening. Laurie Anne is actually here for one more night, so we’re enjoying our last day with our friends before they head back to Arizona. PS… if you’re interested in more of our past travel posts, you can find those here.
