Earlier this summer, I had the privilege of visiting the Pacific Northwest for the very first time with some of my best friends. We had an action-packed itinerary so if that’s not your cup of tea, you can check out my itinerary to Islamorada in the Florida Keys (coming soon!)
I went with three of my best friends and we live all over the country; Indiana, Wisconsin and Texas. Thanks to my bestie girl, Jo, we got the best of what the PNW has to offer – mountains and city. Check her out for help planning your next domestic or international vacation!
DAY 1
We all arrived on a Wednesday to SeaTac Airport and used our frequent renter miles to get our rental car. We then drove up to North Cascades National Park, which is about a 2 hour and 30 minute drive. If you’ve never been to North Cascades, there is basically one road in and out of the park, which was really convenient. We visited the Visitors Center first, where we found our long hike for the next day, and stopped at the Picket Range Viewpoint. We did a “short” afternoon hike of 3.6 miles at Thunder Knob Trail. The peak overlooks Diablo Lake and the views were AMAZING. I have never seen such bright blue water before. It honestly looks fake, even in person. Our first night ended checking into our AirBnB, getting some basic groceries and getting dinner from a local pizza place, Annie’s.
DAY 2
Our second morning started with breakfast at the AirBnB and then driving to our trailhead. We decided on Maple Pass Trail, which was a 7.6 mile round trip hike. We started early and went counterclockwise to avoid the steep switchback descent (and save our knees). The views during this hike were just… phenomenal. It was shocking to realize how small and insignificant me and my problems were during this hike. Our group was able to get caught up on our lives, share stories and rank our Mount Rushmores of various topics. In true PNW fashion, we couldn’t get away without some rain. The last half mile or so of our hike, it started raining and then hailing. We were all soaked by the end and chilled to the bone. In total, our hike took about 5 hours, including a decent break at the top for a snack and a drink. We finished the evening off with dinner and drinks at Birdsview Brewing Company and then crashed pretty early. Jet lag and a full day of hiking will do that to you.
DAY 3
We stopped back at the Visitors Center to snag some merch and take a picture by the National Park sign. There was an abundance of drive-thru coffee shops. So many that we stopped counting and felt obligated to stop at one before leaving the area. We drove back into Seattle and checked into our hotel for the next two nights. We had dinner out on the patio at Pink Door and got lucky not having a reservation. We didn’t make reservations but I would definitely recommend it if you’re visiting! We met up with some friends who live there, shout out to Callie and Matt for showing us around Ballard! Ever heard of a Seattle dog? It’s a hot dog with mayonnaise and grilled onions. Coming from the Midwest, this was completely foreign to us, but I was pleasantly surprised to say that it worked?? It was actually good. Would eat again, especially after a night out.
DAY 4
Our last full day consisted of exploring Seattle and fully embracing being tourists. We went to Pike Place and tried a bunch of different vendors, sharing food so we could all try something new. I tried so much I don’t even know if I have a favorite. Just walking around the markets and observing everything going on, it was so fun. We found a spot to overlook the city and watch the sunset while eating some amazing local Greek take out, which was coincidentally around the corner from Meredith Grey’s house. Naturally, we had to go look. If you watch the pilot episode when she is leaving the house at the beginning, that is the house we found in Seattle!
The next morning, we all flew out very early and made it home safely later that afternoon or evening. It was one of my favorite trips I’ve been on. The views were amazing, the city was incredible but the company was priceless. If you’re looking to visit the PNW, I highly recommend it and encourage you to visit both the mountains AND the city. It’s the best of both worlds (cue Hannah Montana)!