Don’t get me wrong. Cannon Beach deserves all the hype. And still… there is more to the Northern Oregon Coast than Cannon Beach.

When all I could see was an impenetrable white wall hovering above the Pacific, I knew without a shadow of doubt there was a whole world on the other side.

If I’m traveling somewhere I am nearly certain I will never visit again, I’ll pack every square inch of my days with scenic views and new experiences. If at all possible, I leave no sight unseen. But, if I even half believe I might return one day…

By November, the crowds had all gone home, the sun hid behind the clouds, and I felt like the only non-local in town. Tofino had returned to the sleepy, quiet, rainy town I had spent the last few years dreaming about.

I siphoned life from my surroundings. I lived by association over and over and over. In all seasons, I stood in dense forests, along coastlines, at the bases of waterfalls and reminded myself “you are not dead yet either”.

I glanced at the woman next to me. Her eyes were as wet and full as mine. When she looked at me, we both laughed. How silly it was to be crying about whales with strangers.

Sometimes, we do just have to call it quits. We run out of time. We run out of daylight. The day just doesn’t turn out. But, sometimes it does. Sometimes, the magic is in the very final moments of the adventure. Sometimes, it’s just past where you believe it will be.

I felt like I needed more air all the time. More space. More room to really make eye contact with my life, diagnose its ailments, and heal. Some part of me knew that couldn’t and wouldn’t happen in familiar surroundings, so I booked my first solo trip to Santa Fe.

Above all else, moody photography has taught me there’s no sense in waiting for perfect conditions. Get out there, now, and find what’s waiting <3

At one point, she wistfully described that period of her life as a love affair. A love affair with the wilderness, the coast, a sense of exploration, and all the beauty Oregon has to offer.

It was a sweet and special thing to realize I was actively living the life I had once dreamed about. Like that first trip, each subsequent trip to the Olympic Peninsula has been pure Pacific Northwest magic.

A few photos from a June trip to the Portland Rose Garden’s.

Time for a road trip! You can almost drive to these eight amazing viewpoints on the Oregon Coast.

Sometimes, one waterfall just isn’t enough. These areas in Oregon and Washington have two or more waterfalls so you can combine trips into one big adventure!

A few words on unplanned adventures <3

Add a hike along the Lewis River to your fall plans!

I could on forever on why I love the Pacific Northwest… here are a few of my most favorite reasons.

Just far enough from Portland to avoid a lot of day trippers, Florence, OR is an Oregon coast gem you don’t want to miss!

Plan to head to one of these spots in or around Portland on the next clear day to catch a sunset!

Sometimes, you want to visit a waterfall… but you don’t want to hike to one. Check out these ten easy to access Pacific Northwest waterfalls!