A long, strenuous day hike with the crew. Killen Creek to High Camp Trail.
I’ve always wanted to visit Olympic since I was a kid. It lived up to the hype. Can’t wait to get into the backcountry and maybe see some bears next time.
Trail: Mt. Stormking
Location: Olympic National Park
Distance: 4 miles
Elevation: 2000 ish
Features: Mountain View, Lake Views (you can even see into Canada!)
Permit: No (for day use, yes for over night)
Camping Notes: Difficult to find any (“non-dispersed”) camping late on a summer Friday
Ideal Time of Year: Spring, Summer, Fall
Crowds: Generally pretty crowded, we passed a good amount of people
Nearby: Shadow Mountain RV Park, Port Angeles
Also Pictured: Hoh Rainforest
I learned a few things on our first trip to the coast— like that Oregon might be the most beautiful state I’ve seen
1) Samuel Boardman – I googled some pictures of “Oregon coast,” spent about 5 minutes looking, and decided that Samuel Boardman looked like the best part. Kelcie put in a little more effort and found the best of the best for me to shoot. This was our first trip and we only spent a few days exploring the coast (so far) but as of now I still believe this to be the best part. Make a point to hike all the way down to a few of the beaches (some are farther and steeper than others—not hard to find one that suits you). Foamy green-blue waters, black sands, & beach caves await. Parts of Natural Bridges, Arch Rock, Secret Beach, and more are pictured here.
2) Airbnb and VRBO both have a lot of options. We booked super last minute on VRBO because Airbnb has really increased their fees lately it seems. My recommendation would be to pay close attention to the weather in the off season (not summer) and book something late to try to get a deal, and hope for some good light for all the photo ops. We may have just got really lucky, but we had a bright sunny day and nobody around.
3) Highway 101 itself deserves a bullet point. The drive from Portland is pretty enjoyable, winding through forests, beaches, and cliff-sides. There are plenty of places to stop, all deserving of their own moment. It’d be impossible to scout them all in any reasonable amount of time. You could make plans by saving some stops on Google Maps (and downloading them offline because reception is spotty), or you could just drive down the 101 and wing it--- because there’s that many great options. We got so excited we ended up in Northern California.
4) Yeah, it’s probably worth it to just drive a little bit longer into the redwoods of NorCal. We stopped in Jedediah State Park and a helpful ranger gave us some directions to a short walking loop. I have never seen trees that big in my life. They may not be the biggest in California technically speaking, but it was more than enough to wow us for sure. How neat is that?
5) Sand Dunes— Like I mentioned, all of our stops felt well-deserved and unique in their own way. But stopping by the dunes was an especially good switch up to the otherwise black and rocky coastline. We spent a little bit hiking around Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area specifically.
6) Thor’s Well— Worth a stop, doesn’t take much time to walk on down to the coast and watch the waves crash into the black rocks. The well itself was a cool touch (its down a slick rocky path out towards the edge of “beach”) and presents a fun photography challenge. It also was my first time shooting big waves in general and that alone was fun.
7) You’ll probably need a car-day pass or camping pass to park in the Oregon State Parks along the coast. If you’re going for a few days or even just to a bunch of different car parks it probably makes sense to just get the $30 yearly pass—the money goes to a good cause (Parks) and then you are set for a while.
Anywhere that’s as easy to access as most of the South Oregon Coast means a lot of people not familiar with leave-no-trace principals will also be there (evident by trash and waste). There are plenty of bathroom options, so find one, or know what to do. Pack out your trash. It all seems pretty obvious to me but in case this is new information:
The Leave No Trace Seven Principles
Plan ahead and prepare. Travel and camp on durable surfaces. Dispose of waste properly. Leave what you find. Minimize campfire impacts (be careful with fire). Respect wildlife. Be considerate of other visitors.
The best (and the worst?) of Italy
I quickly found Venice to be a polarizing topic when planning our trip to Italy. A good friend that studied abroad in Rome for months told me to skip it entirely. My Italian friend called it a tourist trap, not worth the effort. Yet a few other trustworthy travelers called it “the best city in the world” and “unlike anything they’d ever seen.” After a long process of (classic) over-analysis, we decided to extend our stay an extra night to see what it had to offer and decide for ourselves. With the recent flooding making national headlines— seems like we made the right decision because it might soon be under water.
So, was it worth it? The four of us agreed on a resounding HECK YES. But, not without some caveats. Here’s the thing, Venice is only a few miles by a few miles, and can be easily walked in a day if you like to keep on the move, so you really don’t need much time there. I recommend going to Expedia, looking at the top five things to do, and then AVOIDING THEM ALL. In a city (now) built almost entirely on tourism (20 million people per year!), its nearly impossible to find true Venetian authenticity, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. The crowds of San Marco were annoying, and to be honest, it wasn’t that impressive (to this travel snob). I had more fun sticking to the outer regions where there is less people, and more interesting things to stumble upon.
There’s a lot of reasons to use Airbnb, like its cost effectiveness, the many unique options, and the rich experience of living in someone’s home, but the best part is no doubt access to the host. A native Venetian, our host talked with us for almost an hour, and taught us the way of life there as best as he could. I couldn’t possibly share it all, but I narrowed down the best of the best for you:
1. Aperol Spritz— Day drinking might be for college kids and alcoholics in the States, but in Italy, it’s just the way things are. Istat, their national statistics agency, revealed that 8.2 million Italians aged 11and over drink excessive amounts of alcohol. Probably not a good idea longterm, but if you are on holiday in Venice and don’t have a spritz in your hand by noon, you messed up! Siesta’s aren’t just for the Spanish, and there’s often weird periods of time in the afternoon where some shops & bars close. Best get your buzz going before then. For a reasonable 2 Euros you can enjoy this refreshing, semi-bitter, low ABV%, Prosecco, Aperol, and sparkling water combo.
2. 6342 a le Tole— If there’s one thing you take from this article, let it be this. This spaghetteria recommended by our host will live in my memories forever. Fresh pizza, fresh seafood, handmade pasta— you simply can’t go wrong here. Make reservations because it’s a small place and its deliciousness is no secret. We got a few spritz’s, two bottles of house red, two salads, two pizzas, two seafood pastas, and a weirdass “Chef’s Special” dessert all for about 50 Euros. The same meal in NYC would have been a few hundred dollars at least. I expected touristy Venice to be well overpriced but was pleasantly surprised when we made it out with some cash to spare. The owner was constantly checking on us with his broken English. “You ordered too much food…. We love you!!!” he yelled at us like a true Italian. As much as I love trying new things… if I went back to Venice, I would eat here again for sure.
3. The Peninsula near Basilica di Santa Maria Della Salute— and the nearby Ponte dell'Accademia bridge provided some of the best views of the city. Rialto bridge is great and all, but for me, these two stops took the top spot for views. If you are looking for some good classic Venice photo ops not totally littered with tourists— these are your best bet.
All in all, Venice was more than worth it… but, it really isn’t necessary to spend more than a few days there. Italy is a beautiful country— just pop in, get some pics and pasta, and get on your way. I would highly recommend checking it out while it’s still above water. (Bonus Tip: Wear boots or shoes you don’t mind getting soaked!). After Venice, dry out your boots and head just 2 hours north to hike the Dolomites— you won’t be disappointed there either.