August was such a fun month! We spent the first half in Oregon, exploring the city of Portland and spending some much needed down time on the Coast. But after these last few months, it’s time for us to move on with our semi sabbatical travels. So midway through August, we made our way out of the Pacific Northwest…to Denver, Colorado!
Multnomah Falls, OR
To get to Portland from Tri-Cities, you drive west along the Columbia River. About 30 minutes before you reach the city, you pass by a gorgeous waterfall called Multnomah Falls. Even during this random crazy heat wave, we had to stop to see the falls!
Multnomah Falls is very popular, which means that getting a great view of the waterfall was very accessible. We didn’t hike up to the top, but the view from the bridge and feeling the mist on our faces made is a great experience!
Hillsboro, OR
We had a housesit for three adorable little dogs in Hillsboro, a suburb of Portland. With this semi sabbatical, our remote work allows us the flexibility to explore more often. Less than a half mile away from the house was a stunning hiking trail, surrounded by trees and streams! We definitely took advantage of this, running daily through the forest and truly living our best Pacific Northwest lives.
Portland, OR
The city of Portland is one of the coolest cities we have ever experienced! The people of Portland are so unique and welcoming and friendly. The food here is so creative and delicious. And the scenery of all the pine trees and the bridges over the Willamette River make this city so picturesque!
When we first got to Portland, it was a crazy heat wave. So we found a beach off of the Willamette River in Lake Oswego, just south of Portland. We spent the afternoon hanging out in the water to cool off. Since it was so hot, the cold water in the river felt so refreshing.
One of our favorite memories from Portland was going on an Ice Cream Tour. Over 2 hours, we walked almost 2 miles and stopped at 4 different ice cream stops and tried over a dozen ice cream flavors!
Oregon Coast
We rented a beach cottage in the small town of Rockaway Beach for a week to enjoy the ocean before we leave the Pacific Northwest. It was such a great, quiet getaway from us! Even though we are still working remotely during this semi sabbatical, being able to take breaks during the day to go for a walk along the beach is something that really makes this experience worthwhile.
One of our favorite parts about the Oregon Coast is that the beaches are dog-friendly! We were able to take Deeks to beach with us everyday. He absolutely loved the freedom to sniff around and explore!
The ocean here is significantly colder than what we’re used to in California and Hawaii. You definitely need a wetsuit if you’re going to get in the water! But the weather was still sunny and warm, which was perfect for laying out on the sand.
Hood River, OR
We left the coast to start heading East! Our route took us along the Columbia river, so we stopped in Hood River, just an hour outside of Portland. The topography of the Columbia River Gorge makes it consistently windy year round. A perfect destination for windsurfers and kitesurfers!
So, I had to see what all the fuss was about. I took my first windsurfing lesson, and I had so much fun! I totally understand why people love windsurfing, and I’m looking forward to trying it again in the near future.
Denver, CO
We made it to Denver after 2 long days of driving. My sister-in-law lives in Denver, so we’ll be staying with her for the next few weeks! We actually lived in Denver for a summer back in 2015 while we were doing our PT school clinicals. Now that we’re back for our semi sabbatical, you can expect us to take full advantage of the nature that Colorado has to offer!
Golden, CO
Golden is a cute mountain town just outside of Denver as you make your way into the Rocky Mountains. As you drive up Golden Gate Canyon road, you will find many different trail heads to explore! We chose to take Deeks in the hiking backpack, so we picked a 4 mile loop trail that goes up to Mt Galbraith. To our east, we had awesome views of the city of Denver. And to the west, we saw never ending views of the Rockies. Definitely a great, quick hike in the mountains that isn’t too far outside of the city of Denver!
Evergreen, CO
We did an early morning hike to Maxwell Falls during the week! The flexibility of our remote work during this semi sabbatical allows us to be able to plan for these midweek hikes in the mountains. We drove out to Evergreen, another small and beautiful mountain town outside of Denver. The trailhead was pretty much vacant – a great reason to hike midweek first thing in the morning! Since it’s the end of summer, the waterfall wasn’t too big. But it was still amazing to look at, and walking along the creek listening to the water really set the tone for this relaxing, cool hike!
Encinitas, CA
We did a quick weekend trip to Encinitas for our friends’ wedding. Encinitas is a stunning beach town about 30 minutes north of San Diego. We enjoyed the gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean, and were able to even get in the water briefly before we had to leave. When we lived in San Diego, we loved going up to Encinitas in the summer. It was so nostalgic to be back!
We’ll continue into September here in Denver, with a weekend trip to Orlando, and making our way across the country to New York by the end of the month. Next month will be very busy, but very exciting as we continue this semi sabbatical journey!
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