When’s the last time you went on vacation? A real vacation, where you went out of the state you were in and really planned it out? For us, it was this past February; yes, amidst all of the COVID drama that was still going on. I hadn’t felt like it with all of the restrictions, but one of my best friends’ was turning 40, and I couldn’t miss that!
Once we were there, we had an absolute BLAST! My girlfriends and I rented a little house about 5 minutes drive away from the beach and stayed there a Saturday and Sunday night. The “beach” house was a part of airbnb.com, and it was absolutely perfect for us! There were four of us ladies, and the home had three bedrooms and 2.5 baths!
We went to the beach, brought some wine and other drinks with us, and had a bonfire! It was amazing! I can’t remember the last time I had that much fun! I should point out that these girls are more like sisters to me than just friends! We have known each other for years (2 out of the 4 of us are sisters!)
We went to a nearby town and did a ton of window shopping, in addition to eating at some pretty phenomenal places! Everything tastes better on vacation, I swear! Some of these little places would hardly have anyone in them, so we’d get the whole place to ourselves! Then other sites were packed and just opening back up after COVID! A personal fave is anything Mexican, so we hit up Mazatlan for lunch one day! A quick mention for Dory’s Cove, where I had a fantastic eggs benedict!! We had to stop for my friends’ daughters’ birthday at Oswego Grill in Wilsonville, and they did NOT disappoint! Look at that tasty birthday treat creation they made for her (along with a birthday note, I must add!)
The Waterfalls are SPECTACULAR!
One thing you absolutely CAN’T do when you go to Oregon is mistakenly avoiding the waterfalls available. There are so many gorgeous places to see these natural beauties, and we were fortunate to have our best friends there to guide us to some of them! One of the highlights of my trip was seeing Silver Falls near Silverton, OR! The hike down to get under this overhang and watch the water cascading was pretty steep – and the trip back up was no joke. But that view – it trumped everything else!
Unrelated to this trip, I can’t mention how unique Oregon is without mentioning Crater Lake National Park! Several years back, before children (not that I fully recall that period), my hubby and I went on a two-week road trip stopping at as many National Parks as we could – and Crater Lake was one of my personal favorites!!
We made sure while we were there to catch up on some movies every night at my girlfriend’s house, as well as playing games, catching up, and just enjoying every day as much as we could! The only downside at all for me was being away from my boys. We were fortunate that my husbands’ parents were willing and able to watch the boys for the week I was gone and the few days my hubby was gone!
Looking back fondly on my time in Oregon
There isn’t a whole lot I would have changed, aside from bringing the kids next time! There WILL be a next time! Since Deana (the best friend) lives out there, and I live in Missouri, we try to get to another’s state home every other year at a minimum!
Oregon is a favorite place of mine after that trip. Crater Lake had made it a must-see the first time I went there, but this year made it a favorite! I can’t wait to take my boys there eventually! Deana has informed me that there are so many other things to do there as well! It’s not all just waterfalls and beaches, but that was our choice this time.
I’m pretty fortunate that I get a decent amount of PTO from work every year, and I try to get at least a few weeks away for fun and exploring. Actually, my 35th birthday is coming up in October, and I’m planning on a getaway to the East coast! Possibly Maine or Massachusetts! If you’ve ever been, I’d love to hear what you think!
This post isn’t the first time I’ve written about travel; check out this post here on Giants’ Causeway in Ireland, and this fantastic musical trip to Milwaukee, Wisconsin!
Love ya,
Kelly Ann
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