Recently, I went on a family road trip. We spent eight days in four different states. We left California on July 11th. We then proceeded to our first stop on the road trip, which was Redmond, Oregon. We spent just one night there because it was about the halfway mark from our first destination. The next day we woke up and proceeded to our next destination, which was Sandpoint, Idaho.
Before I go on to explain the rest of my trip, I wanted to explain what my family learned from the two-day drive to Idaho. The drive to Idaho taught my family a lot. We got to see other communities and got a glimpse into what life is like outside of urban areas. There were times where we would drive for almost 100 miles with no cell service or gas stations. At times, it felt like we were in the middle of nowhere. There were some parts where we were surrounded by the beautiful forests, but also we drove through the high desert. I feel like this drive was a wake-up call to me because I don't want to be one of those people who don't leave their comfort zone, travel or witness other parts of this country. Many people stay in their little bubble. I think I learn the most when I travel because I am able to understand other people and see how they live. If I learned anything after this road trip, it is that I want to travel more.
We arrived in Idaho later that day. We took in Idaho’s natural beauty. We walked around the beach area by our hotel. Trust me when I say, no photograph or camera lens will ever truly show how beautiful this place is. This place is absolutely breathtaking in every way possible. I had no idea. I have never been to Idaho before. We stayed at a hotel with a beachfront view in Sandpoint, Idaho. We spent several days there. Our first official day there we spent it on the lake. We went to our friend’s house on Lake Pend Oreille and just hung out and enjoyed the lake. One of our friends took us on his boat. The next day was the wedding, which was the reason we made the trek up to beautiful Sandpoint. We started our morning off by going jet skiing. This was my family's first time doing anything like this, as we are not super outdoorsy people. We rented jet skis for two hours. At first, I did not think I would like it, but it ended up being really fun. Later that day, we got ready for the wedding. This wedding was magical. The sun set on the lake as we ate our dinner. I have not been to a wedding since I was in one when I was about six years old. So, this was my first wedding I could fully comprehend. What made the wedding even more exciting was the groom is an alumni of my college. So I was able to better understand all the stories told.
The next day we slept the majority of the day. I don’t really know what it is, but Idaho really tired us out. The sun shines so bright up there and being in the sun most days really hit us hard. In northern Idaho it does not get fully dark until about 11 at night. Idaho was truly a new experience for me and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to go.
The next stop on the trip was Moscow, Idaho, which borders Washington State. We drove to Moscow and once we arrived we explored the town. The University of Idaho is located here so we drove around the campus. My brother has to get something at every school he goes to so he bought a shirt from the bookstore, or as he calls it, the gift shop. We found a trampoline place up the street some and my brother got a quick one hour of jumping in before we had dinner at our favorite place, Buffalo Wild Wings. The next day we woke up and we took a shuttle to Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, which is the town over. We took a tour of the school and, of course, had to stop in the bookstore so my brother could get a sweatshirt. We then proceeded back to our hotel and packed up our belongings.
We then started the several hour journey west to my second favorite city, Portland, Oregon. The drive was long, but pretty. We saw lots of trees and drove along the Columbia River. On one side of us, there was a river and on the other side there were mountains. We were even able to see some Big Horned Rams in the mountains.
As we drove into the city, I started to become very excited. If any of you know me, you know that I have wanted to move to Portland for several years now. It has been my dream to live there. And every time I go, I fall in love with that city even more. We arrived in Portland and unpacked our suitcases in the cutest Airbnb. We stayed in the Williams neighborhood, which is an up and coming area in Portland. There are cute shops, restaurants, and tons of new apartment buildings being added. We spent our limited time in Portland doing what most would do by shopping and eating. Portland does not have sales tax, so what you see on the price tag at stores is really what you are paying. My new favorite store in Portland is called Breighela James. I bought a pair of chunky, silver hoops from there. I love this store because they have unique, cute, and trendy clothes and accessories. I found this store on Instagram and learned that the shop is owned by a mother and daughter. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend going there.
Portland is also known for its food. My family had two favorite spots in Portland that are related to food and are located right next to each other. The first stop is a sushi restaurant called SuBe Sushi. This place has amazing food and they display the food so beautifully. My mom recommends the Tokyo Tower and my brother and dad usually get the RipCity roll. I’m basic and get a California roll, but I love it because they have real crab and not the mix. Then, for dessert, you can head two doors down to the famous Voodoo Doughnuts. My personal favorite doughnut is the Homer Simpson. Portland was our last stop on this trip. So, we then packed up our things one last time and headed back to California. If you want to see more from this trip, I made a youtube video of our explorations, so here’s the link!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTzjKy7SnLw&t=2s
-Forever Always,
Emily
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