The best road trip I have ever been on happened in two parts…

I had spent the summer guiding in Alaska and as the summer came to a close, I started to plan the worlds best road trip with some friends.

Check out what I did in Alaska! I’ll BLOW YOUR MIND! Click HERE

Through British Columbia and Alberta, Canada, Montana and the Pacific Coast Highway. In this article, I will share with you the amazingness that the PCH is! One state at a time…. First we will cover Pacific Coast Highway through Washington!

We crossed the Canadian border in Cardston, AB, Canada.

Spent a few days at my sisters place in Montana where I washed my hair for the first time in 2 weeks and then headed 10 hours west through Idaho straight on to the Pacific Coast Highway through Washington.

And let me tell you…. that 10 hours almost broke my spirit. I was banished to the horcrux seat (back seat smashed between all our stuff) and I went nuts.

And if that picture doesn’t fully demonstrate how terrible this seat is… watch this video.

Eventually, we camped illegally outside of Spokane near a lake.

That night, we needed somewhere to sleep. We didn’t know where to sleep and couldn’t find camping. The sun was going down and we were running out of time!

It was Moses Lake. We got there at sun down and left at sunrise! Thus we did not get caught!

Once we all got packed up, we continued on towards the Pacific Coast Highway through Washington and found ourselves in…. Leavenworth! But, of course, we stopped at the Feil Fruit Stand stand in Wenatchee, Washington and bought oh so many apples. This was on October 13th. Do that if you are there around this time. These will be the best apples you have ever eaten.

Leavenworth is basically like Europe made a portal in Washington!

While in Leavenworth, we milled around, perusing shops and appreciating it’s grand views, flowers, and autumn colors. This place is vibrant with color! And the architecture is really how I imagine Belgium or something. I bought myself a book, a pretty little ring, a pretzel, and called it good.

But we had a destination in mind! And it was the pacific coast highway through Washington in Seattle!

Highway 2 is simply one of the most beautiful highways I have ever driven on.

The road is curvy with long tree tunnels… It was simply magical. Of course we stopped and explored Stevens Pass a bit.

Shelby is from Monroe so we dropped her off and then Claire and I headed to the great city of Seattle to spend time with my relatives and start the road trip of my dreams! The pacific coast highway through Washington!

Seattle is a pretty cool place.. no wait! It’s a pretty hipster place.

But still cool. We spent the morning at the Golden Park. We combed the beach for pieces of sea glass

Our search for sea glass and cool rocks continued at Discovery Park. There is a quaint little light house at that coastal park. Go check it out!

We obviously checked out Trader Joe’s as well as Fremont, a super hipster part of town. We hit up all the record and antique stores we could find before heading back to my Aunts house for a relaxing evening before going to our next destination… Mount Rainier.

Yes… Mount Rainier is a slight detour off the Pacific Coast Highway in Washington but a necessary detour

It was an average day of exploring the Mount Rainier wilderness area.

The crew, Shelby, Claire, and I caravanned on highway 410 to this teeny tiny little town of Greenwater, Washington, which is just north of Mount Rainier National Park. In Greenwater, we met up with Morgan, Shelby’s little sister.

Things got a little… ahem… weird with just me and claire in the car… she and I are a bit too into music videos. Soooo Check this out. It’s fun haha

Our little adventure started on our way to the Sunrise Visitor Center. As we were driving through the lush forest, we almost hit a bear who simply bolted across the street!

We decided to do a loop hike and ended up on Burroughs Mountain. It offers EPIC views of the National Park and is simply a beautiful hike. We saw bears, coyotes, and very few people.

As you can see, this was clearly a necessary detour from the pacific coast highway through Washington.

At the end of the day, we went to a tavern.

Shelby and Claire had to leave that day to drop Claire off at the airport and left me there. I ended up sleeping in Shelby’s sisters boyfriends trailer next to the tavern. There was no cell service. Some might even say it was sketchy, sleeping in a random mans trailer in the middle of the woods next door to a tavern without cell service, but alas, what would this trip be if there wasn’t some level of uncertainty?

When I woke up the next day, I was alone. I packed up my stuff, said bye to the dogs who’d slept on me that night and took off to take a quick 4 mile morning hike! It was time to actually get on the pacific coast highway through Washington!

Highway 410 goes straight through Mt. Rainier National Park.

I somehow, in my 2001 hatchback VW Passat got in the middle of a group of dudes cruising in their porches through the thick forest. That highway eventually turns into 123 which eventually turns into 12.

On 12 you will pass just north of the Mt. Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument. I was unable to go see that because I had to get to my couch surfing hosts house by a certain time. I did stop at the forest service station and get info though.

At some point during the day, I stopped near Riffe Lake in Mossy Rock, Washington, walked a ways, to lay in the grass and take a quick nap.

The people who I was planning on couch surfing with didn’t actually live in Astoria.

They live in Seaside, Oregon.

The Pacific Coast Highway will be continued in the Oregon segment next week! But to leave you with an obligatory and attention catching cliff hanger….

That night, we ended up seeing sea things, going out for their male strippers birthday (no stripping happened), and spontaneously staying in a Coastal Mansion for free…

STAY TUNED!

And as always…

Happy Travels Travelers!