ANGELA B. PAN

Looking back on 2019, I would have to say that Oregon was one of the most memorable trips of the year. It was Andrew and I’s first time visiting and it has made such a last impression on us. Not only do we only buy Tillamook ice cream at the grocery store now (if you haven’t, you should definitely try it. It’s so creamy), but the views and overall feeling of calm were just the best.

Don’t be surprised if you see us going back again soon!

This image was taken on our way to the Columbia River Gorge. I had been driving down the highway and saw all these amazing views. I knew there had to be a place where we could pull over and take some pictures. I started seeing signs for a place called “Vista House” and figured that would probably be the place I wanted to be. We finally found it and it lived up to its name.

But that’s also not to say that I didn’t have a great time on all my other travels. Images of Taiwan will start next week!

My camera settings for this image are F8 at 1/2500th sec and ISO 400 with my Sony A7II and 70-200mm.

I feel in love with Oregon. I loved every minute we were there. I felt so at peace and calm during our whole road trip across the state, I would highly recommend it to anyone who’s considering visiting the Pacific Northwest.

The real reason we went was to celebrate my birthday and to visit a place we had never been to. Portland was a city that both Andrew and I had heard was a fun place to be but never been. But we also knew it was the place to be if you like good food and weird things. Both did not disappoint!

Since this was our first time visiting Oregon, we didn’t really know what to expect. We’ve been back for less than a month, I already know of somethings that I would do differently. With that said, we will be back again. Both Andrew and I left with the feeling of wanting to see and do more. But I think that’s the sign of an amazing trip. Prior to the trip, I did tons of research on the Oregon coast on Pinterest and asked some friends who I knew had visited before. Through my research, I quickly realized that Oregon is a very dog-friendly state. Minus Crater Lake that doesn’t allow dogs in most areas of the park, Frankie was allowed everywhere else we wanted to go. So we booked 3 plane tickets off we went!

Here is a recap of everything we did and the things I would do differently next time:

Day 1: Fly into Portland

We arrived early in the afternoon, grabbed our rental car and went straight to pick up the essentials: Blue Star Donuts. I know I don’t normally give food recommendations but if you like fancy donuts, then Blue Star is where you want to be. I’ll have another donut recommendation later on our trip that ended up being our favorite.

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