Maddie's Moments in Exploring the Pacific Northwest

Happy Monday! I thought I would start out this week with a quick time travel back to this summer, as I'm sure we're all missing the warm weather. During the first week of July, I had the privilege of going to visit family in Portland. We took this as an opportunity to explore the beautiful landscapes of the Pacific Northwest and tour some colleges. As this trip was the first time I've visited that area, it opened my eyes to the climate and culture of this region.

We started our trip with a flight into Portland mid-afternoon, renting a car when we arrived then driving to my aunt and uncle's apartment in the city.

They took us on a quick walking tour of the area, stopping by some local shops and walking along the waterfront.

We had a nice dinner in that night (shout out to Jimmie's cooking!) then took the next day as college tour days of the University of Oregon and Oregon State University. Both were really nice schools, U of O had some newer updated buildings and historical buildings, and Oregon State had a very green campus with lots of trees. We stopped for lunch in Eugene at a cute little brunch place.

The next day (Happy 4th of July!) we took a gorgeous hike on the Trail of Ten Falls at Silver Falls State Park, just under 8 miles. Here's some highlights:

The next day, we took a 5 mile walk around the city, stopping by the Japanese and Rose gardens. This was our last day in Portland, and we packed up to head to Seattle. Our first day in Seattle, we took a tour of the University of Washington. I loved this school, it was gorgeous, in a great part of the city, and had beautiful architecture. Not to mention the spring cherry blossoms. I just wish it was closer to home! After our quick tour we spent the end of this day and the better part of the next exploring Seattle, including the famous Pike's Place Market. Yes... we even saw the flying fish and the gum wall.

Our final day, we took a tour of the space needle and Chihuly glass exhibit (must do's of Seattle) and had some really yummy Thai food. That evening, we decided-based on the suggestion of some locals-to take a ferry over to Bainbridge Island, which was probably my highlight of the trip. A super cute area, and a nice ferry back at sunset.

Overall, this trip was a nice change of scenery from the monotony of the midwest and had some much needed relaxation after a busy previous week (more on that later!) See you next week, and check out my print shop. Link in bio of instagram and here. Please please please update with any issues or any suggestions for additional designs!