As we headed further northwest, we became more excited about seeing the Pacific coast, which would be a first for both of us. In an effort to reach this goal, we decided to begin going towards Washington. We drove from our spot in Montana to northern Idaho and spent one night at the Cabellas there. To our surpise, it was packed with other full-timers who were just passing through like us. Also, there was an accommodating dump station (unfortunately, it was closed during the time we were there) and fresh water.
The next day we drove through part of Washington and ended up in Oregon, along the Columbia River. The terrain was a little barren, but at least we were by the river! We watched barges pass by every day. The most inconvenient thing about this spot was the heat – on our second day there the temperature went up to 104 degrees. We were able to run our fans off of the solar panels, though. We only stayed in Oregon for one week because of the heat and also because we were ready to see the Pacific ocean in Washington.
We stayed near Ocean Shores, Washington at a casino/hotel that had a separate area for campers to stay that was one mile from the beach. We had so much fun at this spot and took advantage of its convenient location. Every day, we walked to the beach or rode our bikes along it. The water was too cold for swimming, of course, but we enjoyed wading in it and it was nice to be in 60-70 degree weather again. We also rode our bikes to the state park that was nearby. For an extra fee, we were able to swim in the hotel’s pool as well, which we did every single night while we were there.
During our time near Ocean Shores, we were able to watch the fourth of the July fireworks. This was an experience like none other because, not only did the hotel set off fireworks, but there were hundreds of people on the beach who were setting off their own fireworks too.
Overall, we had a great time in Washington and our first time seeing the west coast was unforgettable.
So, check back here next time as we head south from Washington to find some other amazing places.
Army Corps of Engineers Campground on the Columbia River
Rating:
3 out of 5 stars
Comments:
The time of year we were there (June) was way too hot. Also, anyone else who stayed there either looked like they’d been there a little too long or like they were just passing through.
Cell Service:
– Google Fi (combination of US cellar, T-mobile, and Sprint): 4 bars of LTE
– Verizon: 4 LTE bars (with a booster)
Weather:
– High was in the low 100’s
– Low was in the low 80’s
Time of Year:
End of June
Recommended Places to See & Things to do:
– Go kayaking, fishing, or boating of some sort
Quinault Beach Resort & Casino
Rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Comments:
As mentioned previously, we loved this place. The location was ideal. The only thing we didn’t like was that it was a bit crowded and the beach could’ve been a little cleaner.
Cell Service:
– Google Fi (combination of US cellar, T-mobile, and Sprint): 3 bars of LTE
– Verizon: 4 LTE bars (with a booster)
Weather:
– High was in the upper 70’s
– Low was in the low 50’s
Time of Year:
Beginning – Middle of July
Recommended Places to See & Things to do:
– We definitely recommend getting the pool pass from the hotel.
– We were very glad we had our bikes at this spot and used them constantly, especially since the hotel was a long walk away from our campsite.
– Of course, spend time at the beach!
Follow the adventures!
