Category: Pacific Northwest

Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska are each beautiful states, and they also are wildly different. From the Arctic Circle to the dry fossil beds of the Oregon plateau, the Pacific Northwest is a wonderful adventure to explore.

The Pacific Northwest of the USA is an incredible place to explore, whether it be for hiking, a luxurious resort or great beer. Between the National Parks and the beaches, the rain forest and the Columbia Gorge, what’s not to love? The PNW as we call it, includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho and (I think) British Columbia.

If you’re looking for information to plan a trip to Olympic National Park or if you think a brisk beach trip is a great idea, we’ve got you covered. Looking for mountain goats on Mount Rainier? We can help with that too!

And don’t forget Oregon and the Columbia River Gorge. Endless waterfalls, wine country and even more National Park sites make Oregon a treat to explore. Check out our road trip plans all around the Pacific Northwest for great travel ideas.

Westport Maritime Museum Westport Washington Coast

Pacific Northwest, Washington State

Planning a Trip to Westport: super chill Washington coast

If you grew up in the Seattle area you know that going to the ocean is a production. You have to plan it out, get up early, pack up everything you could possibly need, […]

Rob Taylor Watercolor of Amtrak Empire Builder passing Glacier National Park in Fall 1

Montana, Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountain Region

Amtrak Train to Glacier National Park: the Beautiful Empire Builder Route

Train travel is so common around the world, but here in the United States most of us always opt to fly places. Our first family train travel was taking Amtrak to Glacier National Park […]

Mossy gorge and waterfalls in Rainforest Sol Duc Falls Olympic National Park 9

National Parks, Pacific Northwest, Washington State

Hiking Sol Duc Falls and the northern rainforest of Olympic National Park

When you visit the Puget Sound area or more specifically the Olympic Peninsula, you’re bound to want to make a gazillion stops. We could tell you that every stop is awesome and worth your […]

Taylor Family hiking Grove of the Patriarchs Mt Rainier National Park 14

National Parks, Pacific Northwest, Washington State

The Grove of the Patriarchs: old growth forest hiking in Mt Rainier National Park

We’ve got another great, easy hike with kids to share! Our favorite hikes take us places with sweeping views and unusual sights, but we also love huge trees. The Hoh Rainforest is at the […]

Nothing could be more PNW than #biking in Seattle. Using Ofo bikes with easy bike routes in Seattle is an ideal day outdoors. 2traveldads.com

Pacific Northwest, Washington State

Biking in Seattle: bike routes and using bike sharing apps

One of our favorite things to do with the kids when we’re traveling is to go biking. We try to do it anywhere possible and it turns out that it’s even fun in our […]

Hanging tree cave at Kalaloch Olympic National Park 6

National Parks, Pacific Northwest, Washington State

Camping at Kalaloch and exploring Olympic National Park

The Pacific Northwest is a dream destination for so many. Sure, we have our rain and grey skies, but we also have incredible mountains, beaches and forests. Olympic National Park is the perfect spot […]

Hiking Spruce Trail in Hoh Rainforest Olympic 3 header

National Parks, Pacific Northwest, Washington State

Exploring the Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park

Unless you grew up in the Pacific Northwest you probably think right away of tropical destinations when you hear the term “rainforest.” We actually have several protected, temperate rainforests here in Washington State. Exploring […]

West Coast weekends are the best for exploring and relaxing. From beers in the Columbia Gorge to small towns just beyond the city, we've got lots of ways to relax and recharge being an Ultimate Seekender. 2traveldads.com

California, Oregon, Pacific Northwest, Southwestern US, Washington State

West Coast Weekend trips: exploring new cities one weekend at a time

It’s no secret that we love the weekends. I mean, who doesn’t? With or without the kids we try to break away to a new city or visit one of our old favs whenever […]

Travel on the weekend is the best way to get some good relaxation in and to recharge for the rest of life. Hood River, Oregon is a great location to explore and relax. Go be a seekender! 2traveldads.com

Oregon, Pacific Northwest

Things to do in Hood River, Oregon: relaxing with family time

There are days or weeks when we are just worn out; sometimes it’s from traveling a ton and sometimes it’s just because life can be a lot to deal with. That’s why we always […]

Pacific Northwest, Washington State

A weekend in Port Townsend, Washington: Victorian charm meets the outdoors

More often than not we find ourselves visiting places we’ve been 10,000 times. We don’t live far from Port Townsend, Washington and that’s where a lot of our family is so we are there […]

Colorful sky and Mt Baker at Dungeness Spit National Wildlife Refuge Sequim 1

Pacific Northwest, Washington State

Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge: PNW nature at its finest

We love our hikes. Winter, summer, whenever. We also love visiting beaches. Have you ever done beach hiking? Beach hiking is an awesome challenge because it is so different than hiking on a hard […]

Taylor Kids in Volunteer Park Conservatory Capitol Hill Seattle 7

Pacific Northwest, Washington State

Seattle’s Volunteer Park: a perfect break within the city

When you’ve lived in Seattle for a long time, you stop trying to find new things to do or you forget the fun things you used to do. When we were much younger, Chris […]

Taylor family at Port Townsend Marine Science Center 5

Pacific Northwest, Washington State

Local learning at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center

We’ll never get tired of sharing certain types of things with the world. We have our favorite destinations and activities and we’ll share lots of different ways to experience them. Port Townsend, Washington is […]

Pacific Northwest, Washington State

The prettiest spots in Washington State

We recently put out an itinerary for doing a road trip loop around the Puget Sound here in Washington State. With that, we got a few emails and questions about where to find the […]

Full Taylor Family hiking at XY Lakes Talkeetna Alaska 1b

Washington State

Hiking Safety and Family Travel Tips for Exploring with Kids

We always are traveling with friends or family, internationally and locally. Not everything we do is a group activity, but a lot of things are. Hiking as a group is always fun and usually is […]

Kenmore Air seaplanes in harbor at Orcas Island Rosario Resort 1

Pacific Northwest, Washington State

Destination Dining with the Pretty Fork: an Orcas Island food escape

Okay, new favorite thing to do on a Thursday afternoon: destination dining. Whaaaaa? Yep, it’s the coolest and most unusual, but most Pacific Northwest thing you can possibly do. The Pretty Fork, a local […]

Taylor Family at Lake Cushman family reunion HowWeFamily 1

Pacific Northwest, Parenting, Washington State

Our Annual Family Reunion Trip – #HowWeFamily

Every year we get together with our family for a big family reunion trip. Hold up, that’s a vague statement because our family is enormous. We get together annually with our immediate family for […]

Seattle is a great starting point for a Puget Sound loop roadtrip showing you the best of the PNW! 2traveldads.com

Pacific Northwest, Washington State

Puget Sound Itinerary: Things to Do and See for 2 Weeks in Washington

Want to know how to spend 2 weeks in Washington State and get a taste of the Pacific Northwest? This perfect Pacific Northwest itinerary will keep you on track and get you into nature while still enjoying all the amenities of city life.

Clear water and colorful rocks and rainbow at Silver Falls Mt Rainier National Park 1

National Parks, Pacific Northwest, Washington State

Silver Falls, Mt Rainier Nat’l Park: not to be missed

We’re going to do a stereotypical and highly ridiculous thing. A lot of writers will tell you about the “only sight you need to see in…” or the “absolute most perfect…” and we try […]

Old Houses in Roslyn Washington 1 header

Pacific Northwest, Washington State

A not-so Northern Exposure weekend in Roslyn, Washington

Roslyn, Washington may be ell know for fiming of the show Northern Exposure, but there is so much more! After a foiled attempt at camping up at Lake Easton in the Cascade Mountains, we ended up in Roslyn and found love in the Quirky and Adorable setting that makes this town great!