We set out for the Pacific Northwest in early July with a loose plan for a four-week road trip. In true “overachiever” fashion, it turned into six weeks of trails, gravel rides, breweries, and vanlife mixed with a little family time.
Two years ago, while living in Texas, we converted a Dodge Ram Promaster into a camper van. It wasn’t meant to be a full-time home, but when life took a turn, it became the perfect base for this trip. We split our time between vanlife camping and crashing in my cousin’s basement, filling our days with gravel rides, trail runs, brewery stops, and the kind of conversations that make you rethink your future.
The result? A soul-awakening journey that reinforced our decision to pack up our lives and move West.
Here’s our six-week Pacific Northwest road trip itinerary:
Day 1 – 5: Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, OR
We drove straight from Utah to Wallowa-Whitman National Forest to avoid camping in the heat. Ryan found us a perfect dispersed camping spot off Mount Emily Road just outside La Grande, Oregon — surrounded by gravel roads and trailheads.
One evening, we strapped Matilda into her backpack and biked to a wild blueberry patch we spotted earlier in the week. We picked until Matilda decided she had enough, then biked home to snack in the van.
On our last night, we visited Side A Brewing in La Grande — great beer, good food, and a dog-friendly patio for Matilda. Bonus: there was a local dog park nearby.
Rides & Runs
Day 6 – 7: Leavenworth, WA
We met my cousin and his family in Leavenworth, a Bavarian-style village that feels like a postcard. The Alpine RV Park & Campground was a short bike ride from downtown, and while we skipped the German beer and pretzels, we loved Yodelin Broth Company for lunch.
We ran along the Wenatchee River and Ryan tackled a steep bike climb (that was a bit more than he bargained for). The rest of our time here was spent relaxing and catching up.
Rides & Runs
Day 8 – 17: Snoqualmie, WA
This was our PNW home base — my cousin’s place in Snoqualmie. We finally had locals to share our love of outdoor adventure with, and they gave us a long list of trails and rides. Not to mention, a bucket list of activities that we want to do in the future (hello Unbound 2026, AlCan Highway and a weeks-long bikepacking trip).
We spent a lot of time in North Bend (loved it) and took a day trip into Seattle. Highlights: Vietnamese sesame balls from Mee Sum Pastry by Pike Place Market, Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour, and banh mi from Saigon Deli.
But mostly, we soaked up Snoqualmie and North Bend (spoiler: we loved it).
Rides and Runs
Day 18 – 23: Olympic National Forest
Olympic wasn’t in our original plan — but when we extended the trip for a future lookout tower stay, it became a great detour.
We started at Brown Creek Campground, trail running nearby and riding the Olympic Bridges Overnighter, a 40-mile gravel loop that we loved. Later, we drove north to NF-25 where we hiked Murhut Falls with Matilda and Lower Lena Lake. Our camping plans shifted when a small wildfire broke out near our site off NF-25. We self-evacuated and moved back to FR-2350 near Brown Creek Campground to wrap up our stay.
This was also the first time we used our newly purchased Starlink. We quickly learned thick forests don’t jive well with video calls for work.
Rides and Runs
- Brown Creek Campground 6-Mile Trail Run
- Olympic Bridges Overnighter
- Lower Lena Lake Trail
- Murhut Falls Trail
- Spider Lake Trail
- Duckabush River Trail to Five Mile Camp
Day 24 – 25: Portland, OR
Portland was short but memorable — backyard camping via HipCamp, laundry, showers, and brewery hopping. We even “urban camped” in a friend’s business parking lot (a highlight for Ryan).
We loved Everywhere Brewing and the Birria PDX Madison food truck. We also got to run along the Willamette Riverfront before heading east toward Hood River.
Day 26: Hood River, OR
On a friend’s recommendation, we stopped in Hood River. It was instant love. The beer, food and views at Ferment Brewing Company and pFriem Family Brewers were unreal. Ryan crowned Ferment his top beer stop of the trip.
We couldn’t resist coming back later—and for good reason.
Coffee lovers: Moby Coffee Roasters in Parkdale is a must. Their coffee and spiced donuts are unforgettable. I still can’t stop talking about them.
Day 27: Sisters, OR
This surprise stop turned into a highlight. Thanks to Dirty Freehub and Sisters Trail Alliance, we found quite a few gravel routes here.
We camped off NF-2058 and rode the Cowboy Preacher gravel route — 38 miles, 2,100 feet of elevation gain, and some pretty epic views of the Three Sisters mountains.
The trail network in and around town really is a huge bonus for this area. It’s also the main reason we decided to stop back through Sisters on our return from Bend.
Gravel Rides
Day 28 – 30: Bend, OR
We planned our whole trip around Bend. It’s an outdoor lover’s hub and we were psyched to finally get to explore it. But in midsummer, it was busy—maybe too busy.
Still, the brewery scene delivered: Van Henion Brewing Company and Crux Fermentation Project were standouts. We also bought last minute tickets to the CAAMP concert at the amphitheatre right on the Deschutes River.
On the trail side, we checked out Shevlin Park for a six-mile loop run.
Trail Runs
Day 31 – 33: Sisters, OR (Return Stop)
Knowing that we needed to get back into the Mount Hood area for the lookout tower, we returned to Sisters At Creekside Campground, we reset with showers and laundry. We also grabbed a quick lunch at The Barn which had food trucks in the backyard and beer on tap.
It proved to be another great spot because Peterson Ridge trails were just around the corner. Ryan found two rides in the area and I went for a trail run while we were there.
We also stayed another night off NF-2058 where we left for the Black Butte Loop on our gravel bikes. It might have been a better ride for a mountain bike, but we still enjoyed it!
Rides and Runs
Day 34 – 40: Mount Hood, OR
Back to Hood River and Mount Hood for one of the best stretches of the trip. We hiked Tamanawas Falls trail, getting the falls to ourselves. The following morning, we found a Columbia River Gorge ride through RidewithGPS. After the ride, we drove over to White Salmon and grabbed lunch at Everybody’s Brewing.
At a friend’s recommendation, we explored Government Camp and drove up to Timberline Lodge. No hiking, but the views and people watching was well worth it.
Our primary camping spots were off NF-44 with epic views of Mount Hood. There were a lot of trails in the vicinity, so we ran and mountain biked from the van.
The grand finale? A night in Fivemile Butte Lookout, with 360-degree stargazing.
Rides, Hikes and Runs
Day 41: Boise, ID
On the drive back to Salt Lake City, we split up the 10-hour haul with a night in Boise. After visiting Barbarian Brewing’s Garden City location, we slept at a rest stop, then made the final push home.
The end of an epic PNW adventure—six weeks, hundreds of miles on the bike, endless trail runs, more breweries than we can count and the memories that convinced us: West is home.