As Dorothy says in The Wizard of Oz, “there is no place like home,” but I like to think it is traveling away from your home that helps you deepen that appreciation, discover new ways of being that you can incorporate into your day-to-day life, and certainly find unique items with which to adorn your home. While I enjoy organizing and decorating and hosting in my home, I am not a homebody. In fact, I love to travel and see how other people do “home.”
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Therefore, when travel came to a halt during the pandemic, all I could think about was the places I wanted to go. I certainly enjoyed the uninterrupted time to work on house projects, but I could not wait to have adventures again. This desire got me to thinking about a goal I had set years ago—travel to all 50 states by the age of 50. I called this goal “50 by 50.”
This road trip from Napa to Seattle, where I got to knock off Oregon and Washington from my not-visited-states list, is the first of many trips where I will be seeking to meet that “50 by 50” goal of mine. For those of you who have never had this goal, my hope is this post and subsequent ones will encourage you to see more of the United States. Being exposed to other cultures, seeing regional architecture, and exploring antique malls in other states make traveling a learning and entertaining experience worth having. I would love it if you join me in this goal of traveling to all 50 states! (Tag me on Instagram @inheritedandco if you decide to take on this #All50StatesByTheAgeOf50 goal too.) For those of you who are here for the travel details, my hope is you can shorten your own planning time for these particular states by reading this blog post.
50 by 50
Before I get into the details of my Napa to Seattle Road Trip, here is the breakdown of the states I have and have not visited. After this trip, I have visited 32 states, and I have 18 to go.
- Visited—Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia
- Not Visited—Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Montana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming
Napa to Seattle Road Trip
This Napa to Seattle Road Trip was two weeks long, fourteen days with two of those days being airline travel days. It was intentionally a mixture of rest and adventure to accommodate the different traveling styles of me and my husband. If you and your traveling partner are travelers who like to be on-the-go, you could certainly squeeze in more activities, with exploring San Francisco being one I would suggest. Roughly our days were broken up like this—2 days in California, 6 days in Oregon, 4 days in Washington.
Below find a list of activities and accommodations I have personally enjoyed in each area:
Napa Valley & the Redwoods
The California portion of this Napa to Seattle Road Trip was light on activities because I have visited this area several times, and my husband had a business conference in the area. I just enjoyed the Napa resort until he was finished with his meetings, and we were able to take off for the Redwoods. However, if you wanted to “flesh out” this portion of your Napa to Seattle trip, San Francisco could be a nice add-on.
- Explore San Francisco—Fly into SFO and spend some time in the city before taking the hour drive to Napa. If you spend the night here, we have personally enjoyed our stay at The Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco. Tourists’ attractions and activities that I have enjoyed here are:
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- Alcatraz Island
- Cable Car Ride
- Chinatown
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Pier 39 & Fisherman’s Wharf
- Historic Ghirardelli Square
- Lombard Street
- Jack Early Park
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- Take a Napa Valley Tour—Obviously, when in Napa, drink wine! I suggest hiring a tour guide so you can enjoy your time responsibly when visiting several vineyards. One of the vineyards that sticks out in my mind is Mumm Napa, with its tasty sparkling wines and the beautiful views.
- Drive (&/or Hike) the Avenue of the Giants—Take a picturesque drive through the Humboldt Redwoods State Park. This scenic area is enroute to the Oregon coast from Napa Valley. We stayed at the nearby Benbow Historic Inn before getting on the route. I would recommend savoring the beauty of this location—stop at the next town north of the Inn (Garberville) and pick up picnic items at the grocery store, roll down your windows and open the sunroof on your drive through the trees to one of the picnic tables along the route, and afterwards take a hike through the Redwoods.
The Oregon Coast & Portland
- Take a Coastal Drive on 101—We spent about 400 miles driving up the Oregon Coast on U.S. Highway 101. You will get to see some stunning ocean views along this route, as well as several little towns untouched by big box stores. There are plenty of antique stores to stop at and stretch your legs along the way. Highly recommend this drive!
- Stay at a Coastal VRBO with Beach Access—The relaxing portion of our Napa to Seattle Road Trip could not have been more picturesque. I found a VRBO on the Oregon Coast that shared access to a private beach with eight other houses and overlooked one of Oregon’s historic lighthouses. We stayed here for a few days just enjoying the scenery. I read some books, walked on the beach, watched the surfers, and searched for whales. [Note: This VRBO is two units. There is a bottom level to rent, and we stayed on the top level. Two things worth mentioning about the top level of this VRBO should you stay here—(1) There is no AC, which was not an issue with the temperatures and breeze we had, but I’d be mindful of when I booked here because of this factor. (2) There is no full-size fridge. There are six refrigerator drawers instead.]
- Hike to Heceta Head Lighthouse—Our one adventure away from our VRBO during this portion of the trip was to Heceta Head Lighthouse. This hike is at an incline, but the path is paved and wide. When you get to the top, you can get in line to listen to a volunteer tell the history of this lighthouse while exploring the bottom of the structure, or you can just enjoy the view. Another adventure you can take is to hike the narrow, unpaved path that leads you up to eye-level with the light. Afterwards, we went into Florence and had a lunch at a local chain restaurant, Mo’s Seafood & Chowder.
- Visit Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach—On our way to Portland, we stopped to see Haystack Rock. (You might remember Haystack from the Goonies.) The rock formation, the birdlife that has settled there, and the tidepools are quite a natural beauty to see up close. Equally as enjoyable was our lunch at The Wayfarer overlooking this natural wonder.
- Explore Portland—Our stay in Portland was brief. If you are planning a Napa to Seattle Road Trip similar to ours, this is certainly a city where you could spend more time exploring. We were here for one night, stayed at the Kimpton RiverPlace Hotel after a long drive, and explored a couple of stops the next day on our way to Seattle.
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- See Multnomah Falls—Set your alarms early for the best viewing of this waterfall! We arrived at 6:30 a.m. and got to park in the closest lot and have the place basically to ourselves. This stop is quite popular, so having this morning alone there felt quite special.
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- Shop Powell’s Books—As a reader, I had to see the largest used and new bookstore in the world! We were able to park at a nearby paid lot and went straight to the Rare Book Room. I also explored the fiction, history, design, and collectibles sections. If reading is your thing, you could certainly spend several hours here.
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Seattle, Washington & Bainbridge Island
Seattle has a lot going for it, and we just skimmed the surface of things to do in the city. Our focus was on the typical tourist attractions, with a day trip to Bainbridge Island. Nice hotels and restaurants book up quickly, so make reservations earlier than you would normally. Unfortunately, we were unable to get into any of the restaurants on our wishlist. The hotel we ended up staying at, Thompson Seattle, was in the perfect location, had a lovely rooftop bar, and had a restaurant but did not offer dinner room service.
- Enjoy Sunset at Kerry Park—Work a visit to this little park into your Seattle plans. The view of the skyline is beautiful from here, and we even saw Mount Rainier. We were able to parallel park easily in the neighborhood that surrounds this park, and even with a large crowd, we found an unoccupied bench to sit at and enjoy the view.
- Visit the Space Needle—This tourist stop goes without saying. Be prepared for crowds, though, even early in the day! It took us just over two hours to get to the top and explore. (FYI—They have valet parking.) The Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum is right next door, and there is a bundle price for getting both tickets.
- Shop Pike’s Place Market—Such a fun and lively outing! I ended up watching the fish ordered and thrown, shopping the stalls of handmade and locally grown items, ordered a latte from the original Starbucks, and people watched.
- Ferry to Bainbridge Island—We took our car on the ferry, and I am happy we did this instead of walking on. Many of my favorite activities on the island required driving, and I am not sure if rideshares operate there. We are early risers and took the second earliest ferry over, so crowds and parking were never an issue for us on Bainbridge.
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- Get Coffee & Donuts at Pegasus—Pegasus Coffee House is a quaint and cute coffee shop. We enjoyed a morning latte and vegan donuts here. For someone who has a dairy allergy, the donuts were such a rare and quite delicious treat! A local family we knew joined us, and showed us the starfish that occupy the nearby marina afterwards.
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- Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial—As a former history teacher, I have explored many historical memorials throughout the country and Europe. This particular memorial, marking the first group of Japanese Americans forcibly removed from their homes and to internment camps during World War II, is one of the most poignantly and beautifully designed memorials I have ever visited.
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- Shop Downtown Bainbridge Island Stores—The downtown area is filled with cute shops. Some of my favorites were the following:
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- Eagle Harbor Book Co.—The wall of employee recommendations was extensive and helped me find my next read.
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- MD Home—Large selection of beautiful antique rugs with a wonderfully helpful owner.
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- Modest Home Mercantile—The displays of antique and new in this store were simply beautiful and inspiring.
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- Pastiche Antiques—Just off of the main street in downtown, but a must-visit for any antique lover! Packed with finds!
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- Proper Fish—Loved the Prawn Cocktail!
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- Zutto Vintage & Antiques—Lots of booths and various antique finds to explore.
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- Fay Bainbridge Park—Instead of the seals and sea glass other visitors said they had found here, I found a beautifully rocky beach filled with large driftwood logs. My first beach of the sort, so worth the quick visit in my mind!
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Related Posts, Pages, and Sources
- My go-to resources for planning trips and travel are VRBO and Trip Advisor.
- If you are in the process of searching for luggage and travel gear, I own these items for getting to and from my destinations:
- If you are looking for more travel inspiration, check out these posts:
Last Thoughts on Planning a Napa to Seattle Road Trip
Both my husband and I felt this Napa to Seattle Road Trip was one of our favorite vacations we have taken lately. When reflecting on why it ranked so high, we felt it was the gorgeous scenery paired with the bustle of the city. I also enjoyed getting to see two states, Oregon and Washington, that I have never visited. There is not much I would change about this trip other than securing some dinner reservations ahead of time in Seattle.
What stops do you have questions about? What are you left wondering about this area? If you have traveled to this area of the country, what was your favorite activity?
Hopefully, if you are planning a Napa to Seattle Road Trip or Pacific Northwest Road Trip, this list of attractions and activities helps you plan an epic two-weeks or so there. If you end up in California, Oregon, and Washington and try any of these spots, let me know—comment below or tag me on Instagram @inheritedandco. And especially, if you have been inspired to take up the #All50StatesByTheAgeOf50 goal, please reach out and tell me about your adventures! Happy Travels!
