The Great American Road Trip Season 3, Part 3: NW Oregon
I have to tell you: I love the PNW! So many good things happened around every bend this past month! Some friends came to visit for a few days, we met so many incredible new people and dogs, and I somehow lucked out with another bucket-list beach horseback ride! Plus, we had nothing but sweater-weather, which is my absolute fav.
This month’s adventures started off at one of my most-anticipated spots of the trip: Tillamook! If you know me, you know I looooooove cheese. And if you know Greg, you know he loooooooves ice cream. We’ve been enjoying Tillamook products this entire trip and were so excited to see where they were all made. When we arrived at the factory, we started off with some cheesy bites from their kitchen, which were, of course, delicious. Then we moved on to the ice cream tour, which started out with an ice cream sandwich as an appetizer! Hah! Our guide taught us all about the history of Tillamook, how the ice cream is made, and then sliced open four big ice cream containers by cutting them straight down the middle. We got to taste all four flavors but I’ll admit that Greg got most of mine — I was way too full to eat it all! We did a bit of shopping at the gift shop afterward and went home very full and very happy.
A few short days later, our good friends, Bob and Dawn, met us at our next stop in Fort Stevens. We had a wonderful time together with lots of conversation, good food, location scouting (we are still working, after all), and a quick trip to see the Goonies house in Astoria! Bob and Dawn recently retired from their jobs and are getting ready to sail around the world on their boat, SV WorkLife Balance, to live their ultimate adventure. We are so excited to follow along on their travels and see where the wind takes them!
Fort Stevens was such a beautiful place to stay. We were tucked cozily in the trees but Greg somehow found us a spot where our Starlink would still work! We saw elk almost every night and enjoyed spending time at the nearby beach. We even caught a rare sunset one evening by the old shipwreck! The nearly-empty beach stretched for miles and miles — so far that it just faded into the ocean mist. It was truly a sight to see!
The Dogs of Northern Oregon
After we said goodbye to Bob and Dawn, it was time to focus on our trip sponsor photo shoots! We had way too many incredible applications come in this month and I simply couldn’t resist photographing a few extra pups!
Dizzy (the bouncing pup) and Keely (the adorable little Pom mix) both modeled Wellness treats for us. Their mom is a trainer and these two were some of the most tricked-out dogs I’ve ever met. They knew everything! Dizzy and Keely loved to have fun, play, run, and JUMP! Dizzy was on springs and was so happy bouncing all around! Keely loved getting snuggles and pets but when it was time to relax and have a little fun, she took off in full zoomie mode! This was such an incredibly fun photo shoot with lots of happy moments and laughter!
Fletcher the Corgi also modeled Wellness Puppy Bites for us and he absolutely loved them! Yum! Fletcher was doing all of his tricks for the treats, too, including the cutest little “shake.” He was so silly when he saw the treat and knew he was about to get it — like in this captured moment — he would lock eyes on it and start licking his lips, getting ready with anticipation. He knew he was being the goodest boy and he knew that treat would soon be in his belly!
We found the most picturesque little park on a lake for Fletcher’s shoot and ended up with the prettiest, sunniest, sparkliest day. I couldn’t have dreamed up a better scene or model!
Kearney (the Golden) and Halsey (the Malinois) modeled some of my favorite P.L.A.Y. toys. Keely loved the Camp Corbin Pack Leader Lantern and happily held onto it while she led the way through the forested trail! Halsey is a ball dog and loves playing fetch so we decided to have a little fun in the sand and surf with the Go-Go Astro Ball! Keely, Halsey, and Sandy’s mom (you’ll meet Sandy in a minute) is also a trainer and these pups were absolutely amazing with everything we asked of them. We felt so lucky to have had such a perfect day with three perfect pups!
Sandy (GSD mix) and Lulu (one-eyed rescue pittie) totally rocked their shoots for GoldPaw! The PNW weather sure was keeping us on our toes (Forecasted sunshine? Nah, here are some clouds!) so we got to photograph a whole variety of GoldPaw products this month!
Sandy modeled the Stretch Fleece in Leopard. I absolutely love GoldPaw fleece (I own many of their human leggings) and thought Sandy looked sooooooo good in the leopard print! It was perfect with her fur and looked gorgeous in the warm sunset light on the cool, cool day! Sandy had so much fun climbing over the driftwood and running in the surf!
The moment I saw Lulu’s application come through, I knew I had to work with her and that she was going to be a GoldPaw superstar! I just love the new Featherweight Air Harnesses and their bright colors and had a feeling Lulu would be the perfect gal to show them off — and she was! We sized her for the Miami color pattern and it looked so pretty against her fur! Lulu was the happiest, smiliest girl and I’m so thrilled we got to work with her!
Giving Back: Clatsop Animal Assistance
During our photo shoot with Lulu, her mom mentioned that she works at the local animal shelter, Clatsop Animal Assistance. We got to talking and when Lulu’s mom began to ask if we would consider coming to the shelter to photograph the adoptable dogs, I was already answering, “Yes! Absolutely! 100%! Let’s do it!” before she could even finish the question. That was on Saturday. On Monday, we got approval from the powers-that-be at the shelter, and began planning for the following Sunday afternoon.
I had that little voice in the back of my head, though, that kept saying “you can do MORE for the animals, Terran!” So, I immediately thought, “let’s get our trip sponsors involved!” I emailed Wellness, P.L.A.Y., and GoldPaw to ask if they would consider making a donation. All three wrote back immediately with an enthusiastic, “Yes, of course!”
✅ GoldPaw donated a mountain of their awesome Buddy Braids and Limited Edition Bandanas.
✅ P.L.A.Y. sent a package chock-full of Go-Go Astro Balls, ZoomieRex IncrediBalls, and the cutest little Feline Frenzy cat toys.
✅ And last but certainly not least, Wellness sent a box overflowing with Grillin’ Grub, Puppy Bites, and Lickable Treats for the shelter kitties!
When Sunday came, we ended up photographing 17 dogs and one kitty over the course of about four hours. We had three volunteers helping out and everything went so smoothly and perfectly! Greg and I were absolutely thrilled to be able to photograph all the animals — some of whom have been at the shelter for over seven months. Here’s a short, happy, little video we made about our day at the shelter (make sure to turn your sound on):
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Beach Rides & Historical Hikes
Lulu’s mom, Amanda, and I discovered that we had a lot in common: a shared love of pitties, animal rescue, and… horses! In fact, she has a horse and invited me out on a beach ride!
The barn owners allowed me to take out a sweet horse named Junior and we had the very best time! I was so excited and happy, I couldn’t stop smiling the entire time. We were lucky and got the sun-shiniest day. The beach was nearly empty and stretched as far as the eye could see in both directions. I truly can’t get over how few people there are on the Oregon coast — and how few houses! Coming from San Diego where the beaches are packed no matter the time of year and houses are built up to the cliff edge, experiencing such a vast expanse of coastal nature feels very luxurious. I will be forever grateful to my new friend, Amanda, for this incredibly special day!
Greg and I always enjoy getting out and learning about what makes each area we visit unique. We learned that the nearby Fort Clatsop was where Lewis & Clark spent the winter of 1805 – 1806 so we decided to go check it out! We followed the beautiful walking path along the river and through the pine-scented forest to reach the old fort. While this is a reconstruction of the original, it was pretty amazing to experience what life was like for them. We enjoyed our time here so much, we stopped in at the visitor center to get a pin that we hung on our screen door grille alongside all the other special parks and stops we’ve made (there’s a Tillamook pin hanging there, too).
We truly had a wonderful time in the Northern Coastal Oregon area. We left with so many happy memories and are grateful for each and every one of them! I know Greg and I will remember this special place and all the people, dogs, and horses for a very, very long time!
Where are we going next?
We’re heading to the northwestern-most point of the lower 48 — but not before a stop at The Quileute Reservation! For all of my fellow Twilight fans from back in the day, this is the Tribe featured in the stories. Team Jacob!
Don’t miss Part 4 of our 2O24 Adventure: Olympic Peninsula!
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Did you miss the other posts in this series?
Part 1: A New BeginningPart 2: Checking off the Bucket List in S. OregonPart 4: The Magic of the Northwestern United States
Vickie says
Yet another lovely update to your wonderful trip. It is sad to see so many puppers awaiting homes in the shelter but you made each and every one of them look amazing! Best wishes to all that they find cool homes soon.