The Great American Road Trip Season 3, Part 5: The Finale

Leaving Northwest Washington was hard. We made friends there, enjoyed the small town where we stayed, and had even found a favorite tea spot. But more adventure was out there and it wasn’t going to wait! We had friends to visit, National Parks to explore, and even a wildfire evacuation to keep things interesting…

The landscape changed drastically as we made our way southeast toward Bend, OR. Snow-capped volcanoes dotted the horizon in every direction as we drove through the Cascade Range. The trees became more sparse and fields of dry, golden grasses stretched out before us. The heat and dryness in the air felt familiar and I can’t really say I was happy about it. I enjoyed the new scenery and was excited about where we were going but I already longed for the cool, rainy days of the coast.

Our first stop on our journey south was to meet up with my long-time friend, Mary! We initially met through a group of pet-focused solopreneurs when we were both starting our businesses. At one point, we even had twice-monthly “accountability buddy” calls with each other for an entire year so we could bounce business ideas around and help each other focus on what’s important.

I was so excited to see Mary and visit her home (Sage Hound Farm) to meet all her animals! The farm is absolutely beautiful and I fell madly in love with all the goats (especially Violet, pictured above), chickens, and honeybees. Clear some space, I’m moving in! Hah! Seriously, though, this is a life goal once I’ve gotten the travel bug out of my system. In fact, I’m starting 2025 off by attending an online homesteading summit. I’ll be baking my own bread, growing my own vegetables, and raising livestock in no time! But I digress…

After a few days with Mary, we set off toward Crater Lake. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know we love visiting National Parks so when one is along our general route, we’re going to stop! Our campground was located at nearby Diamond Lake, which is a short drive from Crater Lake. (This is important for later.)

When we caught the first glimpse of Crater Lake, we were in awe. It was absolutely spectacular and we had never seen a lake so perfectly sapphire blue before! We drove around the lake, getting out to walk around at different spots, and were enjoying the day, the incredible scenery, and taking photos when we noticed smoke billowing up behind a mountain peak. Well, let’s be honest, we all know Greg’s the one who spotted it. I’m oblivious most of the time. La la la! 

We didn’t think much of it but when we began our drive back to Sibbie, we realized the fire was pretty darn close to us. As we pulled into the campground, many people were already leaving. We spoke with the camp hosts and they said they were in touch with the fire crews, we weren’t in any danger since the winds were going in the opposite direction, and would let us know if anything changed.

I was nervous, so I started looking at the weather forecast and noticed the winds were supposed to shift toward us overnight. Shortly after my discovery, we had a knock on the door. It was the camp host telling us the same information and that the area is currently under a voluntary evacuation. Not wanting to risk needing to hitch up and leave in the middle of the night, we decided to play it safe and go.

It was already 5:30pm and I asked Greg, “where are we supposed to go now?” We didn’t know but we needed to get on the road. I hopped in the driver’s seat and Greg started researching. We knew we needed to go south, so that’s the direction we drove.

Remember how I said we love National Parks? Greg knew there was a tiny one about 4.5 hours south called Lassen Volcanic National Park. He tried to fit it in to our trip initially but the timing never quite worked… but now we were on the road with an extra day. We don’t like driving the trailer at night (it’s riskier for wildlife running out in the road and it’s incredibly hard to stop quickly with a 10,000-pound trailer attached) but we decided getting to see Lassen was worth it. We arrived at our campsite without incident around 10:00pm, set up as minimally as possible so we didn’t disturb our neighbors, and collapsed into a deep sleep.

The next morning was a bright and early one! We were so excited to visit a new National Park, especially one that wasn’t on the original itinerary. We found a beautiful trail that meandered through some trees and then followed a cascading stream up, up, up to an incredible meadow. I won’t lie, that trail sure gave us a workout but it was worth it.

After our hike, we drove up to 8,200 feet, where we came across Lake Helen, an incredibly pristine blue alpine lake with snow mounds still melting beside the water’s edge — in July. Greg was still hot from our walk and the water looked too tempting. He hopped in! It was absolutely freezing so I left the swimming experience up to him! He lasted a few minutes and that was enough! There were a few other people in the water, too. Brr!

Greg and I truly enjoyed our time at Lassen and are so glad we had the opportunity to visit. It’s a small Park compared to many we’ve visited but it was definitely worthwhile and someplace to check out if you’re also a National Park fan. 

Visiting Lake Tahoe

Our big finale stop for the trip was Lake Tahoe. We absolutely love Tahoe but had never visited during the summer. We knew there would be people but holy crowds, Batman! If you hadn’t claimed a spot on the beach by 9am, forget it. And the traffic to get into some of the popular areas backed up the only road for miles! Lake Tahoe is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been so it’s no wonder tourist season happens in a big way.

Greg books our camp spots well in advance (usually about a year out) so he has the most control over which site we get. He picked the very best one here and I couldn’t have loved it more! We were tucked in to the coziest area among the tall, tall trees, way in the back, away from the crowds and traffic! We even picked up a new string of lights for added ambiance. I’d call this glamping to the max.

Our stop at Lake Tahoe was a bit quicker than we would have liked but we made the most of it! On one of our location scouting days, Greg and I took a few hours to just sit on the beach, relax a bit, and enjoy the day. It was so peaceful, especially because we were in a little cove at the end of a beach all by ourselves. It was perfection! Greg went swimming but it was a bit too cold for me to get all the way in. Hah! We brought sandwiches, snackies, and drinks, so we were all set and I was happy!

Another fun Lake Tahoe adventure was when one of our models, Sam, invited us to go out with her and her family on their boat one day! I believe my answer to her text invite was an immediate “heck yeah!!!” Can I even tell you how much I love boats? Which, really, is quite funny because I can get seasick in flat water (I’m not being sarcastic). I came prepared with dramamine and that helped keep me feeling great ’til the very, very end. :) We had such a fun time chatting, getting to know Sam and Brant, and laughing at the dogs jumping in the water and having a quintessential best-day-ever. Meeting new people and making new friends is one of my favorite things about being on the road! We were very lucky this year in that regard.

The Dogs of Lake Tahoe

It’s not often we get casting applications for Bernese Mountain Dogs so I was absolutely thrilled to see Biggie’s application come in! He is such a big, fluffy, handsome boy and I immediately pictured him with a GoldPaw Sun Shield Tee since I knew it would help keep him cool in the summertime. We had such a fun photo shoot filled with running, playing, and even some swimming! Biggie is a total love and I’m so happy we had the opportunity to meet him and his amazing mama, Casey! I was so grateful they agreed to meet us early, early, early in the morning so we could find a parking spot and hike out to a more private area of the lake. Follow Casey, Biggie, and her new gorgeous Newfie, Chewy, on Instagram @berneseoftahoe.

Our next doggie model was Bernie. Yes, I kept calling Biggie the Berner “Bernie” and Bernie “Biggie.” By the end of these road trips, my brain is usually a mushy mix of all our dog models and I have to tell you, similar dog names in the same week are a real struggle. Haha! Bernie was such a special, friendly, sweet, happy, fluffy li’l dude and I can’t even tell you how much I loved working with him and his mom, Sam! Our shoot was another early morning one and we even saw some bears as we were parking our truck. Luckily, the bears were heading in the opposite direction we were going. We were focused on Wellness for this shoot with their kibble, Bowl Boosters, and WHIMZEES, which were always Roxy’s favorite. Bernie and his mom were the perfect models and had such a beautiful bond that I am excited I had the opportunity to capture. 

It’s rare that we get to work with giant breed dogs on our road trips. For one, not many apply. But secondly, I often don’t have products that match up with their size. But this month was different! P.L.A.Y. was getting ready to launch their new Trailblazing Coat and they had sent me sizes L and XL. I shot the L the month before, so we needed a XL dog who would fit in the coat! Thanks to the help of a few friends, we found Grimm, who was the absolute best model for us! He looked so handsome in the coat and knew all the angles of a doggie supermodel. We shot this in the early morning to avoid crowds and so the temps were a bit cooler. The days were warming up to the 80s so our best bet for a happy, comfortable pup was around sunrise! I also needed to find a spot that could pull off an autumn or “California winter” look. It was a blast working with Grimm!

We wrapped up our stay in Lake Tahoe the very best way possible — our dear friends, Toni, Wesley, and George (the very best cockapoo on the planet), drove 12+ hours from San Diego to come visit us! Toni and George were my old neighbors and I met them shortly before Roxy passed. George had been spending lots of time at our house while his mom was working, out running errands, or traveling. When our hearts broke that late January day, we were so lucky George was there to comfort us and share his magical healing powers. Roxy will always be my heart dog and George will always be my broken heart dog — the dog who helped keep my heart from shattering and who has helped me during the healing process. He is such an incredibly special dog and my heart could burst thinking about how much I love him! I am one lucky Auntie!

Wellness had specifically asked for some Airstream photos while we were in Lake Tahoe and I knew George and his parents would be perfect for our shoot with their super-delish Bowl Boosters. George had become a picky eater this summer but as soon as those Bowl Boosters Hearty Toppers came out, stand back or you might lose a finger! George showed off all his tricks, like give hugs and high-five, and was the perfect li’l model!

GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIP 2O24 ROUND UP

Being on the road is the best. I love living small, I love visiting new places, and I love the freedom of being able to tow my home behind me wherever I want to go — but this year’s travels held a sadness in the air. Roxy’s absence was felt tremendously. I know she was there with us in spirit because I often asked for signs and received them but it’s just not the same as having her physically there. Our travel stops this season were extraordinary, though, and I still can’t believe the number of bucket list items we got to check off our lists. The Pacific Northwest was more than I had ever imagined and I’m already dreaming of going back. From horseback riding on endlessly sprawling beaches to seeing the Northern Lights, to making new friends, volunteering at an animal shelter, and experiencing some of the most incredible scenery I’ve ever laid eyes on, this year was definitely one to remember with joy.

The Great American Road Trip Season 4 is in the Works

 
If you thought that was it, think again! We may be back in San Diego now but it’s only until mid-March! Then, we’re setting out for the first part of our 2025 trip through Arizona. We’ll spend the bulk of April in Phoenix, move up toward Sedona for May, and continue north to Flagstaff in June. We’re making a trip back to San Diego in mid-June for a big family gathering (the family ranch is turning 100!) and will stay until late August. Then, we’re heading to one of my favorite places on earth, Breckenridge, CO, for most of September. In late September, we’ll go down in elevation to Denver to hopefully catch a second wave of autumn in early October. It should be an absolutely spectacular trip and I hope you’ll follow along with us!

DON’T MISS OUR 2O25 ADVENTURE TO ARIZONA & COLORADO!

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Catch up on the other Season 3 Great American Road Trip posts!

Part 1: A New BeginningPart 2: Checking off the Bucket List in S. OregonPart 3: Ice Cream, Shelter Dogs, and HorsesPart 4: Weathery Days, Picturesque Hikes, and New Friends