Top Pacific Northwest Bloggers You Need to Follow

I’ll admit it, it’s not all about me!

I started this blog with the humble desire to shout my love of the Pacific Northwest to the world. I wanted to show people how incredibly, fantastically gorgeous my home is. To this day, I am pretty much the only one of several Portland bloggers that focuses strictly on Pacific Northwest travel.

I started this blog write about my travels all around Oregon, Washington state and British Columbia. To tell people where to go to plan that perfect vacation in my neck of the woods.

But also…I want to tell you…

Keeping up a blog is HARD. It’s a huge time sucker-upper. Even though I LOVE it, it’s a LOT of work. Not only do I strive to keep cranking out new, fresh content, I have to make sure that my old content is still relevant. (Hint: Most everything about the Pacific Northwest is relevant!)

I didn’t get into this business just to please you all (well, I sort of did, I really do want to use my blog to connect with people) but I, just like anyone else, need help once in a while. I need people who are doing things similar to me that will help keep me motivated, keep me on the straight and narrow, and let me know that I am not alone in this great big blogging love affair that we can’t live without.

In short, I need inspiration.

And these ladies have given me that.

I have asked all of these wonderful gals three questions:

1. What motivates you to be a blogger and to share your experiences with the world?
2. What do you LOVE about being a travel blogger and what do you NOT LOVE?
3. Any other comments you’d like to share?

And they have been so gracious to answer! So, without further ado, here are a few kick-ass bloggers you should ALSO be reading (besides yours truly.) I invite you to check out their blogs and, like me, get totally inspired by them!

Marissa from Postcards To Seattle

Seattle bloggers are awesome. Marissa is a travel writer and photographer from…yep, you guessed it…fabulous Seattle. Not only does she write about the Pacific Northwest, but mostly about her travels around the world. She’s got some wonderful posts, such as Tips for Solo Female Travel in Morocco. She also shares great travel tips, like Helpful Tips to Plan a Roadtrip.

She says: “The reason I’m a blogger is to inspire others to travel and give them the confidence to explore new places. I try to make it easy for readers to recreate my trip if they want to copy it exactly, or they can choose certain activities or restaurants I recommend to make their own trip. I love visiting new places and having amazing travel opportunities being a travel blogger, but working for myself does require me to be self-motivated to get work done on time.”

Emily from The Mandagies

Here is a husband and wife travel blogging super-couple who have made it their mission in life to bring you all things travel-related, with a TON of great blogs about the Pacific Northwest. They focus on outdoor adventures, such as Yurt Camping in Idaho, and Planning an Epic Trip to the Dolomites of Italy.

Emily says: “I think that living in the Pacific Northwest is motivation in itself! This is such a crazy beautiful part of the country and realized that I could spend my entire life here and still not explore everything. I also discovered that I have a huge passion for writing, so in combination with my husband’s photography, we decided to create a blog to share our little corner of the world. I’m motivated every day by my love for this area, and I want everyone else to experience the Pacific Northwest too. 

I LOVE reading comments and emails from readers and followers! I especially love chatting with people who are planning their first trip out to the Pacific Northwest. I really enjoy helping them find cool places to explore along their route. It brings me so much joy to help others experience this amazing area!

I DON’T LOVE that tasks pile up pretty quickly! There’s so much to do behind the scenes of a travel blog, and literally not enough hours in the day to get it all done!”

Valerie from Maple Leopard

Her website is all about travel AND style. I love it. She covers a wide range of topics, from fashion events to cruise travel, to interviews with top fashion experts. She has traveled extensively all over America, and I enjoy her posts that combine travel and style like 3 Must See Sights in Gastown + Style Guide.

Valerie says: “I am motivated to blog because only certain tips can be shared about a destination by someone who has actually experienced it. I love how blogging allows us to reach a specific audience that is interested in the niche content we put out. Most of all I love the connections and friends I have made from all over the world through blogging.

I love being able to work with tourism boards and travel brands to help them increase their online visibility and showcase what they offer travelers.  What I don’t love: being on social non-stop to drive traffic to your site. Monetizing a travel blog is extremely difficult-  sure we get comped travel but it would be nice to make a full-time income to cover expenses and bills.

Overall I think blogging is an amazing phenomenon that has totally changed the landscape of advertising and marketing.  I ‘ve been at it 5 years and I am constantly in a state of learning. 

Most of all I hope to inspire women 40+ to travel as often as possible and experience the best of life by exploring the globe. My motto” Choose experiences over stuff ( Things.) Memories are eternal.”

Adria from The Emerald Palate

Here is a fellow foodie from Seattle who is passionate about living life to the fullest. Her Seattle food website is a wonder to behold. She’s got the best advice for where to eat, not only in Seattle but in my hometown. I absolutely swooned over her Food Lover’s Perfect Portland Itinerary.

Adria says: “I love the thrill of discovering something new when I travel or eat out, and I want to help every person my content touches feel the same way. I have an obsession with finding “the best” of something, whether it’s the off-beat spots when I’m traveling or the best place to find a specific dish in Seattle. Since I know not everyone has the time or patience for that type of commitment, I like to share what I’ve learned with the world so they can experience it without all the work!

I love the opportunities to travel being a blogger provides, for sure, but I also love the accountability to make my trips really count. Some people think it’s stressful to have to “work” when traveling, but really it helps me be more intentional with the way I spend my time in a new place. 

What I don’t like is the amount of work it takes to have a blog and not always seeing the results that make it feel worthwhile. There have definitely been times I’ve posted a photo on Instagram that I thought was some of my best work and I get no engagement. Putting so much into it and not getting feedback can be demoralizing at times. 

I’m really excited about offering new ways to engage people when they travel. I recently started selling self-guided Seattle food tours, which take the things I like about a tour — the stories, itinerary, and food recommendations — and removes the parts I don’t like as much — crowds, cost, and only visiting businesses willing to work with the tour company. I’m excited to offer people a new way to explore a city like a local.”

Lisa at I Heart Pacific Northwest

This lady has a wonderfully comprehensive website about all things hiking in the PNW – not only does she have a blog with great product reviews and outdoor adventure tips, but she offers book recommendations, hiking resources, and even her own little online shop. Top-notch stuff. I go back to her site again and again to plan my next epic outdoor trip.

“When I moved to Oregon from the Midwest 12 years ago, I had never hiked, backpacked or even camped before. I originally started my blog to share the journey of my move with friends and family back home. Over time, as I became obsessed with hiking and backpacking, my blog focused more and more on that and it becomes a log of every hike I’ve ever done. Now, I also review gear, share backpacking recipes, and how-to info. My goal is to share my experiences with others and give them the skills they need to get out there and discover how empowering the wilderness can be, especially for anyone who considers themselves to not be a typical hiker. Being an outdoors blogger was certainly something I never thought I’d be doing!

I love talking about gear for hiking and backpacking with my friends, and my blog gives me a way to share that info with others. One of my favorite things about doing this is hearing when it helps people I don’t even know. A few years ago, I met a guy in the North Cascades who bought all of his gear based on my blog, and that was quite a surprise! 

The only thing I don’t love about blogging is not having enough time to spend on it. I have so many ideas for content, but I’m also a hiking book author with a third book to finish and a full-time job as a self-employed graphic designer. I manage to keep up with my trip reports, but I’d love to spend more time on the gear, recipes, and how-to info.”

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DO YOURSELF a favor and check out these websites. I’m so glad these ladies are doing what they’re doing. They are an inspiration, not only to me but to travel lovers in general.