When I began to plan a summer vacation road trip through Oregon and Washington a couple of years ago, I wanted first-hand accounts (i.e. blogs) about the areas I’d be visiting. I wanted personal stories, not uninspiring factoids about what to see and do. And I wanted them all on one website. A one-stop-shop, if you will. A general website that offered personal essays about all things Oregon and Washington (and maybe even British Columbia, too!).
A place I could go for not only information about what was out there, but articles about personal experiences of all things Pacific Northwest. So, I searched for such a website. And searched…and searched. What did I find?
Not Much
What I found was a gaping hole in the interwebs. Sure, I found dozens of entertaining travel blogs that had one or two articles about my two favorite states, but nothing comprehensive. Nothing I could really sink my teeth into and come back to again and again for the next great PNW article. After much searching, I was convinced such a site did not exist.
Until now!
ExplorerSue
While there are a couple of sites out there that focus on specific niches like hiking the Pacific Northwest, or other lifestyle blogs, I am working hard to make this site the ultimate resource when planning your Pacific Northwest trip, with entertaining stories to boot. Whether it be for one day or for six months, I want my website to inspire you to come here and enjoy one of the most beautiful places on earth.
What I did find, however, was some other wonderful travel blogs that offered incredible singular articles on Oregon and/or Washington. I’m showcasing these articles and bloggers on this post. The following are 8 travel blogging sites that I read regularly, and have inspired trips to not only the PNW, but around the world.
YTravel – Things to Do in Portland, OR
Caz and Craig are an Aussie couple who have made it their life’s work to inspire people to travel the world. They are all about accumulating memories, not possessions, and with two little ones of their own, they show how it is possible to live a life of travel, even with your kids!
Go Nomad – Oregon
With an emphasis on alternative travel, this site is an epic resource for going off the beaten path to anywhere. What is alternative travel, you ask? It is more than just passive, sightseeing travel. It promotes a more in-depth experience where the traveler is engaged with the people, culture and environment of their chosen destination.
Where in the World is Nina? 11 Badass Things to do in Oregon
Nina rocks. She is a nomadic American expat and specializes in female solo travel. Nina tells some pretty great stories, and does it with a charm and wit that I’ve not seen on most other blogs. Since 2011, she has set out to show others how to live a life of travel, providing exceptional travel resources along with her kick-ass stories.
Active Backpacker – What to do in Portland
Tom and Trudy are a young couple from Australia who love life, love people and love food!. Together they backpack around the world, and their passion for all things travel shine through in their blog posts.
Nomadic Samuel – Oregon and Washington
Sam is a young dude who has a great photo and video blog section on his website. He also offers quirky travel tales from around the world. Many experts say that video is the future of travel blogging (vlogging), and this guy is leading the way, with his awesome YouTube videos.
Global Grasshopper – Oregon
Becky is a self-proclaimed semi-nomadic “travel snob”, but I dunno, she seems really nice to me! Focusing on the independent traveler, her posts have a lot of guest bloggers that really cover the spectrum of destinations, and offer inspiring articles and photos to get your travel juices pumping.
Some Great Things are about to Happen
There are so many great travel bloggers out there, it’s impossible to round up all of the good ones. There is such a large world to cover. Some would argue that the travel blogging world is saturated, but I strongly disagree. There are many gaps left wide open in many countless niche categories, and I’m here to say I am filling one of those gaps with my Pacific Northwest travel tales and information.
While I have been blogging for some time now, in many ways I am still just getting started. I invite you to explore my website, and if there is something that is missing from my site (I know there must be!) that you would like to see when planning your PNW getaway, PLEASE let me know! I invite any and all comments and suggestions!
