#2 – PacNo5: Seattle, Oregon, and Vancouver – If you’ve been around me for more than 10 minutes this year, you’ve definitely heard me go on-and-on about the Pacific Northwest.

I’ll quit talking about this place soon. Maybe.

My impulse purchase of plane tickets to Seattle one Saturday morning was one of the best random decisions I ever made.

Nine fun-filled days in Seattle, Portland, Rural Washington and Oregon, plus a day in Vancouver.

This trip sparked the purchase of my mini-camera, which I now carry with me everywhere.

People have asked me: “What was your favorite part of the trip?”
- Eating salmon in the Space Needle?
- The drive to Mount St. Helens?
- Walking across that freaky swing bridge?

While those moments were all unbelievable… I’d have to say the best part was standing on the sand in Cannon Beach, Oregon in the shadow of Haystack Rock, staring at the Pacific Ocean.

There’s just something about knowing that you can stand in a spot for as long as you want, and nobody can tell you when to leave. That’s why I love to travel by myself. Not that it doesn’t get a little lonely every now and then, but when you travel solo, you not only control the trip, you control the amount of time spent reflecting on the things of the world, big and small.

Alright… enough with the goobie reflection time.