Joshua Tree National Park | California

Just before we left on our trip, I saw some photos from a shoot in Joshua Tree National Park from The Manchiks. They were so dreamy that I knew we had to go! These trees are otherworldly. Luckily, it was right on the way to Salvation Mountain, thus justifying a day trip. We did a simple drive through the park but camping would definitely be the way to go if time allowed!

The cacti below weren't at all like the ones I saw in Mexico last summer. At one point during our drive, I got out to examine them closer and finding one on the ground, I took it back to the car for Felipe to take a look at. I placed it near the windshield where it stuck on the dashboard. The road got rather windy after that and at some point, the cactus started to fall at which point, my reflexes kicked in and I rather stupidly tried to catch the falling object, which of course got stuck into my right palm, in two places.

I laughed so hard that I cried. Felipe freaked out. In an attempt to liberate my right hand, I used my left, which subsequently got stuck as well. Somehow, after a lot of tugging from just the right direction, I freed both hands and Felipe, hands wrapped in his leather jacket, removed the offending plant from the car. The moral of the story: no matter how pretty something looks, follow the park rules and leave the nature outside!

Pike Place Market | Seattle | Washington

After Portland, we made a quick stop in Seattle. An intense amount of fog was present for the majority of our stay, which compounded with our exhaustion at the halfway point in our trip, left us feeling lazy and quite content to simply follow the touring masses for the day.

Portland | Oregon

Since we had a total of two weeks allotted for our trip, we had to sacrifice some time up north in order to make it to a few additional destinations down south, which meant that sadly, we only had one day in Portland. This was my first time visiting, but I definitely plan on going back for more! Here's a brief snapshot of what we saw during our day.

Jedidiah Smith Redwood Forest | California

We decided to spend the night right in the middle of Redwood country, in a town called Crescent City. We found Patree's place on Airbnb and she was the perfect hostess for the evening! She was very knowledgeable about the area and this post is thanks to her because we would have missed out on this winding dirt road through the forest and a multitude of photo-ops had it not been for her advice! (Scroll down for a driving route) This area certainly exudes a mystical element; you can feel the centuries rising from the roots.

The GPS will send you on the highway to get to the Jedidiah Smith Redwood Campground; don't do it. Instead, backtrack a wee bit south to a small road called Howland Hill Road. Follow this for unforgettable views! Once the road turns to dirt, be on the lookout for a number of hollowed out trees along the way that are large enough for several adults to fit in.