Everyone’s heard of “The Gorge” (at George) in Washington State, but are you familiar with the Columbia River Gorge on the border of Washington and Oregon? I recently had the opportunity to borrow a 2022 Toyota RAV4 Prime and take it on a road trip to the area and was amazed 1. that I knew nothing about the area previously, and 2. I hadn’t been there before or heard anyone in the Seattle area talking about it! What a beautiful, scenic place with so much to offer visitors and residents alike.

Toyota covered our expenses for this trip, and I was provided a vehicle loan. All opinions are my own!

The wide range of activities prompted me to pick this location. I tend to prefer city and shopping trips, while Dave enjoys golf and culture. We both love a good food adventure, and with all the beautiful weather we have been having, outdoor activities and scenic views sounded appealing to us both, too! 

Fortunately, the Columbia River Gorge has a bit of everything, including water sports, plenty of hiking options, golfing, farms, delicious food, wineries, breweries, and so much more. Read on for my recommendations for a weekend trip to the Columbia River Gorge area!

If you’re anything like me, then you’ve been making up for lost time this summer! We’ve been enjoying getting out of the house (safely, of course!) to enjoy the beautiful summer weather. One of my favorite activities has been figuring out what to pack in my beach bag and spending the day in the sun. It’s been an unusually warm summer here in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, earlier this summer we had a heatwave and reached the highest recorded temperature in the Seattle area ever! It hit 111 degrees in some areas of the city. At my office in Bellevue, it was 109 and I had to go outside just to feel it for myself!

While I love summer and warm weather, there is a point in which it’s a bit too hot for me. Without air conditioning (retro house problems!), we sometimes are forced out of the house to cool down. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of water around here. While our beaches in the PNW might be less sandy than rocky, they sure are beautiful, breezy, and perfect for cooling down!

Are you heading to the beach soon? Today I’m partnering with Babbleboxx to share what to pack in your beach bag this summer to beat the heat. From hydration to the perfect read, you’ll want to check out these great new products that you might not know about yet!