I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again. There is nothing like the feeling you get when first arriving to a new destination – a place you have never seen before. There is so much to discover. Travel makes your heart race and adrenaline rush throughout your entire being. It’s so exhilarating!

And so, our hearts raced with excitement as we stepped off the plane and found ourselves in the Pacific Northwest – a place that neither Josh nor I had explored yet.

 

Our destination was Cannon Beach, Oregon. But first, we had to see something amazing. We picked up our rental car from the airport, and then drove a few miles outside of Portland to see Multnomah Falls. As we drove along the highway, clouds covered the sky and fog was on the horizon. We were not used to this kind of weather and scenery, and to us the weather was what one would call “moody.” We reached the parking lot for the falls, and felt excited for what our eyes were about to behold. Our shoes crunched in the snow and we passed under the highway through a tunnel where a local was playing some tunes on his guitar. It felt perfect, and just added to our excitement. At last, we gasped for breath when we looked up and saw the Multnomah Falls crashing its water thunderously down with such great force. It was foggy, creating an eerie and mysterious effect. We stared in wonder for several minutes at this beautiful site, took pictures, and then got back on the road as we were ready to get to our destination.

The 2 hour drive to Cannon Beach was slow, but the scenery made the time pass quickly. We finally arrived to the sleepy beach town as the sun had just set a few minutes earlier. I instantly fell in love with the town because it was quiet, had a main street with cute shops, and it sat right on the ocean. We checked into our accommodation, The Waves, and were blown away by the panoramic views of the ocean from the windows of our hotel room. A storm was brewing, and when we opened the back door of our room to our private patio, we felt in awe of the ocean as the sound of the waves crashing against the shore was almost deafening. We were right on the ocean – such a prime spot. Our room had a cozy fireplace, which we were thankful for as it was in the middle of February.

 

We ventured a mere couple blocks away and found the perfect place to eat dinner – Driftwood Restaurant and Lounge. It felt like the restaurant was filled with locals, and I felt instantly at ease and calm when we walked in the doors. The restaurant was dimly lit with a dark wood interior. Candles and vases with fresh flowers adorned the tables, which made me happy as I am all about a romantic dining experience. It was so nice to be in a warm and cozy restaurant, away from the cold and brutal wind outside. I had clam chowder which was amazing, as well as a steak and baked potato. Our server was a gem – she was so nice and friendly. We knew from first stepping foot into this town, that Cannon Beach was a unique place. We loved it!

The next morning, the wind was blowing mighty fiercely. We walked along the beach, struggling against the wind, and having the sand hit our faces. But we were having fun, and didn’t care. We had our GoPro and camera in hand, and did our best to capture the moments.

I walked a block over to the main street (North Hemlock) to go to the Cannon Beach Yoga Arts, and had a calming yoga practice. A great way to start the day off right!

After breakfast, Josh and I put our hiking boots on and drove a few miles outside of town and, after getting lost a time or two, finally found the Cape Falcon trailhead. Despite the cold, we did a short photoshoot of me in the magical-looking forest, where I felt like I was a fairy. It was so much fun! Then, we embarked on what we thought was going to be a short hike, as in 2 1/2 miles roundtrip, but we ended up hiking further than we intended, and it turned out to be an 8 mile hike! That’s quite a difference! Nonetheless, we had fun walking through the mystical rainforest. It was so quiet and peaceful, and we hardly saw any other hikers along the way. Towards the end of our hike, the sun finally appeared, and it was absolutely glorious as it peaked through the trees and warmed our skin.

 

After our exhausting hike, we ate lunch at Pelican Brewing Company where I had delicious fish’n’ chips.

I spent the rest of the afternoon, still filled with adrenaline, wandering in and out of the shops and art galleries of Cannon Beach. I then went to a local coffee shop, and did some reading. Josh later joined me and we walked next door to a pizza cafe (Pizza a’ fetta) where we shared a delicious barbecue chicken pizza. Amazing!

The rest of our time in Cannon Beach was filled with exploring the town some more, and relaxing. We were amazed again by the natural beauty of this place, especially the iconic Haystack Rock. While gazing in wonder at Haystack Rock, the waves crashed brutally against the shore and the wind was relentless. It made standing there all the more inspiring. I had found a place of mystery. I think it was then that I discovered that my heart longs to live near the sea.

Indeed, we will never forget our time in Cannon Beach, Oregon. And our hearts cannot wait to go back!