West Coast

Best Places to Visit in Oregon
Go on a whale watching tour near San Juan Island, photograph picturesque lighthouses and admire the waterfalls in Olympic National Park.
Top weekend trip ideas from Seattle include Snoqualmie Falls, Olympic National Park, country lodges, luxury hotels and more.
The West Coast made me feel both small and infinite. From redwood groves that held their own kind of silence to coastal highways that bent toward the horizon, it gave me space to breathe and room to dream. I remember thinking, “This is where you come to let go of the weight you didn’t know you were carrying.”
What stayed with me were the shifts in light, the smell of salt and pine, the creative pulse in its cities, and the vastness in between. I found comfort in coffee shops and trailheads, in bookstores and beaches. Every place felt like a reminder that beauty doesn’t have to be loud—it just has to be wide open. I left the West Coast clearer, lighter, and more awake to possibility.
Whether you’re dreaming of Pacific coast road trips, quiet hikes through ancient forests, soulful city neighborhoods, or seaside towns that feel like a deep exhale, these guides reflect the West Coast that stayed with me. It’s a stretch of earth that gives you back to yourself—gently, and with awe.
Romantic Weekend Destinations on the West Coast