Summer officially begins for La Salle on June 13, after the last final concludes next week. With just under three months of freedom right around the corner, students are faced with the challenge of figuring out how to fill them.
To me, there’s no better way to spend the summer than to explore the outdoors and enjoy our natural landscape. With its dense forests, rushing waterfalls, sweeping vistas, and undulating hills, Oregon alone boasts some spectacular sights.
Washington and California, our respective neighbors to the north and south, offer just as much, if not more than Oregon. These three states that make up the West Coast are regularly ranked among the most beautiful in the country, and it’s no surprise, considering the natural wonders right in front of us.
There’s plenty more to see eastward as well in famously gorgeous states such as Montana, Utah, Colorado, and Idaho.
We miss so much by staying in the city. This summer, I advise anyone with a few days of free time and a car to take a drive down to California’s Redwoods and Yosemite National Parks, up to Washington’s Mt. Rainier and Olympic National Parks, or to Oregon’s Crater Lake National Park and Columbia River Gorge.
Take a few friends or your family with you. In my opinion, when you have the time on your hands, there’s no better way to bond with someone and make long-lasting memories than on a trip together. Some of my favorite memories have been made on road trips with my family all around North America.
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In 2020, my family and I toured national parks on a two-week loop through Montana, down to Nevada, and back up through California on our way home. This photo is of my mom and sister as they enjoy the view at Canyonlands National Park, Utah.
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The hike at Arches National Park, Utah is probably the prettiest, most rewarding one I’ve ever done. We didn’t exactly plan to do so, but we arrived at the famous arch right as the sun was going down, which was fantastic. With the stars clearly visible, the return trip after sunset was also breathtaking.
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This photo was taken at a waterfall just outside of Quebec City, Canada.
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This was taken at Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming in 2018. Though the view that day was smokey from wildfires, we still had a great time splashing in the water and competing over who could find the coolest sticks.
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This photo was taken at the base of Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming in 2018. In the monolith’s shadow, we watched a showing of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” in which this intimidating natural structure has an integral role.
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In 2017, we took a trip down to Redwood National Park, California. This photo is from a campground that we stayed at for a few days, French Gulch. Pictured here is the natural swimming hole right next to our campsite, but what I remember most about this trip is that it was the first and only time I saw the Milky Way. It was magical.
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Though we were visiting New Mexico to see family friends, we also traveled to Roswell — known for a supposed extraterrestrial encounter in the 40’s — and Carlsbad Caverns. This photo was taken at a small town along the way, which we would have missed if we chose a more direct form of travel.
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This is at Neskowin Beach, Oregon, one of my favorite places to go as a kid. I remember this day in particular as the day we explored tide pools created by the tree wells of the Neskowin Ghost Forest, the 2,000-year-old remnants of what used to be a growth of Sitka Spruce.
Trips by car are often more accessible than by other vehicles, and for me, the process of travel is one of the most valuable parts of a trip. Just going straight from point A to point B often means that you skip all the quality time, beautiful scenery, and small-town charm from the various pit stops along the way.
On a road trip to Yosemite, for example, you don’t just hop from the Portland metro area to Southeast California; you get to experience Southern Oregon, Northern California, and Central California before finally reaching your destination, with the opportunity to stop at several more gorgeous national parks along the way.
Why miss out on all that beauty?
Taking a road trip is often my favorite way to spend a couple weeks of my summer. But somewhere along those miles of winding roads, when my family and I are all a little too tired to chat, the silence can be as unbearable as the heat is when I don’t have an iced tea and AC to keep me company.
170 songs — about 11 hours of music in total — make up this playlist. It covers 89 years of music, beginning in 1935 with The Carter Family’s “Can the Circle Be Unbroken” and ending in 2024 with “Hang Tight Honey” by Lainey Wilson.
With artists ranging from Alice In Chains to Loretta Lynn and genres from hard rock to traditional country, this playlist is bound to have something for everyone. Hit shuffle, start from the beginning, or pick somewhere in the middle — there’s enough music on this playlist to fill hundreds of miles of asphalt and dirt.
Get out and have an adventure this summer. Enjoy!
