Welcome And Pacific Northwest Promise

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Hi, and welcome to my Z Michaelson Travel Podcast, a ZMax Travel Radio production presented by Collage Travel Media Network. This is your space for inspiration, confidence in travel, and a little bit of luxury. So whether you're traveling across the world or just rediscovering America, or perhaps simply dreaming about your next escape, I hope we can help guide you. And of course, I am Z Michaelson. I am a travel advisor, a media host, and an advocate for all those who love to travel and who refuse to wait to see the world. I hope you've been enjoying some of my podcasts on solo travel and also the travel hints and tips. And now that we're in the middle of summer, we're taking more and more road trips, so I started talking a little bit more about our national parks. So today, we are going to be looking at Oregon and Washington. I used to live in Oregon for a few years and would trip up to Washington occasionally. It is beautiful countryside over there, and this is our very own backyard, the United States of America Welcome back to Rediscovering America. I am Z Michelson, and today we're heading to one of the most breathtaking corners of the United States, the Pacific Northwest. If you ever dreamed of towering volcanoes, ancient rainforest, crystal clear lakes, rugged coastlines, glaciers, waterfalls, and some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in North America, then today's episode is just for you. We're exploring the national parks today of Oregon and Washington State, and I'm gonna be discussing the best ways to get there, what makes each park unique, and why these destinations deserve a place on your travel bucket list. So grab your hiking boots, pack your camera, and let's rediscover America together Well, first up, I'm gonna be talking about Oregon's national treasures.

Crater Lake And Rim Drive Highlights

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Many travelers are surprised to learn Oregon has only one official national park. That's right, one official national park. It's called Crater Lake National Park. But Oregon also boasts incredible National Park Service sites that rival many national parks in beauty and significance So what's so big about Crater Lake National Park? Well, I'll tell you. Imagine standing on the rim of a volcano that erupted nearly 8,000 years ago. Now imagine that crater filled with the deepest lake in America. That's Crater Lake. The lake reaches 2,000 feet deep and is famous for its incredibly blue water, among the clearest in the world. The park is centered around the collapsed volcano known as Mount Mazama. Now, today's visitors can drive the famous Rim Drive. It's about 33 miles of scenic road, and it encircles the lake. So some of the highlights you might wanna take a peek at is Rim Drive, Wizard Island, Watchman Peak, Cloudcap Overlook, Cleetwood Cove viewpoints. There are stargazing opportunities, and boy, is it beautiful out there when you look at the stars. And of course, there is winter snowshoeing. Crater Lake receives some of the heaviest snowfall in the country, making summer the most popular time to visit. July through September generally offers the best access roads and hiking trails. Keep that in mind when you're traveling, 'cause if you wanna do winter snowshoeing, you may not be able to access the roads if it's getting too snowy. And yes, Oregon can get a bit snowy. So you've decided to get to Crater Lake. So how

Getting To Crater Lake Smoothly

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can you get there? Well, let's talk about air. The nearest commercial airport is Rogue Valley International Medford Airport. It's located about 75 miles from the park. Now, there are other options available. There's Portland International and there's Redmond Municipal. So these are three of the airports that are the closest. Now, if you're deciding to drive, which I... Like I said, it's a beautiful drive. By car from Portland, it's approximately four and a half to five hours. Now, from Medford, it's about an hour and a half. One of the most beautiful approaches is via the Oregon Highway 138, and it's through the Umpqua National Forest, where waterfalls line the route. I've seen these waterfalls. They are breathtaking Now let's talk about John Day Fossil Beds National Monument.

John Day Fossils And Painted Hills

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Now believe it or not, I lived in Oregon, like I said earlier, and I lived in a town called John Day. Yep, John Day. That was an actual person. Although not officially a national park, John Day Fossil Beds, this destination often leaves visitors speechless. John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, the monument preserves more than 40 million years of prehistoric history and contains some of the richest fossil deposits on Earth. Do you have kids that love fossils? This might be the trip for them Also the Painted Hills, often called Oregon's most photographed landscapes. It has layers of reds, golds, blacks, and oranges creating an almost alien looking environment. But it is very beautiful. I've seen it Now they also have Sheep Rock Unit, and it's home to fossils of ancient horses, camels, and get this, rhinos. That's right, you heard me right, rhinos. Sheep Rock. Now they also have Clarno Unit, which features a dramatic rock formation and fossil trails. So if you're really into the fossils or you're into this ancient history, you might want to take a look at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. All right, you want to know how to get there? I'll tell you. Well, it can only be reached by road. By road. Yep, I've been there. You have to reach it by road. The monument sits in the remote eastern Oregon and is best explored by car. If you want to go to an airport and then rent a car, the nearest airport is either Roberts Field and again, Portland International Airport. Expect a scenic drive through ranch country, forests, and high desert landscapes. Yeah. Oregon. It's a little un- known secret back there. People in Oregon know about it, and now you do too All right. So

Why Washington Delivers Big

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Oregon didn't have a lot of national parks, like I just said, but it had a lot of sights to see. Oregon is extremely beautiful. So we're gonna move over to Washington State now. I've been to Washington State many times. As a matter of fact, don't tell anybody this because it really dates me, I've been to the very first Starbucks. Yes, I've been to the first Starbucks in Seattle. But Washington, not only is it a big city in Seattle, but the state alone is gorgeous. You have breathtaking views. It's home to three spectacular national parks, and what's really remarkable is that all three are completely, completely different So I'm gonna start with Olympic National Park.

Olympic Park Three Ecosystems

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If you could only visit one national park in Washington, many locals would choose Olympic. You're saying, "Why?" Well, because it contains three completely different ecosystems. You can experience the Pacific coastline, you can experience a temperate rainforest, and you can experience alpine mountains all in one day. You want me to repeat that? All in one day you can see the Pacific coastline, temperate rainforest, and alpine mountains all in one day. That's the Olympic National Park. Now, top experiences there. You have Paradise. This is the park's most famous area. It has wildflower meadows that stretch beneath the mountain, which is really cool. Now at sunrise, the highest point accessible by vehicle... That's really nice. The Skyline Trail, one of America's greatest day hikes, and Reflection Lakes. Photographers just love that place. It's a photographer's dream Okay.

Flying In And Beating Crowds

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You wanna know how to get there? I'll tell you. All right, so if you're flying, you have to go to SeaTac, better known as Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Uh, the drive is approximately two hours to the park. Uh, major access routes include Highway 12, Highway 410, and Highway 123. For summer visitors, arriving early helps avoid the crowds. Now again, these are national parks. These are in the summer that we're discussing them. And yes, some of our national parks can get a little bit crowded during the summer months Next up in Washington State is the North Cascades National Park.

North Cascades Wild Views

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Okay. These are often called America's Alps. Yes, America's Alps. This may be the most underrated national park in the United States. The North Cascades contain hundreds of glaciers, jagged mountain peaks, turquoise lakes, and of course, remote wilderness. Now, unlike many national parks, much of the North Cascade feel truly wild. Now, I've been up and around and all throughout Washington State. I have seen moose, I have seen deer, I have seen elk, and one of the largest eagles I have ever seen was in Washington State. I was driving through. I had a little tiny Hyundai at the time, and this eagle was standing atop, unfortunately, a dead deer carcass. The eagle was taller than my car, and I was amazed, but it was a beautiful sight to see that American eagle right there on the side of the road. Now, some of the must-sees are Diablo Lake, and this is famous for the incredible turquoise color. Now, you also have Ross Lake, which is perfect for kayaking and boating, so if you're into kayaking, this would be the place to go. Now, there's also Washington Pass Overlook, one of the finest mountain viewpoints in America. Of course, it's an overlook, so that would be a great place to stop and just kinda take it all in. And of course, you have Cascade Pass Trail, a premier Pacific Northwest hike. So when you see the Pacific Northwest, it is amazing. It's beautiful, it's breathtaking, and it's hard to believe it's right here in our own backyard in the US of A. So how do you get there? Well, again, you have to go to SeaTac. SeaTac, which is Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Uh, it's approximately 120 miles from the visitor center as the crow flies. Most visitors access the park via State Route 20. This is also known as the North Cascades Highway. Don't you love that? You get a highway number and then all of a sudden you have to look at me and say, "I don't see the Highway 20, but I do see North Cascades Highway." State Route 20, known as North Cascades Highway. Now remember, public transportation is extremely limited. Making a rental car is probably your best bet. It's your best option. Unless you're driving into the state yourself with your own vehicles. But if you fly into SeaTac, you might wanna rent a car. Now, here's something else for you.

A 10 To 14 Day Route

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If you wanna be building the ultimate, ultimate Pacific Northwest Parks road trip, if you have 10 to 14 days, here is one fantastic route. Okay, so you're driving. If you have 10 to 14 days, like I said, day one, day two, you're in Seattle. Seattle is a beautiful city. Has a lot to do. Day three, four, Mount Rainier National Park Every time I fly into Washington State and I see Mount Rainier, it's amazing. And I'm in an airplane. Could you imagine driving? Day five and seven, trip over to the Olympic National Park. Day eight to nine, North Cascades National Park. Day 10, return back to Seattle. Now, if you have more time, continue south into Oregon. So you can plan your trip. So if you continue south into Oregon, day 11 to 13, visit Crater Lake National Park. Day 14, John Day Fossil Beds. Now, many experienced national park travelers recommend spending several days in Olympic Park because of its size and diversity. Now I'm gonna throw something else at you.

RV Limits And Camp Planning

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If you are in an RV, contact the local areas for where you're gonna be staying, and some RVs cannot get into the parks 'cause some of them are too big. But give them a call and find out. You can probably go online to the national park and see what the restriction is on RVs and motor homes. So you don't... If you have a big, big, and I mean big, big, big, big motor home, you may not be able to take the motor home into some of these parks. But if you have a fairly normal sized motor home, you might be able to bring them in. And you can find out more about the campsites in and around these parks as well So a lot of people are saying, "All right, it's summertime, but what is the best time to visit these places?" Well, best

Best Months For Waterfalls And Colors

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time to visit, June has the waterfalls. They're roaring. June is the waterfalls. Because some of the snow may remain at the higher elevations, but it's starting to melt, so you're gonna be seeing these waterfalls. It really is cool. Now, July is peak wildflower season. So if you're into the flowers, July. August has the best weather overall September, if you don't like crowds, September has fewer crowds, and guess what? You do have some of those fall colors that people always talk about on the East Coast. You can get them up there in Washington and Oregon. And October, photographers just love October because it is spectacular. Between the colors and the beauty and everything that you see, it's amazing, amazing. So now we are only talking about Washington State and Oregon. On my podcasts, I'm only taking two states each week, and I'm filling in some other trips that people are going on that'll be visiting me in my studio I have a funny feeling though when I get to California, California is gonna take up the whole show. All right, so you're

Packing List For Fast Weather

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gonna go. You've decided we're gonna go to Oregon, we're gonna go to Washington State. What do I need to pack? All right. So for any Pacific Northwest Park adventure, remember this: bring a waterproof jacket, 'cause it can rain. Hiking boots. Comfortable hiking boots. Remember to layer your clothing. It might be brisk in the morning and very hot in the afternoon, so you wanna layer your clothing. And again, that waterproof jacket, because sometimes it'll be raining or it'll be very misty. Binoculars. We even take binoculars on cruises with us. We love binoculars. A camera, of course. But nowadays we have our telephone, so our telephone sometimes sub for cameras. But if you're really into photography, bring your camera. A daypack, particularly if you're hiking. Make sure you're pack water. A refillable water bottle. How many times have I told everybody on my podcast, always make sure you're hydrated. Hydration, hydration, hydration. Whether it be summer or winter, you need to make sure you're hydrated. And if you have them, trekking poles. They're always good when you're doing a big hike. So if you're into hiking, my guess is you already have the trekking poles. And remember, weather can change rapidly, particularly in the mountains. So if you're not used to mountains, you can be at the bottom of the mountain where it's nice and hot, and by the time you climb up, guess what? You might be in snow I've been there before. I've done that.

Why Rediscovering America Matters

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Now, the national parks of Oregon and Washington showcase some of the greatest natural diversity anywhere in America. In a single trip, you can stand beside America's deepest lake. You can walk through ancient rainforests. You can gaze upon glacier-covered volcanoes. You can explore some of the most rugged mountain wilderness on the continent. And I don't mean to scare you off. This is an exciting adventure. It is doable. It is fun. The kids will love it. These parks remind us that adventure doesn't always require crossing an ocean. Sometimes the most extraordinary journeys are right here in our own backyard And that's why I'm talking about rediscovering America And like I said, I'm always talking about rediscovering America right now only with the national parks. But America is so vast and so deep with all of our states. Whether you're here down in the south, South Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, whether you're up in Alaska, over in Hawaii, there's so much to discover in our own backyard And maybe it's time you should start exploring it. Doesn't that sound like a fun idea? And if you have kids, like I said, the fossils, oh, my daughter used to love fossils when she was younger. And guess what? She's a lot older now, and she still loves fossils. So she does go to some of these places. And I also love archeology, and I love the mountain scenery I'm not really a good photographer, but I can take a decent picture. So remember, let's rediscover America together.

Final Thoughts And Share The Show

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Be tuning in every Tuesday as I bring you another episode of Rediscovering America's National Parks. Thank you for joining me today. I am Z Mikalsen, and as we journey through Oregon and Washington National Parks, hopefully we keep exploring, we keep traveling, and we keep rediscovering America. You've been listening to my podcast, and of course, I am Z Mikalsen. This podcast has been brought to you by Collage Travel Media Network. If this episode or any of my episodes have inspired you, feel free to share it with your friends and family. And anyone who has been waiting to travel, whether in a group or solo, and believe it or not, I know a lot of solo hikers that go hiking, because there's so many people around them and they just enjoy the tra- And I'm reminding you that you do deserve the journey. So go boldly, keep exploring, and keep dreaming, and keep discovering the world around you. Thanks for listening today, and like I always say, shoot for those stars, and if you only get to the moon, at least you made the trip. And I hope to see you on your next adventure