A few years back, we visited the Pacific Northwest hoping to accomplish two things: 1) inundate ourselves in the local vibe and wind down from our typically frantic East Coast pace and 2) spend as much time as possible enjoying all of the natural beauty that Cascadia has to offer. From Portland to Seattle to Vancouver - with a few detours here and there - we AirBnbed with lovely Super Hosts, walked/biked/mass transited our way around town and traveled on Amtrak from city to city. Either within or near every city, we got in a daily hike. The smell of the rain forests, the sounds of the song birds, the cool mist coming off the rolling mountain creeks - the entire experience was truly therapeutic.

Image: Preston Goff on Unsplash