Virtual Road Trip: A few days in the Cascades

Aug 2

I have longed to explore the Pacific Northwest for some time now. So when my adventure friends wanted to attempt a whirlwind trip to hike in North Cascades National Park I jumped on it. We didn’t plan anything besides our first and last night hotel, opting to instead wing it when we got there. Take a virtual seat on our trip and catch a bit of inspiration and a few tips for along the way.

Flying in to Sea-Tac

Use the calendar feature to search airlines for the cheapest days to fly. These flights can be early but don’t be turned off. We opted for the first flight of the day. It was rough waking up so early, but we landed by 8a which gave us plenty of time to grab breakfast and make a plan.

Grab yourself some breakfast

Hop on maps and find yourself a cute breakfast place along your route. Get a cup of coffee and hop on your favorite hiking app or map to plan a hike nearby.

Choose the hike and head on out!

No need to overwhelm yourself to try and find the most epic hike around. After all, most trails were planned around something beautiful. We found our trail via The Hiking Project and All Trails. We were all tired from the early morning flight, so set out with the intention to turn around part way if we got tired. Luckily we woke up on the trail and kept going unti the end. We had no idea what was awaiting us up there! Be smart and safe on the trail. If you’re exhausted and going on puts your safety at risk, take responsibility for yourself and turn around.

Concrete, WA

Not many places to stay out by NCNP, but the suites here were huge, clean and had full size fridges which was all we really needed.

The park is on the smaller side, so if you can, choose a few hikes to make the most of it. Again, no need to choose the biggest, most challenging hikes. They are all gorgeous, just choose within your mood for the day.