Our Favorite State for Van Life
After living on the road for a year and half, Sunny and I have gone on some amazing adventures. Although most of the places we've been to, like Baja, Mexico, are unforgettable, there's one state that's at the top of our list… Washington.
If you do a quick search, you'll find that Washingting is one state that blogs recommend to go to when doing van life. However, it's not as popular as other van life destinations like California and Oregon. For us, though, the Evergreen State has made a huge impact making it our favorite state for vanlife for the following reasons:
Visiting San Juan Islands
From the main land of Washington, you can take your van on a ferry and go to San Juan Islands, a place known for it’s epic scenery and whale watching. If you can't spot a whale on the day of your visiti, you can always do a ton of other things like:
Kayaking
Bicycling
Fishing
Visiting Farms
Eating
Checking out Wineries, Breweries and Distilleries
You can read more about the different things to do on San Juan Island's official website: www.visitsanjuans.com/what-to-do. On there, you will also see information about where to stay and how to get to the islands from Washington.
Pro tip: be sure to book a campsite before hand as there is no where else to overnight park.
Escape the Fires
BLM land with views of Mt. Baker
It's no secret that fires are getting worse in the states of California and Oregon. Although Washington isn't exempt from wildfires, it’s climate is much wetter. Washington continues to be a safe haven for those living in their van and who need to escape the smoke from the fire season in CA & OR. If you check US Wildfire Map online, wildfires aren't as rampant in Washington.
Summer and Fall
Near Mt. Baker
Not everyone is a fan of wetter weather especially because it seems to make long drives last even longer. If this sounds like you, then you should visit Washington in the Summer or Fall (July to August). During these months, the sun is always up. There are showers here and there, but it'll mostly be sunny and beautiful outside. It rarely gets too hot as well, so plan on packing a light jacket as well as a swimsuit! Summers in Washington are our favorite as it’s always perfect hiking weather.
Diverse Climate
Hoh Rain Forest
If you want to visit a state with a diverse climate so you can do different activities, then it's definitely the Evergreen state. You can go beachfront anytime to enjoy the view or even go surfing! Washington may not be the first you think about when looking for surf spots, but the following spots may change your mind:
La Push
The Groins
The Jetty
Strait of Juan de Fuca
Halfmoon Bay
If you're tired of the sun and the sand, you can choose from a number of our favorite national parks or nature spots to visit. And trust me, you WON’T want to leave.
Olympic National Park
Mount Rainier National Park
North Cascades National Park
Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center
Snoqualmie Falls
Olympic National Park
After visiting those nature spots, you can then change it up by going snowboarding or skiing down Mt Baker or Crystal Mountain.
Date Nights in Seattle
Although Sunny and I are always together, we try as much as we can to go on date nights. When we're in Washington, one of our favorite city's to have date nights in is Seattle because there are so many things to do from the usual to the unique:
Visit the Seattle Art Museum
Go to the top of the Space Needle & soak in the vast city views during sunset
Watch a glass-blowing demo at Chihuly Garden and Glass (highly recommend)
Go on a pubcrawl in Ballard (Seattle is known for its craft beer)
If you feel like splurging, take a ‘water plane’ ride through Seattle, it’s worth every penny!
