The Grah Life

02/14/2025

02/10/2025

Save this for your Oregon road trip!

✈️ Fly in and out of Portland

📅 Visit between late June and September for the best accessibility at Crater Lake

🚗 We recommend spending at least nine days on this trip

🌲 If you have extra time, you could add on a trip to the Redwoods National Park

Location details

🌊 Stop 1: Oregon Coast
You’ll see the infamous Cannon Beach, get to go tide pooling, check out lighthouses, and see multiple state parks — Cape Perpetua Scenic Area is our favorite!

💦 Stop 2: Umpqua Highway of waterfalls
Drive this highway to reach Crater Lake and see 10 waterfalls with little to no hiking.

🥾 Stop 3: Crater Lake National Park
Drive the Rim Road for the best views in the park and reserve a boat tour in advance!

☀️ Stop 4: Bend
This is Oregon’s craft brewing, foodie, and outdoor capitol. You can find everything here — rock climbing, hiking, caves, kayaking, floats, scenic drives and more.

💦 Stop 5: The Columbia River Gorge
Drive the historic highway here and see the infamous Multnomah Falls among other waterfalls. If you have extra time, hike for great views of the Columbia River Gorge, or picnic and watch the wind surfers at Hoodsport.

🍩 Stop 6: Portland
Start and end your trip in Portland where you should check out Powell’s Books, Voodoo Donuts, and McMenamins.

We have more a more detailed itinerary on our blog. 👀

02/06/2025

01/15/2025

We've got your summer road trip plans outlined!

Known for its Icelandic landscapes along the coast, towering waterfalls, rugged mountains, and beautiful greenery – Oregon is one of the most beautiful destinations in the United States. This blog covers how to see the best of Oregon in as little as nine days.

01/09/2025

We started this account and our blog about a year and a half ago with the intent to inspire others to explore, get outside, and do hard things! We’re loving the community we’re finding here — thanks for adventuring with us!

01/02/2025

The road to the Hoh Rainforest has closed and won't be opening any time soon. 😥

PORT ANGELES – Jefferson County Public Works told us it was likely to happen, and now it has. Access to the Hoh Rain Forest area of Olympic National Park via the Upper Hoh Road is closed indefinitely

11/20/2024

HEY. SO. We've got strong winds and a blizzard warning in the mountain passes today, PLUS the potential for coastal storms and flooding. If you're looking for a sign to delay your trip: THIS IS YOUR SIGN. In flashing neon letters!

Expect blizzard-like conditions and little-to-no visibility on Snoqualmie Pass. It will only be a winter wonderland in the sense that you'll be wondering where the heck you are on any given patch of land.

If you MUST travel, anticipate pass closures, significant delays, potential crashes and vehicle spinouts. Consider alternate routes, pack extra water/food/blankets and CARRY CHAINS.

Our crews will be clearing roadways of snow and ice and responding to real-time crashes, along with first responders and local utility crews for downed trees and powerlines.

-Find our real-time travel updates here: https://wsdot.com/Travel/Real-time/Map/
-Check the status of our mountain passes here: https://wsdot.com/travel/real-time/mountainpasses/
-Learn what you should pack in an emergency car kit: https://wsdot.com/travel/real-time/mountainpasses/emergencycarkit

11/12/2024

Here’s a recap of our surprise date to Port Gamble. We went on a ghost investigation of the Walker Ames Mansion in town. An investigation is like a ghost tour, but you get to try and interact with the ghosts.

People say you can see children looking out of the windows of the house if you walk by, so people brought light up toys and instruments for them to play with.

Did we see or hear any ghosts? Nope, but it was a new experience for us and an interesting way of extending the spooky season for Zach (his favorite time of year).

If you’re interested in giving it a try check out Paranormal Port Gamble.

10/01/2024

Every larch hike in Washington 😆

09/30/2024

Starting tomorrow

Visitors to Multnomah Falls will face limited access starting Oct. 1, when a section of the Historic Columbia River Highway/U.S. 30 closes for repairs on the west viaduct.

The viaduct, or elevated highway, between Wahkeena Falls and Multnomah Falls will be closed until Memorial Day 2025.

During this time, eastbound vehicles on the highway will be unable to reach Multnomah Falls, as traffic will be turned around at Wahkeena Falls Trailhead. Westbound vehicles will be able to reach Multnomah Falls Lodge but will be turned around there.

Read more: https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/2024/09/multnomah-falls-access-impacted-by-yearlong-historic-highway-closure.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dhfacebook&utm_content=app.dashhudson.com%2Ftheoregonian%2Flibrary%2Fmedia%2F457232201

📸:Jamie Hale

09/28/2024

Bucket list thing indeed!

09/25/2024

It's not too late to get one more backpacking trip in this season — the Enchanted Valley is easily accessible into November!

Known as the “Valley of 10,000 waterfalls”, Enchanted Valley is a beautiful backpacking destination in the Olympic National Park featuring the Enchanted Valley Chalet. The trail follows the bright blue Quinault River through old-growth forests and features trees up to 1,000 years old. The forest...

09/19/2024

Larch season is coming quickly this year! This blog is a MUST read if you plan on hiking anywhere near the North Cascades this October.

https://www.thegrahlife.com/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about-larch-hikes-in-washington

09/06/2024

Some Stehekin campgrounds are open 🎉

Harlequin Campground and some sites in Lakeview and Purple Point campgrounds in Stehekin have reopened. Due to impacts from the Pioneer Fire, available campsites in Lakeview and Purple Point campgrounds are limited. Reservations for Harlequin Campground are available on https://ow.ly/1PzY50TgIAS through Saturday, September 8, then available first-come, first-served. Sites 3-6 in Purple Point Campground, sites 6-9 in Lakeview Campground, and sites that are not reserved and are open will be available first-come, first-served.

The Pioneer Fire is still an active wildfire. Firefighters and crews continue to work in the area. A burned landscape presents a number of safety hazards that either did not exist prior to the fire or are increased by the effects of the fire. Park managers are working to assess trail, camp, and area closures. Park closure information can be found on the park’s Fire Closures page, https://ow.ly/nPZa50TgIAU.

Visit inciweb for up-to-date information on the Pioneer Fire.

NPS photo

09/04/2024

Yes 🙌🏻 accessibility for all!

Beach days at Lake Wenatchee are now more accessible for folks with mobility needs! The park has acquired a new beach wheelchair with large tires designed to handle shifting sand and uneven surfaces, along with an ADA beach mat. To reserve the chair, please call the park at 509-763-3101 at least 48 hours in advance. It's free to use, but it’s not motorized, so a companion is needed to push it to the lakeshore. Learn more ➡️ https://loom.ly/cYEHQXw.