Mountains to Coastlines on a Budget: A 7-Day Pacific Northwest Road Trip Journey

A question I get all the time is, "How do you afford to travel so much?" and I always laugh and say "Easy, I don't travel in luxury and I plan ahead of time." For me, traveling and experiencing new things does not always have to be something you spend a lot of money on and this trip is a perfect example of that.

If you're dreaming of lush forests, coastal cliffs, and urban explorations without breaking the bank, you've come to the right place! Last year, me and my childhood best friend took advantage of her last year in school at Central Washington University and some extra days off with the 4th of July holiday to create out a 7 day roadtrip through some of the highlights of Washington and Oregon.

7 days is not nearly enough time to explore everything that Washington and Oregon and my journey was geared towards what worked best for us, but I hope this guide gives you inspiration for creating your own roadtrips!

Day 1 - Mount Rainier

Since my friend lived in Ellensburg, the nearest airports were Spokane and Seattle. For a more affordable flight, I opted for a red-eye flight into Spokane. My friend grabbed me from the airport and we stopped by a Walmart on the way to Mount Rainier to grab extra camping supplies and food to pack up an ice chest for the next two days. We then drove the 4 1/2 hours to Mount Rainier where we searched for a free camping spot near the park.

We settled in a cozy spot for the night where we built a fire, cooked dinner, and set up camp for the night. We packed up some snacks and our bags for the next day and settled in for an early bedtime.

Day 2 - Mount Rainier

We began our morning with instant coffee and a quick breakfast before heading to Skyline Loop for the day. This 5.6 mile loop trail covers stunning views and we saw great wildlife along the way. Although we were visiting in July, there was still some snow on certain parts of the trail and at one point, a park ranger was there to supervise and help people sled down the mountain. We took our time and made a stop along the way to eat lunch while on the trail.

After spending the majority of the day on the trail we made a stop at the Henry M Jackson Memorial Visitor Center to check out the exhibits and gift store for some souvenirs along the way!

Day 3 - Mount Rainier/Seattle

The next day we took a drive back into the park for a quick hike through the Silver Falls Loop, a 2.9 mile loop with plenty of hot springs and rivers along the way! The loop leads to Silver Falls, which is beautiful and well worth the trip!

We then packed up and began the drive to Seattle, stopping for a grocery run before getting to our Airbnb for the night. To save on costs we focused on Airbnbs where we rented out a private room in the house! We stayed at this Airbnb and had a great and affordable experience!

Day 4 - Seattle

We began our day early by taking in the city views at Kerry Park! This is a great free spot for stunning views of the Seattle skyline. We then made our way over to the original Starbucks to grab a coffee and gain the full Seattle coffee experience. The lines begin early outside of this Starbucks so make sure to arrive early to avoid a long wait!

With coffee in hand, we walked over to Piroshky, Piroshky for some delicious Piroshky baked goods. We took our coffee and snacks and made our way to Waterfront Park for a stroll along the water, checking out some of the neat art and sculptures along the way!

We then walked back over to the Pike Place Market to check out all the vendors and shops along the way. We made a special stop along the Gum wall where we didn't exactly contribute to the hygiene issues but we did take some pictures :)

Ending our time in the city on a high note, we got tickets to the Museum of Pop Culture where there were many cool exhibits. Some of our favorites were an exhibit on Nirvana and the grunge rock movement in the Pacific Northwest, an exhibit on Jimi Hendrix and the individual exhibits on the different genres of movies, learning cool facts along the way about some of our favorite classic movies. We even got to head to the sound lab to learn more about how music is made and try our hand at learning a few instruments!

Day 5 - Oregon Coast

After a full day of exploring Seattle, we began our 3 1/2 hour drive over to the sleepy Oregon coast. We planned a day full of stops along the coast, first stopping at Indian Beach in Ecola State Park. This beach is connected to the Oregon Coast Trail and the Clatsop Loop Trail and had the full sleepy Oregon feel. The beach is known for its rocky areas that create tide pools. We spent time finding neat critters along the tide pools and exploring.

If you're a big Goonies fan, you likely remember the ending credits where the ship sails past a large rock. That rock is Haystack Rock and you can see it from Cannon Beach! Parking is tough in this area, but we were able to find a spot for a quick run to the beach to enjoy the beach and the beautiful fog rolling over the rocks. While in Cannon Beach, we grabbed an early lunch and brews at Public Coast Brewing Co. This place has a great outdoor patio very close to Cannon Beach!

We then made our way to Hug Point State Recreation Site where you can see the Hug Point Waterfall, Caves and tide pools. This place was gorgeous and a great stop along the way. Our last spot was Neahkahnie Mountain in Oswald West State Park where the clouds finally cleared for stunning views of the coastline.

After a long day on the coast, we headed to Portland for the night to get ready for a full day of Portland Adventures. While in Portland, we rented a room at this Airbnb and loved our time here!

Day 6 - Portland

Looking to save money on parking for the day, we used Portland's public transportation to navigate this day. For only $5.60 for the day, the public transportation in Portland was very easy and seamless to navigate.

We began our day early with a stop for Coffee at Good Coffee before taking a morning walk down the Tom McCall Waterfront Park. After enjoying a long walk along the water, we checked out the Portland Japanese Garden. While we were there they were celebrating Tanabata, The Star Festival and there were rows and rows of wishes, people wrote and hung. At the Cultural Village there are often immersive experience in traditional Japanese arts through activities, performances, and demonstrations. We are able to experience one of the demonstrations while here and thoroughly enjoyed our experience in the Gardens.

After finishing up our time in the Japanese Garden we took a walk over to the Portland International Rose Test Garden, which serves as the testing ground for new rose varieties. There are rows and rows of roses presented in a public rose test garden and it is a beautiful place to stroll and visit!

My most anticipated Portland spot came next at Powell's Books. Powell's City of Books is the largest used and new bookstore in the world. It occupies an entire city block and houses roughly one million books. This store has every kind of genre you can think of and if you're a book lover, you can spend hours wandering. After we bought as many books as we could carry for the ride back, we took a stop for an early dinner at Deschutes Brewery for some well-known Pearl District Craft Beer. This place was delicious and well worth a visit after a long day of traveling!

Day 7 - Columbia River Gorge/Journey Home

Before beginning the long drive back to Ellensburg for the night to catch my early morning flight to Spokane the next day, we took a few pit stops along the way in Columbia River Gorge. Our first stop was Multnomah Falls, one of the tallest year-round waterfalls in the U.S.. The falls are 620 feet tall and are a very popular stop. We got there very early for beautiful views of the falls before heading over to the Vista House. The Vista House offers beautiful views of the surrounding Columbia River Gorge. We arrived too early, but the Vista House is also a museum that serves as a memorial to Oregon pioneers.

After a long trip, we journeyed to Ellensburg for the night and settled in for a cozy night of movies and catching up. This trip was one full of memories, long drives, plenty of laughs and adventures and the best part was being able to travel it with my best friend. I hope this roadtrip inspires you to take your own budget road trip through the Pacific Northwest.