After planning and saving for over a year, my family finally went back to the state we called home for many years: Oregon. If you have never been to the Pacific Northwest, you are missing out on what I would consider one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Many of the places in my Follower of the Word series are based on actual places I have visited or lived, including Oregon. For example, the coastal country and city of Avonai are based on the couple years I spent on the Oregon coast. In fact, watching how the ocean changed each day inspired the Avonain race and their connection to the sea (and how their eyes changed color with the moods of the ocean). For more on these people, check out my post The Sea People of Avonai.

Anyway, enough talk. It is said a picture is worth a thousand words and I have some beautiful pictures to share from my trip. Enjoy!This is the Pacific Ocean on our first day. A nice, calming gray.

Enjoying a walk along the beach.

A sunny day on the beach. Look at how blue that water and sky is, and all that white sand! However, you wouldn’t really want to go swimming. It was around 60 degrees while we were there.

After a couple days on the beach, we headed up into the mountains, far away from civilization (including cell service, internet, showers, and toilets lol). But who wouldn’t trade all that for this kind of view from the porch of your cabin? And for those who are wondering that is Mount Jefferson.

Went hiking into an area that was devastated by a wild fire a couple years ago. You can’t see it in the picture, but there were wildflowers everywhere, a reminder that beauty can rise from ashes.

Last picture. I was on another hike and found this meadow and pond. We hiked up to a lake and went swimming. Not for very long, though. The water was freezing! This particular trail intersected with the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail), a famous hiking and equestrian trail that runs the length of the US from Mexico to Canada 100-150 miles east of the Pacific coast.

So that’s my trip, and what a wonderful trip it was. I hope someday I can go back and revisit all of these wonderful places.

How about you? What is your favorite place to visit?