Our Minimoon: From Mt. Hood to the Coast

Part 1 – The Drive North & Beachwood

We left Mt. Hood Meadows that morning, tired but still buzzing from the night before. After packing up the car, we drove toward Portland and stopped at Pho Le Nguyen — a comfort-food reward for surviving the wedding whirlwind.

In perfect timing, we ran into G and Kierra there — a random, happy reunion before hitting the coast.

That evening we reached Beachwood Resort in Washington, our home base for the next few nights. A tiny condo right on the beach — a little worn but with a pool, hot tub, and sauna.

We got scrappy: cooked pasta, opened wine, and watched Love Is Blind on the oldest TV alive. Exactly what we needed.

The next day was slow and cozy — coffee in bed, sweaters and salt air, walks along the beach, and our nightly 100-push-ups challenge. The car was already covered in sand by day two.

On Monday we drove up to Seabrook, rented bikes, and rode through the seaside town. Later we found Galway Bay Irish Pub in Ocean Shores — cider, fish ’n’ chips, and the Mariners game.

Our $10-per-game betting rivalry continued:

Meg + $20 / Ryker – $20. (She’s still bragging.)

Part 1 – The Drive North & Beachwood

We left Mt. Hood Meadows that morning, tired but still buzzing from the night before. After packing up the car, we drove toward Portland and stopped at Pho Le Nguyen — a comfort-food reward for surviving the wedding whirlwind. In perfect timing, we ran into G and Kierra there — a random, happy reunion before hitting the coast. That evening we reached Beachwood Resort in Washington, our home base for the next few nights. A tiny condo right on the beach — a little worn but with a pool, hot tub, and sauna. We got scrappy: cooked pasta, opened wine, and watched Love Is Blind on the oldest TV alive. Exactly what we needed. The next day was slow and cozy — coffee in bed, sweaters and salt air, walks along the beach, and our nightly 100-push-ups challenge. The car was already covered in sand by day two. On Monday we drove up to Seabrook, rented bikes, and rode through the seaside town. Later we found Galway Bay Irish Pub in Ocean Shores — cider, fish ’n’ chips, and the Mariners game. Our $10-per-game betting rivalry continued: Meg + $20 / Ryker – $20. (She’s still bragging.)

Part 2 – The Long Road to Port Angeles

We packed up and headed north through Aberdeen, stopping at Lake Quinault Lodge to see the world’s largest spruce tree — a towering, moss-covered giant.

Next came the Tree of Life near Kalaloch Beach, a tangled, gravity-defying wonder, and then Ruby Beach, where we spread out cheese and bread for what we proudly called our peasant picnic.

From there we biked the trails in the Hoh Rain Forest, wandered through ferns, and ended the day in Forks (yes, that Forks). We went thrifting, grabbed Subway, and laughed about how perfectly un-fancy our honeymoon had become.

By evening we rolled into Port Angeles, checked into a glamping tent, and tried to start a fire to keep warm. We mostly filled the tent with smoke and ended up crawling into bed, wrapped in blankets, laughing as the temp dropped to 41 °F.

Dinner that night: Sabai Thai — curry and comfort.

Part 3 – Port Angeles Days

We found Fog Town Coffee Bar the next morning — life-changing breakfast burritos — before driving up to Hurricane Ridge, where Meg wore her second wedding dress for photos against the clouds.

The sun came out, the air was crisp, and after photos we rode our bikes down the mountain from Hurricane Ridge. It was cold, and we hauled ass, taking turns driving and filming each other as we descended — one of those spontaneous moments that felt like pure freedom.

That night we celebrated with seafood at 929 Wood Fire Grill and toasted to the best week of our lives (so far).

Friday was our grand finale: morning ciders and another Mariners game at Angeles Brewing Taproom (the betting tally stayed the same), followed by a 20-mile ride along the Olympic Discovery Trail — bundled in sweaters, sandy, sore, and happy.

That evening, we learned Canasta at a brewery tasting room — our new favorite card game. We decided to keep learning more for hostel nights during our 2026 world trip.

A quiet, perfect way to close out the minimoon.

Evenings were for Pirates of the Caribbean marathons, coffee in bed each morning, and that rare feeling of time slowing down — just us, Ocha, and the salty air.

Epilogue

By the end of the week, Ocha was full of sand, our cameras full of photos, and our hearts completely reset.

Our minimoon wasn’t about luxury — it was about being together: cooking cheap pasta, freezing in a tent, and realizing that after the chaos of the wedding, this simple adventure was exactly the right start.