Camping Adventures on the West Coast

Our most recent campsite set-up from 10 days in eastern Washington.

Over the years, we have hitched up (or loaded up) our camping rigs countless times. We have tent camped, used an old cab-over camper, towed a small trailer and more recently moved into a bigger travel trailer. We have remodeled our rigs, gone in freezing temps and heat waves. We have broken down more times than we would like and been stuck in several rest stops around the state. Given all that we have experienced; here are some of our favorite places, items to bring (whether you are tenting or towing a big rig), and travel tips.

• Campgrounds We Frequent — or plan to return to in the near future!

  Western Washington

  • Fort Flagler

  • Dosewallips State Park (Brinnon)

  • Tolt-Macdonald State Park (Issaquah)

  Eastern Washington

  • Oasis (Ephrata)

  • Steamboat Rock State Park (Electric City)

  • Sun Lakes State Park

  Oregon

  • Canon Beach RV Resort (Canon Beach)

• Basic Camping Necessities

  • Campsite Setup - Basics to Splurges

  • Tent Camping Essentials

  • Travel Trailer Essentials and Cab-over camper options

• Travel Tips

  • Book early — Some of our favorite places happen to be the favorites of others…. figure out when you can book and be prepared. Don’t worry… I will let you in on all of our secret ways to book sites at some of the hardest to book campgrounds….

  • Littles on board? Leave at night or early in the morning. We like to load our kiddos in the car at 4 AM to beat traffic, heat, and several hours of “Are we there yet?”

  • Snacks, snacks and more snacks. There is NO SHAME in giving your kids the special snacks you never have in the house. Travel days are stressful for everyone; it is okay to let go and offer special snacks.

    PRO TIP: Get a travel day snack storage tray (ours is a shark). It is only ever given on long travels and is always a hit!

  • Gas up at the truck stops…. and bribe with a special snack or toy. Truck stops can be a like Disneyland for littles.

  • Have activities for arrival! You will be exhausted, but your kids won’t. Even if you aren’t exhausted, you will still be faced with the task of setting up camp. Make sure you have some activities in your back pocket that will allow you to get some set-up done.

  • Block out some of the advice and do what works for you! Every trip, every kid, every situation is different. You know your kids best — you know yourself best! If screen time will provide some sanity, do it! If you candy solves your melt-downs… by all means! Remember — you are the one in the car with your kids and your sanity is everything!

When all else fails… just spend time together — it is all your kids will remember. Some of our biggest camping/road trip fails have been the best memories. Above all else, get out there!

And…

BRING THE KIDS