Picture It with Priscila

Day Trip Inspo: Whidbey Island

I know that the Pacific Northwest is full of wondrous nature and quite a few destinations are accessible from Seattle. Since I’d been to Seattle a couple times now, I thought it might be fun to do a day trip outside of Seattle for a change of scenery. When doing research, Whidbey Island popped up multiple times and it seemed like a fun place to do a day trip or even a weekend trip.

Why Go?

Whidbey Island is home to 7-8 state parks (per my quick Google search), 3 of which I visited. In addition to nature paths and views, there are multiple small towns and farms you could visit to shop and eat at.

Where to Stay?

Whidbey Island is accessible from Seattle by car or ferry, but there are also places you can stay on the island if you want to spend an extra day or two!

How to Get Around?

Unfortunately, a car would be necessary to travel across the island. There were buses, but they were rare, and I believe they were only limited to paths on Whidbey Island.  

The Itinerary

I started at the top of the island and drove my way down to take the ferry back into the city. I think this helps to avoid the early ferry lines so you can get to hiking earlier in the morning but know that you may miss out on store shopping and museums in towns since many will close around 5pm.

Personally, I started with breakfast at Totem Family Diner on my way up. Classic diner, solid food, but not a must do if you’re in a hurry! 

First stop was Deception Pass State Park. You’ll need a Discover Pass ($10/day) but it’s good for all the state parks we’ll be visiting on this itinerary. I parked after the bridge – there is limited parking so come early or plan on a weekday. From this lot, the recommendations were the Goose Rock or the North Beach hikes. Goose Rock was closed that day, so I did the North Beach hike while I also waited for the fog to clear up. Afterwards, I walked the bridge a bit. It was shakier and higher than I expected so a bit was plenty for me. Beautiful views though! 

Afterwards, I drove down to Seabolt’s Restaurant to try the Penn Cove mussels which were fresh, plump, and well cooked. I highly recommend trying this local shellfish even if it’s not at this location (although I will say they had very competitive pricing given that they were basically half a seafood market as well). Side note: their chowder was also very hearty and delicious!

After lunch, it was time for a walk. I went to Ebey’s Landing Trail but left early since being from California, it wasn’t much of a unique coastal view (albeit still very beautiful of course!). 

Next, I went to South Whidbey State Park. This park was very quiet, and I attempted the Ridge Loop Trail – I got frightened by the silence so I left early via a service road. It worked out well though as I wanted to visit Whidbey Pies before heading back on the ferry. 

South Whidbey State Park

That’s it! A full day of nature and food just an hour away from Seattle. I hope you have as much fun as I did!

Final Thoughts 

While there are closer nature spots to Seattle, I do believe this would be worth the visit. There’s so much to do and see, and I can’t imagine anyone not having a good time!

What Not to Miss in San Luis Obispo (SLO)

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I had wanted to go to SLO on a whim last year, but I was pleasantly shocked by how much I would love it when I got there. There are the most fabulous food options in town – huge portions of pasta, pillowy pizza, or tri tip sandwiches. But there’s also blue coastal and green hill views straight out from a postcard. Oh, and did I mention wine?

Why Go?

SLO has a pretty well-known college, but it’s also a lovely coastal town that’s close to wine countries and hilly hiking trails. However, since it is a college town, you’ll also get lots of affordable food options that’s deliciously fresh (thanks to the local agriculture) and fun night activities to keep you entertained.

Where to Stay?

On my last trip, my family and I really enjoyed our stay at Avenue Inn Downtown. It’s not a fancy resort, but it has all the amenities you need, free parking, and is walkable to downtown restaurants and wine bars. 

How to Get Around?

It looks like downtown has a public transit line, but I highly recommend a car for this area as you’ll need it to access hiking trails and explore the other areas (i.e. Morro Rock, Paso Robles). The only tricky thing will be having to pay for downtown parking unless you choose to stay there and walk to places. 

Top 3 Things to Do

  • Bluffs Trail – This is an easy flat trail in the Montaña de Oro State Park that follows the bluffs along the coast. I’ve read that you can see whales or seals from time to time, but I haven’t been lucky to spot any wildlife besides birds. However, what is amazing are the ocean waves. In both cloudy and sunny conditions, the views are spectacular.
  • Morro Rock – Just north above the Bluffs Trail is Morro Rock. It’s a well known landmark when one is driving up the Central Coast and while you can’t climb it, you can walk around it and see wild sea otters! Definitely worth a stop.
  • Madonna Inn – This historical motel is known for its 110 individually themed rooms (all different!) that’s over-the top with their decorations, a little kitchy, and very whimsical. You don’t need to stay here to enjoy a visit. It’s definitely fun to see, walk the grounds, visit the gift shops, and maybe even get a slice of their Pink Champagne cake. 

Top 3 Things to Eat

  • Flour House – This is my favorite place in SLO! The pizza here is unrivaled – the crust is pillowy yet has a lovely chew. In addition to classics, they also have fresh takes on the combination of toppings. BUT, if you’re not in the mood for pizza, the pasta is also fantastic. In fact, I had the best gnocchi of my life during my last visit. It was in a saffron cream sauce with an osso buco. Oh, and the drinks are delightful as well. There’s creative Italian twists on classics as well as a nice selection of wines. TIP: They don’t take reservations and are only open for dinner so be prepared to wait.

  • Mama’s Meatball – This is my number 2 recommendation in SLO. We had this last time when we wanted a night in the hotel. We ordered pastas to go and the portions were generous and the flavors were impeccable! It was perfect for a night in especially when the goal was to binge on carbs with TV. 
  • High St. Deli – This sandwich shop is well known in SLO, particularly the college kids as sandwiches used to be $4.20 after 4:20PM back in the day. Nowadays, the sandwiches are a bit pricier. While the sandwiches are good, I don’t find them particularly super unique although it is located in an ideal middle spot between the Bluffs Trail and Morro Rock.

Final Thoughts  

I think the great thing about SLO is that it can be a one night stop on your way up to San Francisco or down to San Diego OR you can spend a long weekend enjoying the small coastal town vibes. 

How to See Both Sides of Iguazu Falls (Argentina and Brazil) in 48 Hours

Iguazu Falls has been on my bucket list ever since I saw it in Soarin’ Around the World at Shanghai Disneyland. I couldn’t believe such a place existed and when I found out it was at the border of Argentina and Brazil, I knew I had to add it to my itinerary when I went to Argentina if possible (spoiler alert: it’s definitely possible!).

Why Go?

Igauzu Falls is a spectacular waterfall system that is nearly three times as wide and almost twice as tall as Niagara Falls. I’ve never been, but for my fellow Americans, I think that’s a helpful reference for those who have. Whereas Niagara Falls has three distinct waterfalls, Iguazu Falls has about 275 waterfalls. When we did our trail on the Brazil side, we walked for almost a mile and there was a continuous wall of waterfalls on the other side to gaze at. If that doesn’t sound cool, I don’t know how else to convince you! 

Where to Stay?

You can stay on either the Argentina or the Brazil side. For the Argentina side, it’s Puerto Iguazu while for the Brazil side, it’s Foz do Iguaçu. I can’t speak for the Brazil side although I heard that you can use Uber there and that the town is slightly bigger. We stayed on the Argentina side at an Airbnb and our hostess helped connect us with a private driver company that was fairly priced. I will say that the town is pretty small, but there’s a few restaurants and a couple small markets for the short time you’ll be there. 

How to Get Around?

Taxi/Personal driver was the main source of transportation for us since we lived a few miles outside of town at an Airbnb. However, if you stay in town, there’s a main bus terminal that has frequent buses that will take you to the parks. This would be my recommendation especially if you are a solo traveler or in a smaller party. We had 4 people in our party so luckily, the rates worked out about the same for us either way. If you prefer a taxi/driver, if you take a taxi in town, you’ll often get their business card if you want to call them for another drive. TIP: Negotiation is ok, but make sure you do it upfront. Rates can vary so if a price seems off, it’s ok to push back.

Day 1

Today will be focused on the Argentina side although if you want to switch the days, that is perfectly okay too. I will note that the Argentina side is more of a full day whereas the Brazil side can be done in a half day if you only want to focus on the falls. 

The Argentina park has about 5 trails and if you arrive at opening and leave at closing, you can likely do all the trails. For us, we were advised to go in a bit later for less traffic so we only spent about 5-6 hours at the park. We got to do all the trails except for one, Sendero Macuco, which is a jungle walk rather than a trail leading to a grand view point. 

The first thing to do when you get in is decide if you want to do an extra adventure such as a boating adventure. We opted out of a paid adventure since we weren’t prepared to get soaked. TIP: The Brazil side offers a path where you can experience the waterfalls without having to pay for a boat experience!

Then, the next thing to do is get a train ticket to see Devil’s Throat. Devil’s Throat is one of the main waterfalls at Iguazu Falls and is well known for having a U-shaped chasm and presenting a powerful experience for viewers. Side note: You don’t have to take the train to Devil’s Throat, but the path follows the train route and the view is not particularly exciting so I would just take the train to save time and energy. 

You can’t choose your time so planning your time around the ticket can be a little tricky. For us, we had about an hour and a half so we did the Sendero Verde walk which was a short 15-20 min walk into the park and had some food. You can take the train for this portion, but I don’t think it’s necessary unless someone in your party has mobility concerns and/or wants to conserve energy.

After taking the train, the walk to the main viewpoint of Devil’s Throat (Paseo Garganta del Diablo) is probably about 0.75 miles one way. It does take longer than expected, even though it’s a flat, metal walkway, due to the path being used as a 2-way pathway and the speed of the other guests around so be prepared to be patient. At the main viewpoint, it’s directed to be a one-way path where you can get different angles of Devil’s Throat. Definitely prep for more patience as everyone wants to be at the rails for their pictures and videos. The strength of the waterfall is incredibly strong so you’ll likely get a light mist on your face and you’ll also likely not see to the bottom of the fall. Definitely a must do! TIP: I would venture more down the path to decrease the wait time for your time at the rails as everyone normally stops for the first possible position even though there are multiple great viewpoints.

The other 2 main trails are Circuito Inferior (Lower Circuit) and Paseo Superior (Upper Circuit). We heard good things about both so we wanted to do both and I definitely recommend doing both! We started with the Upper Circuit which provided views from the top of the waterfalls. Think Devil’s Throat but for the other falls. Overall, it was just really neat to say that you’ve stood on top of waterfalls and marvel at how these walkways were built. For the Lower Circuit, you get to be more in the waterfalls. You get to walk by them and see a more pulled back view of the falls from a closer angle. If you’re worried about time, the time estimates listed on the signs are not indicative of the path lengths but also taking into account taking pictures and slowing down for other guests so don’t be discouraged by them. There’s also side detours that you can cut out if you want to make time to do both trails. 

At the end of the day, I recommend getting some local river fish (pacu or surubi) in town to refuel before winding down for day 2! 

Day 2

For the Brazil side, if you’re staying on the Argentina side, you will have to go through immigration. For us, our driver dropped us off and told us where to go to get processed. I believe it was the same concept for the buses although the buses seemed to get there faster as they had their own dedicated route. TIP: For Americans, a visa is required so you’ll need to apply for that at least two months before your trip. 

The park is situated across from a bird park that is also pretty popular. I believe it’s a rescue sanctuary for birds, but unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to go as we were expecting rain so we wanted to go to the park first. Our initial plan was to visit it after the park if there was time available. 

In the park, you’ll have to take a bus to the main trail. There are 2 other stops beforehand for other trails if you want to add additional walking to your day. We didn’t have a chance to do this as rain started pouring halfway during our day and we got soaked. We got off at the stop where most people get off which I believe is stop number 3. 

Once you get off, there’s only one trail to venture on! It’s less than a mile one way where you’re walking the entire stretch of Iguazu Falls from the opposite side and you truly get to experience how vast the falls actually are. Every step is like another perfect panoramic picture even though it’s hard to capture on film just how vast the falls are. 

At the end of the trail, you’ll get a chance to venture out on a metal walkway towards the center of a fall. I highly recommend this as you get to experience firsthand the power (both water dumping and the winds) of the fall while getting fun pictures. You’ll also feel like a kid running through a water park too! TIP: I would recommend bringing extra clothes in a plastic bag that you can change into afterwards. It got pretty cold for us after and being cold and wet is never a fun feeling. Waterproof shoes would also be great if you’ve got those! I brought extra socks but they just got soaked the minute I put my feet back into my shoes. 

Afterwards, you can line up to take a bus back towards the front of the park and head out OR you can get a bite to eat! There’s a buffet option if you want to try multiple things, but we opted for the quick service location which was honestly fantastic. We got fish and chips, a burger, fried chicken, fresh fruit juices, and acai bowls, and they were all generous portions, decently priced, and surprisingly well executed for a park. 

TIP: If you’re on a tight schedule, I think you can mix your travel day in with the Brazil side and then do the Argentina side the next day before flying out at night the next day. You’ll be tired, but it’s doable. 

Final Thoughts

Iguazu Falls was truly one of the most amazing natural wonders I have seen up close. I don’t think I need to go back, but I’m so, so glad I got to see it. If I were to go back, I would be excited to see blue water. Apparently, we went right after a flooding so there was extra dirt/sediment in the water than usual. I’m also a fan of waterfalls so I know I’m biased. But really, if you have the choice, I recommend making a trip here at least once in your lifetime!