For the first installment in The Endless Horizon series, we partnered with Snow Peakers Tyler Way and Kendra Olguín, taking inspiration from their Pacific Northwest excursions. They offered us a closer look at their travels, sharing reflections from the road and highlighting a few of their favorite places. Don’t miss their two delicious camp recipes for Fire-Roasted Tomato Pasta and Breakfast Enfrijoladas and Potato Hash.
We got married, bought an Airstream, and started traveling the country. We didn't know what we were doing, yet we knew this was the best time of our lives to do it. Four years later, Kendra and I have made our way through all fifty states as creative nomads living and working on the road.
We had left our careers in the fashion industry -- I was a footwear designer, and Kendra was a women's fashion buyer. Other than the occasional state park hike or beach day on the shores of Lake Michigan, we certainly didn't consider ourselves outdoorsy. But, of course, that changed. The outdoors has become more of a lifestyle for us.
Every time someone asks our favorite state or region to visit, our answer always is, in unrehearsed unison, the Pacific Northwest. Nowhere else can you find such a diverse range of landscapes, climates, and ecosystems that’s approachable to all levels of outdoor enthusiasts.
Its most scenic entrance is driving northward from California through the Redwoods National and State Parks. Its lush vegetation, old-growth forests, and temperate climate transport you to a prehistoric world. Not to mention, the Pacific Coast is constantly crashing and teeming with wildlife that we could watch for hours on end.
Surrounded by the countless rivers, lakes, and streams, I knew this would be as good a time as any to try my hand at fly fishing. Although it has a reputation for being overwhelmingly complicated, the tenkara fly fishing method gives me hope that mastering the basics is just a matter of time and practice. Not to mention, it’s another opportunity for us to find new pockets of the outdoors that we can enjoy together. 
Following the rivers to the ocean, the world shifts, and you enter into the cozy ocean vibes of the Oregon coast. We traded awe-inspiring hikes through the ancient woodlands for quiet evenings on the beach, enjoying locally-caught salmon tacos on our Takibi and Jikaro. 
A visit to the PNW isn’t complete without a stop in Portland. For us, cities have become a restocking opportunity, and yes, that included Snow Peak’s flagship store, where we picked up some new products to elevate our outdoor setup further.
City life lasted only so long as we found ourselves drawn to Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge like moths to a flame. Brunch in Hood River at the Scandinavian restaurant Broder Øst, scenic drives along historic Route-30, and mountainous views with wood-fired pizzas with wines to pair at Grateful Vineyard was enough to make us question if we should ever leave.
The Olympic peninsula was only a few hours away, and it turns out that we weren’t quite ready to settle down yet. Full days of forest walks on the Quinalt and Hoh Rainforest Trails, a waterfall chase at Sol Duc Falls, and mountain range hikes on Hurricane Ridge highlighted our travels in the western-most region of the contiguous United States. 
After all the hikes and hours of scenic drives throughout the Olympic Peninsula, being able to slow down and take in the sunset at Ruby Beach was a perfect farewell to the Pacific Ocean, at least for now.
After a short stint in Seattle visiting family, we found ourselves back in the Cascades at the base of another stratovolcano -- Mt. Rainier. At 14,411 feet, it's the tallest peak in the Cascade Volcanic Arc that provides mixed feelings of fear of its slumbering power and awe in its rugged beauty.
It’s easy to get carried away packing your itinerary tight with activity after activity. Yet, most of our best memories from the trip were simply being “home.” Cooking outside on the Iron Grill Table, playing board games in the Mesh Shelter, and reading fireside turned out to be some of the best ways to enjoy the PNW. 
About: Tyler D. Way and Kendra Clapp OlguÍn are the husband-and-wife duo behind ONE-Y-ONE, an outdoors lifestyle creative studio focused on designing products and creating content that better connects individuals to themselves, one another, and the outdoors.
