{"id":9542,"date":"2019-11-20T10:31:07","date_gmt":"2019-11-20T17:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ozapato.com\/mx\/pacific-northwest\/"},"modified":"2019-06-20T11:05:00","modified_gmt":"2019-06-20T17:05:00","slug":"pacific-northwest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ozapato.com\/mx\/pacific-northwest\/","title":{"rendered":"Pacific Northwest."},"content":{"rendered":"
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[English below]<\/p>\n

La ma\u00f1ana del pasado 11 de agosto cruz\u00e1bamos a Oregon felices y emocionados por descubrir lo que esta parte del pa\u00eds nos pod\u00eda ofrecer.<\/p>\n

Segu\u00edamos viajando m\u00e1s r\u00e1pido de lo habitual debido al limitante del tiempo que ten\u00edamos permitido estar en Estados Unidos (3 meses con el ESTA). As\u00ed que sin querer alargarnos demasiado, comenzamos a explorar esta regi\u00f3n llamada Noroeste del Pac\u00edfico (PNW \u2013 Pacific Northwest).<\/p>\n

Retomamos la autov\u00eda 101 rumbo norte y pasamos por el Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, un tramo de la ruta que nos fascin\u00f3. Similar a la famosa Big Sur tambi\u00e9n, pero mucho menos tur\u00edstica y algo m\u00e1s salvaje. Visitamos varias playas y peque\u00f1os pueblos para finalmente hacer noche en una antigua estaci\u00f3n de pesaje abandonada. Nos result\u00f3 curioso ver la cantidad de personas que viven en campers\/autocaravanas en Estados Unidos. All\u00e1 donde \u00edbamos, nos encontr\u00e1bamos gente estacionada de manera casi permanente.<\/p>\n

Tras dejar atr\u00e1s la costa y adentrarnos en el continente, llegamos al Umpqua National Forest<\/a>, donde aprovechamos para darnos un muy relajante ba\u00f1o en sus aguas termales que ya est\u00e1bamos necesitando y con las pilas ya cargadas, visitar un par de cascadas que hab\u00eda en la zona.<\/p>\n

Continuamos direcci\u00f3n este hasta el famoso Crater Lake, el lago m\u00e1s profundo del pa\u00eds y que llena parcialmente una caldera volc\u00e1nica formada hace unos 6850 a\u00f1os por el hundimiento del volc\u00e1n Mazama. Lamentablemente est\u00e1bamos en \u00e9poca de incendios en la costa oeste, y al igual que en California donde no pudimos visitar Yosemite, al llegar a Crater Lake una capa algo densa de humo nos recib\u00eda enrareciendo el ambiente. Decidimos cambiar el plan y encontrar un lugar donde dormir unos kil\u00f3metros m\u00e1s al norte, m\u00e1s alejados de los incendios.<\/p>\n

Y as\u00ed, de casualidad, llegamos a uno de los lugares m\u00e1s bonitos en el que acampamos en Estados Unidos. Encontramos el spot -c\u00f3mo no- en iOverlander<\/a>. Se trata de un lugar en lo alto de una peque\u00f1a monta\u00f1a. Tuvimos que desviarnos un poco y manejar por pistas de grava durante un rato pero llegar a lo alto de este lugar y contemplar esa vista sin duda mereci\u00f3 la pena. \u00a1Adem\u00e1s tuvimos el lugar para nosotros solos!<\/p>\n

Tras pasar r\u00e1pidamente por Bend y pasar una noche en el medio de la nada en el bosque, llegamos al Silver Falls State Park<\/a>, un bonito parque bastante popular que queda cerca de la capital de Oregon, Salem. All\u00ed hicimos un hike muy recomendable en el que fuimos viendo varias cascadas de diferentes alturas.<\/p>\n

Y finalmente llegamos a Portland. La ciudad de moda. Cuna de hipsters y cervecer\u00edas artesanales. Y hasta el momento, probablemente, nuestra ciudad preferida en el pa\u00eds.<\/p>\n

All\u00ed nos encontramos con Sebas, primo de Meli que nos llev\u00f3 a pasear por la ciudad, visitar la famosa librer\u00eda Powell\u2019s, comer rico, explorar sus calles, conocer su lugar de trabajo en el puerto\u2026 Tambi\u00e9n vimos a Elisa, amiga de amigos de Panam\u00e1, que nos ense\u00f1\u00f3 el bonito barrio donde viv\u00eda (Alberta, nos encant\u00f3), nos llev\u00f3 a surfear a Short Sand Beach e incluso nos ofreci\u00f3 su driveway para pernoctar m\u00e1s tranquilos en la ciudad.<\/p>\n

C\u00f3mo no iba a gustarnos Portland con la buena experiencia que tuvimos\u2026 \"\ud83d\ude42\" (\u00a1Mil gracias Sebas y Elisa por vuestra hospitalidad!)<\/p>\n

Incluso coincidimos con varios viajeros durante nuestra estancia en la ciudad. As\u00ed, conocimos a Sergio y Ana, una pareja argentino-rusa que viajaban en su autocaravana reci\u00e9n comprada desde Washington hasta tal vez<\/em> Argentina. Con ellos visitamos Seaside y compartimos una riqu\u00edsima cena casera en la casita rodante de la pareja. \u00a1Qu\u00e9 pena no haber coincidido m\u00e1s tiempo chicos!<\/p>\n

Sin tiempo que perder, dejamos Oregon atr\u00e1s y cruzamos el puente que une este estado con el de Washington.<\/p>\n

Segu\u00edamos avanzando por la costa visitando peque\u00f1os pueblos y buscando olas, pero el tiempo no acompa\u00f1aba demasiado y est\u00e1bamos comenzando a sentir el fr\u00edo y humedad del Pacific Northwest. As\u00ed que cruzamos la costa de Washington pasando por La Push y Port Angeles bastante r\u00e1pido hasta que llegamos a Seattle.<\/p>\n

All\u00ed nos recibi\u00f3 en su casa el gran Alex Smith<\/a>, un local con el que hab\u00edamos hablado a trav\u00e9s de las redes sociales y con el que coincidimos en San Miguel de Allende cuando se nos estrope\u00f3 la camioneta<\/a>. \u00c9ste se dedica a ayudar a otros viajeros comprando campers para ellos, haci\u00e9ndoles el tr\u00e1mite del cambio de nombre aunque \u00e9stos est\u00e9n al otro lado del mundo, dando consejos sobre tr\u00e1mites y cruces de fronteras\u2026 Un crack el tipo. No hab\u00edamos necesitado de sus servicios pero cuando nos vimos en M\u00e9xico nos invit\u00f3 a quedarnos en su casa al llegar a la zona de Seattle, y as\u00ed hicimos. Nos recibi\u00f3 con los brazos abiertos junto a su esposa Kristi y su perro Ger\u00f3nimo.<\/p>\n

Su casa en Everett nos sirvi\u00f3 de base de operaciones para hacer diferentes recados que ten\u00edamos pendientes, conocer Seattle (que tambi\u00e9n nos gust\u00f3 bastante), Eka aprovech\u00f3 que encontr\u00f3 un buen estudio de tatuajes y se hizo un tatuaje, compramos una jaula para ir entrenando poco a poco a Tikla, algo de ropa para el fr\u00edo\u2026<\/p>\n

Incluso nos fuimos de pesca con Alex y una pareja de viajeros belgas. Nuestro anfitri\u00f3n conoc\u00eda un lugar para ir a pescar cangrejo y aunque el tiempo no acompa\u00f1aba mucho, pasamos un d\u00eda muy agradable. Primero se depositaron las trampas en el fondo y pasado un rato regresamos a por ellas. Tras medir los cangrejos que atrapamos y devolver al fondo los m\u00e1s j\u00f3venes, disfrutamos de esta sabrosa comida que cocinamos en el fuego.<\/p>\n

Los d\u00edas pasaban volando y el tiempo apremiaba, as\u00ed que nos despedimos de nuestros nuevos amigos y volvimos a la carretera. Canad\u00e1 nos esperaba.<\/p>\n

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On the morning of the 11th<\/sup> of August, we were crossing to Oregon, happy and excited to discover what this part of the country had to offer.<\/p>\n

We were still traveling faster than usual due to the limited amount of time that we were allowed to stay in the country (3 months with the ESTA). We didn\u2019t want to lose any time and so we started to visit the Pacific Northwest or PNW as it\u2019s known to the locals.<\/p>\n

We took the 101 freeway heading North and went through the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, a section of the route that fascinated us. It\u2019s similar to the famous Big Sur, but much less touristy and more wild. We visited several beaches and small towns and we spent the night in an old abandoned weighing station. It was surprising to see the number of people living in campers \/ motorhomes in the United States. Wherever we went, we found people settled in almost permanently.<\/p>\n

After leaving the coast behind and entering the continent, we arrived at the Umpqua National Forest<\/a>, where we enjoyed a very necessary and very relaxing thermal bath in its thermal waters and with our batteries fully loaded, we visited a couple of \u00a0the waterfalls of the area.<\/p>\n

We continued East to the famous Crater Lake. It\u2019s the deepest lake in the country and it partially fills a volcanic caldera formed some 6850 years ago by the sinking of the Mazama volcano. Unfortunately it was fire season on the West coast, and just like in California where we could not visit Yosemite, when we arrived at Crater Lake, there was a dense layer of smoke filling the atmosphere. We decided to change our plan and find a place to sleep a few kilometers further North, further away from the fires.<\/p>\n

And so, by chance, we arrived at one of the most beautiful places where we camped in the United States. We found the spot -of course- on iOverlander<\/a>. The spot was located on top of a small mountain. We had to take a detour along a gravel road for a while but reaching the top of the mountain and contemplating that view was definitely worth it. We also had the place for ourselves!<\/p>\n

After passing quickly through Bend and spending a night in the middle of nowhere in the forest, we arrived at the Silver Falls State Park<\/a>, a pretty popular park close to the capital of Oregon, Salem. There, we did a highly recommended hike to check out multiple waterfalls of different heights.<\/p>\n

Finally, we made it to Portland. The fashionable city. Cradle of hipsters and craft breweries. And so far, probably our favorite city in the country.<\/p>\n

There we met Sebas, Meli\u2019s cousin who took us to walk around the city, visit the famous Powell bookstore, eat delicious meals, explore the streets, visit his workplace in the port\u2026 We also saw Elisa, friend of friends from Panama, who showed us the beautiful neighborhood where she lives (Alberta, we loved it), took us surfing at Short Sand Beach and even offered us her driveway to spend the night in the city.<\/p>\n

How could we not like Portland after such good times\u2026! \"\ud83d\ude42\" (Thank you Sebas and Elisa for your hospitality!)<\/p>\n

We even met up with several travelers during our stay in the city. We met Sergio and Ana, an Argentinian-Russian couple who traveled in their newly purchased motorhome from Washington to -perhaps- Argentina. We visited Seaside together and we shared a delicious homemade dinner in the couple\u2019s mobile home. It\u2019s a pity that we couldn\u2019t travel longer together guys!<\/p>\n

With no time to waste, we left Oregon and crossed the bridge that connects this state with Washington.<\/p>\n

We kept on moving forward along the coast visiting small towns and looking for waves, but the weather did not cooperate and we were beginning to feel the cold and humidity of the Pacific Northwest. So we crossed the Washington coast passing through La Push and Port Angeles pretty fast until we got to Seattle.<\/p>\n

We were received by the great Alex Smith<\/a>, a Washington native with whom we had spoken through social media and whom we met in San Miguel de Allende when our truck broke down<\/a>. He dedicates his time to helping other travelers by buying campers for them, doing all the paperwork for transferring the title even if the clients are on the other side of the world, giving advice on procedures and border crossings\u2026 One hell of a guy. We had not needed his services but when we saw him in Mexico he invited us to stay over at his house when we arrived in the Seattle area, and we did. He welcomed us with open arms with his wife Kristi and his dog Geronimo.<\/p>\n

His house in Everett served as a base of operations to do run errands and do some other stuff that we had pending, to know Seattle (which we also liked a lot). Eka jumped on the occasion when he found a good tattoo studio and got a new tattoo! We bought a crate to start crate training Tikla bit by bit and we also got some clothes for the cold.<\/p>\n

We even went fishing with Alex and a couple of Belgian travelers. Our host knew a place to go crabbing and although the weather did not go much, we had a very nice day. First the traps were deposited in the bottom and after a while we went back for them. After measuring the crabs that we caught and returning the youngest ones to the bottom, we enjoyed this tasty food that we cooked in a pit fire.<\/p>\n

The days flew by and we were short on time so we said goodbye to our new friends and returned to the road. Canada was waiting for us.<\/p>\n