Hi! I'm Allie

How does a girl from the New York City metro area—with zero ties to the Pacific Northwest—find herself road tripping up the Oregon Coast twice in a single decade? The short answer: it’s a place of natural beauty that exceeds every expectation. It’s where the best of nature’s elements, the sprawling Pacific, forested mountain peaks, fleeting sunshine, and cozy, slow rainy mornings, converge into one landscape. And somehow, even during peak months, it feels like you have the wh

After the lush vineyards and avant-garde curves of Rioja , we traded our wine glasses for hiking boots and headed east toward the Pyrenees. The transition from the rolling plains of wine country to the jagged limestone peaks of the north is dramatic, both in scenery and pace. A Literary Detour in Pamplona The drive to Torla takes about three hours, so we broke it up with a stop in Pamplona . I love to choose a novel to read with a setting inspired by the location I’m travelin

Landing in Bilbao felt like a victory before the trip even began. United recently added direct flights from Newark , which effectively removes the logistical headache of a Madrid or Barcelona layover and puts you right at the gateway to Basque Country. We picked up a car at the airport, our chariot to explore Basque Country/La Rioja region, Pamplona, the Pyrenees, and San Sebastian area (stay tuned for more blog posts exploring each location! ), and made the 90-minute drive