Katherine Erickson Senior Session | Oregon Coast

Our trip with Kat started before we ever left North Dakota.

We were sitting at the gate in Williston waiting for our 11:45 flight, talking through a loose plan for the trip. Portland, the coast, little beach towns, whatever we could fit in. It felt relaxed at that point… until the layover.

Our connection in Denver was supposed to be 45 minutes. By the time we landed it had turned into about 25.

Kat took off running toward the next gate while I waited for my carry-on to come up from being gate checked on the little plane. Of course it had camera gear in it, so I had to wait. When it finally came up we started jogging through the airport up escalators, down escalators, across what felt like a mile of terminal.

At the very last escalator we spotted one of those airport carts and jumped on. I was texting Beth while we were racing across the terminal and she told me the gate closed in seven minutes. My airline app was counting down.

By the time the cart dropped us off we had about two or three minutes left.

We made it.

We boarded completely disheveled, hot, and sweaty and immediately sat down trying to catch our breath. The first twenty minutes of that flight were turbulent but eventually everything smoothed out and we made it into Portland.

Portland Arrival and a Stop at Voodoo Doughnut

When we landed in Portland we rented a car. I had reserved a big Durango because I had no idea how much luggage we would end up with, but they put us in a small Audi SUV instead. At first I wasn’t sure about it, but once we got into Portland I realized the smaller vehicle was actually perfect for navigating and parking.

It was almost 80 degrees outside, so Kat changed at the airport and got ready right there so we could start exploring.

Our first stop was Voodoo Doughnut. It’s colorful and chaotic and fun, which made it a great way to start the trip.

From there we headed into the Pearl District and wandered around the park area. The fountains weren’t running but the big square stone structures and the archways around the buildings gave us some really cool spots to stop.

There was also an old building where two of the walls were still standing but the windows were completely open. Kat climbed up and stood in the window frames and it was one of those unexpected little places that ends up being perfect.

After that we grabbed pizza from a place right by the park and started driving toward the falls.

Multnomah Falls at Sunset

By the time we reached Multnomah Falls the light was starting to soften.

Kat had brought a red dress that absolutely popped against the greens and the rock around the waterfall. We spent about 45 minutes there working our way through different areas while the sun dropped lower.

It was one of those places where everything feels big the sound of the water, the height of the falls, the cliffs around you and the color of that dress against it all was incredible.

When the light finally disappeared we packed up, stopped at Target for groceries, and started the long drive to the coast.

The drive ended up being about two hours and fifteen minutes on the windiest road I have ever been on. The speed limit was 55 but you rarely went that fast because the curves just kept coming.

About 20 minutes from the house the rain started, and by the time we arrived it was pouring.

There was zero cell service when we got there, which made checking into the house interesting, but thankfully I had screenshotted the instructions earlier and we were able to get inside once we connected to the Wi-Fi.

The house had a total 70s vibe and a deck that looked out toward the ocean with another house just in front of it. There was even a hot tub outside. Mom, Beth, and Kat took the bedrooms downstairs while I grabbed the room upstairs.

We got in around 10:30 that night and everyone was ready for bed not long after.

Oceanside Beach Evening Session

The next morning started with a walk near the beach by Hundred Stairs.

It was calm and beautiful and we spent some time just exploring the area and looking for agates. We only found one, but the morning itself was worth it.

Later we drove into Oceanside for lunch at The Current Café. The food was great and the guy taking our order was hilarious. I walked up and asked if we could order lunch and he said, “Well… only if you’re hungry.”

After lunch we relaxed at the house until it was time to start the evening.

We began down at Hundred Stairs Beach around 5:30. Kat started in pink jeans and a white backless top, such a fun outfit and then changed into an ivory dress.

From there we moved to Oceanside’s hidden beach, the one you reach by walking through the tunnel in the rock. For that part of the evening she wore a blue strapless floral dress with a slit up the leg.

We stayed out through blue hour before packing up and driving to Tillamook for dinner at Pelican Brewery.

Hidden Beach Morning and Devil’s Cauldron

The next morning we went back to the hidden beach around 9:00 when the big cliff throws shade across the sand.

Kat wore denim jeans, a white top, and a jean jacket and we spent about an hour there.

Afterward we stopped again at The Current Café for breakfast and drinks. Kat and I each bought postcard-sized paintings from a local artist there. They also had a bowl of gemstones where you could pick a few to take home.

The owner, Corner, was there that morning and I asked if they ever get snow on the coast. He pulled out his phone and showed us a photo of Oceanside covered in snow with the ocean behind it. He also told us they sometimes get waves up to 65 feet tall.

We brought breakfast back to the house for Beth and then spent a little time working and getting ready before heading out again around 1:00.

Our next stop was Devil’s Cauldron. We actually drove past where we needed to be at first and had to turn around, then hiked about a mile to reach the overlook. The cliffs there are incredible.

After that we drove into Seaside.

Seaside to Cannon Beach Adventure

Seaside was windy but lively, and we spent some time walking through town and stopping in shops.

At one point we pulled into McDonald’s because my mom and I both wanted a Diet Coke. Mom was navigating and told me to turn into what looked like a driveway… except it actually went straight into the grass. We were laughing hysterically because it clearly wasn’t a road.

From Seaside we drove to Cannon Beach and the weather changed completely. The wind had calmed and it was perfect.

To get out to the open shoreline we had to wade through water that was up to Kat’s knees in places. It was freezing and the ground dipped unexpectedly as we walked across.

Mom and I were both wearing camera harnesses with thousands of dollars of gear hanging from us while trying to cross.

The funniest moment of the entire trip happened when we were heading back through the water toward the car.

There was a dead octopus or something floating in the water and my mom was walking right toward it without seeing it. I told her to keep going and not stop, but she started panicking asking what it was.

Kat and I were laughing so hard we could barely talk while she was convinced something had touched her.

She froze in place and kept saying, “What is it? I can feel it!”

We watched the video later and laughed just as hard all over again.

By the time we finally got back across the water the sun had dropped and the sky was fading into blue. Once again, Oregon did not disappoint.

Get to know Kat better ~

Name of Senior

Katherine Erickson 

What is your favorite thing to do? 

Travel 

What is your favorite movie?

The choice 

What are your top 3 favorite songs right now? 

The great divide- Noah kahan No one like the lord- bethel music and Jenn Johnson oceans- hillsong united 

What is your favorite drink? 

Iced vanilla chai 

What is your favorite snack/candy?

Pirates booty 

Do you have a nickname? 

Kat

What is your dream job?

An acute care nurse practitioner 

What is your favorite scent? 

Anything fruity 

What is your favorite color? 

Forest green 

What is your favorite place on Earth that you’ve been to? 

Assisi, Italy 

If you could go anywhere, where would you go? 

Edinburgh, Scotland 

What is your favorite place to shop at? 

Francesca’s 

What is your favorite restaurant? 

Cheesecake Factory 

What are 3 things you can’t live without? 

1. God 2. My family 3. My friends 

What is your favorite food? 

Chicken tiki masala 

What makes you happy? 

My friends 

How would your friends describe you? 

Outgoing, kind, and funny 

What are your plans for after graduation? 

To attend college for nursing. 

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Cookie dough 

What is your favorite dessert/cake? 

Banana bars 

What is your favorite holiday? 

Thanksgiving