Epic Road Trip from Washington to California
Our long-term goal is to live the van life. We originally hoped to have a van fully built out by 2025, but life had other plans. While the dream hasn’t changed, the timeline has shifted. Not too far down the line, in fact you should probably subscribe, because it is coming! For now, chasing bucket-list adventures in our ancient (but trusty!) Lexus SUV—or staying in the occasional random motel—has been more realistic than building out a van.
And honestly? We’ve had some incredible adventures along the way.
We’ve soaked in the hot springs of Montana, marveled at the ice sculptures in Idaho, camped and hiked across the islands of Washington State, added to our growing “World’s EST” list (biggest, oldest, weirdest—you name it!), dropped 50 pounds, and kicked off our downsizing journey by moving to a smaller travel headquarters.
In the spirit of living simply and intentionally, we decided to skip traditional gift-giving this holiday season. Instead, we convinced our two fully grown adult kids to join us for an unforgettable road trip—from Washington to California—for Thanksgiving… in Disneyland.
Yep. Disneyland. Honestly, that was the last place I ever thought we’d all agree to vacation.
Let me explain.
We actually used to live in California, right after we left Reno, NV. But over time, the rising cost of living pushed us out. (This was before 2020, when eggs were already up to $12 a dozen!) Amy ran an in-home daycare and cooked everything from scratch to save money. We juggled multiple jobs, working hard just to stay afloat—but it often felt like we were rowing a boat with a hole in the bottom.
Eventually, we knew it was time to go. We packed everything we could fit into a $900 van we bought off Craigslist, hitched up a U-Haul trailer, and left the Inland Empire behind. We headed north to Spokane, WA, to start fresh—without knowing anyone in the city or much about the area at all.
So returning to California, nearly a decade later, felt… triumphant. Not because we were on vacation—but because we came back for something happy. It was a full-circle moment: a celebration of how far we’ve come.
It seemed so cliche when they were small but time really does fly. Don’t blink or you’ll miss it!
The drive down South was perfect really. We ate dinner at Black Bear Diner and reminisced over hangover breakfasts from our “band years” to family brunches with the kids once we became more than just the two of us. Now here we were crammed into a booth eating pancakes and pot roast at 8:30pm on the halfway mark to our first layover in Klammath Falls, OR.
Riding that nostalgia wave we kept the party rolling on the road trip South and went to Monterey Bay aquarium. When the kids were small we had vacationed in Monterey Bay with their Doma and it was so much fun! The memory did not quite live up to the hype. The beautiful restaurant we watched the sea lions from while we enjoyed a high end lunch on the first trip was gone. The queue to get inside was something that did not exist the first time we visited. We waited outside in the rain for about 30 mins before being let inside. We were met with the sounds of screaming children. There was no more than three feet of walking space in any direction before you were bumping into someone else. Mothers were encouraging their children to crawl between other people’s legs so that they could get a better view of the tanks. We left about an hour after we got inside.
We continued our coastal cruise with a fun little detour to Laguna Seca Raceway. This was a special stop for Eric. Driving near that legendary track had us daydreaming about taking a few laps. While we didn’t get to burn any rubber, it sparked a ton of laughs and “what if” jokes.
As we rolled down the coast, we couldn’t help but think of all the Disney movies we have seen over the years that mirrored bits of our trip. Somehow, Disney’s magic had already woven its way into the road trip. It’s wild how a cartoon mouse and a floppy-eared dog can reflect so much real joy.
Then came the not-so-magical part: Southern California traffic. It was a not-so-subtle reminder of one reason we left all those years ago. Instead of getting cranky, we listened to a comedy special and laughed our way through the sea of tail lights, inching down the freeway at 15 mph in true SoCal fashion.
Before heading to Disneyland we had one other bucketlist location to check out. Believe it or not, even as previous residents of California 3 out of the 4 of us had never been to Los Angeles or Hollywood! We took our picture with the Hollywood sign, ate at Johnny Rocket’s, tried to do some shopping and walked the stars. Then it was off to Pinks Hot Dogs for an iconic lunch we had been dreaming about trying for years.
We kicked off our Disney days at California Adventure this was a first-time visit for all of us! From the moment Mickey and Minnie waved at us from the back of the trolley car, we were completely swept up in the magic.
We zoomed over to Radiator Springs, where churros counted as breakfast (as they should!), and the Cars-themed rides made us feel like we had rolled right into the movie. We met Iron Man and Doctor Strange, watched some impressive stage shows, devoured delicious snacks, and rode as many attractions as our feet (and patience) would allow. It was a day full of energy, laughter, and just the right touch of childhood wonder.
Day two was all about the original park Disneyland! We made a beeline for Galaxy’s Edge, the real reason we’d all signed on for this trip. And let us tell you… we were not prepared for how transported we felt the moment we stepped into that world. It was next-level immersive.
From piloting the Millennium Falcon to joining the Resistance, every detail was spot-on—and the rides? 100% worth every minute of those blood, sweat, and sore-feet-inducing lines. We loved it so much that we’ve already decided to return for our birthdays instead of gifts. (Spoiler alert: we’re officially Disneyland adults now—and we’re not mad about it.)
We wrapped the day with front-row seats for the parade, split a Mickey-shaped gingerbread cookie, and watched the fireworks light up the night sky from our hotel.
We stayed just across the street at a Good Neighbor Hotel—the Days Inn by Wyndham Anaheim at Disneyland Park. It was simple, clean, and totally Disney-adjacent in the best way. Our room had Lion King art on the walls, striped curtains that gave off Pixar Hotel vibes, and wish-poof patterns in the carpet (seriously!). Every morning, we started with Mickey waffles, eggs, sausage, and fruit.
Sure, we wish the hot tub had been working, but watching the fireworks from the pool deck each night was still pretty magical. We got all the magic without breaking the bank and that’s a win in our book.
Before getting home we also caught a hockey game at the Honda Center aka The Pond for our beloved Anaheim Ducks team.
Keep an eye out on this page, we’ll be sharing another post soon with some of the details for booking this trip yourself: how we scored great deals on multi-day tickets, where to stay, what to pack, and tips for making the most of your trip (without spending a fortune).
