Well, this is a bit of a far cry from the original Five Dads Go Wild trip, huh? We started out with roughing it in the middle of the woods, some of us (read: me) trying to figure out how to set up a tent and sleeping bag for the first time. For the 2023 edition of #5DadsGoWild, we hopped in a couple of electric vehicles and made a road trip down to the Oregon Coast. Different, sure. But, also kind of the same.
The main point of these trips is less about the trips themselves and more about connecting with one another over our shared identity as online content creators and modern dads. Going wild, within reason.
Cruisin’ Down the Coast With #5DadsGoWild
This road trip took us almost as far as our trip to Kananaskis last fall. Come to think of it, in terms of total kilometers traveled, this one might have been a bit further. Speaking for myself, this was my second time visiting the Oregon Coast. Last time, I went ghost hunting with my family. This time, we had more beer, burgers, and brotherhood.
Along with #5DadsGoWild regulars James Smith, Stacey Robinsmith, Stephen Fung, and me, we were joined by new guy Jon Wiebe. He’s @theroadtodapper on Instagram. And he’s clearly the most fashionable of the bunch. Make sure you check out all of their Instagram feeds for each of our takes on this adventure.
For this 5DadsGoWild Oregon trip, we drove, a lot. We visited Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach. I went axe throwing with James in Lincoln City. We went hunting for Sasquatch at Camp 18. And we strolled one of the world’s longest beaches, too. But really, we just drove a lot. We really should’ve given ourselves more time to explore. At least I didn’t get buried under the snow in my tent this time. That’s a definite plus.
Where the Five Dads Set Up “Camp”
Okay, so this isn’t exactly camping. Honestly, we were all quite relieved to not have to pack a tent, inflatable mattress, sleeping back, tarps, and all the other backcountry “roughing it” gear that we’d need if we were properly camping. Instead, we stayed at a couple of funky (and I use “funky” in a positive sense) places along the Oregon Coast.
The Ashore Hotel in Seaside, Oregon hosted us for our first night. You can find the room tour below. I also made a video highlighting a few reasons why you should stay at Ashore Hotel, posted both as an Instagram Reel and YouTube Short. I loved the local coffee and in-room French press! Stephen and Jon appreciated the free on-site EV charger.
After heading further down the coast, hitting the Tillamook cheese factory along the way, we stopped in Lincoln City for our second night. Our stay at the budget-oriented Sea Echo Motel was on our own dime. Then, we worked our way back up the coast, visiting the Camp 18 logging museum and restaurant.
For night three, the kind folks at the Adrift Hotel in Long Beach, Washington hosted the Five Dads. It’s part of the same Adrift Hospitality group as Seaside’s Ashore Hotel. The properties share a lot in common, but the Adrift is definitely a much bigger place with a spa, in-house distillery (free tasting with your stay!), and the Pickled Fish restaurant where we had dinner. We thoroughly enjoyed our supper of pickled rockfish, Dungeness crab, pizza, oysters, and ahi tuna, serenaded by local band The Hackles.
Thank You to the 5DadsGoWild Sponsors
Of course, we have to extend our gratitude to our generous sponsors and brand partners. We very much appreciate their incredible support. It’s great to work with brands and companies that align with the 5 Dads Go Wild core values, understanding and appreciating what we are trying to accomplish with this trip.
Thank you, Kal Tire, for giving us the confidence to drive safely for such a long road trip. Where the rubber meets the road, we know we can count on you.
Thank you, House of Knives, for supporting #5DadsGoWild from the very beginning, way back in 2018. It was great picking out each of our road trip essentials. I’m really liking my new Secrid wallet.
Thank you, Sparohawk Canada, for hooking us up for quite possibly the most beautiful timepiece I’ve ever owned. Unboxing the Nanuk case was an experience unto itself!
Thank you, Howled the Wolf, for making sure we dressed appropriately for our wild adventures. The Jacques Cousteau-inspired toque was perfect for Long Beach’s gale force winds!
And thank you, Hella Wireless, for keeping us connected while roaming through the United States. We wouldn’t have been able to share our adventures online without you.
Where Do the Dads Go Next?
One of my predictions for 2023 was that we’d go on more than one #5DadsGoWild trip this year. Don’t call me Nostradamus just yet, but it looks like this is coming true. While a summer trip seems unlikely at this point, our usual fall dates in late September or early October might work. Any suggestions for where we should go and what we should do? I’ve suggested skydiving, but I’m not sure that’ll fly with the other guys.
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