Tour starts and ends in Portland, Oregon
2 Nights – Portland / 2 Nights – Willamette Valley / 2 Nights – Pacific City / 2 Nights – Astoria / 2 Nights – Hood River
Days 1-3
Portland, Oregon
Welcome to Portland, the City of Roses, voted North America’s Best Big City by Money Magazine. The culturally rich downtown is surrounded by small, intriguing neighbourhoods, each with a unique flavour and heritage. Accolades have been heaped on Portland with the city dubbed the country’s best eating destination, America’s most sustainable city, one of the “greenest” cities in the world and more.
Downtown Portland is buzzing with activity. It’s not just the coffee. There is an energy here that changes every moment with fun and excitement. Pioneer Place, the heart of downtown is four city blocks filled with tax-free shopping, dining and entertainment. Stores range from American Eagle Outfitters and Ann Taylor to Tiffany and Victoria’s Secret. On the weekends, dash by the Portland Saturday Market for a taste of Portland and locally produced products.
Take some time out from shopping to immerse yourself in the visual beauty of Portland at the International Rose Test Garden, where growers from around the world test their new species of blooms before heading to the Pearl District. Home to great shopping, the Pearl is also the home of the Portland Art Museum, which features an outstanding collection of American works complemented with modern European masters.
Portland’s Nob Hill is nestled in the heard of Northwest Portland. Stretching out from NW 21st and 23rd Avenues, you’ll find many of Portland’s top restaurants and best shopping. Favourite brands like Urban Outfitter and Ellington Leather Goods line the delightful streets.
Historic Mississippi Avenue combines originality, variety, and excellence with style and energy. Almost every business here is locally owned, delivering unique products not found in the corporate stories. Stop into The Fresh Pot for coffee, the Laughing Planet Café for lunch, and any one of the many art shops to browse the treasures.
You’ll find bustling Powell’s Bookstore a complete contrast from the gardens. In miles of aisles, discover every paperback, hardback, new and used book that the Powell’s could get their hands on. A true American success story, the original one room location has grown to six stores and the web.
As you dash between places to visit in Portland, be sure to stop at one of Portland’s Food Carts, delivering unique foods, or consider taking a Portland Sightseeing Cruise for lunch or dinner to view the city from another perspective.
Don't forget its Tax-free Shopping in Portland! - From upscale boutiques to reduced-price outlet stores, shoppers pay less here because there’s no sales tax. It’s the home of name-brand apparel, from Nike and Pendleton to Columbia Sportswear. Portland’s Pearl and Alphabet Districts are filled with interior design stores and fashion-forward shops; downtown’s shopping area features well-known “High Street” stores as well as local designer shops.
2 Nights – Portland
Standard Hotel – Royal Sonesta, Deluxe Room, Room Only
"Purely Perfect" Hotel - Ritz Carlton, Deluxe Room, Room Only
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Days 3-5
Willamette Valley, Oregon
(40 miles)
The Willamette Valley is the heart of Oregon's agricultural country – and it's a big heart. Besides fruits, nuts and vegetables, farms in the valley grow everything from Christmas trees to flowers to front lawns.
Many pioneers found their promised land in this valley; and some of their descendants are still working that land today. During growing seasons (and sometimes year-round), roadside stands dot picturesque country lanes, and farmer's markets appear in the valley's historic towns.
A burgeoning wine industry is gaining prestige for its vigor and for Oregon's top varietal: Pinot noir. The valley's flat terrain and temperate climate make it a favourite for hikers and cyclists, who also enjoy the paved bike paths in the college towns of Eugene and Corvallis.
Willamette Valley, home to more than 700 wineries. Here, you’ll discover one of the world’s most renowned regions for pinot noir. Other varietals that star in the 5,200-square-mile Willamette Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area) include pinot gris and chardonnay. You’ll find a bounty of first-rate restaurants as well as winery tasting rooms in the towns of Newberg and McMinnville, which are both rewarding stops.
2 Nights – Carlton, Willamette Valley
Standard Hotel – The Carlton Inn B&B, Garden Room, Inc Breakfast
"Purely Perfect" Hotel - Inn The Ground, Suite, Room Only
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Days 5-7
Pacific City, Oregon
(60 miles)
Sitting on the edge of the Three Capes Scenic Drive, with the stunning Cape Kiwanda as its headland, Pacific City is a peaceful beachfront town offering plenty of outdoor pursuits. Thanks to a natural breakwater, Pacific City’s beach is a favourite spot for surfers and anglers. It’s also the birthplace of Pelican Brewery, located right next to the sand.
Oregon's share of the Pacific coastline owes its international reputation to the rugged beauty and natural wonders found all along its nearly 400-mile length. The entire coast is studded with singular sights, from dramatic rock formations to churning whirlpools to miles and miles of sandy beaches.
2 Nights – Pacific City
Standard Hotel – Surf and Sand, Corner Suite, Room Only
"Purely Perfect" Hotel - Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa, Signature Room, Room Only
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Days 7-9
Astoria, Oregon
(90 miles)
With Victorian-era homes etched into hills overlooking the Columbia River, this picturesque settlement (the oldest west of the Rockies) is a port city with Scandinavian flavour. Surrounded by forests, boasting three rivers and situated a stone’s throw away from the Pacific, Astoria is a fishing village-meets-Victoriana, chockablock with forts, museums and great local brews.
2 Nights – Astoria
Standard Hotel – Elliott Hotel, Deluxe Room, Inc Breakfast
"Purely Perfect" Hotel - Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa, Deluxe Room, Room Only
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Days 9-11
Hood River, Oregon
(150 miles)
Here in a region where Oregon’s tallest mountain meets the mightiest river, inspiration comes in full force — during hikes along towering trees and waterfalls, after farm-fresh feasts showcasing the season, on cosy cabin getaways where the only to-do is snowshoeing, or atop a chairlift admiring the winter wonderland below.
The Columbia River Gorge received the federal stamp of approval when it was named a National Scenic Area in 1986, but Oregon's first inhabitants appreciated its pristine beauty long before then.
Today, majestic Mt. Hood and the towering cliffs of the gorge look down on fishing boats and working tugs, but it doesn't take much imagination to picture Native American fishing platforms and laboring pioneers.
The area boasts a bountiful fruit industry, quaint riverfront towns and some of the world's best windsurfing waters. Mt. Hood's year-round recreation agenda features skiing, snowboarding, hiking, camping and biking.
2 Nights – Hood River
Standard Hotel – Hood River Hotel, Historic Room, Room Only
"Purely Perfect" Hotel - Columbia Cliff Villas, Queen Room, Room Only
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Day 11
Portland, Oregon
(60 miles)
Today as you head back to Portland to drop your car and fly home or extend you stay, follow the south shore of the Columbia River, about half way on your journey be sure to stop at Multnomah Falls, Located just 30 miles (48 km) east of downtown Portland along the Historic Columbia River Highway, the two-drop cascade is simply stunning and is Oregon’s most-visited site. The lower-level viewing platform is not only a great place to enjoy the view; it’s perfect for catching your breath before forging ahead to the top. Alternatively, you can return to the Multnomah Falls Lodge below, where an elevator can take visitors to the upper viewing area. The lodge was built in 1925 and provides excellent views. It is home to a restaurant, a gift shop, an espresso and snack bar, and the U.S. Forest Service interpretive center.
Steep hiking trails lead all the way to the top and the upper falls. Fed by rainwater and snowmelt, the beautiful waterfall’s steady stream runs year-round, making it a year-round attraction. The highest volume of water is in winter and spring. Also, in the height of winter, the waterfall sometimes freezes partially.
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Oregon is a state of natural wonders and you will find amazing beauty throughout with historic towns and sleepy fishing villages to ski resorts and wineries. Windswept beaches, verdant forests and snow-capped peaks give way to sweeping rangelands, towering rock formations and dramatic river valleys in this incredibly diverse land.
Besides 363 miles of pristine public beaches, high-desert country, painted hills and wine-producing valleys, Oregon is home to North America’s deepest river gorge (Hells Canyon), the country's deepest lake (Crater Lake) and the world’s second-most-climbed mountain (Mt. Hood), which also happens to host North America’s only year-round ski season.
Portland is a hip urban hotspot with national accolades for its cuisine, a vibrant arts scene, great theatres and funky shopping districts inspired by the creative spirit of the city. Whilst just a short drive from Portland, The Columbia River Gorge and majestic Mt. Hood offer year-round recreation opportunities including; skiing, snowboarding, hiking, camping and biking.
Cowboy adventures, whitewater rafting, quiet mountain retreats – Central Oregon has it all too. The region's geological history, marked by explosive volcanic activity, is showcased at several parks, and its rich cultural history is on display at the High Desert Museum in Bend. And the spirit of the West is alive and well in the high desert of Eastern Oregon, where snow-capped mountains, dusty plains and jagged red rocks look down on rolling hills of sage, wild rivers and fertile wheat fields.
Whatever your passion, Oregon’s natural and scenic variety – coast, mountains, rivers, high desert, plains, forests and valleys – lends equally to exhilarating outdoor adventure or tranquil exploration.
Come experience Oregon’s hidden travel gems for yourself – a ward-winning golf courses, culinary masterminds, world-class spas and tucked-away luxury properties, all in the midst of wide open beaches, jaw-dropping waterfalls, lush forests and amazing mountain peaks.
Oregon has more scenic byways and tour routes than any other state as well as no sales tax and plenty of shopping opportunities so what are you waiting for?
Weather
Oregon’s climate is influenced by its unique landscape. Two large mountain ranges run through Oregon from north to south. The coastal mountain range separates the Willamette River valley from the Pacific ocean. Further inland, a second mountain range – the Cascade Range – reaches heights of over 11,000 feet (3,000 meters). These two ranges influence the weather, climate and vegetation for the entire state. The western part of Oregon has a mild, maritime climate. Weather systems move in from the Pacific and lose moisture: first on the Coastal Range and then on the Cascade Mountains. This creates lush vegetation and excellent conditions for agriculture in the Willamette Valley. In contrast to the western part of the state, Eastern Oregon, in the rain shadow of the Cascades, has dry weather. This and the higher altitude create “the high desert.”
SUMMER
Every season holds special reasons to visit Oregon. The warm summers invite locals and visitors to spend time outdoors. There is no excuse to stay inside. With many beer gardens, bistros, open- air theatres and numerous festivals, Summer is truly a marvellous time in Oregon.
FALL
Fall is harvest season and festivities throughout the state celebrate the bounty that Oregon’s fertile lands and rivers yield. This season also brings an explosion of colour to Oregon’s many hardwood forests as leaves take on bright hues of red and yellow.
WINTER
Oregon winters are mild with little or no snow in lower elevations. But the mountain ranges see plenty of snow, providing an excellent foundation for downhill skiing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.
SPRING
Spring finds Oregon in bloom. Rivers and lakes swell with snowmelt. Cherry trees blossom. Native flowers and plants create a sea of vibrant colours and fill the air with the sweet smell of life.
