Taste of Oregon!

Day 1

Arrive in Portland by 3pm and meet in the airport hotel lobby by 4pm to get checked in to our rooms. We’ll board the van and visit well known places like Powell Books and Pioneer Square on a walking tour of downtown Portland. We will see early and modern Portland showing us an enlightened city rich with artwork, parks, bridges, downtown trains & streetcars, and lovely fountains. Time permitting, we’ll also visit one of the rose gardens – after all Portland is known as the City of Roses! We’ll enjoy a delicious dinner, and of course we can’t miss a visit to Voodoo Donuts! Overnight Portland.

Day 2

After breakfast, we’re heading out on a hike excursion. We’ll pack a picnic lunch and jump into the van to drive 45 minutes to the Historic Columbia River Highway, completed in 1915. We’ll enjoy some of the most photographed scenic vistas in the Gorge such as Vista House and Multnomah Falls before heading to Latourell Falls for a 2 mile loop hike. Gorgeous ferns, tall pines, mossy trees, and of course the beautiful falls will delight us. We may even glimpse some of the native birds of prey such as osprey and bald eagles.  We’ll have a picnic lunch at Latourell Falls. After this, we’re off to the coast! A relaxing drive brings us to Depoe Bay for our two-night stay. The hotel is right on the water to enjoy the wild Oregon coast and restful sunsets. Dinner tonight is at a kitschy new restaurant on main street that offers delightful seafood and vegetarian options. Overnight Depoe Bay.

Day 3

After a delicious breakfast at the hotel restaurant overlooking the ocean, we’ll head north to enjoy a Fat Tire Bike Ride. There are over 7 miles of beautiful beaches to discover and explore, and there’s no better way to explore them than with a fat tire bicycle. Yes, a four inch wide tire cruises over the packed sand on the beach with ease, and we’ll stop for photographing the beautiful sea life. We’ll have lunch, then it’s back to Depoe Bay for Whale Watching! Dubbed as the “Whale Watching Capital of the Oregon Coast”, Depoe Bay has whale watching almost year around. This smallest port in the US is also the site of the fishing scene in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. This is a one hour tour on a boat to view a local pod of gray whales or others passing by. Then it’s downtown to stroll this quaint town’s shops. We’ll head back to our lodging to get cleaned up, then enjoy dinner at one of our favorite restaurants!  Overnight Depoe Bay.

Day 4

After breakfast, we’re off on an invigorating stroll on the beach right from our hotel.  This is a great way to wake up and enjoy the beautiful scenery. We are then on to Devil’s Punchbowl, Beverly Beach for a short hike on a nature trail, and play on the beach. Next, it’s Newport, an historic coastal city that caters to all ages and interests. We’ll visit Bayfront, a working fishing port and home to a variety of shops and restaurants, one of which we will enjoy our lunch at. This is the Dungeness Crab Capital – and oh so yummy and fresh caught from the ocean! Then it’s another hour drive to Corvallis to stretch our legs on the newly invigorated River Walk. On to historic McMinnville, in the Yamhill County wine region of Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley. We’ll check into our comfortable accommodations then wander the streets of McMinnville where we’ll find famous winery’s tasting rooms as well as a foodie scene that has been heralded internationally. Boutique shops abound. We’ll check in for a two-night stay and enjoy dinner and each other’s company at one of the many fabulous restaurants. Overnight McMinnville.

Day 5

It’s a leisurely rise today with a late breakfast and the morning free to enjoy this charming community of McMinnville. There is a lovely park located right in the small city and anyone interested can stretch their legs with us in the morning. For our shoppers, sprinkled throughout downtown McMinnville are restored, turn-of-the-century buildings reinvented as unique shops, among other things. We’ll leave for a wine tasting and lunch at one of our favorite wineries. Known for their Pinot Noirs, we’ll enjoy a flight and a nosh amongst their beautiful grounds. There are also hiking trails to enjoy in this area and we’ll partake if we’re so inclined. We’ll head back to town for last minute shopping or more wine tastings, then back to our hotel to freshen up. We’ll enjoy our farewell dinner at another one of our favorite restaurants! Overnight McMinnville.

Day 6

After breakfast, we’ll transfer back to the Portland airport for flights home. This is about a 1.5 hour drive time to return you to the airport. Please book your flight departure time of 12noon or later.

• 5 days/ 5 nights fully guided tour by a Canyon Calling Trip Leader
• All land transportation as outlined in this itinerary
• Hotel accommodations, double occupancy
• All meals from dinner on Day 1 through breakfast on Day 6
• All activities and excursions, entrance fees and permits
• All activity guide gratuities

• Round-trip transportation to/from Portland, Oregon
• Alcoholic beverages (with the exception of included wine tasting) and other items of a personal nature
• Gratuity to your Trip Leader at the end of the tour