DAY ONE: Flight to Portland, OR.  Upon arrival early afternoon, we will begin exploring at northern Oregon's most beautiful gardens - The Grotto.  This cliff-top natural site features 62 acres of lush gardens and dozens of intricate shrines. Built as a Catholic sanctuary in 1924, the Grotto welcomes over 300,000 visitors of all faiths each year.  Visitors are greeted by a lush oasis of expertly groomed rhododendron gardens and dense foliage overlooking the Columbia River Valley, Cascade Mountains and Mount Saint Helens. Truly a magnificent start to our journey. Our next stop will be in Washington Park at the Portland International Rose Test Garden. Roughly a century after the first flower was planted, the garden remains the oldest testing ground for new rose varieties in the country and is home to over 10,000 rose bushes representing more than 600 varieties. While great city and Mt. Hood views are stunning here, it is the roses and smells that steal the show! Later this afternoon, we will check into or comfortable accommodations just across the Columbia River at The Hotel at Fisher's Landing (2 nights). This evening's welcome dinner will be served at a local favorite.

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DAY TWO: After breakfast, get ready to experience Oregon's famed Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood National Scenic Byway. Here in a region where Oregon’s tallest mountain meets the mightiest river in the Pacific Northwest, inspiration comes in full force - along towering trees and waterfalls, wildflowers and sweeping farms and agriculture, this full-day circle drive is simply breathtaking!  The Columbia River gorge is a spectacular river canyon, 80 miles long and up to 4,000 feet deep, that meanders past cliffs, spires, and ridges set against nearby peaks of the Cascade Mountain Range.  Our first stop will be at Vista House opened in 1918 as a glamorous "comfort station" and observatory for those traveling the new gorge highway. A rest stop like no other, featuring marble floors, stained glass windows — and, of course, a stunning view.  Next we will visit the largest waterfall along the gorge - Multnomah Falls, one of Oregon’s top visitor attractions and one of the tallest year-round waterfalls in the United States.  This unique 620-foot two-tiered cascading falls is fed by underground springs from nearby Larch Mountain. Truly a spectacle to see!  Our drive continues around Mt. Hood to Government Camp, today a Bavarian-style Ski town on Mt. Hood's southernmost slopes. Our views are stunningly beautiful as we traverse the byway. Just a short distance from here we arrive at Hope Lavender Farm where we will have an introduction about the farm and a chance to cut a few bundles for ourselves. In addition, peruse the many locally-made lavender products and say hello to the farm's horses as well. We will enjoy dinner together prior to returning to our hotel for the night.​

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DAY THREE: After breakfast and checking out of our hotel,  we travel southwest towards Oregon's Coastal Cascades following the Willamette River.  Our first destination this morning will be in McMinnville - the heart of Oregon's wine country.  Sprinkled throughout downtown are restored, turn-of-the-century buildings reinvented as farm-to-table restaurants, shops, wine bars and galleries. Enjoy wondering the tree-lined main street and maybe try a sip of some of the world’s best Pinot noir produced right here in Oregon. This afternoon, our scenery through the cascades along the Salmon River Highway is stunning along with the Pacific Northwest green moss draped on the old growth Douglas Firs.  We will enjoy several breaks to "get out in nature" to experience the beauty up-close and personal.  Our arrival along the Oregon Pacific Coast is nothing less than amazing in itself - rocky vistas, miles of black sand beaches, fishing towns, and sea life abound. We will make stops along the north central coast as we travel south on the famous HWY 101 including at Depoe Bay, known as one of Oregon's best whale watching harbors. Our hotel accommodations are located just south in Agate Beach overlooking the Pacific and the historic Yaquina Lighthouse. Enjoy your evening walking the beach and enjoying dinner at leisure.  

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DAY FOUR: Enjoy breakfast at our hotel prior to our short drive to Newport's seaport harbor,  one of Oregon's busiest fishing seaports. The port is bustling with activity and along the street browse the many seaport shops for souvenirs. We will also get a fun viewing of the wild sealions laying and frolicking along the docks. Today's exploration south on the HWY 101 is truly quintessential with stops on and off the old highway to see many of Oregon's iconic coastal sights. Your Journey Host/Driver will make photo breaks along the way as well as an included picnic lunch break along the shores.  By late afternoon, we will reach the Oregon/California boarder and the Redwoods! Our overnight and dinner will be out in the seaport town of Crescent City for the next two nights.

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DAY FIVE:  After breakfast, it's all about the Redwoods today! Minutes south of our hotel we enter into the Del Norte Coast Redwoods where we will make our first destination stop at the Tree's of Mystery park.  Since 1946, Tree's of Mystery have been educating, entertaining, and introducing visitors from the world over to this awe-inspiring natural treasure.  Redwoods are the oldest living species on the planet, some dating back over 2,000 years old. The are also the tallest trees in the world measuring up to 380 feet and with widths of nearly 20 feet in diameter.  Their majesty and greatness is measured not in their size but their mesmerizing and captivating  beauty and resilience.  We will enjoy wander and journey under their canopy and also over on the Redwoods SkyTrail - a nearly 1/3 mile journey through the forest tree tops via the unique gondola ride.  Nowhere else are you going to have the chance to get an up-close downward perspective from the tops of redwood trees. This afternoon we will also visit the Redwoods State and National Parks on the Oregon and California coast. 

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DAY SIX:  After breakfast and checking out of our hotel, our drive through Jedediah Smith Redwoods Park traveling the Smith River will lead us to Grants Pass, Oregon. Once a stagecoach stop in the 1860s, Grants Pass today is a top destination town in the Cascades. Fueled by the spirit of the wild and scenic Rogue river, the town is filled with history and character. After lunch, we will board our Rogue Jetboat Excursion on the river to historic Hellgate Canyon. Our fully narrated tour is a memory in the making as we take in the sights and sounds of native wildlife as we glide inches above the river. After this exhilarating experience, we travel north towards Eugene, Oregon for our overnight and dinner out.​

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DAY SEVEN: Breakfast at leisure this morning prior to checking out and our flights home from Eugene airport. We hope you will join us on this amazing adventure to Oregon in 2025!