The Wild, Wild West in the Pacific Northwest!
After lunch at an historic lodge; taking advantage of the attraction’s photo ops, you will travel eastward out of the lush forests into a much drier area of Oregon known simply as “Eastern Oregon.” This is where the real west comes alive.Upon leaving the DoubleTree Hotel, and looking East, one gazes upon the Mountain that looms in front of you, but between those peaks lies what Oregonians call “The Gorge!” Carved by massive floods, (you will hear this story enroute), they left majestic water falls, basalt cliffs, towering mountains, verdant forests and a story about a man and his vision to build a road to preserve all this and more.
First stop is at a preserved fort that was built in the late 1800’s to protect the settlers from recent Indian uprisings. The fort was built along the route known as the“The Military Road” and it extended northward across the Columbia River and into the Klickitat territory. Today, we cross the river via a modern bridge, and enter the beautiful valley, hidden for years, and known only to the Native Americans. Welcome to Goldendale! Tonight you will experience a real working ranch; meet the owners; the Chiles family – have your photo taken with their “Best of the Best horses, and Best of the Best cows”, a quote from Joyce! Dinner tonight will be prepared right from a real Chuckwagon and served inside their historic barn, used now for events only.
Dark Skies is a term you will hear often in this region…and after dinner, a trip to the public observatory to view those stars up close and personal will be an option for you.
Stonehenge, a memorial built to honor the WWI heroes by Sam Hill (another story you will hear enroute!). Marvel at the exhibits at the Maryhill Museum with Rodin, Native American artifacts, the Queen of Romania coronation gown and her specially designed furniture, and of course, the “Theatre de la mode.”
Lunch will be served on the veranda (weather permitting) at the Maryhill winery, the International Winery of the Year in 2015. Afternoon you will be in the epicenter of Oregon’s wheat country…and guests of the 2nd largest port in Oregon state….Boardman.
The SAGE Center, follow the process of a potato, from the farm to the curly fry! Take a ride on a hot air balloon, and never leave the floor! Dinner and lodging tonight will be at a beautiful lodge, located right on the banks of the river.
Pendleton! “Where the west is lived everyday!” Begin the day visiting the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute and seeing their exquisite crafts on display in their gallery. In 1883, a family by the name of Hamley came to Pendleton to make their handcrafted leather saddles…today, you can view that same process, plus have lunch in the restored building. At one time, sheep was the king here, and their wool was shipped all over the world. View how the wool is turned into beautiful blankets and clothes at the mill and get ready to drool at the items they have for sale! The Pendleton Round Up is over 100 years old and you will get a personal tour of the facility and Hall of Fame. Hear the cowboy and cowgirl stories come alive on this part of the tour. Ahhh, but every western town has its secrets…except Pendleton has uncovered (literally) theirs! Underground, you will see where gambling, bootlegging, and prostitution reigned; where the Chinese opened their opium dens, but where respectable merchants offered their wares for sale.
Gold! Gold! And more Gold! Baker City at one time was the San Francisco of the Oregon Territory! And gold was the driving force! Housed in a 1920 Natatorium, the Heritage museum, through its displays interprets the rich history of the region. A tour and lunch at the Geiser Grand Hotel is best described by the Sunset Magazine as the, “finest hotel between Salt Lake City Utah and Seattle Washington.” Notice the crystal chandeliers, ornate mahogany and of course, the famous stained glass ceiling! Across the street from the hotel, sits the U.S. Bank and on display is the famous 6.75 pound gold nugget. Photos are a must. The gold story continues to Sumpter where you will visit the Sumpter Valley Dredge…just the size alone will take your breath away, let alone what it did when fully operational!
To end the day, you will be able to follow the trail of the pioneers that walked the 2000 miles across the U.S. to this land they called, “Oregon!” Dinner tonight will be served by the Trail Tenders…on their trail!
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Hells Canyon! Formidable! Inaccessible! Beautiful! Wild! All these describe the river that carved the canyon. On a jet boat, you will forge the rapids; see wildlife such as bear, eagles, mountain goats and big horn sheep! Lunch will be served at a historic ranch deep in the canyon. Don’t forget your camera and wear a good pair of shoes! Dinner tonight will be served by the staff from Haines Steak House, famous for “Flame Kist Iron Branded Steaks!” In Haines there is a saying, “Haines – where there is whiskey in the water, and gold in the streets!”
Following the “Gold Trail” next stop is John Day and Canyon City. You will visit the Kam Wah Chung home and apothecary…exactly like the Chinese herbalist and Doctor left it! Learn about the impact that these people had on the development of the West. When the gold was gone, another type was found…the Land itself! That land produced the industries of Ranching, timber and ultimately …. rodeos… a new way of life was born.
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32 – 7 million years ago, this entire region was a dense tropical forest and it was inhabited by saber toothed tigers, and other pre-historic creatures. At the Paleontology Center, you will be able to view the scientists at work…uncovering the secrets of this buried treasure. Rounding the bend, the Painted Hills comes into view…it is breathtaking, the colors of the hills, and the effects that the ever changing light has on them.
Last day of the tour, but it seems we saved more of the best for you. In Warm Springs, you will be able to hear the story as told by the Native Americans of how drastically their lives changes when the area became settled by the whites. This is a powerful story, so be prepared. Traveling north and west on Highway 26, you leave the plains and again are entering the forests of Mt. Hood. Lunch is being served at the world famous Timberline Lodge of which sits on the 6000’ level on Mt. Hood. Pay close attention as everything in this lodge is hand crafted…just like it was in the 1930’s when it was built.
After your lunch and tour, you will board the coach for your final leg of the journey, arriving in the early evening to the Portland DoubleTree – Lloyd Center.
7 Breakfasts; 8 Lunches; 7 Dinners and 7 nights lodging included
Transportation included-provided by NW Navigator-Luxurious coaches
Snack and Beverages on Board, limited baggage handling, taxes and gratuities also included
Minimum passengers: 25
Maximum passengers: 35
Depart Saturday AM; Return following Saturday, early evening to Portland
$2,043.80 per person: double occ (1 King)
$2,081.60 per person: double occ (2 Queens)
$2,502.70 per person: single occ (1 King)
