Highlights

YankeeTrailsGroups by US Tours Flexible Pricing:

• Customizable Comps
• Net Rates
• Luxury or First Class Hotels & Meals
• Motorcoach Transportation & Professional Tour Managers are available

Whatever you want, YankeeTrailsGroups by US Tours will be happy to structure tour prices to match your needs. Just let us know!

Itinerary

Day 1 – Astoria, OR – Lewis and Clark National Historical Park

Arrive today in Oregon.  Make your way to Astoria where you enjoy a guided tour of Lewis and Clark National Historic Park.  Fort Clatsop commemorates the 1805-06 winter encampment of the 33-member Lewis and Clark Expedition. A 1955 community-built replica of the explorers’ 50’x50′ Fort Clatsop is the focus of the park. The fort, historic canoe landing, and spring are nestled in the coastal forests and wetlands of the Coast Range as it merges with the Columbia River Estuary. 

At the end of the day, check into the Best Western Bayfront (or similar). This recently renovated property has fantastic views of the bay in Astoria. This evening enjoy a leisurely walk on the planked boardwalk by the water. Dinner is on your own this evening.

Day 2 – World Kite Museum – Cranberry Farm – Cranberry Museum w/lunch – Tillamook Cheese Factory – Corvallis, OR

You start the day with a self-guided tour of the unique World Kite Museum. This is the home of the International Kite Festival. Here you will see historic World War II kites, miniature kites and kites from all over the world. And yes, you can buy a kite from their wonderful gift shop!

Next, visit a Cranberry Farm and learn about Cranberries, they are as American as apple pie – in fact, even more so! Long before the Pilgrims arrived in 1620, and before Lewis and Clark walked these parts two centuries ago, Native Americans combined crushed cranberries with dried deer meat or salmon and melted fat to make pemmican – a convenience food that would keep for a long time. Fresh Cranberry Ice Cream is included in your visit. And to top off your visit they have an incredible little museum and gift shop.

You also visit the Pacific Coast Cranberry Museum and learn both the history of this garnet colored berry as well as key phases of the industry from bog preparation and planting to marketing cranberry products. And you enjoy a wonderfully fresh Beach Bucket Lunch.

This afternoon visit the Tillamook Cheese Factory.  The “House that Cheddar Built” stands along the coast highway and you stop for a short lesson on the cheese making process. Tillamook is a brand new facility that offers a glimpse into this famous Co-Ops cheese and dairy process. You also visit Tillamook Creamery for a taste of their delicious Ice Cream. A fantastic Gift Shop rounds out your experience.

Arriving in Corvallis, OR, check the new Courtyard by Marriott on the River (or similar) for a two night stay.

Dinner is on your own this evening, but you can walk to many restaurants and shops in the quaint downtown area. (B, L)

Day 3 – Old Thompsons Mill – Hazelnut Farm Tour – French Prairie Gardens Tour and Lunch – Crosby Hops Farm tour and tasting – Gathering Together Farms, Tour & Dinner 

Meet your step-on guide this morning as you travel into the Willamette Valley to explore Oregon Agriculture. First stop is Thompson’s Mills a unique survivor of times past, chronicling 160 years of Oregon rural life and honoring the owners who continually adapted the mill to the changing world around it. It is the last water-powered mill in the state and its turbines can be seen in action on your guided tour.  The water flow that still runs the milling machines for demonstrations today. There is a Water Right, predating statehood that guarantees the Mill’s continued operation.

Then tour a Hazelnut Farm.  The Willamette Valley offers an ideal climate for growing hazelnuts. In fact, over 99% of all the hazelnuts grown in the United States are grown here. In 1989, the Hazelnut, also called Filberts, became the official state nut of Oregon. You will talk with a Hazelnut farmer and learn of the unique growing and harvesting methods. You will also learn that Hazelnut trees can produce for over 100 years.

Next stop is French Prairie Gardens for a farm tour and talk. This family owned farm that has been in business since 1987 and started with just a small roadside stand. In addition to fruits and veggies they grow hazelnuts, grass seed, wheat and clover. You will have a sandwich buffet here and a special treat of their homemade cider donuts!!

This afternoon enjoy a tour and tasting of Crosby Hop Farm, a six-hundred-acre, fifth generation family farm. Their estate-grown hops are cultivated and processed here and shipped around the world. You will get a tour and learn about hops, growing, care and harvesting! Also situated on the estate is TopWire, a new facility surrounded by a lush field of Centennial hops, Here you catch a glimpse of Mt. Hood and a taste an exceptional craft beer.

Your Willamette Valley Ag Tour continues with a stop at Gathering Together Farms. Some thirty years ago John, Sally, and a few friends started Gathering Together Farm to provide one local restaurant with a wider selection of organic produce than was available. Since that day GTF has become so much more and provides some of the finest organic produce in the Valley to farmers markets, restaurants, grocery stores, and through CSA and their own restaurant. After a short tour of the farm you have an outstanding Farm to Table Dinner. (B,L,D)

Day 4 – Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery – Pendleton, OR – Leaving Corvallis you travel into the Columbia River Valley on a highway nicknamed to be “The Route of the Waterfalls. After a few photo

stops, you arrive at the Bonneville Lock & Dam. This was the first set of locks and dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers. The first powerhouse, spillway and original navigation lock was completed in 1938.

There are Fish Ladders built in the Dam to support the salmon and migratory fish population that spawn upriver. You will get to view inside the fish ladders and see the fish coming thru!

You also visit a nearby fish hatchery and see tanks of smolt and fish grown to release. There are Chinook and Coho Salmon, and display ponds offer a relaxing place to feed large rainbow trout and view adult white sturgeon that measure more than six feet long.

Arrive in Pendleton, OR late afternoon and check into the Best Western for a two-night stay. Dinner is on your own this evening. (B)

Day 5 – The SAGE Center w/lunch – Pendleton Woolen Mills Store – Makers Tour – Local sightseeing today in Eastern Oregon begins with The SAGE Center, an interactive museum & visitor center highlighting Sustainable Agriculture and Energy. The area’s top agriculture center you learn how farm goods are shipped around the world from the Port of Morrow. You will hear about the processing segment, like how potatoes move from the farm to your table. About farming today with GPS technology and it’s comparison to years past. A box lunch is included here and a special ice cream treat after!

Next is retail therapy at Pendleton Woolen Mills where they craft high quality wool clothing & blankets with designs that have survived the centuries. Originally built in 1893 as a wool scouring plant, washing raw wool before shipping, it remains as one of the few woolen mills in operation today.

In 1960, a little-known singing group known as the Pendletones was formed, taking their name after Pendleton wool plaid shirts. That group later changed their name to The Beach Boys and the Pendleton shirt became popular among American youth.

The afternoon features a Makers Tour! Pendleton has a well-deserved reputation as a town where the best of Western tradition and heritage lives on. Your tour will focus on the cowboy way as you talk to and learn about crafting cowboy hats, saddles or boots from the makers themselves.

Enjoy dinner this evening at the Hines Meat Company. Learn about their ranch and meat process and then they do a good old fashioned BBQ for dinner!! (B,L,D)

Day 6 – Columbia Gorge Discovery Center w/lunch – Fruit Loop Trail – Portland, OR  

This morning as you drive toward Portland you visit the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum. Home to numerous exhibits on the geology, flora, fauna, history, and economic development of the Gorge. Learn how balance among many competing interests is helping preserve the region for future generations.

The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area stretches 85 miles on both sides of one of the largest waterways on the continent. Protected by the National Scenic Act in 1986, the region is home to an incredible combination of spectacular landscapes, rare plants, wildlife, recreational opportunities, farmland, ancient Indian rock art, and the other cultural and historic sites.  Lunch is included today at the museum. 

The afternoon features The Fruit Loop Trail. During the growing season the Hood River valley area has a “Fruit Loop Trail.” It is home to many types of fruit growers and associated businesses. From wineries, berry farms, apple orchards, U Pick orchards and family farm stands, we will stop at one or two venues on the trail today.

Tonight’s dinner at the Bridgeside Restaurant is a wonderful buffet style meal. Enjoy overlooking the mighty Columbia River and a view of the historic “Bridge of the Gods.”  Arrive in Portland, OR and check into your hotel for a two night stay. (B,L,D) 

Day 7 – Tram Tour of the Oregon Gardens w/lunch – Truffles of the Brigittine Monks

Begin the day at Oregon Gardens. This is an 80-acre botanical garden, featuring more than 20 specialty gardens showcasing the diverse botanical beauty that can be found in the Willamette Valley and throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. You visit features an informational Tram Tour with stops in the popular garden areas like the Conifer Garden, The Water Garden, Honor Garden and Lewis and

Clark Garden and more. Enjoy your lunch today at the Gardenview Restaurant at the Resort overlooking areas of the Oregon Gardens.

This afternoon is a special treat as you visit the tasting room and sample the famous truffles and fudge of the Brigittine Monks! Founded in 1370 and dedicated to a life of prayer and work, the Brigittine Monks are completely self-supporting. Here they have refined their remarkable recipes for small-batch fudge in a host of flavors and explored new taste indulgences for their silky smooth, enormous truffles.

Segments about these glorious chocolate creations have been featured on ABC Nightly News and CNN. Plus there are many published stories in magazines such as Town and Country Magazine, Bon Appetit,   People, US News and World Report, Chocolatier and The New York Times.

This evening you will enjoy a festive farewell dinner. (B,L,D)

Day 8 – International Rose Test Garden – Depart for Home

This morning visit the International Rose Test Gardens. Visit the International Rose Test Garden, the oldest official, continuously operated public rose test garden in the United States.  More than 10,000 individual rose bushes bloom in the Garden from late May through October, representing over 610 different rose varieties. After this visit, depart for home. (B)

Tour Map