Natural Wonders of the Pacific Northwest

Welcome to San Francisco, “The City by the Bay” to begin your Pacific Northwest adventure. Meet your Tour Manager at 5:00 p.m. for dining suggestions.

A local guide joins you this morning for a sightseeing tour of the “City by the Bay,” San Francisco. Discover the many sights for which the city is renowned such as their bustling Chinatown, North Beach, Civic Center and the Financial District. Free time for browsing at Pier 39 begins the afternoon, before an invigorating cruise of San Francisco Bay. Enjoy a special dinner tonight on Fisherman’s Wharf. Meals: B, D

Today begins with a drive along the magnificent California Coast with its’ beaches, sheer cliffs, and pounding surf. Stops along the way include Red Rock Spring, Bodega Bay and Fort Bragg. Then, drive along a portion of the “Avenue of the Giants,” through huge stands of magnificent redwoods in Humboldt Redwoods State Park before coming to Eureka. Meals: B, D

Begin the day at Blue Ox Historic Village where the  past meets the future. Stroll through the Historic Village containing a logging skid camp and a number of working studios. See woodworking equipment from the 1800s in a  full production millwork shop where they make windows, doors and custom millwork. At Shasta State Historic Park, visit the Old Courthouse Museum and learn the history of this once bustling “Queen City” of gold rush mining towns. Meals: B, L

Today, you visit  Lassen Volcanic National Park. Although inactive since 1915,  the geothermal activity is alive here with bubbling mudpots, boiling springs and hissing steam vents. The 30-mile park road brings you to such unusual sights as the Sulphur Works, Bumpass Hell thermal areas as well as Summit and Manzanita Lakes. Tonight, dinner is at Cattlemen’s Steak House. Meals: B, D

Traveling north today past the glacier-capped 14,162-foot volcano, Mt. Shasta, considered one of the most impressive mountains in the nation. In Grants Pass, you will board a jetboat for an exciting adventure along the wild and scenic Rogue River. This excursion is the perfect touch of history, wildlife and breathtaking views of the legendary Hellgate Canyon. Dinner is included in Grants Pass. Meals: B, D

Today features the natural wonders of Crater Lake National Park, where rain and snow filled the empty caldera of an ancient volcano with brilliant blue waters to a depth of 1,932 feet, creating the deepest lake in North America. You will follow the Rim Drive for unmatched views. Traveling the scenic Cascade Lakes Highway, you will pass Mt. Bachelor before coming to Bend. Meals: B, D

Today, travel to Mount Hood, the highest mountain in the state of Oregon. Lunch is at the incredible Timberline Lodge. Built in the 1930s, it is considered an architectural wonder and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1977.  Then, make a stop at the unique North American Bigfoot Center featuring a wide array of bigfoot evidence and historical artifacts. Meals: B, L

This morning features the beautiful Columbia River Gorge, where sheer cliffs rise as high as 2,000 feet! See Vista House for spectacular gorge views and then stop at splendid Multnomah Falls and mammoth Bonneville Lock and Dam. This afternoon a guided tour of Portland includes Lloyd Center, the downtown area on the Willamette River, Old Town Historic District and famed International Rose Test Gardens. Tonight, your Tour Manager hosts a farewell dinner. Meals: B, D

Depart for home from this memorable vacation with a group transfer to Portland’s International Airport for flights out after 12:00 p.m. Meal: B