You’ll find stimulating views and activities from the state’sraging coastal waves and windswept dunes to inland farming and volcanic peaks.
Oregon’s Pacific Ocean coastpresents tempestuous waves and the fury of the sea while the peaks in its sectionof the Cascade Mountains hide underground geothermal activity. Spend a weekenjoying the range of dynamic activities in this Pacific Northwest state.
Arrive in Portland, the state’s northern population center. Tour the Downtown area for boutique shopping andeclectic international dining. The city prides itself on tours; take severalfor exploring foodie spots, tasting wine, visiting microbreweries, riding bikesor seeing volcanoes. For a unique horticultural experience, tour the International Rose Test Garden. Drivethrough the gardens or walk along the hilly paths to see thousands of blooms,many unavailable anywhere else in the world. Enjoy the serenity in the Portland Japanese Garden.
Inland, visit Crater Lake National Park to see a massive collapsed volcano, nowfilled with icy cold spring-fed water. Wizard Island on the lake’s west side isactually the cinder cone of a later volcano. Drive into the park to view thebright blue lake on a summer day or make a long hike on snow-shoes toappreciate its wintry mystery.
Explore Oregon’s rich farmingareas. The Willamette Valley is known for excellent Pinot Noir grapeproduction. Find a map of the area and do a winery-hopping tour for your owntaste test.
Farther south, attend the annual Bandon cranberry festival. If you’drather play than pick, enjoy several rounds on the golf courses of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, with rollinghills and majestic ocean views. Watch running golfers at the annualinternational speed golf event, with players posting competitive 18-hole scoresin under an hour. See the nearby CapeBlanco Lighthouse, in operationsince 1870, protecting ships from the treacherous shoreline.
Travel along the Oregon’s rockyshore and stop frequently to be mesmerized by crashing waves and changingweather. Watch massive groups of sea lions sunning themselves on rockyprotrusions. Find some of the best viewsof the South Oregon Coast at Port Orford and Gold Beach.