Category: Pacific Northwest

Just when you thought you knew southern Oregon, you get a glimpse of the wonders along this route and realize your vision was far too limited. Start in Ashland and take I-5 North to Hwy 62 and then head north. You’ll pass through small towns like Shady Cove, which attracts anglers and river rafters from all over the area, through two state parks (Casey and Joseph Stewart), drive past the town of Prospect, and up to historic Union Creek. Stop when you see signs near Union Creek to the Rogue Gorge and Natural Bridge Interpretive Center so you can marvel at the river as it thunders through deep and narrow chasms here.

Rogue River Gorge

Rogue River Gorge

Whether you want only a glimpse or a full day at Crater Lake National Park, you’ll enter from the southern entrance off 62 (follow the signs from Union Creek). At 1,932 feet, Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the U.S., which accounts for the intensity of its vibrant blue color. Only six other lakes in the entire world are any deeper than this! The lake resides inside the caldera of a collapsed volcano called Mount Mazama. It is encircled by mountains that stay blanketed in snow nearly all year and makes for a truly memorable visit at the right time of year (usually July through September). There is a weekly per-car admission charge.

Crater lake

Our first stop is the Steel Information Center. It’s a humble setup but a good place to get oriented. Enter the park from Hwy 62 and turn left where the road dead ends to head north, following the signs to the Information Center. An 18-minute video will introduce you to the Crater Lake story. Pick up a detailed area map only if you’re going to spend the day in the park; otherwise we’ll guide you.

Head north again on Rim Drive. In its entirety, Rim Drive (open July to mid-October) is 33 miles long and steers you along the edge of this awe-inspiring caldera. Without stops it would take you about two hours to complete, but we’re going to recommend some spectacular trails (choosing only the easiest), viewpoints, and branch roads along the way, so that you can really appreciate where you are. And don’t worry: we’ll tell you where to exit if you’re here only for a quick visit.

These stopovers appear in order as you take Rim Drive in a clockwise direction from the Steel Information Center:

The Sinnott Memorial Overlook (in Rim Village on the south side of the lake and open in summer only) is your first chance to see this beautiful lake. Rangers offer excellent lectures here. A 100-foot paved path leads to unimpeded views in all directions.

Crater Lake

The Watchman offers one of the most breathtaking views on the entire drive (good news for those moving on soon). It’s also the closest view you’ll get of Wizard Island, which formed after the initial collapse of the volcano more than 7,500 years ago. Consider taking the hike to the site of a former fire tower (almost 1½ miles round trip). The view from there is amazing.

For the visitor ready to leave the park now, it’s shortly after The Watchman that you’ll exit in the direction of Diamond Lake on Hwy 138. These travelers should skip now to the final three paragraphs. Otherwise, continue along Rim Drive to linger at these additional spots:

Cloudcap (a 1-mile spur road west of Rim Drive) is the highest point accessible by car. You’ll have nearly an aerial view of the lake from this vantage, as well as a 360-degree view of the superb surroundings: dense forests, the Klamath Basin with its own lake, and Mount Scott, which at 8,926 feet is the highest peak in the park.

Phantom Ship (you will view it from Kerr Notch where Rim Road meets Pinnacles Road) offers a glimpse at a 300-foot-long island (actually an exposed section of lava dike) rising out of the lake, which may remind you of a sailing ship. Hikers can get a closer look via a half-mile round-trip trail.

The Pinnacles (accessed via a 7-mile spur road southeast of Rim Drive at Kerr Notch) takes you a distance away from the lake to witness a piece of volcanic mystery. Here, hundreds of hollow spires, made of pumice and scoria (volcanic ash) and called fumaroles, show the effect of years of erosion. Some fumaroles rise eerily as many as 80 feet above the ground. Signage will describe the fascinating details of their formation.

Return to Rim Drive and continue on until you see the next set of signs for exiting the park and taking Hwy 138 through the resort community of Diamond Lake, nestled between Mount Bailey and Mount Thielsen, and on into the thick of the gorgeous Umpqua National Forest. This part of the state is legendary for fly-fishing for steelhead trout, whitewater rafting, kayaking, and many other recreational pursuits. It’s a wild and verdant area that passes dramatic rock outcroppings (Old Man Rock and Eagle Creek) as well as the beautiful Toketee Reservoir and Swiftwater Park.

Do not miss an opportunity to pull over and enjoy at least one of the many well marked trails, including Susan Creek Falls, Toketee Falls, or Watson Falls. Consider staying in Steamboat at the Steamboat Inn a perfect place to stay and enjoy this scenic area. In the community of Glide, stop at Colliding Rivers to admire the spot where the North Umpqua and the Little River converge.

Carry on to the town of Roseburg, then take a beautiful stretch of I-5 southward back to Ashland.

While we stayed in Ashland (consider Romeo Inn, Country Willows Bed & Breakfast or Winchester Inn Restaurant & Wine Bar) you can enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside staying at the Steamboat Inn in Steamboat.

About 7 miles north of Neskowin turn off Hwy 101 and get closer to the water by turning  left onto Brooten Road to follow the signs for 3 Capes Scenic Route, a 39-mile detour along the water, through forests, and past the remote seaside communities of Pacific City, Sandlake, Netarts, and Oceanside. (You’ll have several opportunities to cut back to 101 as you go, in case you find yourself pressed for time.) A couple of miles past Pacific City, the coast unfolds dramatically as rolling, forested hills spill into the ocean. Take advantage of turnouts and viewpoints when you can. If you have time for a walk, we recommend the Cape Lookout Trailhead (about 2–3 miles before reaching Cape Lookout State Park), from which you’ll have your choice of three routes, ranging from 1-4/5 to 2-2/5 miles and from easy to difficult, through coastal rainforests and along rocky cliffs. Breathtaking views!

Three Capes

The 3 Capes Scenic Route will join 101 again near Tillamook, the center of Oregon’s dairy industry. You might want to stop here and visit the Pioneer Museum or drive 2 miles south of town to the Tillamook Air Museum, an impressive private collection of World War II aircraft. On your way north on the 101, you can watch cheese being made at the Tillamook Cheese Factory, just outside town. A few miles south of Nehalem, Manhattan Beach is wide and sandy, good for strolling and soaking in the sun (follow the signs off 101 to Manhattan Beach State Wayside and walk the short path to the beach). The town of Manzanita is funky and friendly, with great beaches and enviable ocean-view homes in the hills. The next stretch of 101 North from Manzanita is just beautiful. You’ll pass the verdant Oswald West State Park, a popular spot for camping and fishing, and the tiny romantic beach at Hug Point.

Cannon Beach

The next village of Cannon Beach is considered the center for artistic activity on the Oregon coast. It is more contemporary and more sophisticated, especially along Hemlock Street, than many of its counterpart coastal towns, all the while retaining a small-town feeling. Travelers come to enjoy the shops and restaurants. We enjoy staying right on the beach at Stephanie Inn or just a little further south in Arch Cape at Arch Cape House.

Cannon Beach

No visit here would be complete without a stop at the pristine and magnificent Ecola State Park. Ecola (“Whale Creek” to the native Indians) was the spot at which William Clark, Sacajawea, and the men of the Corps of Discovery traded with Tillamook Indians in 1806 for whale blubber and whale meat, in a no-doubt deliriously happy transaction to supplement their spartan and monotonous diets. So taken was Clark with this particular stretch of coastline, that an awestruck description appears in his journal. This 1,300-acre park includes a picture-perfect stretch of beach that’s great for walking. A waterside forest of old-growth Sitka spruce and western hemlock makes for a protected habitat for elk and deer. For a good 6-mile hike, try the Tillamook Head Trail beginning at Indian Beach. Prefer a short stroll to an amazing overlook? Try Ecola Point just 2 miles north of the park entrance, where a ¼-mile path leads you from the parking lot to the headlands.

Fort Clatsop

Speaking of Lewis and Clark, the Fort Clatsop National Memorial, where a 125-acre site honors the 1805–06 winter encampment of the expedition, is a must-see for those interested in this remarkable piece of American history (follow signs to Fort Clatsop Road off Business 101). A community-built replica of the explorers’ fort is the focus. A large Visitor Center includes two theaters and an excellent exhibit hall.

At the very top of the Oregon coast sits the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies, Astoria. It was first visited by the English Captain Robert Gray in 1792, then by the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805, and thereafter by adventurous pioneers by the thousands. Today a great many restored buildings keep that history alive.

Founded in 1962, the Columbia River Maritime Museum is home to one of the nation’s finest displays of model ships and nautical relics. In a 37,000-square-foot space, the museum presents more than 7,000 artifacts, plus the lightship Columbia, a National Historic Landmark.

Astoria

Climb the 125-foot-high Astoria Column, patterned after Trajan’s Column in Rome. The mural art that makes up the exterior of the column is truly impressive, depicting the westward expansion of settlers into the area and Oregon’s early history. From the top of the column, you’ll have an excellent view of the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River, Saddle Mountain, and the Clatsop Plain. (From downtown, drive uphill on 16^th Street and follow the signage.)

Astoria celebrates its Scandinavian heritage with the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, held every year in mid-June. This is when local Icelanders, Finns, Danes, Norwegians, and Swedes gather to celebrate their cultures with pole dancing, bonfires that destroy evil spirits, authentic Scandinavian music, a smorgasbord of old-world delicacies, crafts, and a parade.

Astoria

Yaquina Lighthouse

Stretching some 40 miles from Coos Bay to Florence, the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is considered one of the best examples of coastal dune formation anywhere in the country. Roughly midway, some 11 miles south of Reedsport on the ocean side of 101, watch for signs to the Umpqua Scenic Dunes Trail. Park the car, take off your shoes, and get out on the open sand! Farther up the road, about 10 miles south of Florence, three raised platforms provide excellent viewpoints, informative signage, and an easy 1-mile trail across the dunes to the beach.

Cape Perpetua

Cape Perpetua

The Cape Perpetua Scenic Area just south of Yachats (say YAH hots) has to be one of the most beautiful sections of the Oregon coast. Characterized by 2,700 acres of Sitka spruce rainforest, it’s a Sherwood Forest right out of your dreams. Stop at the Interpretive Center right off 101 to see films and exhibits about the area. While you’re at it, collect walking maps, for there are some 23 miles of stunning trails in this region. Try the half-mile Captain Cook Trail, taking you from forest to ancient basalt at the water’s edge.

Newport

Next stop, Newport, established in 1882, and today a bustling coastal community of over 9,000 people. Its heart is a working waterfront on Yaquina Bay, where fishing fleets and fresh seafood markets share space with galleries, shops, and restaurants. You’ll want to visit Newport’s first-class Oregon Coast Aquarium, where five impressive indoor exhibits offer intimate views of life on the Oregon shoreline and out in the open sea. The Passages of the Deep exhibit is really something: you’ll feel like an underwater explorer as you come face to face with sharks, rockfish, and sting rays from an underwater tunnel. Be sure to see the Enchanted Seas exhibit, which takes you on a journey into the mystical world of seahorses, sea dragons, and other magical sea creatures. Six acres of outdoor exhibits add to this comprehensive sea museum, including your chance to get up-close peeks at sea otters, harbor seals, sea lions, tufted puffins, a giant Pacific octopus, and a walk-through seabird aviary.

Newport Aquarium

Four miles north of Newport, the Interpretive Center at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area (follow the signage off Hwy 101) offers first-rate exhibits and videos to introduce you to this unique spot: a 100-acre column of ancient lava stretching 1 mile out into the ocean. Just south of the center, at the tip of the Quarry Cove Inter-tidal headlands, stands Yaquina Lighthouse, built in 1873 and billed as the tallest lighthouse on the Oregon coast at 93 feet. Just a short distance from the lighthouse the Channel House at Depoe Bay is an excellent place to stay.

California’s densest redwood forests greet the state of Oregon here, where the rugged Siskiyou Mountains give way to a series of rocky headlands and the mighty Rogue River cuts a path to the Pacific. Coastal rainforests on the south coast are considered among the most diverse in the country.

Take 101 North from the California border to Brookings. This particular segment of coastline enjoys the warmest coastal weather in the entire Pacific Northwest.  Flowers thrive here, especially Easter lilies and other varieties known to prefer winter months. You might take a stroll through Azalea Park (watch for signs off 101 just west of the Chetco River Bridge) to enjoy a display of some the area’s most prized blooms. In April and May the azaleas are at their most glorious, but you can count on a beautiful display no matter what the time of year.

We took a short, easy walk through nearby Loeb State Park (farther inland via the same road that took us to Azalea Park). With a printed handout we collected at the Redwood Grove Nature Trail trailhead, we learned how to tell the difference between a coastal redwood and a Douglas fir, the difference between four varieties of ferns, and what to call that gold-bellied creature that kept skittering across our path: a newt! It is a tranquil thing indeed to walk through a forest like this.

Boardman State Park is only 4 miles north of downtown Brookings. This is an absolutely gorgeous stretch of coastline, providing multiple opportunities to pull over and draw inspiration from the beauty of your surroundings. Two stops in particular are simply required now that you’re here: the trail to the Thomas Creek Bridge and the brief walk to Natural Bridge Cove. Both are located very near the north end of the park. Watch for signs.

Boardman Beach

Gold Beach

It’s at Gold Beach that the powerful Rogue River empties into the Pacific Ocean. We love to stay here at Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge. Whatever else you decide to do in this area, don’t miss the chance to sign up for a jet-boat excursion up the mighty Rogue. Some 40 miles of riverside from Gold Beach to Grants Pass are protected within the Siskiyou National Forest, where the only access is by foot or boat, so this is a perfect opportunity for an intimate glimpse into this beautiful wild place. We recommend Jerry’s Rogue River Jet Boats for an entertaining, educational, and invigorating adventure. Boats depart from a well marked dock located in Gold Beach on the south side of the bridge that crosses the Rogue as you travel north on 101. These trips are perfect for all ages, so if you’re traveling with children, consider this a terrific way to spend the day. Jerry’s vessels are modern riverboats custom designed for the river and certified by the Coast Guard, so you don’t have to worry about safety. Tours of different lengths are available, but we encourage you to take the 104-mile excursion to venture deep into the forest and climb some 350 feet up a series of rapids. Allow eight hours for a round trip, which includes lunch or dinner, depending on your departure time. The first leg of the journey takes place in a lovely estuary where temperatures are often chilly, so grab one of the on-board blankets—you won’t need it long as you make your way east into the hotter, drier inland areas. Your guide will describe the gorgeous surroundings and you’ll have fun looking for river otters, birds, deer, and even bears. At the rustic and forested town of Agness, you’ll switch to a smaller boat, one better designed to navigate the narrow gorges, hairpin turns, and shallow rapids ahead. This is truly a voyage now! At Paradise Lodge farther inland, you’ll stop for sustenance before making your reluctant way back to the ocean. Talk to Jerry about the option to spend the night at Paradise Lodge, if you prefer. Guestrooms are small and plainly furnished, but appropriate to this spot so far from civilization!

Bandon

From Gold Beach, continue on 101 North to Bandon. Exit at either Chicago, 2^nd, or Delaware Streets and follow the signs to Old Town. Visitors enjoy rambling through Old Town to enjoy the shops and fine galleries or to watch the fishing boats sail in and out of the harbor. But nature is what really calls to you in this corner of the world. At the west end of 11^th Street, for example, right off Beach Loop Drive, you’ll find Coquille Point. Take a walk on the paved trail there and enjoy views of beautiful Bandon Beach with its strange sea stacks and profusion of birds. Two miles north of Bandon on 101, a gentle 3-mile road through Bc guides you through coastal forest, along the north bank of the Coquille Estuary, and out to the Coquille River Lighthouse, one of nine stately lighthouses to stand guard along the Oregon coastline.

The old lumber towns of Coos Bay, North Bend, and Charleston are sometimes referred to as Oregon’s “Bay Area,” once an extremely busy commercial hub where the timber industry thrived. Today, visitors are drawn here by three landmarks immediately southwest of Coos Bay via the Cape Arago midway:  Shores Acre State Park, Cape Arago State Park and South Slough National Estuarine Preserve.  (Look for signs to the midway between Bandon and Coos Bay on 101.) Once the grounds of a 20^th-century private estate, Shore Acres is now an impressive 743-acre garden, the winner of numerous landscape design awards, and most notable for its many unusual botanicals. At nearby Cape Arago State Park, an easy trail leads north along a ridge to an excellent vantage point for viewing the marine animals that make these offshore rocks their home. On clear days, you can see south to Bandon, but in a winter storm, watch out! Winds can reach epic proportions on this ridge. You might also enjoy a visit to South Slough National Estuarine Preserve, one of seven tidal inlets that collectively form the Coos Estuary. An Interpretive Center is open to the public. It houses exhibits, a video viewing area, and a bookstore, and there is an outdoor amphitheater for special presentations (or just for resting). Several easy trails, varying in length from ¼ mile to 3 miles, give you immediate access to this preserve, which is peaceful yet teeming with life. Try the wonderful Estuary Study Trail, a 3-mile series of scenic loops.

Coquille Lighthouse

Columbia River Gorge

Columbia River Gorge

The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area stretches about 80 miles from Troutdale (just 20 minutes east of Portland) to the Deschutes River east of The Dalles, and one of the best ways to see it is from the Historic Columbia River Highway (old US 30). This highway was constructed between 1913 and 1922 in a European style to conform to the contours of the land and take full advantage of the spectacular scenery. It is accessible today in two short stretches (one of 22 miles from Troutdale to Ainsworth State Park, the other a 16-mile stretch from Mosier to The Dalles, with a 35-mile section along the main interstate in between). We concentrated on the first 22-mile stretch before taking a loop around Mount Hood and back to Portland. We enjoyed this magnificent part of the state seeing waterfalls, lush state parks, and dramatic vistas from cliffs dropping 700 to 2,000 feet into the river. We took a picnic lunch so we could stop where we liked, to soak in the surroundings.

Columbia River Gorge

From Portland, take I-84 east to Exit 17: Troutdale. Exit and drive along the frontage road to Graham Road (follow signs for Troutdale and Columbia River Highway), where you’ll turn right. Take your first left on Columbia River Highway and drive directly into town, where a short stretch of galleries, shops, and museums beckons you to stop and browse. Troutdale, which traces its origins to the arrival of the railroad in 1882, started as a thriving agricultural community and has since grown to become home to some 9,000 residents. A visitor center, on the main road here, is a good place to inquire about trails in nearby Sandy River Canyon and Beaver Creek Canyon, or to find out more about activities in the area generally. An imposing bronze likeness of Nez Perce Chief Joseph graces a small plaza. One favorite stop in Troutdale is McMenamins Edgefield, a 38-acre estate originally built in 1911 as the Multnomah County Poor Farm and now on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors come to relive history through tours of the renovated buildings and grounds. It’s quite a complex, if a bit commercialized. You’ll find a brewery and beer garden, a winery and tasting room, a golf course, a movie theater crafted from a 1930’s boiler room, restaurants, a gift shop, herb and vegetable gardens, and hostel-like accommodations. To get to it, turn right off of Graham Road (which you took from Exit 17), then right onto Columbia River Highway, rather than left into downtown Troutdale. The road veers left to become NE Halsey and Edgefield is on your left.

Columbia River Gorge

Once you’ve had as much or as little of Edgefield as suits your fancy, head back into and through the town of Troutdale, cross the Sandy River Bridge, and veer right to begin the Columbia River Highway. Climb uphill to the town of Springdale. Stop at Mom’s Garden Bakery (the big blue house on the right) for Patty Meyers’ amazing homemade fruit Danish, brioche, and other goodies. Continue on to Corbett and your first astounding view of the gorge at the Portland Women’s Forum State Park at Chanticleer Point. Everything is well marked. This is the former site of the Chanticleer Inn, where the highway’s visionaries met in 1913 to plan its construction. Samuel C. Lancaster, design engineer of the highway, picked the next spot, Crown Point, expressly for its potential as a prime observation point. He hired Edgar Lazarus to design Vista House (1918), a gray sandstone octagon building, offering stellar views from the observatory deck at the top of a narrow staircase. While the Vista House itself could stand some upgrade attention, you won’t mind once you’re gazing at the Columbia some 700 feet below.

Back in the car, you’ll now head into a mossy wonderland of rain forest and have, within a very few miles, your choice of footpaths to waterfalls. The first is Latourell, offering the shortest distance from the road to the falls; next is Shepperd’s Dell, which can only be viewed once you pull over and step onto a bridge. We recommend driving to Bridal Veil and venturing the short ⅔-mile trail to the falls if you’ve got sturdy footwear and don’t mind the sometimes steep and often rugged terrain. Back in the 1880s, this beautiful spot was home to the Bridal Veil Lumber Company, who produced boxes for everything from apples to WWII ammunition to cheese and operated until 1980. Keep your eye out for an easier ¼-mile path to the cliff for stunning views of the gorge. Only the noisy I-84 detracts from this otherwise beautiful spot.

Multonomah Falls

Next you come to two-tiered, 620-foot Multnomah Falls and the Multnomah Falls Lodge (1925). Likely to be crowded in summer months, it’s still worth at least pulling over to see it from your car. The adventurous can take a ½-mile trail up from the lodge to a bridge that crosses the lower cascade, then continue to the top via switchbacks. The lodge itself is beautiful, now housing an information center, a gift shop, and a restaurant.

From Multnomah Falls, you’ll have to join I-84 again. Take Exit 40 to the Bonneville Dam, built by the federal government for $70 million between 1933 and 1936 at the urging of Franklin D. Roosevelt. It’s an impressive piece of engineering, to be sure. The five-story Bradford Island Visitor Center features exhibits discussing the purpose and building of the dam; as well as films about the Columbia River, fish migration, and current U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ projects. If you’ve never seen a fish ladder, this is a good place to experience it: through an underwater window you can watch salmon and other fish bypass the dam as they follow nature’s migratory course unimpeded.

Back on I-84, take Exit 44, Cascade Locks/Stevenson/Hwy 30. Docked at the Port of Cascade Locks is the historic Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge Steamer. Although, riverboat trips are offered only seasonally, this is an entertaining way to explore the river. From the waterfront, follow the signs to the Bridge of the Gods and cross over to the state of Washington. Take 14 east for a few hundred yards, then turn left on Rock Creek Drive. Turn left again onto the Skamania Lodge property and consider having lunch (informal, cafeteria-style) in the huge dining room with windows for walls and great views. If you’re ready to return to Portland, take Hwy 14 all the way back for a different and dramatic view of the gorge’s high basalt cliffs, meandering your way through tall forests of trees and past several trailheads and scenic pullouts, including the beautiful Cape Horn lookout. This side of the river is considerably less crowded.

If you’re up for more, however, cross the Bridge of the Gods again to return to the Oregon side and take I-84 east to Exit 64. Head south on 35, and turn left on Old Columbia River Drive. Follow signs to the Columbia River Highway State Trail (Senator Mark O. Hatfield West Trailhead. This section of the Columbia River Highway stretches between Hood River and Mosier farther east. Once accessible to vehicles, it has since been transformed into a unique, public footpath running just over 4½ miles. You can walk or bicycle or roller skate as much, or as little, of it as you like. It’s relatively easy, well-paved, and graced by two “in-line” or “twin” tunnels, the Mosier Twin Tunnels, originally constructed in 1919 and 1920 to make it possible for the highway to pass through a steep basalt bluff. The West Tunnel is only 81 feet in length; the East Tunnel is 288 feet. Windows cut into the rock allow for terrific gorge views. This is a one-of-a-kind trail! Keep in mind that the Mosier Tunnels are closer to the Mosier end of the trail. If you prefer a short walk (about 2 miles round) to the tunnels and back, you can drive to that end of the trailhead instead (take Exit 69/Mosier, turn right at the end of the off ramp, then take your first left on Rock Creek Road and follow signs to the trailhead). It’s a great walk through lava beds and forest, all overlooking the gorge. Notice the signatures carved into the north wall of the East Tunnel, where in 1921 a handful of people found themselves snowbound for several cold November days.

Make a visit to Hood River, a casual and friendly community of windsurfers and breweries, and one of Oregon’s major apple- and pear-growing regions. Consider a Mount Hood Railroad excursion, departing from the Hood River Depot and offering a four-hour, scenic round trip through the gently beautiful Hood River Valley, with a stop in quaint Parkdale. The railroad, dating back to 1906, was once used to serve local farmers, transporting fruit from area orchards to the city. Choose from morning, afternoon, and evening rides; some including brunch or dinner as an option. Carousel enthusiasts may enjoy the unique and comprehensive collection at The International Museum of Carousel Art on Oak Street. There is also a good selection of restaurants in Hood River.

If you are staying in Mount Hood at the Mount Hood Hamlet Bed & Breakfast there’s a wonderful scenic mini-loop we highly recommend. Affectionately called the “Fruit Loop” by locals, it follows Hwy 35 South from Exit 64/Hood River, heads west at Mount Hood through Parkdale, and picks up the Dee Hwy, or Hwy 281, back northward to I-84, just west of Hood River. When you are ready to resume our tour, head south on Hwy 35 from Hood River to begin the Mount Hood Loop Highway, which circles the eastern shoulder of Mount Hood and passes through lovely fruit orchards, flower farms, and, eventually, the mountainous wilderness of the Cascades at Barlow Pass (4,157 feet), part of the original Oregon Trail. Allow time to pull off the road at spots that speak to you. In season, gather fruit at one of many “U-Pick” fruit farms along the route.

Mt. Hood

Mt Hood

Mount Hood is Oregon’s highest peak at 11,235 feet. Thirty or so miles past the town of Mount Hood, turn right off Hwy 35 (which you’ll notice has become Hwy 26) to the famed Timberline Lodge (1936–37), a National Historic Landmark and masterpiece of mountain lodge architecture. Constructed of enormous local timbers and native stone, the lodge is a rugged example of the handmade American Arts and Crafts movement of the ’30s. It caters to skiers and provides a grandly rustic Cascade Dining Room. One of the state’s premier hiking trails is the 40-mile Timberline Trail, which loops around Mount Hood and provides unparalleled views of the Cascade Mountains, the Willamette Valley, and meadows of wildflowers. August and September are the best months for walking.

Go back to Hwy 26, and continue westward to Portland to complete this round trip.

Rather than basing yourself in Portland consider staying in Mount Hood at Mount Hood Hamlet Bed & Breakfast.

Think Seattle and think blue. Endless wide-open spaces of water appear at every turn: Lake Washington, Lake Union, Elliott Bay, Puget Sound. You’re never far from water’s soothing influence. Think Seattle and think green (hence its affectionate moniker, “The Emerald City”), where trees, parks, and woodlands abound even as the urban scene grows to ever-increasing levels of 21^st-century sophistication.

Seattle is ideally approached on foot, one neighborhood at a time, rather than fighting your way on unfamiliar one-way mazes in traffic. We took cabs between the neighborhoods we wanted to explore (distances are not great) or used public transportation—the Seattle Metropolitan Transit System operates buses and trolleys throughout the city and its suburbs. We got some good maps from the Visitors at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center, 800 Convention Place on the Galleria Level.

Seattle Art Museum

The Seattle Art Museum is a city landmark now, with its signature Hammering Man, 48 feet tall, poised to greet you at the entrance. It houses a permanent collection of some 23,000 pieces representing a wide range of art, from ancient Egyptian reliefs to contemporary American installations using photography and video. Of particular note are its collections of Asian, African, and Northwest Coast Native American art, as well as its European paintings. The complete collection actually resides in two separate locations. The majority of it is located in downtown Seattle (100 University Street) in the contemporary building we’ve been talking about; but if you are especially appreciative of Asian art, you shouldn’t miss the impressive collection on Capitol Hill in Volunteer Park (1400 E. Prospect Street). Housed in a building designed in 1933 by Seattle architect, Carl Gould, and known as the Seattle Asian Art Museum, this collection is credited as one of the top ten of its kind in the entire U.S., with an eclectic assortment of art from Japan, China, Korea, India, the Himalayas, and Southeast Asia.

Across the street from the Seattle Art Museum is the Harbor Steps, a popular spot for open-air concerts in summer months and a great place for people watching. Take the steps down to the waterfront and enjoy a stroll along Elliott Bay.

Museum enthusiasts will also enjoy the Frye Art Museum at 704 Terry Avenue (corner of Cherry Street). Children of German emigrants who rose to prominence in the Seattle of the late 19^th century, Charles and Emma Frye owned and operated a large-scale meat processing plant with retail outlets that stretched from California to Alaska. During this prosperous time, the Fryes were able to travel extensively and indulge their passion for collecting artwork. They purchased their first European painting at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, and from then on became serious collectors of realist art. Their collection of 19^th- and 20^th-century paintings grew to more than 230 works in their lifetime. Each piece is on view at the museum today, including the most complete collection of Munich School paintings in this country.

Pikes Place

Pikes Place

You’ve certainly heard about Pike Place Market (bounded by First Avenue, Western Avenue, Pike Street, and Virginia Street). Situated on 9 acres of now-protected land, it all began in 1907 when the city decided to single out a place where local farmers could sell their produce direct to consumers. The idea caught on in a very big way, and today this public market is something more of a cross between a farmers’ market and a carnival. Take all the time you want to browse among the stalls of vegetables, meats, cheeses, flowers, and baubles. Look sharp around the fish stands, where one vendor is likely to throw a whole fish to the other right over your head as they wrap it to order. A popular staircase here is called the Pike Street Hill Climb, whose stairs will take you to the waterfront activity along Elliott Bay. Watch for signs in the marketplace directing you there.

The family-run Elliott Bay Book Company at 101 S. Main Street is a delightful bookstore, in operation since 1973 and a refreshing alternative to the large chains, with its cedar shelves, exposed brick, and café.

Pioneer Square

Seattle Center

Pioneer Square traces its start to the mid-19^th-century logging days of early Seattle. It’s a small area of only a few blocks, including the original “Skid Road” (Yesler Way), later popularly known as “Skid Row,” where logs were literally slid downhill to the local sawmill for cutting and shipping. Pioneer Place (1^st Avenue and Yesler Way) is best known for its Seattle landmarks: a Tlingit totem pole reproduction, a wrought-iron pergola constructed in 1909 to shelter passengers waiting for streetcars, and the Pioneer Building, a six-story Romanesque Revival structure constructed in 1892. For a fascinating and unusual introduction to the salty history of young Seattle in this area, take Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour. It’s an adventurous, 90-minute walking tour beneath today’s street level, for that’s where the original downtown Seattle was located before the Great Fire of 1889. Learn all about it as you marvel at the building fronts of hundred-year-old brothels, shops, dance halls, and emporiums. It’s fun, but not for the claustrophobic. (608 First Avenue between Yesler & Cherry.)

Space Needle

Following an underground tour, you might be in the mood for a very different view of the area. Make your way to Seattle Center, just north of downtown and bounded to the southeast by Broad Street, the 74-acre site of the 1962 World’s Fair. (A fun way to get there is by monorail from Westlake Center Mall at 5^th Avenue and Pine Street.) Take the glass elevator to the top of the 602-foot Space Needle where indoor and outdoor observation decks provide a magnificent 360-degree view of the area, weather permitting as usual, and a revolving restaurant serves first-class, Pacific Northwest cuisine. Other attractions at the center include an amusement park, the very hands-on Pacific Science Center and Children’s Museum, and several theaters.

If you have children in your party, they will probably enjoy a visit to the Woodland Park Zoo, also at the north end of the city, with its hundreds of rare and endangered animals and African Village. (5500 Phinney Avenue North.)

Next to the zoo is a beautiful rose garden, with 280 varieties and over 5,000 individual plants. This is one of 24 test gardens in the United States.

Just north of downtown, Puget Sound is joined to Lake Washington by an 8-mile ship canal and a system of locks that bisect the city from west to east. Named for a Brigadier General in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks and Canal were completed in 1917, allowing ships access inland to the then-coveted coal and timber resources on the eastern shores of Lake Washington. A Visitors Center at 3015 NW 54^th Street features displays on the history of these structures and on the details of its current operation. If you’ve never seen a lock in action, this is a good place to discover it for the first time. Some 100,000 boats of all different types pass through the lock system each year.

If you venture to the Asian Art Museum, take a walk over to the nearby Capitol Hill Water Tower, also in Volunteer Park. You can’t miss it; it’s a circular brick structure, towering above you to a height of about 75 feet. From the top of the tower you’ll have an amazing panoramic view of the area. There’s also an interesting exhibit in the tower about the work of the Olmsted brothers, designers of Seattle’s more elegant parks. The formal gardens of the 43-acre Volunteer Park (E. Prospect Street between 11^th and 15^th Avenues East) are representative of the work of the Olmsteds, but a truer example of their inspired philosophy (preserving views of the magnificent surroundings whenever possible) is best seen from East Garfield Street. Exit Volunteer Park on its eastern side and make your way north to East Garfield. From here, you will happen upon one of the most picturesque views of Lake Washington, the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge and the Cascade Mountains, from a unique roost designed by the brothers.

Washington Park Arboretum offers a great number of wonderful walking trails through woodlands and specialty areas celebrating different plants in concentration: honeysuckle, azaleas, rhododendrons, dogwood, decorative cherry trees, and a Japanese garden. (2300 Arboretum Drive East.)

The University of Washington campus makes for a charming walking tour as well. Pick up a Campus Walk booklet at the Visitor Information Center at 4014 University Way NE at NE Campus Parkway. You can also download the walking tour from www.washington.edu. Click on “Visitors,” then “Tours On Campus,” then “A Campus Walk.” This self-guided tour will take you along wide pedestrian thoroughfares, past lovely landscaped gardens, and by buildings of significance to the university, identifying everything for you. The on-campus Henry Art Gallery at 15th Avenue NE and NE 41^st Street is considered one of the country’s most progressive, small museums dedicated to modern and contemporary art. The Henry’s permanent collection of over 20,000 objects includes late 19^th- and 20^th-century paintings, an extensive Monsen Collection of Photography, and a textile and costume collection, along with a burgeoning compilation of cutting-edge works in new media.

Also of note on campus is the excellent Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture at NE 45^th Street and 17^th Avenue NE. The Burke contains collections totaling over 3 million specimens. These collections are divided into three main divisions: Geology, Anthropology, and Zoology. We were moved by an exhibition called The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition, the story of Shackleton’s infamous 1914 journey to Antarctica as told through diary excerpts, film footage, and haunting photographs by the expedition’s photographer.

The largest air and space museum in the western U.S. is found here in Seattle. Housed in soaring spaces of steel and glass, the Museum of Flight is located at 9404 Marginal Way South (a half-mile northwest of the city on I-5 at Exit 158). It records the story of man’s air and space achievements in an awe-inspiring setting, combining marvelous, interactive exhibits with actual artifacts. The Great Gallery Complex alone contains more than 50 aircraft, 20 or more suspended above your head!

When staying in Seattle we really enjoy The Inn At Harbor Steps.

Portland dragon boats

Portland is a very easy city to get around in. There are many inexpensive parking lots in the downtown area, so park your car and venture out on foot. Maps and self-guided tours are available at the Visitor Information and Services Center located in the Pioneer Courthouse Square complex. When visiting neighborhoods, you can drive, park, walk, or consider public transportation. A good bus (Tri-Met), light-rail (MAX), and a vintage trolley system work in tandem so that you can use tickets interchangeably, and it’s free in the downtown area.

This is a city that goes to great lengths to ensure that nature plays an active part in daily life. Over 200 parks grace the city and an ordinance prohibiting the construction of buildings higher than 40 stories guarantees that the Cascade and Coastal mountain ranges are never obscured by “progress.” Take a drive up to Council Crest Park set over 1,000 feet above the city and accessed via Fairmount Blvd, it’s a wonderful spot for viewing all five Cascade peaks—weather permitting, of course.

Powell's Books

No self-respecting lover of books would consider missing a turn of several hours at Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside Street. It takes up an entire city block (in a building that once served as a used-car dealership and car repair shop) and holds a computerized inventory of over one million titles—the largest used and new book selection under one roof in the world. Color-coded maps are available at the front desk for making your way through literally thousands of sections. The Seattle Times has aptly called Powell’s “a place of staggering ambition, hidden in the very humble wrapper of a worn-out warehouse.”

Take a self-guided tour through the Portland! exhibit at the Oregon History Center located at 1200 SW Park Avenue. It’s a marvelous orientation to the area’s history, beginning with the 1840s when the first European and American settlers arrived, and continuing to the present day. Notice the “copper” displayed at the exhibit entrance. It was used in the now-famous coin toss of 1845, by which city builders Asa Lovejoy of Boston, Massachusetts and Francis Pettygrove of Portland, Maine decided the name of their new city!

Pioneer Square

Art lovers will enjoy the renovated Portland Art Museum at 1219 SW Park Avenue. Founded in 1892, the museum has (over many loving years) amassed a diverse collection numbering over 32,000 works of art. A $45-million renovation and construction project resulted in over 50,000 square feet dedicated to the Centers for Native American Art and Northwest Art. Additional renovation projects account for new permanent galleries, a community education center, a new museum shop, and a café.

Washington Park can easily occupy the better part of a day if you’re inclined to enjoy all it has to offer: an arboretum, a zoo, a forestry center, and much, much more. Two gardens in particular make for rejuvenating contemplative strolls. The enchanting Japanese Garden (611 SW Kingston Avenue) occupies nearly 6 undulating acres and provides an authentic look at the genius of Japanese landscape masters. Enjoy the Tea Garden, the Strolling Pond Garden, and the Zen-inspired Sand and Stone Garden. Also worth the time is the International Rose Test Garden, on Kingston Avenue, where more than 8,000 roses representing hundreds of species grow in terraces overlooking the city and Mount Hood.

Washington Park rose garden

One of our favorite picnic/viewing spots is the lawn area in front of Pittock Mansion (head west up Burnside, turn right on NW Barnes, then follow the signs). Completed in 1914, this fine home was built for Henry Pittock who came west on the Oregon Trail in 1853. Pittock made his fortune through a variety of wise and timely investments and became publisher of the Oregonian. On a good day, the views of Mount Hood and the city from this spot are wonderful.

The Lan Su Chinese Gardens (formerly the Portland Classical Chinese Gardens) occupies an entire city block between NW Third Avenue and NW Everett Street. It’s a unique urban garden patterned in a 15^th-century Ming style and designed by architects and artisans from the Chinese city of Suzhou. Created to inspire residents living in busy cities, Chinese gardens were meant to offer respite in the center of activity. Today’s visitors to this setting will find a garden little changed from what would have greeted them more than 500 years ago in dynastic China.

For over one hundred years the city has adopted the rose as a symbol of its continuing growth and renewal. If you’re visiting in June, find a schedule of Rose Festival activities, which start with the coronation of the Rose Festival Queen on or around May 31^st. Fireworks, parades, boat races, musical performances, and special art exhibits make for a month-long celebration of the city’s favorite time of year.

Want to tour Oregon wineries without leaving downtown? Then the place to go is Oregon Wines on Broadway at 515 SW Broadway. It’s a charming wine bar where you can sample two dozen or more of the state’s finest wines. Beer aficionados may want to find out how Portland got its title of “Microbrewery Capital of the World.” On Saturday afternoons, Brewbus offers a four-hour, behind-the-scenes tour of various breweries in town.

Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park gives you the chance to stroll alongside the Willamette River for an easy mile and a half, with a view of eight Portland bridges if you walk from one end to the other. This park is often the venue for summertime concerts.

Reserve a spot on a Portland Spirit River Cruise from the Salmon Street Springs dock along the waterfront walk. It’s a fun, two-hour cruise on a 150-foot yacht. You’ll sail up the Willamette and past Ross Island, home to bald eagles, great blue herons, ospreys, and private riverside estates. Choose from sightseeing rides as well as lunch and dinner cruises.

The Pearl District, bounded by W Burnside, NW Lovejoy, NW 8^th Avenue, and NW 15^th Avenue, is getting a great deal of attention these days. Formerly an industrial area, it has been transformed in the last ten years into a popular spot for upscale lofts, art galleries, boutique shops, great restaurants, and sidewalk cafés.

The neighboring Nob Hill District bordered by NW 15^th Avenue, NW 23^rd Avenue, W Burnside, and NW Lovejoy, is absolutely charming, especially for its mid-19^th-century homes. Wander in and among these neighborhood streets, pausing when something takes your fancy. Make your way down NW 23^rd and NW 21^st Streets.

Forest Park offers some 50 miles of interconnected trails that wind up and down the slopes of this 5,000-acre wonderland, the largest urban park in North America. Maps are available to give you options. The Wildwood Trail extends for 33 miles from Forest Park to Washington Park.

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry at 1945 SE Water Street offers excellent exhibits in a contemporary building right on the Willamette River. It features the Murdock Planetarium, an Omnimax Theater, and tours of the submarine used in the movie The Hunt for Red October.

Apple and pear orchards, ranches and manicured vineyards take you the few short miles from Ashland to Jacksonville, a gem of a historic town with a population barely over 2,000. In 1851, two prospectors en route to California discovered gold unexpectedly along a creek in this area, and by 1853, little Jacksonville had become the county seat. Farmers, merchants, bankers, and saloon innkeepers prospered. The Oregon-California Stagecoach Line ensured lots of traffic to keep the budding economy strong, but in 1884 the railroad replaced the stage and bypassed Jacksonville altogether. Adding insult to injury, the county seat moved to Medford in 1927 and Jacksonville was doomed to obscurity. In 1978, however, the town was recognized as a National Historic Landmark District on the National Historic Register and today is Oregon’s most extensive and complete example of a late 19^th-century mining community. Only eight towns in the whole U.S. carry this distinction.

Jacksonville

Jacksonville

Walking tours past historic sites are detailed in brochures that you can collect at the Information Center at the Rogue River Valley Railway Depot, corner of Oregon and “C” Streets. Park your car and stroll up and down the streets. The town is very small, so it’s easy to get around on foot. Be sure to visit the unusual Jacksonville Cemetery, where plots are clustered by religious denomination, including Jewish, Masonic, and Catholic sections. The first burial took place here in 1859.

Each year from mid-June to September, Jacksonville hosts The Britt Festivals, long considered the Pacific Northwest’s premiere outdoor summer performing arts festival. Britt presents dozens of summer concerts, featuring world-class artists in jazz, folk, country, pop, dance, and classical music. Its performance venue is a naturally formed amphitheater set among majestic ponderosa pines on the beautiful hillside estate of 19^th-century photographer Peter Britt. Tens of thousands of music lovers travel from all over the West to enjoy Britt’s high-energy performances and casual, relaxing atmosphere. The grounds are located downtown at Fir and 1^st Streets.

Britt Festival

Britt Festival

A trip to visit a vineyard enables you to enjoy more of the lovely scenery that surrounds Jacksonville. About 9 miles southwest of Jacksonville on Hwy 238, turn left in the town of Ruch onto Upper Applegate Road, drive 1 mile, and turn right onto the Valley View Winery property. Enjoy a glass of wine among rose bushes in the garden area overlooking the vineyard. Originally established in the mid-1850s by Peter Britt of Britt Festivals fame (see above), Valley View Winery is owned and operated by the delightful Wisnovksy family, who has cleverly transformed a pole barn into a winery and tasting room. Because the Applegate Valley is considerably sunnier, warmer, and drier than elsewhere in western Oregon, Valley View can specialize in grapes that grow best under these conditions: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc. The Anna Maria label, which represents the finest wines they make, is also available for tasting.

Washington is now the second-largest producer of premium wines in the United States, with more than 150 wineries and over 25,000 acres of vineyards. Fortunately, it’s not necessary to drive 200 miles to the eastern portions of the state, where most vineyards are located, some of the finest tasting rooms are just a short distance from Seattle.

From Seattle, we took Hwy 520 east across Lake Washington, then headed north on I-405 toward Bothell for about 12 miles. Exited at 522 east/Woodinville. Turned right on 175^th Street, then left at the stop sign onto Hwy 202 (also known as the Woodinville-Redmond Road and later, NE 145^th). Our first stop was the humble home of Silver Lake Winery. Silver Lake holds the distinction as Washington’s only “consumer-owned” winery: hundreds of Northwest enthusiasts have pooled their resources to build this award winner. You could join them! Try their handcrafted varietals, in production since 1989, or their Spire Mountain hard fruit ciders.

Columbia Winery

Our next stop around the bend (where the Woodinville-Redmond Road veers left to become NE 145^th) was Columbia Winery. Watch for it on your left. Founded in 1962 by ten friends, six of whom were professors at the University of Washington, Columbia Winery is considered Washington’s first premium winery. First known as Associated Vintners, the group was keen to prove that Washington could produce high-quality wines and began in the Seattle garage of one of the professors. Today, winemaker David Lake, often referred to as the “Dean of Washington Wine” (Wine Spectator), continues the founders’ tradition of innovation by introducing new varietals to the state, including Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Gris, and Sangiovese. Wines from Columbia Winery are known for the rich, fruit flavors indicative of Washington.

Chateau Ste. Michelle

Chateau Ste. Michelle

Virtually across the street from Columbia was our next stop, Chateau Ste. Michelle, which has been producing European varietal wines since 1967. It is best known for its award-winning Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Its white wines are fermented and aged right in Woodinville, while its reds are made in eastern Washington just west of Paterson on the Columbia River. The facilities and grounds here (87 acres) are beautiful, with peacocks strutting around on the lawns. In 1912, Seattle lumber baron Frederick Stimson made his home here, with gardens designed by the Olmsteds, the same family responsible for Seattle’s Volunteer Park and New York City’s Central Park. Now on the National Register of Historic Places, Stimson’s home is used for special events. A variety of tour, tasting, and event options are yours, including wine appreciation seminars and a summer concert series (Summer Festival on the Green) to benefit the arts.

Red Hook Brewery

We continued down NE 145^th to Redhook Brewery. Beer enthusiasts Paul Shipman and Gordon Bowker founded Redhook in Seattle in 1981, at a time when the import beer market was growing by leaps and bounds in the Northwest. They sold their first pint of ale in August of 1982; then in July 1994, Redhook completed its second brewery here in Woodinville. This handsome facility features expansive grounds including the Forecasters Public House, where you can indulge in all of the Redhook Ales, as well as pub-style meals. Brewery tours cost $1 per person and include three to four samples of beer, a souvenir tasting glass, a walk through the brewery, and a good dose of Redhook history.

The popular Burke Gilman Trail, a 34-mile walking/bicycling/horse trail, passes right in front of the Willows Lodge and these two restaurants. It follows the Sammamish River to the edge of Lake Washington, then continues on around the lake to the University of Washington and out to Puget Sound. Continue along NE 145^th, cross the Sammamish River, and turn right onto the Woodinville-Redmond Road heading south. This road took us through some lovely rural countryside into the town of Redmond, where we picked up 520 back to Seattle via Bellevue.

This spectacular scenic loop can be approached in several different ways. If time is of the essence, we recommend at least the gorgeous, 105-mile drive along Hwy 2 from Seattle, out over the Cascade Mountains, and into the town of Leavenworth for a one- or two-night stay, returning to the city via the same route. In late September/early October, the maples and yellow larches in Tumwater Canyon, just northwest of Leavenworth along this route, will take your breath away. If you can afford the luxury of more time, follow our complete route, which after a stay in Leavenworth, guides you north through working fruit orchards, and loop you westward again—weather permitting—through the dramatic North Cascades National Park. Keep in mind that the stretch of Hwy 20 just west of Mazama (between Washington Pass and Rainy Pass) is closed for long periods during winter, spring, and (sometimes) early summer, so be sure to check road conditions before attempting to cross.

From Seattle, take Hwy 520 east to I-405 North to Hwy 522 east to Hwy 2 east. The road to Leavenworth is absolutely beautiful. Surrounded by some of the most stunning scenery anywhere in the U.S., this town was once home to the Yakima, Chinook, and Wenatchee Indian tribes. By 1890, the original town was built and settled by pioneers in search of gold, fur, and fertile farmland. At the turn of the 19^th century, the Great Northern Railway brought additional prosperity; but it was not to last—the unexpected re-routing of the railroad and the subsequent closure of the area’s sawmill reduced Leavenworth to something of a ghost town. For more than 30 years, it lived on the brink of extinction; then, in the early 1960s, community leaders got the idea to change Leavenworth’s appearance. Inspired by the beautiful backdrop of the surrounding Alpine mountains, the town agreed to remodel their hamlet in the form of a Bavarian village. The entire community rallied to create the illusion of Bavaria in the middle of Washington State!

Leavenworth

Besides the complete renovation of the downtown area, the town has created a series of festivals that brings tourists from miles around, including the Autumn Leaf Festival, Maifest, and the extremely popular Christmas Lighting Ceremony. While the town itself may well strike you as a bit over the top, give in to it for a day or two—you won’t find a friendlier or more beautiful spot anywhere. Stay at the Mountain Home Lodge or Run Of The River and enjoy the spectacular setting. Innkeepers here can recommend stellar, short-distance driving routes (e.g., taking 97 South to Old Blewetts Pass for unparalleled views), great river-rafting trips, and breathtaking hiking trails you won’t want to miss.

Leavenworth

From Leavenworth, travel east on Hwy 2 in the direction of Wenatchee. The small town of Cashmere, is known for its famous Liberty Orchards-Aplets and Cotlets factory and store, and the outdoor Pioneer Village Museum replicating life in the 1800s. It is also home to a wonderful bakery that is most definitely worth a stop for its wonderful baked products, sandwiches and coffees. Anjou Bakery is located beyond the entrance to town, on the south side of the highway.

A few miles beyond, Cashmere Hwy 2 merges with Hwy 97 which, if you follow north, will take you on to Chelan. If you are a garden buff, you might want to detour just at the merger of the two highways to visit Ohme Gardens. Located high on a rocky bluff, overlooking the confluence of the Columbia and Weneatchee Rivers, this nine-acre garden is a result of one family and 60 years of dedicated landscaping.

There are actually two “versions” of the highway that straddle both sides of the river. Alt 97, as opposed to the Hwy2/97, is the more scenic drive and more easily accesses the road to Lake Chelan. This is a region dominated by pear and apple orchards, absolutely gorgeous when colored with spring blossoms or fall foliage; but to be honest, a little  barren in winter. Many of the Washington apples you buy in stores come from this very area. Alt 97 will take you directly to Lake Chelan, a 50-mile-long lake in a beautiful valley created by glaciers. Reaching a depth of 1,500 feet, it is one of the deepest lakes in the U.S. Or you can also opt for Hwy 971, referred to as the Navarre Coulee cutoff which is a few miles longer, but crests the hill and affords some wonderful views of the lake.

From Lake Chelan, continue north on Hwy 97 to Hwy 153, and then to Hwy 20, traveling in the direction of Winthrop. Spring through fall, Hwy 20 would deliver you back to the coast, but in winter it dead-ends at Washington Pass. With the towering peaks of the Cascades looming in the distance, Hwy 20 travels a picturesque route through a beautiful valley, following the wide sweep of river that cuts it. It is a region populated by large ranches, grazed by cattle and reportedly the source of inspiration for poet and author Owen Wister. He lived in Winthrop back in the early 1900s, and many Winthrop sights and characters appear in his novel The Virginian. Today, this once-busy mining town is little more than a faux Old West façade, with wooden sidewalks and early 20^th-century storefronts. You might enjoy the Shafer Museum, though, which re-creates a turn of the century pioneer mining town. Nine buildings (some reproductions, others original and relocated here) offer a glimpse of life in the Cascades more than a hundred years ago.

The North Cascades Highway (Hwy 20) offers a unique opportunity to explore some of the more remote areas of the Cascade Mountains. Some 300 glaciers residing here account for more than half the glaciers in the contiguous United States. Along the way, a number of trailhead markers will beckon you to stop and explore, which is fun to do even if you hike for only short distances. Two mountain passes greet you now. The first is Washington Pass at 5,477 feet. Pull over at the lookout and take the half-mile (round trip) path around a cliff face to see just how far you’ve come! The second is 4,860-foot Rainy Pass. An easy 2-mile (round trip) paved trail at Rainy Pass is perfect if you’re conscious of time or don’t want to do any serious walking. Watch for signs for the Rainy Lake Trail and pull over. The trail will guide you through towering forest to the small, and unbelievably, blue Rainy Lake. Notice how the terrain is changing. These mountain passes mark the rain shadow divide that accounts for one climate in western Washington and another east of the mountains.

About 1 mile west of Newhalem, the North Cascades Visitors Center’s audio-visual presentations offer a variety of points of view on the area. Take the short wood-planked path behind the center to a viewpoint overlooking the beautiful Picket Range.  Continue west on Hwy 20 to return to I-5 and you’ll be back to Seattle in about an hour.

Multnomah Falls

Leavenworth