Arrive To: Hotel check in begins at 3:00 PM. Program registration is from 4:00 to 5:00 PM.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel.

Evening: Following dinner we will gather to go over the schedule for the next few days. Then we will take some time to get to know each either.

Lodging: Clarion Hotel- Portland International Airport

Meals Included: Dinner

Explore the Columbia River Gorge and Multnomah Falls. Ride a Sternwheeler on the Columbia.

Breakfast: Breakfast buffet at the hotel

Morning: Leave Portland behind as you travel by motor coach up the Columbia River Gorge. Get a bird's eye view of the spectacular area from the historic Vista House and then take a short walk to the base of Oregon's highest waterfall, the amazing Multnomah Falls. Then head up through the Columbia Gorge. If time permits, visit a salmon hatchery to learn how the Northwest's iconic fish runs are supplemented.

Lunch: Picnic on the banks of the mighty Columbia River at Cascade Locks.

Afternoon: Embark on a river cruise aboard a sternwheeler boat on the Columbia River and be amzed by the geology and natural history of the area.

Dinner: Share dinner with your friends at your hotel on the banks of the Columbia River in lovely Hood River, Oregon.

Evening: Relax and perhaps take a stroll along the river as you enjoy a quiet evening in the gorge.

Lodging: Best Western Plus Hood River Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Climb from the Columbia to the flank of Mt. Rainier. Visit the Yakama Nation's Cultural Heritage Center.

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel

Morning: As the evergreen forests of the Columbia River Gorge give way to arid lands in the rainshadow of the Cascades, you will travel by motor coach to the Yakima Valley and visit the museum of the Yakama Nation. The Yakama Nation Museum opened in 1980 and is one of the oldest Native American Museums in the United States. The 12,0000 square foot exhibition hall is the result of years of hope, thought, and effort on the part of the Yakama people.

Lunch: Enjoy a lunch at the iconic Winter Lodge at the Yakama Nation's Cultural Heritage Center.

Afternoon: Ride along as your motor coach climbs the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains. Learn how the changes in altitude affect the climate as you travel to Paradise Inn at the timberline of Mt. Rainier, the highest mountain in the Northwest.

Dinner: Dine in the grand hall of the newly-restored historic Paradise Inn.

Evening: Learn about Mt. Rainier National Park, Paradise Inn, and the Cascades during a lecture led by a local expert (due to scheduling, this may not be available on all dates).

Lodging: Paradise Inn

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at Paradise Inn

Morning: Descend through Mount Rainier National Park to the mountain town of Elbe. From there you'll travel to Tacoma on Puget Sound; Washington's inland sea.

Lunch: Lunch in Tacoma at the Museum of Glass

Afternoon: Take a guided walk to the Chihuly Bridge of Glass to see his amazing glass sculptures. When Chihuly worked with an architect to build the bridge, he wanted to create a gateway to Tacoma that would be for the people. It is a 500-foot-long pedestrian bridge linking downtown Tacoma, Washington, to the city's waterfront. It is an amazing display of color and form. Following our walk, spend some time watching live glassmaking in the Hot Shop at the museum. Travel by motor coach to Seattle, where an evening of free time will afford you the opportunity to explore the Emerald City and its fine restaurants. Prior to dinner there will be time to head to the Pike Place Market which is a few blocks from the hotel. It has been operating in Seattle since 1907 and is internationally recognized as America's premier farmers' market and is home to nearly 200 year-round commercial businesses; 190 craftspeople and 120 farmers who rent table space by the day; 240 street performers and musicians; and 300 apartment units, most of which house low-income elderly people. This is an optional excursion led by your group leader.

Dinner: Discover for yourself the wonders of Seattle. Dinner is on your own, so enjoy some free time in one of the best cities in the world.

Lodging: Red Lion Hotel on Fifth Avenue

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel or aboard the Clipper ferry.

Morning: Hop aboard the Clipper for a fast ferry ride to the San Juan Islands. Keep an eye out for marine life as you cruise the waters of Puget Sound. Following a brief stop in Friday Harbor, head back out into the Sound to observe the abundance of active sea life. The islands are home to sea lions, Dall's porpoises, and otters. You might even spot a bald eagle or two! Almost 90 bald eagles make their nests on Washington's San Juan Island. If we are lucky we'll have the chance to see orca whales, also known as "killer whales," play and interact in their natural habitat. The San Juan Islands are home to three families, or pods, that migrate to the island waters for the summer months. The island waters also host many other species of whales. Though killer whales are the most populous, gray whales and minke whales have also been spotted.

Lunch: Onboard our whale watching vessel.

Afternoon: Following our trip at sea we will arrive back in Friday Habor to visit the world famous Whale Museum, the first museum in the country dedicated to the interpretation on whales living in the wild. Check into your room at the hotel and prepare for dinner.

Dinner: Conference Dining Room

Evening: Presentation: "Views from the Islands" offers an insider's look at contemporary island life, issues, and local culture.

Lodging: Best Western Friday Harbor Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Local artist demo, Visit San Juan Island National Historic Park, Roche Harbor.

Breakfast: Conference Dining Room

Morning: Presentation: "Creative Spirit of the San Juan Islands” sheds light on what lures artists to this unique community. Then enjoy a special demonstration from an Island artist. Take a field trip to San Juan Island National Historic Park – American Camp - with historical, cultural and scenic interest. Then visit Lime Kiln Lighthouse, one of the best places in the world to view whales from land and home to an Orca research outpost and lighthouse.

Lunch: Picnic lunch on San Juan Island's "West side" weather permitting.

Afternoon: After lunch, we’ll continue on to San Juan Island National Historic Park – English Camp – to see the other piece of San Juan Island’s rich history. End your excursion at Roche Harbor, where you may stroll over to the Roche Harbor Resort and Marina or go on a self-guided exploration of the Westcott Bay Sculpture Park.

Dinner: Conference Dining Room

Evening: Presentation: "Friday Harbor Port on the Inland Sea" is a rousing lecture on regional exploration and island history by a National Park Historian.

Lodging: Best Western Friday Harbor Suites

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Early breakfast at 6:30 AM in the conference dining room.

Morning: You will ride aboard one of Washington State's famous ferries as you travel from Friday Harbor through the islands to Anacortes. Once in Anacortes, you will board your motor coach for the ride south through Everett, Seattle, and Tacoma.

Lunch: Lunch at a brewery in Tacoma.

Afternoon: From Tacoma you'll travel to Mount St. Helens, site of the largest volcanic eruption in recent U.S. history. A local expert will join you as he covers the geology of the mountain and discusses the cataclysmic blast as you look into the still-steaming crater of the volcano and marvel at the barren land that was once home to a towering ancient forest.

Dinner: Dinner in Portland at the hotel.

Evening: Fun and discussion with new friends as we round out the program in this final evening's wrap-up.

Lodging: Clarion Hotel- Portland International Airport

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Buffet breakfast at the hotel, followed by independent departures. Thanks for joining us in the beautiful Pacific Northwest!

Meals Included: Breakfast