Oregon
The Faces of Oregon: Mt. Hood, Columbia River Gorge & Astoria
Program No. 1834RJ
From awe-inspiring waterfalls to towering Mount Hood, from ancient forests to food-trendy Portland, explore the many wonders of Oregon on this great Northwestern adventure.
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DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Sep 8 - Sep 13, 2024
Starting at
1,999DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Sep 8 - Sep 13, 2024
Starting at
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6 days
5 nights
12 meals
5B 3L 4D
2
Mt. Hood, Timberline Lodge, Wildwood
Portland, OR
3
Oregon Coast, Fort Clatsop, Downtown Astoria
Portland, OR
At a Glance
On four daylong field trips, discover the natural beauty and human history that make Oregon a state of wonder. Take in city highlights like the International Rose Test Garden, then explore the natural wonders outside the city, from the rugged Pacific Coast to the dramatic Columbia River Gorge to the volcanic Cascade Mountains. Each journey is accented by interesting, interactive activities, including a tasting of the Columbia Gorge's award-winning wines.
Activity Level
On Your Feet
Walking up to 1.5 miles on varied terrain. Elevations up to 6,000 feet.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
What You'll Learn
- Gaze up at towering Mount Hood from majestic Timberline Lodge, one of the iconic great lodges of the West.
- Stand in awe of the Columbia River Gorge’s magnificent waterfalls and captivating vistas.
- Visit the rugged Oregon Coast, including the mouth of the Columbia River known as the “Graveyard of the Pacific” and the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Peter Chausse
A retired elementary and middle school teacher, Peter is a passionate local historian in Portland, Oregon. Peter currently works as an instructor of experiential Continuing Education courses through The Heritage Institute, a branch of Antioch University. In addition, Peter has operated a small walking excursion business in Portland for more than 20 years. He enjoys leading field trips for school groups and walks for Road Scholar programs, during which he shares his knowledge of local art, architecture and natural history.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Peter Chausse
View biography
A retired elementary and middle school teacher, Peter is a passionate local historian in Portland, Oregon. Peter currently works as an instructor of experiential Continuing Education courses through The Heritage Institute, a branch of Antioch University. In addition, Peter has operated a small walking excursion business in Portland for more than 20 years. He enjoys leading field trips for school groups and walks for Road Scholar programs, during which he shares his knowledge of local art, architecture and natural history.
Susan Wolfe
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Susan Wolfe has an affinity for learning, a passion for teaching and a genuine zeal for meeting others. She was born in Ohio, grew up in Philadelphia, and has lived and taught elementary through adult education in Washington, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Oregon. A lover of hiking, biking and gardening, one of her favorite quotes is, “Everyone you meet in life knows something you don't; learn from them.” Susan has been leading Road Scholar programs since 2014, and continues to learn from each participant she meets.
John Jarvie
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John Jarvie is a history teacher at several colleges in the area with Clark College in Vancouver, Wash. as his main campus. He has been working for the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center for over a decade, giving information to visitors about state and regional points of interest, local history and the Oregon Trail.
Vince Patton
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Vince Patton is a 35-year veteran of television journalism, winning 10 Emmy Awards and 3 dozen other regional and national honors. He spent the last 8 years of his broadcast career in public television in his dream job, traveling all round this region telling stories about nature, science and wildlife. Now, in his retirement, Vince is the president of the largest genealogy library in the Pacific Northwest.
Natalie DaSilva
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Natalie DaSilva is an Oregon Master Naturalist and Certified Interpretive Guide who enjoys nothing more than sharing her love for the natural and cultural history of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. After a long and rewarding career in health care, she is now focused on developing programs to inspire others to discover, experience, and protect these natural and cultural wonders. An avid hiker, Natalie spends much of her free time exploring the unique landscapes of Oregon and surrounding areas.
Suggested Reading List
(12 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
The Faces of Oregon: Mt. Hood, Columbia River Gorge & Astoria
Program Number: 1834
Portland Then and Now
A spectacular book, captivating it's audience with historic, small town Portland images paired with the same scenes as they look today.
Sites include: New Market Theater, Blagen Block, Royal Palm Hotel, Grand Stable & Carriage Building, Pioneer Courthouse, First National Bank, City Hall, Berg Building, Portland Art Museum, Masonic Temple, Paramount Theatre, Union Station, Pittock Mansion, Bagdad Theater, Hollywood Theatre, St. John's Bridge, Swan Island.
A River Lost: The Life and Death of the Columbia
An insightful look into the many changes the Columbia River has undergone as a result of human exploitation. Harden weighs the pros and cons of river development and provides his unique perspectives, in addition to those of Native Americans, environmentalists, and individualist locals.
Up the Capitol Steps: A Woman's March to the Governorship
A personal and political memoir by one of the few women governors in the history of the United States, Up the Capitol Steps details the successes and the frustrations of a woman's life in politics. Roberts embroils herself in controversial policies and challenging elections on the road to Oregon governorship.
Oregon Trail Stories: True Accounts of Life in a Covered Wagon
Read through the exhilarating narratives from real letters, diaries and more. These first-hand tales of death, love, adversity and exploration offer insight into the lives of the early Western Pioneers.
Portland: People, Politics, and Power, 1851-2001
One of the most detailed and definitive books on the full history of the city of Portland. The seedy undercurrents of early society in Portland are revealed, along with details of crime, corruption, prohibition, racism and commercial development.
The Good Rain: Across Time & Terrain in the Pacific Northwest
In this mesmerizing book, Egan retraces a journey made in 1853 by Theodore Winthrop, the author of the first national book about the Pacific Northwest. As he travels Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia by unconventional means, Egan reflects on Winthrop's predictions for the northwest, mourns the loss of so much natural beauty, and casts visions of the landscapes that have escaped the march of modern development. Winner of the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award.
Building the Columbia River Highway: They Said It Couldn't Be Done
Peg Willis takes the reader on a journey along the Columbia River and explores the early beginnings of this highway that became known as a man-made miracle. Willis meets with two of the men responsible for the highway's creation and development, and explores the consequences (good and bad) of this architectural marvel.
Notable Women of Portland
This book offers a radically different portrayal of the growth the city of Portland has experienced. Its focus is on the early female pioneers of the city and the many incredible and lasting impacts they had on the area.
Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire: A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival
This thrilling and harrowing volume tells the story of the 1810 Astor Expedition, which followed in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark to establish the first settlement in the Pacific Northwest. John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson dreamed of transforming the region into a world trading power. Instead, the cruelty of the wilderness and the clash of ambitions led to a grim failure that serves as a reminder of the frailty of the human body and will.
Portland: Yesterday & Today
Portland: Yesterday & Today features spectacular imagery and brings to life all the favorite destinations that make the city so unique. From the sprawling, verdant Forest Park to the towering U.S. Bancorp Tower (Big Pink), this book will give you a new appreciation for all that Portland has to offer.
A Chef's Bounty: Celebrating Oregon's Cuisine
A Chef's Bounty includes recipes from many of the most successful chefs in Oregon. It is a full-page, full-color book that features sustainable cooking and gives background insight into Oregon cuisine from all the unique regions of the state.
Oregon's Promise: An Interpretive History
This detailed look into the history of Oregon offers jarring perspectives that clash with traditional stereotypes of the state and its residents. The author focuses on those that have been left out of the prosperous society that the pioneers originally looked to create and gives fresh insight into some historical assumptions that, upon further review, may not have been so true.