The Faces of Oregon: Mt. Hood, Columbia River Gorge & the Coast

Activity note: Hotel check-in from 4:00 p.m.

Afternoon: Program Registration: At 4:30 p.m. after you have your room assignment, come over to the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff and get your welcome packet containing an up-to-date schedule that reflects any last-minute changes and other important information. If your arrival is delayed, please ask for your packet when you check in. Orientation: 5:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures including contact numbers for key staff, and answer any questions you may have. Unless noted otherwise, travel for program-related activities will be via private motorcoach with onboard lavatory. Scheduled free time is reserved for your personal independent exploration. Please be aware that program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: At the hotel, enjoy a dinner buffet including dessert, coffee, tea, and water.

Evening: We’ll be joined by our local study leader who will share some fun facts and unique stories about Oregon. Learn some background on the place that we will call home for the next few days.

Activity note: Drive is approximately 118 miles over the course of the day, up to 3 hours broken up with stops. Getting on/off motorcoach. Elevation changes from 50' in Portland to 6,000' at Timberline Lodge. Walking up to one mile; paved trail.

Breakfast: At the hotel, our breakfast buffet includes hot and cold items plus coffee and tea.

Morning: This morning, we will board our motorcoach for a day of exploration to learn about the history of Oregon and its geological features. Along the way to Mt. Hood, we will make a stop at Philip Foster Farm to learn about early pioneer life and the Oregon Trail. Philip Foster was one of Oregon's first pioneers and was a leader in the establishment of Oregon. His farm and home in Eagle Creek played an important role in the history of Barlow Road, which followed the south side of Mt. Hood as an alternative to the Columbia River route.

Lunch: At Philip Foster Farm, we’ll have picnic-style boxed lunches.

Afternoon: After lunch, we will continue on to Wildwood Recreation Site. Wildwood Recreation Site is nestled in the forested foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Our expert will lead us along a paved 1/4 mile trail in this temperate old growth rainforest. Next, led by National Forest Service staff, we will visit historic Timberline Lodge, a WPA project dedicated in 1937, filled with art work and furnishings created for the lodge in the 1930s under the Federal Art Project. It is the only 20th century public building of its size constructed and furnished entirely by hand with original carved and inlaid craft work in wood, wrought iron, weaving, appliqué, painting, mosaic, carved linoleum, and stained glass.

Dinner: At Timberline Lodge, enjoy a plated entrée served with baked rolls, Tillamook creamery butter, dessert, gourmet coffee, and tea; other beverages available for purchase.

Evening: We will return to the hotel by motorcoach.

Activity note: Drive is about 30 miles throughout the day. Getting on/off motorcoach. Periods of standing and walking. Standing up to an hour at a time. Walking up to one and a half miles on varied terrain.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: This morning, we will ride downtown for an expert-led walk to learn about the history, art and architecture of this exceptional Northwest city. See and hear the stories behind many unusual details that even many locals miss. Take note of the fascinating outdoor public artworks that our local expert will identify along the walking route. These artworks were commissioned through Oregon's Percent for Art legislation, which was passed in 1975. After a short transfer from downtown Portland to Washington Park, we will be joined by a docent at the International Rose Test Garden. Known simply as the Rose Garden, it covers 4.5 acres in Washington Park and features more than 650 varieties of roses, producing more than 10,000 flowers each year. The Portland Rose Society was established in 1888. In 1915 as World War I raged in Europe, newspaper editor Jesse Currey persuaded city officials to establish a “test garden” to protect and preserve European hybrid roses in danger of being destroyed. Fortunately, the roses outlasted the war. Portland today is known as the City of Roses. The primary purpose of the garden today is to serve as a testing ground for new rose varieties. The City of Portland Gold Medal Awards are issued annually to the best introductions. We will then return downtown to our lunch spot via our motorcoach.

Lunch: At a downtown restaurant, enjoy a lunch entrée with a side, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage.

Afternoon: After lunch, we will walk a very short distance to the Portland Art Museum, the oldest art museum on the West Coast. It features Native American, Northwest, modern, contemporary and Asian art as well as an outdoor public sculpture garden. This visit will be self-guided. Enjoy the many exhibits that this museum has to offer and explore sections that interest you most. After our visit to The Portland Art Museum, the rest of the evening will be on your own. You may choose to spend additional time at The Portland Art Museum, visit Powell's City of Books, or relax at one of Portland's many cozy cafés. Your Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. Known as a food-trendy city, there are many appealing restaurants to choose from. Your Group Leader can provide suggestions.

Evening: At leisure.

Activity note: Drive is about 220 miles over the course of the day, up to 4 hours with frequent stops. Getting on/off motorcoach. Walking up to one mile on varied surfaces, including sand.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: We’ll depart early for a full-day field trip to the Oregon Coast. First, we'll head to the Columbia River Maritime Museum, where a docent will lead our exploration, followed by time on your own to see more of what interests you most. The museum was founded in 1962 to preserve the rich maritime heritage of the entire Columbia River region. Today the museum's well-deserved reputation for the quality of its exhibits and scope of its collections makes it one of the finest maritime museums in the nation. Visitors will experience what it is like to pilot a tugboat, participate in a Coast Guard rescue on the Columbia River Bar, and live in Astoria during the height of salmon fishing.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Afternoon: After lunch, Park Service staff will lead our exploration of a replica of Fort Clatsop within Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. This was where the Corps of Discovery had their winter encampment from December 1805 to March 1806. According to the National Park Service, the fortification measured 50 square feet and “housed 32 men, 1 woman, a baby, and a dog.”

Dinner: At a restaurant in Astoria, we will enjoy a plated meal with coffee, iced tea, lemonade, and soda provided. Other drinks available for purchase.

Evening: We will return to the hotel by motorcoach.

Activity note: Drive is about 170 miles throughout the day, up to 2 hours with frequent stops. Getting on/off motorcoach. Walking up to half a mile on a paved trail; standing in museum.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: Our field trip this morning is to the Columbia River Gorge, a spectacular river canyon cutting the only sea-level route through the Cascade Mountain Range. It's 80 miles long and up to 4,000 feet deep, with the north canyon walls in Washington State and the south canyon walls in Oregon State. Millennia of geologic events have produced breathtaking waterfalls. As we ride through the Gorge, we’ll learn from our instructor on board about the area’s fascinating geology.

Lunch: At the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, we’ll have a hot buffet lunch including coffee, tea, water; beer and wine available for purchase.

Afternoon: After lunch, we will learn more about the volcanic activity, floods, and other natural phenomena that helped form the gorge as we explore the 26,100 square foot exhibit wing of the Discovery Center. During a self-directed exploration, we’ll also have an opportunity to see a live birds of prey exhibit. Making our way through the gorge, we will stop at a winery in Hood River where we will have a chance to taste some of Oregon's award-winning wines. In the past 40 years, Oregon has grown to world class wine making status. We'll hear the story of how that came to be and learn about a few of the more well-known varieties. Afterwards, we will stop at the Columbia Gorge's most famous landmark, Multnomah Falls. The falls drop 620 feet. They flow year round, fed by underground streams in addition to rainwater and seasonal snow melt. We will view the waterfall from below (possibly feeling some spray depending on current conditions). Those who feel adventurous and vigorous may hike 1/5 of a mile up a steep, paved path to a scenic footbridge for a closer look.

Dinner: At a restaurant in the gorge, we will enjoy a plated meal with coffee and tea provided. Other drinks available for purchase.

Evening: After dinner, we will return to the hotel and prepare for departure after our closing session in the morning.

Activity note: Hotel check-out is by 11:00 a.m.

Breakfast: Hotel buffet.

Morning: In the hotel meeting room, an Emmy award-winning public broadcaster will join us to share video and stories of the state’s scenic wonders. After a short break, we’ll gather as a group one last time for a program review and wrap-up, and to say farewell to new Road Scholar friends. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!