The Seven Wonders of Oregon | Fly Drive Holiday

Days 1-2

Portland

A direct flight from Heathrow takes you to the “City of Roses”. You will be here for two nights to enjoy the craft breweries, food carts, live music, duty free shopping and the amazing Powell’s bookstore.

Mrs. Pittock’s (wife of Portland magnate Henry Pittock) love of gardening introduced the tradition of displaying roses in 1888, leading to 20 miles of rose lined streets for the 1905 Lewis and Clark celebration. During World War I, the test garden received new hybrids rescued from destruction in the bombing. The Pittock Mansion, the product of Oregon craftsmen and artisans and Northwest materials, stands as a living memorial to these dedicated pioneers who spent nearly 60 years building Portland from a forest clearing to a bustling business centre with more than a quarter of a million people.

The Portland Art Museum, founded in 1892, is also a product of early Portland. An outstanding collection of American works is complemented with modern European masters. Visiting here puts you in the Pearl District, the old warehouse area— be sure to explore the shops for jewellery of the same name.

2 nights in Portland

Days 3-4

Portland to Hood River

Collect your car and head for the first of the wonders on this tour, the Columbia River Gorge. Marvel at the vast river, the waterfalls, the canyons and the Hood River. Allow yourself time to hike at least one of the many trails before spending the night at Hood River.

The following day head south to see the second wonder of the holiday, Mount Hood. Capped with 11 glaciers and snow throughout the year at over 11000 feet high, the highest peak in Oregon is home to five ski areas, including some of the only year-round skiing anywhere on Earth. Alpine lakes dot the flanks of this majestic peak, providing magnificent views to enjoy for those hiking along the trails. Return to Hood River on the picturesque route locals call the Fruit Loop for the vast bounty of apples, pears and berries produced nearby each year. Also on your way home, you might like to stop in one of the many wineries.

2 nights at Hood River

Days 5-6

Hood River to Pendleton

Continue east into the more arid climes of Eastern Oregon. The SAGE (Sustainable Agriculture and Energy) Centre in Boardman illuminates the importance of local agriculture through a range of exhibitions including a simulated hot air balloon ride. You might also like to visit the Tamastalikt Cultural Institute, a Native American owned museum and research centre. You will spend a couple of nights in Pendleton, home of the Pendleton Round Up, one of the largest and oldest rodeos in the world. Try the craft beer, check out the glorious blankets made here, go to Hamleys to watch a saddle craftsman, or take the historic Underground tour.

2 nights in Pendleton

Day 7

Pendleton to Enterprise

Today you will discover stunning vistas and dramatic canyons. Drive to La Grande, which is the start of the 218-mile Hells Canyon Scenic Byway. This winding road passes basalt cliffs, snow-capped peaks and along the edge of the Gorge. You should also head over to Wallowa Lake to take the Tramway to the summit of Mount Howard in the third of the wonders, The Wallowa Mountains, where they say on a clear day you can see past Hells Canyon into the next state.

1 night in Enterprise

Day 8

Enterprise to Baker City

Continue exploring the area around The Wallowas as you make your way along part of the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway, a road with scenery so wonderful that it is designated one of only 31 All American Roads throughout the United States.  Your destination, Hells Canyon, the deepest canyon in North America, is 3,000 feet deeper than the Grand Canyon. Carved by the great Snake River, Devils Peak is more than 9,000 feet above the river.

You can take a jetboat into the deepest part of Hells Canyon to better experience the majestic scenery all around you. A stop to see the American pictographs and an early homestead, relates just how difficult canyon life was. The earliest date that can be proven that anyone occupied the canyon is 7,100 years ago, although there is evidence that life could have been present as early at 15,000 years ago.

Eventually you arrive in Baker City, a former gold-rush boomtown with historic buildings and the award-winning Barley Brown’s Brew Pub. Just outside the town is the Oregon Trail Interpretive Centre which will help you to imagine walking the 2000-mile pioneer Oregon Trail.

1 night in Baker City

Days 9-10

Baker City to Bend

Heading west on Highway 7, you will arrive in John Day, another former gold-rush town, where the Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site paints a vivid picture of the Chinese immigrants’ lives.  The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is a palaeontology site where fossils such as molluscs originally found on a beach hundreds of millions of years ago are found in abundance. Painted Hills, one of Oregon’s Seven Wonders, is the most picturesque of the five sections where fossils dating back more than 33 million years have been found. You can soak up impressive views of the hills — which are layered dramatically in shades of auburn, red, brown and black — from the rugged but short Carroll Rim Trail. Before arriving in to Bend, you should also stop at the Smith Rock State Park, another of Oregon’s wonders.

While staying in Bend you might also enjoy Bend’s Ale Trail.

2 nights in Bend

Day 11

Bend to Ashland

Today is sure to be one of the highlights of the holiday as you visit the sixth wonder of your trip, Crater Lake. You will be sure to be astounded by the azure colours, frequently set off by snow-capped mountains. You might like to have lunch at the historic Crater Lake Lodge (where you could also spend the night) before driving through the Applegate Valley, another exceptional wine region.

The discovery of gold in 1851 brought Ashland in the form of Jacksonville, the original town, to life.  Besides gold, orchards blossomed and the city won top honours at the World’s Fair in 1893 for the Ashland peach. Ashland, known for its outdoor Shakespeare Festival, features a great group of galleries, housed in and nestled in between fine old Victorian homes. If you’re up for an afternoon winery tour, Southern Oregon has a collection of vineyards.

TIP: If you prefer outdoor activities to Shakespeare, you might prefer to stay in Grants Pass which is the starting point for many white-water rafting trips. Choose from a few hours on the river to a multi-day trip. Just ask your Frontier America travel expert for details.

1 night in Ashland

Day 12-13

Ashland to Newport

Today you will be making your way through Grants Pass across to the seventh wonder of Oregon, the Oregon Coast. Rugged headlands and historic lighthouses, beautifully maintained state parks, bustling harbours and vast stretches of pristine beaches that are freely accessible to all. Frontier America would suggest a stop for lunch at Gold Beach before pausing in Florence for a thrilling dune-buggy ride on the vast sand dunes on your way to Newport where you will spend a couple of days to enjoy this gorgeous coastline.

Nestled on beautiful Yaquina Bay, the Oregon Coast Aquarium, in Newport, is a world-class marine attraction, where, sealed in sparkling glass enclosures, fish, sea otters, harbour seals, California sea lions and other dramatic creatures swim overhead, under your feet and everywhere else. You can also take a 2-hour cruise whale watching tours. After a quick visit to explore the 93-foot Yaquina Head Lighthouse, finish out your day with famous seafood at Local Oceans and a night cap at the Rogue Ale Brewery.

2 nights in Newport

Day 14

Newport to Astoria

Continue up the coast to spend the last day of this fly-drive holiday in Astoria, the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies,  at the head of the Columbia River. Explore the Columbia River Maritime Museum, the Astoria Column and enjoy the history of this area.

1 night in Astoria

Day 15

Astoria to Portland

Enjoy an easy drive back to Portland Airport before your overnight flight home.