Oregon

You’ll find stimulating views and activities from the state’s raging coastal waves and windswept dunes to inland farming and volcanic peaks.

Oregon’s Pacific Ocean coast presents tempestuous waves and the fury of the sea while the peaks in its section of the Cascade Mountains hide underground geothermal activity. Spend a week enjoying the range of dynamic activities in this Pacific Northwest state.

Arrive in Portland, the state’s northern population center. Tour the Downtown area for boutique shopping and eclectic international dining. The city prides itself on tours; take several for exploring foodie spots, tasting wine, visiting microbreweries, riding bikes or seeing volcanoes. For a unique horticultural experience, tour the International Rose Test Garden. Drive through the gardens or walk along the hilly paths to see thousands of blooms, many unavailable anywhere else in the world. Enjoy the serenity in the Portland Japanese Garden.

Inland, visit Crater Lake National Park to see a massive collapsed volcano, now filled with icy cold spring-fed water. Wizard Island on the lake’s west side is actually the cinder cone of a later volcano. Drive into the park to view the bright blue lake on a summer day or make a long hike on snow-shoes to appreciate its wintry mystery.

Explore Oregon’s rich farming areas. The Willamette Valley is known for excellent Pinot Noir grape production. Find a map of the area and do a winery-hopping tour for your own taste test.

Farther south, attend the annual Bandon cranberry festival. If you’d rather play than pick, enjoy several rounds on the golf courses of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, with rolling hills and majestic ocean views. Watch running golfers at the annual international speed golf event, with players posting competitive 18-hole scores in under an hour. See the nearby Cape Blanco Lighthouse, in operation since 1870, protecting ships from the treacherous shoreline.

Travel along the Oregon’s rocky shore and stop frequently to be mesmerized by crashing waves and changing weather. Watch massive groups of sea lions sunning themselves on rocky protrusions. Find some of the best views of the South Oregon Coast at Port Orford and Gold Beach.