Wine, Whales and Wings

Arrive at Portland Airport and pick-up your rent-a-car. Head southwest out of Portland toward Oregon Wine Country. This northwest part of Willamette Valley Wine Country is home to some of the state’s pioneer wineries such as Sokol Blosser and Eyrie Vineyards. Sokol Blosser contributes to the habitat restoration of the Western Bluebird and other wineries like Coeur de Terre, occasionally have live bird
releases at the vineyard. Afterwards continue on to McMinnville to explore Historic 3rd Street or the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum where you can see the wooden Spruce Goose to learn about man-made wings before your bird and whale watching adventure. Just south of the Evergreen Museum, Keeler Estate in Amity is a great place to learn about biodynamic winery practices. Overnight in McMinnville.

In the morning, sip on espresso and savour a homestyle breakfast on Historic 3rd Street. As you head toward the coast, stop at Baskett Slough Wildlife Refuge near Dallas for your first birding opportunity. Baskett Slough hosts over 200 species of birds for winter as nesting or migration stopovers. The diverse habitat demonstrates an array of birds from shorebirds and waterbirds, to
songbirds and raptors. After your time at Baskett Slough, you will travel through the Van Duzer Forest Scenic Corridor which is also home to the newly designated American Viticulture Association (AVA), Van Duzer Corridor AVA. Stop at Chateau Bianca to sample the distinctive wines known for their signature terroir of marine sediment with a top layer of basalt. Pinot noirs in this AVA are richer
and darker in colour, due to grape skins that are thickened by cool Pacific winds. Take your first beach stroll along the Pacific Ocean at the Road Ends End State Recreation Site. It’s easy to get caught up beach combing, but remember to keep your eyes on the ocean for
gray whales. Another great walk in the heart of town is along the educational boardwalk at Hostetler Park surrounded by wetlands and Devils Lake. Overnight in Lincoln City.

After breakfast, head to Siletz Bay Wildlife Refuge for a bird watching walk. Common bird sightings at this refuge include the Western sandpiper, red-necked phalarope, waterfowl and green-winged teal. After birding, travel south on Highway 101 to Depoe Bay, the whale
watching capital of the Oregon Coast. Oregon State Parks and Recreation has a Whale Watching Center. If you’re visiting December or January, you will likely see at least one of the nearly 20,000 gray whales migrating south for winter. Spring whale watching, which happens around late March, showcases magnificent gray whales returning as they travel back to Alaskan waters. Hit the road toward Newport - home to the 130 year old Yaquina Head Lighthouse, built in 1872. Newport is also known for Historic NYE Beach, a centrally
located beach to take a stroll along the beach to watch for whales. Stroll through Nye Beach proper for boutique shopping. Before you leave Newport, experience marine wildlife and coastal birds at the world renowned Oregon Coast Aquarium. The aquarium boasts
underwater marine life, bird aviary, sea otters, sea lions and an underwater shark tunnel. To continue your Oregon Coast education, stop just down the road at the Oregon State University Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center. The Visitor Center brings the work of OSU’s campus of laboratories and classrooms where scientists, students, state and federal resource agencies conduct world-class research
on topics ranging from whale migration to global climate change. Don’t forget to say hello to the resident octopus while
you are there! Overnight in Yachats.

After breakfast, travel South to Cape Perpetua. At 800 feet in elevation, the lookout provides a 70-mile view of the Oregon coast on a
clear day. Additionally, the unobstructed view out west over the Pacific allows visitors to see more than 35 miles out to sea. Cape Perpetua is also part of the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve and Marine Protected Areas.
As you meander your way south, stop halfway to Florence at the historic Heceta Head Lighthouse. From the lighthouse you’ll find the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge lies within binocular range and provides habitat for Tufted Puffin, Common Murre and thousands of sea birds on the rocks. Take a tour of the lighthouse and look for whales from 205 feet (63 m) above the ocean.
Next stop: the Sea Lions Caves. Take an elevator ride down into the cave, as tall as a 12-story building and as wide as a football field.
During the fall and winter, barking sea lions lounge around inside the cave’s natural amphitheater. Once inside, scan the walls to see Pigeon Guillemot and Rhinoceros Auklet raising their young.
Continue into FLORENCE, home to over 40 miles of coastal dunes in the Siuslaw National Forest. The forest has walking trails for wildlife viewing and birding, or for a more rugged adventure, hop on a dune buggy ride. Watch the sunset from Historic Old Town Florence. Overnight in Florence.

This morning take a whale watching stroll along Heceta Beach. Take Highway 126 East toward EUGENE to the largest collection of native raptor birds in the Pacific Northwest at the Cascades Raptor Center. At the center, you’ll get to see staff working with rescued raptors like owls, falcons, bald eagles and turkey vultures. Work your way back to Eugene proper by experiencing the Territorial Wine Trail with stops at Sarver, Sweet Cheecks or King Estate Winery to name a few. Overnight in Eugene.

Today head north on 99W toward William Finley National Wildlife Refuge. Known for its winter birding, walk along the various trails to find flocks of geese, ducks and swans - you may even spot a bald eagle. Make your way toward historic down-n town Albany, boasting more than 800 historic structures in a 100-block area. After exploring the historic homes and buildings, experience the first framed
structures built in Albany in 1849, the Monteith House. Across the street, take a ride on a unique carousel animal at the Historic Carousel & Museum. Community volunteers hand carved each one-of-a-kind animals. Head north out of Albany on I-5 toward Willamette Valley Vineyards. From their tasting room tower, you can get a birds eye view of the mid-Willamette Valley. After wine tasting and a pairing plate, make your way to downtown Salem. Overnight in Salem.

Take a walk at Salem’s Riverfront Park and across Peter Courtney Minto Island Pedestrian Bridge. This new addition makes Salem home to more consecutive city park acres than Central Park. Minto-Brown Island serves as a waterfowl and wildlife sanctuary, which you can enjoy from the observation platforms along the sloughs. Blue herons, ospreys, squirrels, and rabbits are among the many different wetland creatures that call this park home. If it’s a weekend day and you want another wine stop, visit the quaint town of Aurora to taste at Pheasant Run Winery in the old Aurora State Bank. The bank building was built in 1905 as part of the Portland World’s Fair and moved to its current home after the exposition. Make your way toward Portland International Airport to head home.