Washington Vineyards & Volcanoes

Arrive at Seattle Airport and transfer to downtown Seattle hotel. Downtown
Visit Pike Place Market, home to one of the oldest continuously operating farmers markets in America. You’ll be captivated by the vibrant energy of the crowd, mix of colorful flower stands, artisan and produce vendors and locally owned shops. See fish fly, cheese being made, the “oldest” Starbucks store and off-beat attractions like the Gum Wall and Rachel the Pig. From the market walk down the hill to wander along Seattle’s fascinating waterfront, home to Argosy Cruises Harbor Tours, the Seattle Aquarium and numerous shops. Enjoy dinner at a casual or fine-dining waterfront restaurant. Overnight in Seattle.

Spend a half-day at The Boeing Tour & Future of Flight Aviation Center. The Boeing Tour is an opportunity to view 747, 767, 777, on the assembly line before they begin their service in the air. In the Boeing Gallery at the Future of Flight discover a virtual world of learning and fun with a variety of educational experiences.
Take the Seattle Center Monorail from Westlake Center to the Seattle Center. Seattle’s CityPASS is your key to excitement and fun here. You can visit the Space Needle for breathtaking vistas of the Cascade and Olympic Mountains, Chihuly Garden & Glass where creativity and color come to life and the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPoP) to experience the worlds of sci-fi, fantasy and music. Overnight in Seattle.

Today walk or take Link light rail to Pioneer Square Station. Here you can explore Seattle’s colorful history in the city’s original neighborhood - Pioneer Square. Take an entertaining Underground Tour or soar to the top of Smith Tower Observation Deck. Then check out the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park and the neighborhood’s trendy boutiques and art galleries.
Enjoy a Bon Vivant Wine Tour to Woodinville Wine County, only 40 minutes from downtown. Learn about Woodinville’s 130+ wineries encompassing four unique winemaking districts and taste the winemakers’ diverse and delicious vintages.

Collect your rental car and start your Washington state road trip. Head toward Yakima. If you’re a Twin Peaks fan, you’re in for a treat, because the famous Twede’s Café is less than a half mile from Exit 31. Stop for a piece of cherry pie and a “damn fine cup o’ coffee” then drive to stunning Snoqualmie Falls—a 268-foot (81.6-meter) roaring waterfall. Less than two hours later, you’ll arrive in Yakima, home to more than 120 wineries and five AVAs. The Yakima Valley produces over half of the state’s wine grapes and was the first AVA established in Washington in 1983. Spend your afternoon visiting several popular tasting rooms, such as Treveri Cellars, Owen Roe Winery, and Wildridge Winery, to name a few. Overnight in Yakima.

Before leaving the Yakima area, take 10 minutes and make a stop at the Tree Top Store and Visitor Center for a bite to eat. Learn about the cooperative of growers who formed in 1960 to save excess apples from being discarded. Back in the 1960s, Yakima was known for its apples. A half hour east, stop at the Chukar Cherries headquarters in Prosser where you’ll find extraordinary Pacific Northwest food and gifts crafted from locally grown cherries and berries. In the afternoon, explore many of the wineries located in the Tri-Cities area, considered the “heart of Washington’s Wine Country” with over 200 wineries located within a 50-mile radius, such as J. Bookwalter Winery, Bernard Griffin Winery, Goose Ridge Winery and Kitzke Cellars. Overnight in Sri-Cities.

Visit the Country Mercantile in Pasco. What started as a small produce stand offering seasonal fruits and vegetable now offers an amazing selection of the Northwest’s finest gourmet foods and homemade chocolates. In Walla Walla, visit the historic Whitman Mission and downtown Walla Walla's iconic Main Street USA, which will entice you with shops, galleries, and the ever-present wine tasting rooms. While you’re exploring downtown, check out Salumiere Cesario, an artisanal, gourmet food store and the D’Olivo Tasting Bar where you can taste a diverse range of balsamic vinegars. Overnight in Walla Walla.

This charming small town is filled with world-class wine and the pastoral scenery of the Palouse region. Set in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, the Walla Walla Valley is known for the Oregon Trail and Native American history. Walla Walla has over 140 incredible wineries in the area. Let someone else do the driving and take a wine tour with The Touring Company which will take you to four or five wineries and includes a gourmet picnic lunch. Some of the area’s most popular wineries are Browne Family Vineyards, L’Ecole No. 41, Bergevin Lane Vineyards and Woodward Canyon Winery. Overnight in Walla Walla.

The backdrop of vineyards and stunning scenery continues as you travel through the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. It’s designated as a National Scenic Area—the largest in America—and for good reason. Traveling past Wallula Gap and the Twin Sisters, the dramatic basalt formation at the narrowing of the Columbia River tells the story of the Ice Age floods and the heroics of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Stop at Maryhill Winery, set high above the river, delight in stunning views, complemented by their award-winning wines and enjoy lunch in their bistro. Nearby, stop at the Maryhill Museum of Art and see the Stonehenge Memorial. The Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum in Stevenson displays the Gorge’s early inhabitants and natural history. Overnight in Hood River.

As you leave Hood River, you’ll drive through the stunning Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. About 30 miles before entering Portland, stop to gawk at Multnomah Falls, Oregon’s tallest waterfall at 620 feet (189 meters). The two-drop cascade is fed by rainwater and snowmelt. Head to Portland’s International Rose Test Garden in iconic Washington Park to see over 10,000 rose bushes and 650 varieties. You’ll see why Portland is called the City of Roses. Don’t miss the Pittock Mansion, a chateau in the West Hills of the city, built in 1914, telling the story of Portland’s transformation from pioneer town to today’s modern city. The views are especially beautiful at night. Overnight in Portland.

The Eyrie Vineyards, in the Dundee Hills, now the epicenter of the Oregon wine industry, released the state’s first Pinot Noir in 1970, putting Oregon on the map for this varietal. Pinot Noir is still considered Oregon’s flagship wine. There are over 500 vineyards and wineries in the Willamette Valley, within an hour’s drive from Portland, with over 65% of the grapes grown and wine made being Pinot Noir. Let the professionals at A Great Oregon Wine Tour give you an all-day Willamette Valley Wine Tour, which includes a country style picnic lunch and tastings at three or four wineries. You’ll have the opportunity to taste some of the famous Pinots, Chardonnays, Rieslings and other varietals the region is known for. Overnight in Portland.

Depart for Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, a U.S. National Monument that includes the area around Mount St. Helens. It was established on August 27, 1982 by President Ronald Reagan following the 1980 eruption. The 110,000-acre monument was set aside for research, recreation and education. The nearby Mount St. Helens Visitor Center opened a few years after the monumental eruption of the mountain and has exhibits like a working seismograph, plus a hiking path through wetlands. The Weyerhaeuser Forest Learning Center is located just inside the blast zone on the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway and tells the story of the remarkable recovery of forests, fish and wildlife following the eruption. Visit the Johnston Ridge Observatory in the heart of the blast zone with interpretive displays, the best place to view the mountain. Overnight in Kelso.

Drive to beautiful Narada Falls and if a moderate hike appeals to you, the trail loops past Reflection Lake mirroring Mt. Rainier. The loop is five miles and includes several beautiful spots for lunch with magnificent vistas. Paradise Lodge was built in 1916 and is adjacent to both the Henry M. Jackson Visitor Center and the Skyline Trail hiking path. Paradise is famous for its glorious views and wildflower meadows. When James Longmire's daughter-in-law, Martha, first saw this site, she exclaimed, "Oh, what a paradise!" Check out the Trail of the Shadows, less than a mile-long pathway through marshland and cedar forest, past mineral springs and a 19th century cabin, not far from the visitor center. Overnight in Paradise.

Take an easy morning hike to the awe-inspiring Grove of the Patriarchs through old growth forests, accessible by a suspension bridge that crosses the glacial-fed Ohanapecosh River. Some of these ancient trees are over a thousand years old and as you walk the trail, it feels like you’re in a magical kingdom.
Drop rental care at Seattle Airport before your flight home. Why not enjoy an Alaska Cruise after this road trip?