In addition to the sights of Seattle's "emerald city" and portland's "city of roses," colorful experiences await from the region's spirited, progressive cities to its rocky, dramatic coastlines.
Although the pacific northwest might be known for its light rain showers, the locals know that it's the freshly brewed coffee, perfectly crafted beer, and robust local wines that really pour. Clear your schedule and your palate for this tasty undiscovered tour through the natural wonders, lush wilderness, and picturesque wineries of scenic Washington and Oregon.
Drink in the alpine architecture and german beer in the bavarian village of Leavenworth in the cascade mountains; wake up in the coastal city of Astoria to its charming, victorian-era hillside homes; savor the malt and hops at any number of bend's two dozen breweries, and take a break in the dairy den of Tillamook for a taste of its world-famous cheese and ice cream.
Along the breathtaking three capes scenic loop, you also won't want to miss the inactive but charming cape meares lighthouse, Oregon's shortest lighthouse standing only 38 feet tall. While the coast's other fabled lighthouses cast their beams to reveal the wonders of the pacific northwest, your native tour director will shed light on what makes this corner of the country so uniquely spectacular—from the robust cabernets of the Yakima valley to the meaty shellfish fresh from the waters of Newport, the "Dungeness crab capital of the world."
If the Seattle coffee scene doesn't wake you up—or the fragrant aroma of 10,000 rose bushes at portland's international rose test garden at Washington park—a dune buggy ride along the Oregon coast, mt. Hood's 611-foot-tall Multnomah falls, and the sheer magnitude of crater lake national park certainly will. Get ready for an endless array of eye-opening experiences.