Only one tour: August 9-23, 2004.
Travel in the security of a group caravan and experience the best of the Pacific Northwest. You can breathe easy amid Oregon's pristine wilderness, tourist attractions, and national and state parks.
Looking for lakes? We've got America's deepest; it's inside a volcano and we'll take a cruise on it. Wild about waterfalls? We'll show you 19 and you'll hike behind two of them. Crazy about culture? Nothing compares with Shakespeare under the stars!
There's hiking almost everyday: an old growth forest, a coastal rain forest, a mile of the Oregon Trail, on a beach, to an ocean bluff, and among the towering redwoods, for example. Other explorations include a wilderness alpine lake, up to 19 waterfalls, and a small town with great theatre, art galleries, restaurants, and shops. Most hikes are easy to moderate. Boat rentals are available at some of the stops. Driving is every other day, with free time for relaxed exploration on non-driving days.
Your Itinerary
Day 1:
Rendezvous with your fellow Turtles at our Welcome Barbeque Dinner. No, not a George W. Texas ribs BBQ dinner, but an Oregon Original BBQ dinner featuring a smorgasbord of fresh locally-made sausages and cheeses. We'll be visiting this sausage factory on Day 9, and the cheese factory on Day 7, so take notes on your favorite flavors.
We'll be camped right on the mighty Columbia River, and if you wish you can cast a line and fish right from your campsite.
Birthday cake tonight to celebrate: RV Caravan Tours is 3 years old!
(D)
Day 2:
After breakfast, we head out on one of America's prettiest National Scenic Byways. Along the way we stop at five waterfalls.
Then we jump on a sternwheeler for a narrated 2-hour cruise, see the traditional Native American fishing platforms still being used, and the Bonneville Dam among other sites, while enjoying a picnic lunch.
Next we're off to our first grocery and goods pit stop, and another stop at a country store for jams and pies made from local fruit. Then we head down a tiny highway toward our evening campground in a National Forest on an alpine lake in the shadow of majestic Mt. Hood, the tallest mountain in Oregon. No phones or even cell service here. Full Moon tonight!
(B) (L)
Day 3:
Today is yours to explore this beautiful rustic alpine area. If you dropped some rented crayfish pots in the lake last night, you've got a haul of tasty little lobster look-alikes to munch on today.
You've got the whole day for hiking, swimming, photography, renting paddleboats, rowboats, or canoes, and fishing if you brought your pole. Knock yourself out getting relaxed!
(B)
Day 4:
After breakfast we circle around Mt. Hood, viewing more of the fruit tree orchards along the way. We hike a section of the original Oregon Trail, visit a pioneer grave, and have a tour of famous Timberline Lodge (a 1937 WPA project).
Next we visit the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center to learn more about the world's greatest human migration (300,000 people in 30 years).
(B)
Day 5:
Today is tied for longest driving day: 230 miles. First we head toward the ocean where we visit the Oregon Coast Aquarium, former home of Keiko, the whale immortalized in the movie "Free Willy".
Then we drive down the coast with a stop at Oregon's prettiest lighthouse (in our opinion), where you can catch a tour of the lighthouse and the lighthouse keeper's house. Tonight we are camped very close to the beach, and we'll have our community campfire on the beach.
(B)
Day 6:
No driving today. You'll have the whole day to enjoy the sheltered beach, considered the best swimming beach in Oregon because of it's warm water.
We're also hiking distance from a famous botanical garden, and some fabulous bluffs with great views for whale and sea lion watching.
We're also hiking distance from a famous botanical garden, and some fabulous bluffs with great views for whale and sea lion watching.
(B)
Day 7:
We stop in a scenic coastal town for a few hours of exploring, then we'll head further down the coast, stopping for photos along the prettiest stretch of Oregon's coastline.
We'll stop for a quick rainforest hike before we hit the California border and head to our campground among the redwoods.
(B)
Day 8:
Today is yours to explore the redwoods and surrounding areas. We've got a shuttle van available to bring those interested to some easy hikes with wonderful giant trees to see and spend time with.
Opportunities include hiking, swimming, fishing, photography, Crescent City & lighthouse, a casino, and river floating if you brought an inflatable boat.
We'll also shuttle you to a beach bluff for whale watching, and a beach for those who are interested.
(B)
Day 9:
After breakfast, we head east over the Siskiyou Mountains, stopping for a ranger-narrated tour of Oregon Caves National Monument. Next we'll stop for lunch at the sausage factory where we got those tasty sausages for the Welcome Barbeque Dinner on Day 1.
We'll experience a leisurely drive through the scenic pioneer-settled Applegate Valley, and then explore an old gold rush town that time forgot.
(B) (L)
Day 10:
We shuttle you into Ashland, home of Ashland's famous Shakespeare Festival for a special back-stage tour.
Afterwards you've got more than 8 hours to explore this new-age vacation-destination town's great restaurants, art galleries, and shops (Oregon has no sales tax). At 8:00 pm we gather for curtain time at the outdoor Elizabethan Theatre where we will be watching one of the bard's famous plays. For 2003 the selection will be "Richard II," Shakespeare's masterpiece of medieval intrique.
(B)
Day 11:
After breakfast we're on the road again, stopping to see Oregon's oldest continually operating grain mill. The millstones came from France, and the mill's been operating since 1872. Next door we'll step back in time and visit the General Store Museum, and then walk across one of Oregon's famous covered bridges.
After a few more miles we'll take a look-see at this upper part of the river, where the gorge is narrow and the water runs fast. You can see the record of Oregon's volcanic past in the lava tubes visible across the gorge from us.
We'll see the glacier-caused pointed peak of Mt. Thielsen and then arrive at our campsites along the edge of a mountain lake in time for dinner and sunset.
(B)
Day 12:
We hike the only trailhead down to Crater Lake itself. The dirt trail is a steep hike of 1.1 miles. (Equivalent to 75 flights of steps, all at 6000 feet!) Once there, we'll hop on the boat for a 2-hour naturalist-narrated cruise on the lake. You're welcome to get off the boat at Wizard Island for a hike or to fish; we'll pick you up later.
After our boat cruise and hike back up, we'll ride the 33-mile loop around the lake in the shuttle, stopping for photos along the way. Then we'll pick up the Wizard Island hikers & fishers, and head back to camp in time for another lakeside sunset.
(B)
Day 13:
After breakfast we hit the road again, heading through the high desert and lava bed area. Today is tied for longest driving day at 230 miles.
We'll stop at a nationally-regarded mountain desert museum for several hours. It has fabulous exhibits on Oregon's native American Indians, as well as exhibits of live animals that can no longer survive in the wild due to injuries.
(B)
Day 14:
No driving today. Today is yours to explore Oregon's largest state park. If this park was in California, it would surely be a national park! Feel free to hike any or all of its 14 waterfalls. Two waterfalls are an easy hike and you can walk behind them!
Tonight is our last night together, and we'll have our Farewell Dinner at a local restaurant.
(B) (D)
Day 15:
Tour members who rented their RVs will need to return them in Portland today, which is about one hour's drive away.
Those not returning RVs to Portland can stay until check-out time, or if self-pre-arranged, can stay longer and continue with their journeys. If you need help planning your post-tour journeys, we would be happy to help you with suggestions.
(B)
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price does not include RV rental. RV rental is handled through a local supplier.
Only one tour: August 9-23, 2004. Sorry no pets or children under 14. Space is limited.
Price includes: all camping fees ~ all breakfasts and selected other meals ~ selected tours ~ all ticketed events and admissions ~ scheduled events and guided hikes ~ shuttles to trailheads and events ~ escorted by two guides on call 24/7 ~ trip log ~ road maps ~ information packet ~ daily briefing ~ souvenir t-shirt ~ local and historical narration ~ nightly community campfire and charcoal grill ~ small groups (4 vehicle limit) ~ and if you are renting an RV: use of a CB radio and antenna, camp chairs, lanterns, and flashlights.
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