| Day |
Schedules and Accommodations |
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Seattle, Washington
Your tour of the Pacific Northwest begins in scenic Seattle. A spectacular setting of sea and mountains, great restaurants, a world-renowned market area — even a monorail — make this one of North America’s most delightful cities. A Vantage representative will greet you when you arrive and arrange your transfer to your hotel.
Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers  |
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Seattle, Washington
Enjoy a morning city tour that begins with a view of the city from the
soaring Seattle Space Needle. Next, enjoy a panoramic tour, including the spacious campus of
the University of Washington. Tour includes a drive past the University of Washington campus, downtown Seattle and the shopping area, historic Pioneer Square, including Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park and the Waterfront. You’ll conclude the tour
at the renowned Pike Place Public Market, a lively National Historic
Site where fishmongers, farmers, and fruit sellers mingle with artists
and street performers. Option to return to hotel or stay at market (hotel is within walking distance). This evening, enjoy a Welcome Dinner.
Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers (B,D) |
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Seattle, Washington
Enjoy Seattle on your own — or join an optional tour to the Future of Flight Aviation Center and the Boeing production plant in nearby Everett, Washington.
Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers (B) |
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Seattle / Tacoma / Portland, Oregon
This morning you’ll motorcoach south to the revitalized city of Tacoma
for an included visit to the Museum of Glass, a world-class museum
dedicated to contemporary art in glass from around the world. In the
museum’s glass studios, you’ll be able to watch glass artists work,
then meet some of the artists at an included lunch.
You’ll then depart for Portland, the lovely “City of Rose” located
at the junction of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. Enjoy a
leisurely evening in this delightful city.
Hilton Portland & Executive Tower  (B,L) |
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Portland / Embark Columbia Queen
Start the day with a breakfast and enjoy a comprehensive tour that
includes such highlights as the Old Town; Pioneer Courthouse Square, Tom McCall Waterfront Park (along the Willamette River); the Pearl
District with its chic art galleries and artists’ lofts; and Nob Hill,
the “Rodeo Drive” of Portland. Your tour includes a visit to Washington
Park to see the statue of Sacagawea and Hoyt Arboretum, and a visit to
the Kidd Toy Museum, home to 10,000 vintage toys, including mechanical
banks, lead soldiers, and model trains. Your tour concludes at the
lively Saturday Market, which bustles with arts and craft stalls, food
vendors and music.
Later, we’ll embark the Columbia Queen – a 150-passenger riverboat
built exclusively for cruising the Pacific Northwest. Get settled in
your comfortable cabin, then enjoy the views of the gleaming cityscape,
as well as the tugs, freighters, and barges that ply the waters of
this busy seaport. After dinner, the ship’s entertainment staff
presents the first of their nightly programs.
Columbia Queen (B,D) |
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The Dalles / Hood River / Columbia River Gorge
This morning the Columbia Queen enters the dramatic Columbia River
Gorge National Scenic Area, where you can catch views of 620-foot
Multnomah Falls. A stop at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center (river traffic permitting) reveals the history
of this stunning area. As our voyage continues, we transit the locks in
the massive Bonneville Dam.
Columbia Queen (B,L,D) |
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Pendleton / Umatilla Landing, Oregon
Discover a fascinating slice of local history as we tour the Pendleton
Underground Museum, a subterranean town built by 19th-century Chinese
laborers. You’ll visit a historic saloon, a Chinese laundry, and other establishments in this
once-bustling world. You’ll also visit the Tamastslikt Cultural
Institute where you’ll learn about the Umatilla, Cayuse, and Walla
Walla Indians and see a festive Native American dance performance. The
famous Pendleton Woolen Mills opened in 1909 to weave blankets for
local tribespeople, and still produces them today.
Columbia Queen (B,L,D) |
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Clarkston, Washington / Lewiston, Idaho (Hells Canyon)
Awake this morning to splendid vistas of the Snake River, the
Columbia’s major tributary. Our destination is Clarkston on the
Washington-Idaho border, where you’ll board comfortable jetboats with
inside seating for an excursion into mile-and-a-half-deep Hell’s
Canyon. Keep your eyes open for elk, bighorn sheep, and 7,000-year-old
petroglyphs. The natural wonder of the canyon is complemented by the
engineering marvels of the Little Goose and Lower Granite Locks.
Columbia Queen (B,L,D) |
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Cruising the Columbia River
Relax and enjoy scenic cruising as we head downstream. The mesmerizing
turn of the paddlewheel slows down the pace and the ever-changing
backdrop of sagebrush, cottonwood, and desert buttes adds nature’s
calm.
Columbia Queen (B,L,D) |
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Longview, Washington (Mount St. Helens Monument Center)
The massive 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens blew 1,300 feet off the
top of the mountain and leveled 230 square miles of mature forest.
You’ll get an idea of the scope of this cataclysmic event as we
disembark at either Longview or Rainier, then take a scenic motorcoach
drive to the visitor center at the Mount St. Helen’s National Volcanic
Monument (weather permitting). Here, you’ll view the post-eruption
landscape and see films and exhibits that bring the great eruption to
life.
Columbia Queen (B,L,D) |
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Astoria, Oregon
Cruising the Lower Columbia River, you’ll arrive at historic Astoria
near the river mouth, close to the spot where the Lewis & Clark
expedition wintered over in 1805-06 at Fort Clatsop. Victorian Astoria,
founded by the financier and fur merchant John Jacob Astor, was founded
just five years later in 1811. Enjoy views of the Pacific from Coxcomb
Hill during your cruise. This evening, enjoy the Captain's Gala & Farewell Dinner.
Columbia Queen (B,L,D) |
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Disembark Columbia Queen / Portland, Oregon
America’s “Most Livable City” is scenic, relaxed, and charming. After
disembarking, enjoy an afternoon at leisure in Portland. Perhaps you’ll
visit the easily accessible Pearl District for shopping at the
one-of-a-kind boutiques and relaxing at one of the picturesque sidewalk
cafés. The Portland Art Museum is another great choice.
Or join an optional Portland Countryside Tour into the lush surrounding
area. This delightful optional tour includes a visit to the Oak Knoll
Winery, the second oldest winery in Oregon, where you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look into
wine production and enjoy wine tasting. Your optional tour also
includes lunch at a local lodge.
Hilton Portland & Executive Tower (B,D) |
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Portland / Return Home
Following breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport for your return flight home.
(B)
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