Adventures in the Wild Northwest
Group Air/Motorcoach Tour
May 27 - June 4, 2012
CALIFORNIA, WASHINGTON, OREGON
DAY 1
Fly out of New Orleans, Louisiana and travel to San Francisco, California. The tour is planned for a fly in but we can arrange for rail if any of our clients want rail. Air and rail costs will be determined at time of booking air and rail. Welcome to San Francisco! Take your complimentary transfer to the tour hotel and this afternoon, meet your Tour Director. Get a real San Francisco treat and dive into exploring nearby Pier 39 on your own. The famed marketplace is filled with shops, attractions and street performers. Visit the “Sea Lebrities,” the pier’s resident sea lion population. At 6 p.m., get together with your Tour Director and fellow adventurers at a festive Kick-off Party.
DAY 2
San Francisco / Richardson Grove State Park / Garberville
What better way to get a real taste of San Francisco than by crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. If you and the family are up to it, grab your cameras and join your Tour Director for a stroll across this impressive feat of engineering. Then, travel through the rolling hills of California’s Wine Country and stop at Richardson Grove State Park for your first encounter with the giants of the forest, the mighty redwoods. Follow trails that meander among these towering redwoods and take an unforgettable opportunity to walk through a tree! (B,D)
DAY 3
Garberville / Redwood National Park / Gold Beach
Travel along the “Avenue of the Giants,” one of the best displays of giant California redwoods. Step back in time in Eureka, a quaint 19th-century Victorian town built during the height of the region’s logging boom. Next, drive through Northern California’s Redwood National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with trees more than 1,000 years old and over 300 feet tall. Anticipation mounts as you cross into Oregon and step aboard a high-speed jet boat for a thrilling ride on the Rogue River. This Congress-designated “National Wild and Scenic River” tumbles from high in the Cascade Range to the shores of the Pacific, and is home to many species of native wildlife. Keep an eye out for black bear, black-tail deer, river otter, bald eagles, great blue heron and Canada geese, all commonly seen along the river! (B)
DAY 4
Gold Beach / Oregon Dunes / Gleneden Beach
Gear up for the trip to Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, a natural wonder of endless shifting sands, unique tree islands and lots of interesting creatures. Hop in a dune buggy for an exhilarating ride up and down the expansive tracts of sand. Then stop at Heceta Head, a beautiful 19th-century lighthouse, before continuing north to Gleneden Beach. (B,D)
DAY 5
Newport Excursion
Kick off your shoes, roll up your pants and wade in the Yaquina Head tide pools and search for hermit crabs, sea urchins, anemones, sea stars, and even the occasional octopus! Your next look at sea life is even cooler, because you’re headed to the Oregon Coast Aquarium – named one of America’s “Most Awesome Aquariums” by Forbes magazine. Come face-to-face with sharks and bat rays in “Passages of the Deep,” an acrylic walk-through tunnel surrounded by water. With your leisure time this afternoon, maybe explore Newport’s historic waterfront or join an optional Sea Life Cruise; keep an eye out for sea life and marine birds as the on-board naturalist tells you all about your surroundings. (B)
DAY 6
Gleneden Beach / Tillamook / Portland
Travel to Tillamook, a city synonymous with the dairy industry. Tour the Tillamook Creamery and learn about dairy cows. Then you’ll be treated to a fresh waffle cone filled with your choice of 35 delicious flavors of Tillamook Ice Cream. Next, on to Portland, where you’ll enjoy a city orientation tour, complete with a stop at the International Rose Test Garden. (B)
DAY 7
Portland / Olympic National Park
Visit the Mount St. Helens Visitors Center, dedicated to the active Ring-of-Fire volcano that erupted on May 18, 1980. Learn about the legendary blast, an eruption so colossal that it spewed ash into 11 states, as you watch a reenactment of the event and experience interactive exhibits such as a step-in volcano model and working seismograph. Then, head west to the rugged coast of Washington and Olympic National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve; the park contains no fewer than three distinct ecosystems. (B,D)
DAY 8
Olympic National Park / Seattle
This morning, enter the beautiful Hoh Rainforest and trek to the “Hall of Mosses” with trees and branches dripping with moss. Then a stop at dazzling Lake Crescent before leaving Olympic National Park. Sensational views of the Seattle skyline unfold before you as you make your way by ferry across Puget Sound into the Emerald City. Once ashore, stop at the historic Pike Place Market, the nation’s oldest farmers market, where the fish fly low – from one fishmonger’s hands to the next! No visit to Seattle would be complete without making the trip to the top of the Space Needle. This evening, kick up your heels at a fun-filled and festive Farewell Dinner party. (B,FD)
DAY 9
Depart Seattle
Take your complimentary transfer to Seattle International Airport and depart for home. (B)
Total Cost:
Cost Per Person – Land –$ 2099.00 Double Per Person
Cost Per Person – Airfare – To Be Determined Later
$300.00 – Deposit Required With Registration
2-1-2012 - $500.00 Second Deposit
3-10-2012 – Full Payment Due On Land & Air
Early Payment Discounts On Land If Paid In Full:
6 Months - $109.00 Discount Per Person
10 Months - $163.00 Discount Per Person
12 Months - $218.00 Discounted Per Person
Airfare will be purchased closer to departure date and we shop for the best airfare to San Francisco. We will bill airfare separately.
- Airport transfers on days 1 and 9
- Twin-bedded rooms in hotels listed or similar; hotel taxes, service charges and tips for baggage handling
- Kick-off Party
- 8 breakfasts (B) and 4 dinners (D), including a Farewell Dinner (FD)
- Services of a professional Tour Director
- Private luxury motor coach with reclining seats, air conditioning and restroom facilities
- Ferry across Puget Sound between Bainbridge Island and Seattle
- Sightseeing, special features and scenic highlights as indicated in the itinerary, including admission charges Brendan provides headsets for included sightseeing, so you can easily hear your guide's commentary
- Portfolio of travel documents
- Souvenir group photo
Deposit:
Please pay deposit now to reserve your spot! We only authorize your credit card for the deposit amount at this time. We will not actually charge your card until we have contacted you for travel details and confirmed your reservation.
Balance:
After your reservation is confirmed, we will invoice you for the balance due at the appropriate time.
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