Field Trips and Tours
Oregon Wine Country Tour
Friday, July 27, 10:00 – 6:00
$129 (40 person maximum)
The Yamhill Valley is central to the burgeoning Oregon wine industry. It’s considered, by many, to be the new home of the pinot noir. Join us as we visit four different wineries and experience how traditions blend with modern values, including LEED-certified facilities and the production of organic wines. The tour includes transportation to and from the Hilton Portland, an experienced tour guide, lunch at a wine country bistro, and all tasting fees and gratuities.
Hops, Farm, and Field Tour
Friday, July 27, 8:15 – 5:30
$65 (45 person maximum)
This tour will take you into the heart of the Oregon hops territory. The tour will make its first stop in Corvallis at Oregon State University. Most hop varieties favored today by craft brewers were developed by the USDA-ARS breeding program at Oregon State University. OSU also has a Fermentation Science program, which conducts research on how to evaluate and improve the flavor, aroma, and health properties of beer. Lunch will be provided.
On our way back from Corvallis the tour travels through some of Oregon’s hop-growing region. The group will stop and tour two hop farm facilities in the Hubbard, Oregon, area. There are currently 22 commercial hop farms in Oregon, many of which have been in the family for generations. Oregon is ranked second in hop production for the United States. The Oregon hop-growing region, situated around the 45th parallel with its mild temperate climate, is similar to that of the German hop-growing region.
The tour will also be visiting Fobert Farms, which is home to one of the Oregon Hop Commission research plots. With the support of the Hop Research Council, the OHC works with the USDA and WSU public hop breeding programs to grow advanced selections in this hop yard. This provides a chance to see how these experimental hop varieties will grow in a commercial hop yard. If a variety has all the important brewing and agronomic characteristics, it is then released as a new public variety by either the USDA or WSU. Lunch is included.
Mount Hood and Brewpub Tour
Friday, July 27, 8:00 – 5:30
$79 (45 person maximum)
The tour through the Columbia River Gorge and Hood River Valley begins at Multnomah Falls, the tallest waterfall in Oregon and the second tallest year-round waterfall in the United States. The next stop will be at Double Mountain Brewery in beautiful Hood River. Double Mountain was founded in 2007 and considers itself to be a “brewers’ brewery,” with an uncompromising focus on beer quality. Lunch will be served at the Hood River Marina on the Columbia River. From there you will be off to Logsdon Organic Farmhouse Ales. Their traditional brewery is located on a farm where they grow some of the hops they use in their hand-crafted beers. Your last stop will be at Mt. Hood — Oregon’s tallest peak, towering at 11,240 feet.
City Tour
Monday, July 30, 2:30 – 6:00
$35 (45 person maximum)
See all the many and varied attractions the “Rose City” has to offer onboard the Big Pink Sightseeing Trolley Tour. The trolley will pick up the tour at the Oregon Convention Center. This expertly narrated tour is an excellent way to experience Portland at your own pace with carefully chosen stops where you can hop off and see the sights and then reboard later. Spend the afternoon exploring all the highlights of Portland and then let the trolley take you back to the Hilton Portland.
Craft Distillery Tour
Monday, July 30, 2:15– 5:15
$35 (45 person maximum)
This tour will allow you to ask questions, sample spirits, and learn about the world of distilleries. The tour bus will pick you up at the Oregon Convention Center, and you will be able to explore two nearby distilleries. See how Bull Run Distilling Company uses pure water, raw grains, sugar, barrel aging, and a blend of art and science to produce craft-distilled rum, whiskey, and other spirits. From there, visit Clear Creek Distillery, which has used the traditional European pot still, along with techniques learned in Alsace and Switzerland, to make world-class eau de vie, grappa, and liqueurs for over 26 years. The bus will drop you off at the Hilton Portland.
