Columbia Gorge Waterfalls and Hood River Wine Tasting Afternoon Tour, Portland

An afternoon that pairs Waterfall Alley with the wine country around Hood River. The pickup is at a downtown Portland hotel, and the route starts along the Columbia River, where bald eagles and ospreys can be spotted before the road enters the mossy forests of Waterfall Alley. The guide gives a naturalist's view of the forest and walks among some of the 70 waterfalls that line the cliffs of the region. Going east, the wet forest of the coastal Pacific Northwest gives way to Garry oak, ponderosa pine and drier plants, which is the type of ground grapes like. The route follows the Historic Columbia River Highway with river views and short interpretive nature walks at two or three waterfalls, such as Latourell Falls, Starvation Creek, Wahkeena Falls or Horsetail Falls. At Multnomah Falls, Oregon's tallest waterfall at 620 feet, the spray reaches the viewing area, and underground springs from Larch Mountain feed it. The last part of the afternoon is spent in the fertile basin around Hood River. At Stave & Stone Winery guests taste a flight of Columbia Gorge wines, with all fees covered, including boutique wines made only in Oregon. The guide explains how the forces that shaped the Gorge also shaped what ends up in the glass.