On Saturday, August 13th, I went on a Viator tour to eastern Oregon. My day started off by waiting over at my designated pickup spot at Parklane Suits & Inn. I only waited for a short while before the tour guide, Phil, contacted me and promptly picked me up across the street.
From there on, we picked up other sightseers and then commenced our journey. Throughout the day, from beginning to end, Phil would always share fun facts about our scenery. He was very knowledgeable about Oregon, especially its history, geology, and meteorology.
Our first stop was Multnomah Falls, where we saw Oregon's most renowned waterfall. During this stop, Phil ensured that we had an agreed time frame to meet back at the shuttle. Otherwise, he would call to make sure no one got left behind.
Following Multnomah Falls, Phil took us to Bonneville Hatchery, where he guided us through the hatcheries and explained the different kinds of salmon and trout raised there. He even introduced us to Herman, a HUGE trout.
Our third stop consisted of the folkloric Bridge of the Gods, where got to photograph the beautiful landscapes and interact with local vendors. At this location, Phil became more adamant about taking our pictures. I was grateful to have him take my picture at Bridge of the Gods and beyond.
Starvation Creek was our fourth destination, which also featured a waterfall. We didn't stay long at this park, but Phil shared his past experience with bringing previous tours to that spot. He recalled seeing a tree at the creek that no longer stood there. So he offered to photograph us by the stump in place of the tree!
Next on our adventure was Rowena Crest, where we went beyond the Cascades and saw eastern Oregon's famous desert landscape. Phil pointed out the green that was still around from this year's exceptionally wet spring and early summer. He even shared a helpful tip to avoid poison oak: "leaves of three, leave it be!"
After Rowena Crest, Phil drove the dozen of us back to civilization, particularly to Hood River. He was precise about giving us a meetup destination and allowed us an hour to find a restaurant or snack bar for lunch. I went with the crepe food truck that he pointed out.
Once we all had a satisfying lunch, we were bound for Mt. Hood, the bread and butter of our trip. Along the way, we stopped at Packard's Orchards' Fruit Stand. There we got to do a little shopping, browsing, and taking pictures of Mt. Adams in the distance.
We continued onward, only stopping once more to take excellent pictures of Mt. Hood from on the side of the road. It was Phil's idea and I'm glad we got to photograph the mountain from afar before continuing to move towards it.
After approximately 45 minutes of driving on that lonesome street, we eventually made it to Timberline Lodge. The exterior looked just like it did in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining! I wish we could have spent more than 25 minutes at the lodge, by I made sure my time there was memorable. Phil suggested we ask the front desk for the Here's Johnny Axe, which I used for posing in a photo.
Once we all had made memories at Timberline Lodge, we settled into a 90-minute journey, in which Phil dropped us off at our locations. He was courteous, helpful, and fun to be around the entire day. I enjoyed having him as my guide, and I'm glad he got me home safely.
I am grateful I found this adventure through Viator. The tour I purchased was everything I had hoped for it to be and more. I got to see great sites, meet new people, and add a memorable day to my life's journey.
I look forward to what other tours I will find through this service!