Media Itinerary:
Tualatin Valley’s Great Outdoors
The vastness of the Tualatin Valley, especially when venturing beyond the urban cities, offers innumerable options for outdoor recreation. Many of the valley’s 727 square miles are devoted to pristine, rural wetlands, nature parks, wildlife refuges, verdant forests, tranquil waters and open fields.
DAY ONE
Cycle a stretch of the Banks-Vernonia State Trail
Tualatin Valley boasts many miles of bike paths, from urban trails connecting cities, to rural paths in the forest. Cycle along one of the most popular multi-use trails in Oregon, the Banks-Vernonia State Trail. This 21-mile (one way) linear trail is an abandoned railway in the forest and provides a wonderful ride through nature. See more cycling trails >>>
Have lunch at SaWa Sushi & Sake
After a ride along the Banks-Vernonia State Trail, or other trail, travel to downtown Hillsboro and enjoy a tasty Japanese at Forest Grove’s newest restaurants, SaWa Sushi & Sake. SaWa is the latest incarnation from the popular Hillsboro Japanese izakaya, Syun. Fresh fish, sushi and classic Japanese entrees pair well with sake from Japan, as well as selections from Forest Grove’s own sake brewery, SakeOne.
Sample sake at SakeOne
After lunch, take part in a saké tasting and tour at SakéOne, the leading brewer of craft saké in America. Bottled under four distinct brands (Momokawa, Moonstone, G, and Peaceful River), SakéOne leads the fast-growing category with distinct styles, flavor infusions and a penchant for education and sharing their unique beverage. A visit to the SakéOne Kura (brewery) is an educational experience at all levels.
Walk through the region’s newest nature park, Killin Wetlands
Next, explore the region’s newest nature park, Killin Wetlands. Killin Wetlands offers more than 370 acres of lush habitat for flora and fauna alike. This vibrant location for bird watching also boasts easy walking trails for a tranquil nature outing.
Overnight in Forest Grove
Check in to McMenamins Grand Lodge. Built in 1922, McMenamins Grand Lodge is a unique historic hotel with 90 guestrooms, several bars and restaurants, a full-service spa, a year-round outdoor soaking pool and more. The whimsical hotel is decorated with historic photographs and original art inspired by the history of Forest Grove and the building itself—a former Masonic Lodge.
Dine at a brewpub
For dinner, head over to Ridgewalker Brewing, a micro-brewery operating out of Forest Grove. The brewery’s hop-forward American-style ales are delicious and refreshing. Try the Treewise IPA for a brew that presents a clean bitterness against notes of caramel and toffee. In addition to great beer, the brewery also offers a menu of BBQ options, wings and more.
DAY TWO
Play in the trees
After lunch, have a thrilling adventure at Tree to Tree Adventure Park
this aerial ropes course and guided zip-line park is a “playground in the trees,” and features an aerial adventure ropes course with six (6) courses of varying difficulty, racing zip lines, bungee jump and more.
Lunch at Helvetia Tavern
Just north of Hillsboro, Helvetia is a small farming community with strong roots and a quirky tavern known for its mighty fine burgers. The Helvetia Tavern is the “home of the jumbo burger.” We’d call it a hidden gem, but the secret is out as people from all over the state come to the small watering hole for legendary burgers.
Tour the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals
The Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals houses one of the world’s finest collections of crystals from worldwide localities in a unique 1953 ranch-style house, which is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. See spectacular fossils, meteorites, petrified woods, oddities, fluorescents, lapidary arts and more.
Take a pre-dinner nature walk at Fernhill Wetlands
Fernhill Wetlands is located near the confluence of Gales Creek with the Tualatin River, just minutes from downtown Forest Grove. It’s a world-class destination for birders who come to see rare migratory birds and waterfowl, and its water garden, designed by Hoichi Kurisu, international landscape architect acclaimed for creating healing gardens, provides a soothing tranquility.
Dine at Bites Restaurant
After refreshing and relaxing at the hotel, head to downtown Forest Grove for a bite at Bites Restaurant, and Asian fusion eatery featuring fresh, local ingredients. Fill up on small, sharable tapas-style plates or order an entree for yourself or to share.
DAY THREE
Zip line in the trees at Pumpkin Ridge Zip Tour
After breakfast at the hotel, travel to North Plains and visit Pumpkin Ridge Zip Tour. Here you will experience eight zip lines that will take you through a beautiful forest, across majestic suspension bridges and near breathtaking Brunswick Canyon. This tour is an amazing way to view the natural landscape of Oregon while zipping from platform to platform through the forest canopy. You will soar past tall Douglas Firs, Western Red Cedars and experience the forest from a viewpoint usually exclusive to birds.
Before concluding your tour, have lunch in Hillsboro
Enjoy lunch at Copper River Restaurant, a locally owned restaurant, featuring a vast menu chock-full of comfort foods, including burgers, pot pie, fried chicken and more. The restaurant also features 54 featured craft beers and a sophisticated selection of local wines, which pair well with the restaurant’s delicious dishes prepared from scratch recipes.
Interested in visiting the Tualatin Valley? We offer media familiarization tours to qualified media. Contact us for more information.
