Come and learn about the wonderful world of stone grinding whole grains on a guided tour of the BRM manufacturing facility. Friendly 'Grain Guides' provide you with a brief history of how Bob and Charlee Moore championed the goodness of simple, natural whole grains and created a company now respected around the world. You will watch the action of a working mill as seen through our viewing windows. They even have a Gluten Free mill! Following the tour we will travel one mile to the Whole Grain Store and Café for lunch (self pay) and shopping. After lunch, we will travel up to Aurora where we will explore a two block area with Antique shops galore.

Fabric Depot is one of the largest, most complete, locally and independently-owned fabric stores in the country. They stock a vast array of brand name, first quality fabrics, notions and crafts in an enormous, well-maintained store. You'll be inspired by 20,000 fabrics in various departments: Quilting, Bridal, Home Decor, and Fashion. Fabric Depot also carries a great selection of quilting supplies, sewing notions, books, patterns, yarns, gifts and even specialty foods! A major railhead serving the Columbia Plateau, the town of Pendleton was a wool shipping center for sheep growers of the region. The mill, originally built in 1893, began as a wool scouring plant, which washed the raw wool before shipping. Pendleton’s is an Oregon institution for woolen wear. Although we won’t travel to Pendleton, where the original Mill still stands, and is operating, we will stop at one of the stores that the products are sold!

Step back in time and experience a bit of yesteryear. We will travel by motor coach to Garabaldi and board the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad. Enjoy the beautiful Oregon Coast line by riding the rail behind a historic Steam Locomotive. This scenic trip chugs along Tillamook Bay and gives passengers views of the ocean. Great for all ages, this trip will give you a glimpse into history and a unique view of the Oregon Coast and the Nehalem River Canyon. A shop tour is available, where the unique Little River 2-4-4-2 is being restored. We also visit Cape Meares Lighthouse (Oregon’s shortest lighthouse) and the Tillamook Cheese Factory where you can see cheese being made. Save room for their wonderful ice-cream, after your included box lunch.

A house of historical significance and visual magnificence, the Pittock Mansion today offers us a uniquely personal opportunity to peek into the past, and study our world as it was – from the viewpoint of one Portland family. With its eclectic architectural design and richly decorated interior, including family artifacts, the Pittock Mansion stands today as a living memorial of this family’s contributions to the blossoming of Portland and its people.
A short bus ride away is the Rose Test Garden. One of Portland's nicknames is the City of Roses, and this town has long been an incubator for the scented beauties. In 1917 the International Rose Test Garden was born, and lives on as the oldest official, continuously operated, public rose test garden in the United States.
Then we go to the 5.5 acre Japanese Garden. It is composed of five distinct garden styles. When we enter a Japanese garden, the desired effect is to realize a sense of peace, harmony, and tranquility and to experience the feeling of being a part of nature.

This tour will include a visit to the operator's tower of the Morrison Bridge (to meet the operator) and, bridge willing, include an opening while people are standing either in the operator's tower or down below in the Morrison's west end bascule pit (gears 36 feet tall and 940 ton counterweight moving). You will also walk across the bottom deck of the Steel Bridge, look through Union Station with the station agent, visit ODOT Region 1's bridge museum, and travel to Vancouver to see an opening of BNSF Bridge 9.6 on the Columbia. We may not be able to walk on the under construction Tilikum Bridge, but we will get close. Depending on where we can and cannot go and the mobility of the group, we may be able to swing a drive by the St. Johns Bridge for a look at the only major suspension bridge in western Oregon, and a drive by BNSF Bridge 5.1, also on the Willamette.

The Portland Spirit is a 150' yacht with three public decks, two of which are enclosed and climate controlled. We will be enjoying this 2 1/2 hour cruise with views along the Willamette River and a fantastic dinner on the Columbia Deck, a vibrant setting enhanced by dazzling city sights and city lights. An evening filled to the brim with festive cuisine, locally sourced and prepared fresh on board.

Note: This event is not wheelchair accessible on our deck but wheelchair bound passengers can accommodate a separate table on the lower floor that is accessible. We must know in advance so they can set this up.

The Menu (you choose on board) for the evening will be:

Herb Roasted Snake River Farms Beef with Carmelized Shallot-Gorgonzola Butter, Served with Roasted Red Potatoes and Seasonal Fresh Vegetables
or
Pan Seared Breast of Chicken Wrapped in Prosciutto with Fresh Tomato Relish topped with Smoked Provolone, Served with Rice Pilaf and Seasonal Fresh Vegetables
or
Vegetarian Entrée Vegetarian Lasagna served with Fresh Seasonal Vegetables

And for dessert:
Snickers Bar Pie or Caramel Apple Torte

Dinner entrées served with House Salad, Fresh Baked Bread, Coffee and Hot Tea. Assorted soft drinks and Ice Tea are self-serve and a Cash Bar will be available.

Please have your convention ID tag, driver’s license (or other ID) and your ticket with you for boarding.

Vancouver Washington has seen a lot of pioneer and military history in its 190 years since Europeans arrived to settle. Starting with the Hudson’s Bay Company fur trapping fort established in 1825, continuing through the arrival of the US Army in 1849 to establish Vancouver Barracks the primary military post in the Pacific Northwest in the second half of the 19th Century and Indian wars. Then during WWI, the demand for Sitka Spruce for aircraft caused the Army to build the world’s largest cut up mill in 1918 that was served by the SP&S Ry. See a detailed 36’ x 8’ HO model of the cutup mill and then walk over to the Park Service’s reconstruction of the Hudson’s Bay fort and see evidence of the few physical remnants of the mill remaining as well as some buildings remaining from the time the Barracks and mill were served by the SP&S. You’ll also tour the fur trapping fort itself and see how beaver and other pelts were stored, bailed and shipped to Asia and Europe to serve the fashion demands of the 19th Century.