Grab your skis and get ready to conquer a mountain with a little help from the Timberline Lodge. The lodge is located on the south side of Mount Hood and provides the nation's longest skiing season. Along with skiing, Timberline's recreation area hosts snowboarding, hiking, and climbing. Fun fact: aerial shots of the lodge were used as part of the opening scenes of Stanley Kubrick's film adaptation of Stephen King's The Shining.
Whether you want to appreciate your love for nature or revel in your Catholic faith, The Grotto is the place to do it. The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother, or The Grotto, is a Catholic shrine and a botanical garden. The 62-acre garden includes beautiful plants, several sculptures, and walking paths throughout.
For tours that expose the fine points of the region's natural beauty, get on board a journey with EcoTours of Oregon. Check out specialized tours like the Mount Saint Helens Volcano Tour, a tour of the Northern Oregon Coast, a Whale Watching Tour, and the Columbia River Gorge Waterfalls. If you're not so much into the nature thing, enjoy tours like the Winery Tour of Oregon's countryside or the Portland Microbrewery Tour.