Tours

Columbia River Journey Tour

Wednesday, June 22
8 am to 1 pm
Bus will leave from the Three Rivers Convention Center

Join us for an exhilarating tour of the Hanford Reach, the last free-flowing section of the Columbia River within the United States! As the twin-engine, shallow draft jet boats motor upstream, signs of civilization disappear. You enter the seldom-seen lands and waters of the "Reach," where coyotes outnumber people.

Wildlife sightings are common. Giant white pelicans (endangered in most portions of the West, but common on the Reach) gracefully glide by on ten foot wingspans. Trophy mule deer browse along the shores. Great blue herons, terns, beaver, porcupines and other species are often seen.

You will see the ghostly, monumental hulks of long-silenced nuclear reactors -- the only visible signs of the top secret Manhattan Project, having the mission of producing bomb-grade plutonium during World War II and the Cold War.

You may feel like the first people to travel into this remote area, but Native Americans lived along the Reach since the beginning of time. You will learn about these people and about the first non-Native American to visit the Reach, Englishman David Thompson, who canoed the Columbia from the Rocky Mountains to the sea in 1811. You will also learn about the settlers who founded the towns of Hanford and White Bluffs in the early 1900's.

This is a tour far from mainstream America, generally inaccessible by road, accessible only by shallow-draft boat. Lunch is included.

Winery Tour

Thursday, June 23
1 to 5 pm
Bus will leave from the Three Rivers Convention Center

Washington is the second largest wine producing state in the country. The Tri-Cities is known as "The Heart of Washington Wine Country," with more than 60 wineries within a 50 mile radius.

You’ll have the opportunity to sample some of our state’s award winning wines.

First stop is Preston Winery. The Preston family is one of the pioneer grape growers in the Columbia Valley. Their vineyards were planted in 1972 and began producing wines under the Preston label in 1976. Tour the winery, taste and shop in their extensive gift shop.

Next, off to Goose Ridge Vineyards, located in the heart of the Columbia Valley on the "ridge" of Goose Hill. A perfect setting for tasting some excellent wine.

Our last stop is the Chandler Reach Vineyards, an estate winery located along the Yakima River overlooking Red Mountain. With a focus on Italian style wines from Tuscan origins, Chandler Reach Vineyard constructed a wine cave to store barrels and host tastings.

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