Oregon's Columbia Gorge scenery hearkens of Europe, with its wine country, towering peaks and hundreds of waterfalls.

We meet in Portland on Sunday morning and start our cycling 20 miles southeast of town. We ride past fields of nursery stock as we enter the foothills of Mt. Hood. After lunch in a park, we’ll take an afternoon hike through the old growth forest of the foothills, then shuttle up to majestic Timberline Lodge, where we’ll spend our first night. Perched at 6,000 feet of elevation, Timberline features sweeping views in all directions, well-appointed rooms and fine dining.

On Monday we pedal down through the wooded slopes of Mt. Hood National Forest and out into the wide open, rolling wheat country of central Oregon. We follow the old Oregon Trail beside winding streams through remote canyons to a park beside the Columbia River at The Dalles. After lunch, we’ll head to Hood River to explore this fascinating town – the windsurfing capital of the United States and a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. Outside magazine named it one of America’s best towns. You’ll want to explore its shops and art galleries, an upscale wine bar and Full Sail Brewery, a micro-brew pub with deck seating overlooking the Columbia River. Our lodging for the next two nights is the Hood River Inn, with a unique shoreline location and its own private beach.

Tuesday, we cycle along an old scenic byway high on the cliffs overlooking the Columbia River east of town. This section of the road was abandoned for decades after completion of the freeway beside the river. Recently it was reopened as a paved hiking/cycling trail, and is closed to motor vehicles. Bicycling magazine featured the trail as one of the great places to ride in the United States. You’ll see the Columbia River below, marvel at the intricate stonework in the road’s Depression-era guardrail, and cycle past a dozen spectacular waterfalls plunging over basalt cliffs to the Columbia River. We stop for lunch at a state park that offers a magnificent hike to the base of one of these waterfalls.

We’ll ride to the new Lewis and Clark Discovery Center, located where early explorers and settlers faced a tough decision: continue west by rafting down the Columbia River on a series of dangerous rapids, or struggle through roadless evergreen forests over the Cascade Mountains beside Mt. Hood.

On Wednesday morning we take a whitewater rafting trip (included in the trip fee – no experience necessary) down the White Salmon River. The White Salmon is a glacier-fed river, which means the river has a fairly continuous flow rate, and the water is clear and cold. The White Salmon cuts through a narrow rocky gorge with 100-foot cliffs, emptying out into forested meadows. The afternoon offers the option of a hike up Beacon Rock, a Gorge landmark that was once the core of a volcano, and a visit to the Wind River Winery to sample the unique offerings of the Columbia Gorge and Horse Heaven Hills AVAs. Or if you prefer, take a guided bicycle ride along peaceful country roads flanked by snowcapped Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood. Our inn for the next two nights is Skamania Lodge, a luxurious, full-service destination resort with memorable dining, a spa, and an adjacent 18-hole golf course.

Thursday you’ll have the opportunity to spend the day hiking one of the Gorge’s many trails, where meadows of wildflowers burst with bloom, and crystal streams and waterfalls sparkle in landscape vistas of evergreen forest, snowcapped mountains and the mighty Columbia River flowing below. Mt. Adams isn’t as conveniently located to a major city as are Mt. Rainier and Mt. Hood, so the beautiful trails are usually deserted. Alternatively, you might enjoy some time at Skamania’s Waterleaf Spa, a game of golf, or even a cruise on the historic Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler.

On Friday we’ll ride to renowned Multnomah Falls; at 620 feet, it is the tallest and most famous waterfall in the Columbia Gorge. We’ll continue cycling on to the outskirts of Portland, and finish off at a historic inn and brewpub – the perfect place to toast the end of a fabulous week.