From April through September you can stop and smell, or tiptoe through, Southwest Washington blooms with all kinds of flowers to enjoy. Both wild and garden grown, Southwest Washington offers an abundance of Flower Power!

Day One
From Vancouver, take in the natural beauty by traveling east along Highway 14, up the Columbia Gorge.  Take one of many guided tours of wildflowers, some only found in the Gorge. From hilltops to the roadside, these wild beauties will astound you.  Stop at the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center in Stevenson. Over 11,000 square feet of exhibits interpret the area’s cultural and natural history. Some of the exhibits feature Native American Life, Heritage Quilts, Lewis & Clark, and the world’s Largest Rosary Collection.  Lunch in the historical town of Stevenson at one of Stevenson’s group friendly restaurants or plan a box lunch at one of the stops along the way. Overnight in Vancouver, Washington.

Day Two
Have breakfast at one of Vancouver’s many group friendly restaurants, that use locally grown ingredients to prepare their fabulous meals. Then   step back in time and experience gardening circa 1846 in an authentic recreation of the gardens outside the gates of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, the first formal garden in the Northwest. Take a tour of the Fort and learn about the history of the area. Vancouver is also famous for dahlias and irises and depending on the time of year, you may want to take a guided tour of Mingus Dahlias with award winning dahlias, or Aitken’s Salmon Creek Garden with over 2,000 varieties of irises and an orchid greenhouse.  Either garden will take your breath away.  Don’t forget to place an order for your favorite flower to grow at home.   Overnight in Vancouver, Washington.

Day Three
Head north on Interstate-5 to Woodland, WA, where a walk through the 19th Century Victorian-era Hulda Klager Lilac Garden will provide you with a tranquil retreat.  The 1889 farmhouse is open for tours during the Lilac Festival (late April to early May).   Nearby, spring comes alive at the Royal Dutch Flower Gardens with a gift shop that is open year-round and a seasonal tulip farm.  Enjoy the scenic drive to the Cedar Creek Lavender Farm where the fragrance of lavender fills the air in July. 

Herb Hill is just a short drive away in LaCenter. This quaint gardener’s delight with a wide selection of fresh and specialty herbs and looks as if it could fit quite nicely into Sunset Magazine.  Before heading on, visit the historic Cedar Creek Grist Mill and shop in Kalama’s Antique District.  Overnight in Kelso, Washington.

Day Four
Take a short trip off Interstate-5 on Highway 12 toward Morton, Washington.  In Mossyrock, the 300-acre DeGeode Bulb Farm specializes in tulips, floral baskets and poinsettias is open year-round.  The scenic drive to Morton alone is worth the trip to visit the Raintree Nursery. This world famous supplier of fruit trees, unusual edibles and ornamentals is open year-round.  Overnight in Chehalis or Centralia, Washington.

Day Five Options:

Head south to Portland, Oregon, known as the "City of Roses, " to visit the Portland Rose Gardens which includes the International Rose Test Garden, one of the largest and oldest rose test gardens in the country. The Rose Garden Gift Shop (adjacent to the Rose Test Garden) offers many rose-related items. There are also two other major rose gardens in Portland: Peninsula Park Rose Garden, a formal sunken garden located in North Portland at the intersection of North Ainsworth and Albina; and Ladd’s Addition Garden in the historic southeast Portland neighborhood of the same name.  Overnight in Portland, Oregon.

Continue north toward Seattle and beautiful Skagit Valley. Here you will find the Skagit Valley Bulb Farm, home to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in April each year.  The Skagit Valley is a beautiful area between the Cascade Mountains, and the coastal waters of Puget Sound with the Sakgit River and rich farmlands in between. There is much to explore here in addition to the tulips!  Overnight in Seattle, WA.

Journey farther north to Victoria, British Columbia and the beautiful Butchart Gardens.  Fifty-five acres of wonderful floral display are open to the public, offering spectacular views from the many paths that meander through the four main gardens. In 1904, Jennie Butchart began to beautify a worked-out quarry site left behind from her husband's pioneering efforts in the manufacture of portland cement. The family's commitment to horticulture and hospitality spans 100 years, and continues to delight visitors from all over the world. From the exquisite Sunken Garden to the charming Rose Garden, the gracious traditions of the past are still maintained in one of the loveliest corners in the world.  Overnight in Victoria, Canada.

For more information please contact our Travel Industry Sales Department at, grouptours@SouthwestWashington.com or 877-600-0800, ext. 20