Step back in time and experience the fascinating history of the towns and cities that dot the landscape of Southwest Washington.  Starting in Vancouver, the Southwest Washington Heritage & Wine Trail is a great way to see the beautiful scenery of the Pacific Northwest while you uncover museums, waterfalls, Native American history, boutique wineries and the one of-a-kind special places that have drawn travelers here for centuries.

DAY 1:  Southwest Washington Heritage Trail
Start the day with tea in the old carriage house at the historic Pomeroy House and Living History Farm.  This interactive educational museum depicts domestic farm life in the Pacific Northwest during the early 20th century.  Listed on the National Register of Historic Properties, this farmstead includes a two-story log home built in 1920 complete with period furnishings, a working blacksmith shop, a barn and heirloom herb and vegetable gardens.

The route continues through the rural logging towns of Yacolt and Amboy.  A brief stop at Moulton Falls Park offers majestic views of several cascading waterfalls. Get an even closer view of the area aboard the Chelatchie Prairie Railroad.  This historic steam train that once hauled logs to Columbia River ports will take you on a 10-mile round trip through the scenic Lewis River Valley. Also in Amboy is the North Clark Historical Museum housed in the historic 1910 United Brethren Church.  The museum preserves Native American, settler and logging history of the region. 

The next stop is the picturesque Cedar Creek Grist Mill for a “working tour” of this fully restored mill which is registered as a National Historic Site.  Built in 1876, this mill is the only grain-grinding mill in Washington that has maintained its original structural integrity, grinds with stones, and is water-powered. Visitors get to take home samples of the freshly ground grain.

The trip continues to Ridgefield and the Cathlapotle Plankhouse, a full-scale replica of a Native American cedar plankhouse and Lewis & Clark historical site. Visitors to the Plankhouse can learn about the culture and habitat of this area’s original inhabitants.  The Plankhouse is located on the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, a 5,000 acre refuge for waterfowl which also has a year-round 4-mile auto tour.

DAY 2:  Southwest Washington Wine Trail
Washington’s wine industry is relatively young but it is now the nation’s second largest wine-producing state and is ranked among the world’s top wine regions.  Here in the southwest corner of Washington State is where the legacy of winegrowing in the Pacific Northwest first began.  Start the day with a guided tour at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site to see where the first European wine grapes were planted in the early 1800s.  The Fort, built in 1825, was the Pacific Northwest headquarters of the Hudson’s Bay Company and the earliest non-native settlement in the Pacific Northwest.

From there head out to visit the area’s six boutique wineries while taking in the surrounding scenery.  The hand crafted wines have distinct characteristics and flavor based on the unique local growing conditions and there is a wide range of wines to sample from. 

The quaint European-style buildings of English Estate Winery, towering trees, and seasonal flowers make this winery a perfect setting for tasting wine. Next visit Rusty Grape Vineyards, a boutique winery in the country with an outdoor seasonal amphitheater. Continue to Three Brothers Vineyard & Winery which is surrounded by lush young vineyards. Bethany Vineyard and Winery is the next stop. Take a stroll through the beautiful lakeside vineyard. This location is the perfect backdrop for a group picnic lunch that can be provided by the winery.Confluence Vineyard and Winery is a small and quaint boutique winery focused on small production levels of very high quality wine. Your final stop is at East Fork Cellars specializing in creating wonderful blends of red varietals.  Visitors can try their hand at blending their own wine and the winery will bottle and private label it for your guests to take home.  Many of these wineries host wine dinners, concerts and special events throughout the year and a tour can be scheduled to coincide with one of these events.  A tour map and schedule of events are available.

For more information please contact our Tourism Development Coordinator at grouptours@SouthwestWashington.com or 877-600-0800, ext. 16.