on location: west � elana andersen

Scanning a trip itinerary with a keeneye to the scheduled “at leisure”

times? We all know what that termmeans....Whoopie, time to go shopping!

Oregon and Washington offer awealth of diverse shopping experiencesthat range from visiting historic districtsand stylish malls to searching out shopsthat feature local products, manufactur-ers with on-site company stores, mu-seum shops and local artisan fairs.Brand names and products identified

with Oregon and Washington includewines, apples, marionberries, hazelnuts,salmon, artists’ creations, Nike, Nord-strom’s, Starbucks, roses, tulips….the listgoes on. Remember that there is nosales tax in Oregon.

The success of many artisan and spe-cialty product companies stems frommail-order and gift catalog sales, andthey are set up to ship home your pur-chases and take orders once you getback. Even a fishmonger at Seattle’s

36 October 2009 LeisureGroupTravel.com36 February 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

Markets, malls and small-town

storefronts in Oregonand Washington

brim with gourmetfoods, antiques,

crafts and other itemsdistinctive to

the region

Gourmet pears, fine wines,

hazelnuts and artisan

cheeses tempt travelers

looking to bring home

the tastes of Oregon.

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Shopping SpreePA C I F I C N O R T H W E S T

Pike Place Market will overnightfresh-caught salmon, halibut orother catches direct to your kitchen.

BIG CITIESSeattle’s city center and water-

front are havens for shoppers. Thisarea is divided into several districts,all located a few blocks of one an-other and each having its own his-tory and shopping experiences.

The heart of the downtown retaildistrict is anchored by the country’sflagship Nordstrom departmentstore and two enclosed, skylit mallsfull of specialty shops and nationallyknown chains—Pacific Place and West-lake Center. The Monorail connectsWestlake Center and Seattle Center(site of the 1962 World’s Fair), whereattractions like the Space Needle, Pa-cific Science Center and ExperienceMusic Project have excellent gift shops.

Pike Place Market on the waterfront,one of the nation’s oldest farmers’ mar-kets, showcases the bounty from localfishermen, produce and flower farmers,gourmet food vendors and craftspeople.Across the street, the first Starbuckscoffee shop features items with thecompany’s original mermaid logo. PikePlace has one of the Seattle area’s fiveMade in Washington stores, which of-fers wines, smoked salmon, chocolate-covered cherries and other goodies. Alsoin the neighborhood, check out the de-lectable sea salt caramels at Fran’sChocolates in the Four Seasons Hotel(and other Fran’s locations).

The Pioneer Square National His-toric District, a short walk south of PikePlace, offers a mix of boutiques, an-tiques shops, art galleries, book shopsand dining establishments, many ofthem in vintage buildings with exposedbrick walls, high ceilings and creakywooden floors. Just blocks from Pioneer

Square, the International District, alsocalled Chinatown, is the area settled byearly immigrants from China, Japan, thePhilippines, Southeast Asia and the Pa-cific Islands. The eight-block district of-fers everything from traditionalherbalists to fortune cookie factories.Tourists make a beeline to Uwajimaya, asprawling Japanese grocery/gift storewith a lively food court featuring asmorgasbord of Asian favorites. (visit-seattle.com)

Portland offers a blend of thrivingbusinesses, community gathering places,creative arts, outdoor living, trend-set-ting lifestyles and collegiate fan fare. All

of these elements are indicative ofthe eclectic and diverse shopping op-portunities in this city. Downtownstores cater to sophisticated urbanprofessionals who are also adventur-ous outdoor sports persons, so don’tbe surprised to see stores featuringboth tailored suits and hiking boots.

There are five main farmers’markets and a slew of others scat-tered throughout the city. The PearlDistrict, once all warehouses, hasbeen transformed into a trendycommunity with loft-style living; itsstreets and plazas are lined with

shops, galleries and cafes. The LloydCenter mall offers several departmentstores and specialty shops including aMade in Oregon store. Book lovers willwant to check out the independentPowell City Books’ main store. It cov-ers a city block with more than a mil-lion new, used and out-of-print books.(travelportland.com)

PEARS, ROSES, APPLES & CHEDDAR CHEESE

As you explore Washington andOregon, you will discover many compa-nies that will help you fill a shoppingbasket with iconic Northwest items.

LeisureGroupTravel.com February 2010 37

Seattle’s Pike Place Market is a browser’s—and photographer’s―paradise.

Travelers who sample Oregon wines often

end up buying a bottle to enjoy at home.

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Here are a few places that you maywant to include on your itinerary:

Harry & David, one of America’spremier and oldest mail-order busi-nesses, is best known for its gourmetpears and fancy food gift packages.Based in Medford, Ore., the companyhas 2,700 acres of fruit orchards in theRogue River Valley. Its headquarterscampus and Country Village welcomevisitors interested in getting a glimpseinto its mega-operation, from the stor-age facilities and packing house to con-fectionery and bakery kitchens. TheVillage Store offers the full line ofHarry & David gift items, from fresh-picked fruit to chocolate truffles, MooseMunch popcorn and other treats madein the company’s kitchen. Plant tours,departing from the Village, are offeredfour times a day and include free choco-late. (541-864-2277, 877-322-8000(tour); harryanddavid.com)

From home gardens to city parksand annual festivals, roses thrive inOregon and rose lovers will want to seeits blooming displays; visit rose testgardens and learn about new hybridsand vintage stock. At the Jackson &Perkins Test and Display Garden inMedford, visitors learn about the stepsin testing and preparing the nursery

stock for catalog sales. Its garden shopis open year-round and features plants,garden tools and accessories, plant careproducts, and garden-themed gifts anddecorations. (800-872-7673, jacksonandperkins.com)

Liberty Orchards’ Aplets & Cotletsare bite-sized gels bursting with the fla-vors of Washington’s Wenatchee Valley’scrisp apples and tangy apricots. Studdedwith rich English walnuts and dusted inpowdered sugar, they are quite a treat.Located in the town of Cashmere, thecandy company was founded in 1920 andnot much has changed. It’s a family busi-ness, and candies are mostly hand-made.The candy menu has been expanded to

include other fruit flavors, with Aplets &Cotlets continuing to be the top seller.Groups can tour Liberty Orchards’ fac-tory and sample candy at its CountryStore. Aplets & Cotlets are sold at manygift shops in the Northwest. (800-231-3242, libertyorchards.com)

Tillamook Cheese has been produc-ing quality dairy products for more than100 years. The brand is a farm-ownedcooperative business representing 110small dairies in Oregon’s TillamookCounty. A self-guided tour of the factoryis available, but most visitors go directlyto the visitor center to sample its cheddarcheese varieties. Other Tillamook foodsinclude cheese spreads, yogurt, creamcheese and 38 flavors of ice cream. Tocomplement the cheese, a gourmet gro-cery shop features Pacific Northwestfood items, including seafood, meats,jams, sauces and confections. Its gift shophas a large selection of souvenirs and inone whimsical corner is nothing butcow- and farm-themed items. (503-815-1300, tillamookcheese.com)

MORE TREASURESPendleton Woolen Mills, a 140-

year-old family-owned Oregon busi-ness, is known throughout the world forits luxurious 100% pure virgin wool fab-rics and apparel. The company’s first

on location: west �

Aplets & Cotlets, bursting with the flavors of fresh apples and

apricots, make tasty souvenirs at Liberty Orchards in Cashmere, Wash.

38 February 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

The Pendleton store in Portland offers home goods with Native American motifs.

products were wool blankets and robesmade for Native American tribes. Thefully integrated company handles allsteps of the production process from in-take of raw wool to making and coloringfabric to designing and manufacturingproducts. Although Pendleton’s mainmarketing effort is through its catalog,company stores are located in select U.S.markets. The flagship Pendleton HomeStore in Portland features lifestyle prod-ucts in designer room settings, fabricsdisplays, fashions and the company’slargest retail collection of Native Amer-ican blankets. Outlet stores are locatedin Lincoln City and Seaside, Ore.Guided tours of mill operations areavailable in Pendleton and Washougal,Wash., and the mill stores carry a fullline of Pendleton products. (pendleton-usa.com)

Talk about antique and collectible

shopping on overload. The neighbor-ing communities of Wenatchee andCashmere, Wash., offer a treasure troveof dealers and nostalgia items. AppleAnnie’s Antique Mall in Cashmereboasts one of the West Coast’s largestinventories of quality antiques and col-lectibles, ranging from high-end artglass to 19th and 20th century potteryand crockery. (509-782-4004, applean-nieantiques.com). The streets of down-town Wenatchee are dotted withantique shops, including the AntiqueMall of Wenatchee, which has morethan 175 dealers. (509-662-3671)

Stitchery and needlework are pop-ular hobbies. Here are two specialtyshops that offer materials and suppliesnot readily found in most shops:

Ana-Cross Stitch in Anacortes,Wash., is the largest yarn and stitcheryemporium in the Northwest. Some of

its specialty materials include the latestfashion knitting yarns and hand-paintedneedlepoint canvases. (877-358-5648,anacrossstitch.com)

Pacific Wool and Fiber in Newberg,Ore., specializes in all things for fibercrafts. The product line includes severalbrands and styles of spinning wheels,drum carders, weaving looms, dropspindles, spinning kits and felting handcards, plus supplies for spinning, knit-ting and weaving. The company’s retailshop is open Monday through Satur-day.(503-538-4741, pacificwooland-fiber.com) LGT

ONLINE EXCLUSIVEFor a closer look at Seattle’s festive

Pike Place Market, see the Online Ex-clusive based on a recent visit by LeisureGroup Travel’s managing editor, RandyMink. Log on to http://tiny.cc/I68E5.

LeisureGroupTravel.com February 2010 39

From Texas to Hawaii, new opportunities await group tour planners seeking fresh ideas for 2010 and beyond

These are just a few of the developments on the Western horizon:

ARIZONAThe Musical Instrument Museum,

opening in Phoenix this April, will beone of the largest museums of its typein the world. Between 300 and 350 per-manent exhibits will feature musical in-struments from every country in theworld, allowing visitors to fully experi-ence the music that each instrumentcan create. Visitors will be provided awireless headset for an integrated audioand video experience to appreciate thesounds of instruments on display. In ad-dition, the world-class museum willhave a theater featuring live, ticketedperformances throughout the year.(themim.org)

CALIFORNIASan Diego Wild Animal Park’s new

zip line adventure, Flightline, providesguests the opportunity to soar like aCalifornia condor over the wildlife con-servation park. The 1.5-hour experiencefeatures a brief behind-the-scenes nar-ration as guests are transported in a spe-cial vehicle to the top of the long run.After reaching the top of the mountain,400 feet above the Nairobi Village, par-ticipants embark on an aerial adventureacross the Asian and African field ex-hibits and land at Kilima Point, almosta mile away. (760-747-8702, sandiego-zoo.org)

HAWAIIConstruction is under way on a new

Disney resort that will open on theHawaiian island of Oahu in 2011. The21-acre oceanfront resort will be locatedat the Ko Olina Resort & Marina de-velopment on the island’s western side.It will feature 1,066 guest rooms, suitesand villas, a full-service spa and exten-sive recreation amenities.

The lagoon setting and white sand

beach will provide the backdrop forother water delights like ornate watergardens and a signature pool complex.Swimming adventures will include asaltwater snorkeling lagoon brimmingwith marine life. On-site cultural pro-grams will immerse guests in Hawaiian

experiences that explore music, dance,history, arts and crafts, and environ-mental education. (321-939-7129, dis-neymeetings.com/hawaii).

NEVADAThe Virginia & Truckee Railroad,

known as the richest short line inAmerican history, has completed a12.8-mile track restoration project. Therailroad carried the 1860s Comstock sil-ver load from Virginia City to CarsonCity, and this new line has not been inoperation for 70 years. Scheduled steamtrain tours of the new route will beavailable this spring. Passengers may seeexposed silver ore veins and wild mus-tangs, along with such points of interestas mines and mills, a restored 1869 depotand the site of a gold and silver miningtown that lobbied to become the statecapital during the Comstock era. (800-638-2321, visitcarsoncity.com)

OREGON-WASHINGTONStarting this summer, American

Cruise Lines will operate seven-nightColumbia and Snake River itinerariesaboard the recently acquired Queen ofthe West. The 120-passenger, U.S.-flagged cruise ship is the only authentic

paddlewheel, overnight passenger ves-sel operating in North America.  

Several different itineraries will depart from Portland, Ore., and Clark-ston, Wash. Stops along the route willinclude the Columbia River Gorge,Multonomah Falls, Mt. St. Helens, TheDalles, Hells Canyon and Astoria. (800-814-6880, americancruiselines.com)

TEXASThe George H.W. Bush Gallery

just opened as part of a $14.5-millionexpansion at the National Museum ofthe Pacific War in Fredericksburg. Thenew complex of exhibits includes the“Island‐hopping Campaign” as the Al-lied troops advanced to Tokyo, plus sev-eral home front exhibits – the Japanese‐American internment camps, Gold StarMothers, wartime factories and ship-yards, and the USO and Red Cross.(830-997-4379, nimitz-museum.org)

40 February 2010 LeisureGroupTravel.com

Weston our radar

Fly high above San Diego Wild Animal Park on a new zip line adventure.