Tours, Day Trips and Overnight Trips in the Pacific NW

General DAY TRIPS: There are truly amazing places near Portland. If you have the time, I would recommend the following places - they are all great and will not disappoint.

Gorge / Historic Columbia Highway (30 minutes to 1 Hour one way) - http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/columbia/forest/ - This is an amazing area that is very close to Portland. The Columbia River is a very large and beautiful river, with cascading waterfalls, gorges and trails lining its banks for hundreds of miles east of Portland.

Hood River, OR (1 hour one way) http://www.hoodriver.org/ - Great historic mountain town in the heart of the Gorge. Famous for windsurfing and other outdoor sports (sits along the Columbia River, and is close to Mt. Hood).
Mt. Hood (1.5 hours one way) - Go to Timberline Lodge, which sits at around 6,000 feet. This was the setting of the Overlook Hotel from the movie The Shining. Mountain is beautiful and the drive is great.

Mt. Saint Helens (1.5 hours one way) - Get within 5 miles of the crater of the famous volcanoe. Beautiful setting.
Mt. Rainier National Park (1.5 hours one way) http://www.nps.gov/mora - Beautiful mountain (my favorite of the Cascade Range) located north of Portland.
Oregon Coast: Cannon Beach, OR; Astoria, OR; Cape Meares Scenic Loop (1.5 hours one way)

Guided DAY TRIP TOURS:

EcoTours of Oregon (http://www.ecotours-of-oregon.com/, 503-245-1428): includes Columbia Gorge / Waterfalls / Mount Hood Loop, Mt. St. Helens, Northern Oregon Coast, Whale Watching Tour & Coast Sightseeing.
E & E Specialty Tours - 503-655-3251: includes City Tour, Columbia River Gorge, Mt. Hood Loop, Mt. St. Helens, Northern Oregon Coast.

Overnight Trips: there are great places in the Pacific NW that are over 1-2 hours from Portland, and are best for an overnight trip (although we have gone to Seattle and back in 1 day several times - it is a very long day). All of the places listed below are amazing.