Tours and activities

Friday, April 4

  • Tektronix plant tour

    Cost: $20

    2:00—5:30 PM

    Optional Tour

    Please note: Closed toed shoes with less than 2 inch heels are required for attending this tour. Participants must also bring photo identification.

    THE TEKTRONIX PLANT TOUR HAS BEEN CANCELLED. As a world leader in test, measurement and monitoring, Tektronix is one of the principal players in enabling the coming together of computers and communications. Almost every time you view a Web site, click a mouse, make a cell phone call, or turn on a TV, you touch the work of Tektronix. Their products and technologies populate the design centers, laboratories and communications networks of virtually every global leader engaged in pushing the envelope of information technology. Join us as we tour the Tektronix oscilloscope manufacturing facility in Beaverton, Oregon. Maximum: 12; minimum (or tour will be cancelled): 10.

  • Widmer Brewery tour

    Cost: $20

    2:30—5:30 PM

    Optional Tour

    Due to the nature of this tour, it is only open to participants that are 21 and older. Participants must bring photo identification.

    Brothers Kurt and Rob Widmer founded Widmer Brothers Brewing Company in 1984, in Portland, Oregon, where people know a thing or two about good beer. Ever since, the Widmer brothers have created deliciously original American and European style beers and have overseen the entire brewing process from fresh grains to finished beers in the proud tradition of craft brewing. Maximum: 12; minimum (or tour will be cancelled): 10.

  • Hilton LEED aspects tour

    Cost: free

    2:00—3:30 PM

    Optional Tour

    The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design and construction of high performance green buildings. The vision of the architectural firm Fletcher Farr and Ayotte with the support of the City of Vancouver put the Hilton Vancouver Washington on the road to becoming the first LEED® certified lodging property in the Northwest and the very first LEED® certified Hilton Hotel in the world. Hilton’s motto “To be the first choice of the World’s Traveler,” seemed to be tailor made to the process of being environmentally and socially responsible in our community. Maximum: 20; minimum (or tour will be cancelled): 10.

  • Welcome social

    Cost: free

    3:30—5:00 PM

    Optional Activity

    Join us for an afternoon social and networking event including coffee, tea, and cookies. Meet the local SWE Columbia River Section team who will guide you through Vancouver/Portland’’s many offerings.

  • Portland dinner cruise

    Cost: $80

    6:00—10:00 PM

    Optional Tour

    THE PORTLAND SPIRIT DINNER CRUISE HAS BEEN CANCELLED. The Portland Spirit is a 150’ yacht with three public decks, two of which are enclosed and climate controlled for those rainy days. Delicious northwest cuisine is prepared to order in the on-board galley while you cruise up and down the Willamette River. With several full service bars, a vast wine selection, live performances featuring singing wait staff and a grand piano, your experience is sure to be a memorable one. Maximum: 24; minimum (or tour will be cancelled): 15.

  • Student Pizza Feed - Sponsored by PSU SWE Student Section

    Cost: Free

    7:30—9:30 PM

    Optional Activity

    Portland State University SWE Student Section is sponsoring a Pizza Feed. Engineering students in the local Portland - Vancouver area as well as other engineering students from the Region J area (Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and Alaska) are invited. You will meet representatives from Hewlett Packard, Schlumberger, Portland Water District, CH2M Hill Hanford Group, as well as other companies in the Region J area.

    The event runs from 7:30-9:30 PM, and will be held in the engineering building atrium. Details are as follows:

    Portland State University
    Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science The Northwest Center for Engineering, Science and Technology (Engineering Building)
    1930 SW Fourth Avenue
    Suite 500
    Portland, Oregon 97201

    Contact Jenna Faulkner for more details.

Saturday, April 5

  • Reception

    Cost: Free

    6:00—7:00 PM

    Optional Activity

    Join us for an remarkable evening social event noshing on appetizers and enjoying liquid refreshments from the cash bar. Listen to the background melodic strains of a local cellist, while enjoying an evening meeting new people and reaquainting yourself with old friends.

Sunday, April 6

  • Washington Park—Oregon Zoo (Portland, OR)

    Cost: adults—$9.75, children—$6.75

    Sunday afternoon

    Optional Self-guided Tour

    The Oregon Zoo is home to animals from all corners of the world, including Asian elephants, Peruvian penguins and Arctic polar bears. From the mist-filled Africa Rain Forest to the majestic Great Northwest exhibits, the zoo encourages visitors to understand and experience the natural world. For more information, check out Oregon Zoo.

  • Washington Park—Japanese Garden (Portland, OR)

    Cost: adults—$8.00, children—$5.25

    Sunday afternoon

    Optional Self-guided Tour

    At the heart of a Japanese garden is harmony with nature. Through the careful use of plants, stones, and water, areas of serene and quiet beauty emerge. These peaceful spots in the Garden lend themselves to meditation and contemplation. For more information, check out Japanese Garden.

  • Washington Park—International Rose Test Gardens (Portland, OR)

    Cost: free

    Sunday afternoon

    Optional Self-guided Tour

    The primary purpose of the garden is to serve as a testing ground for new rose varieties. The City of Portland Gold Medal Awards are issued annually to the best introductions. For more information, check out International Rose Test Gardens.

  • Washington Park—Hoyt Arboretum (Portland, OR)

    Cost: free

    Sunday afternoon

    Optional Self-guided Tour

    Hoyt Arboretum, a 187-acre living museum of trees and plants from all over the world, is located just 2 miles west of downtown Portland. For more information, check out Hoyt Arboretum.

  • Washington Park—World Forestry Museum (Portland, OR)

    Cost: adults—$7.00, children—$5.00

    Sunday afternoon

    Optional Self-guided Tour

    The 20,000 square foot museum is located in Portland’s beautiful Washington Park. All hands-on, interactive exhibits are family friendly and designed to engage visitors to learn about the sustainability of forests and trees of the Pacific Northwest and around the world. For more information, check out World Forestry Museum.

  • Washington Park—Children’s Museum (Portland, OR)

    Cost: $7.00

    Sunday afternoon

    Optional Self-guided Tour

    The mission of the Portland Children’s Museum is to inspire imagination, creativity, and the wonder of learning in children and adults by inviting moments of shared discovery. For more information, check out Children’s Museum.

  • OMSI (Portland, OR)

    Cost: adults—$11.00, children—$9.00 (general admission only)

    Sunday afternoon

    Optional Self-guided Tour

    The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is a world-class tourist attraction and educational resource that puts the "WOW!" in science for the kid in each of us. Five exhibit halls and eight science labs offer 219,000 square feet of brain-powered fun through hundreds of interactive exhibits and hands-on demonstrations. For more information, check out OMSI.

  • Chinese Garden (Portland, OR)

    Cost: adults—$7, students—$5.50

    Sunday afternoon

    Optional Self-guided Tour

    This walled Garden encloses a full city block. Serpentine walkways, a bridged lake, and open colonnades set off meticulously arranged landscape of plants, water, stone, poetry, and buildings. Architects and artisans from China who designed and constructed the Garden mean for each aspect of the Garden to convey artistic effect and symbolic importance. For more information, check out Chinese Garden.

  • Tulip Festival (Woodburn, OR)

    Cost: $5 per vehicle

    Sunday afternoon

    Optional Self-guided Tour

    This year marks the 23rd anniversary of the tulip festival in Woodburn, OR, with over 40 acres of tulips and daffodils that will be in full bloom from March 20—April 20. For more information, check out Tulip Festival.

  • Multnomah Falls (I-84, exit 31)

    Cost: free

    Sunday afternoon

    Optional Self-guided Tour

    Multnomah Falls is the second-tallest year-round waterfall in the nation. The water of the Falls drops 620 feet from its origin on Larch Mountain. For more information, check out Multnomah Falls.

  • Bonneville Dam (I-84, exit 40 or WA State Hwy 14, exit 40)

    Cost: free

    Sunday afternoon

    Optional Self-guided Tour

    Located in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area (40 miles east of Vancouver), the Bonneville Dam is operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers for hydropower production, fish and wildlife protection, recreation, and navigation. For more information, check out Bonneville Dam.

  • Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (Vancouver, WA)

    Cost: $3.00—individual or $5.00—family, valid for seven days

    Sunday afternoon

    Optional Self-guided Tour

    Headquarters for the British Hudson’s Bay Company, the bustling fort was once the center of political, cultural and commercial activities in the Pacific Northwest. Today, the mid-19th century fur trading outpost comes alive at the reconstructed fort where interpreters in period clothing re-enact daily fort life. For more information, check out Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.

  • Officers Row (Vancouver, WA)

    Cost: adults—$5.75, children—$3.75

    Sunday afternoon

    Optional Self-guided Tour

    Built in the mid-to-late 1800s, these beautifully restored homes were built to house U.S. Army officers and their families stationed at Vancouver barracks. The O.O. Howard House is open to the public with the Visitor Information Center, the Grant House features The Restaurant at the Historic Reserve and Commanders Whiskey and Wine Bar, and the Marshall House offers tours and an exhibit on General George C. Marshall, it’s most famous resident. For more information, check out Officers Row.

  • Pearson Air Museum (Vancouver, WA)

    Cost: adults—$8.00, children—$3.00

    Sunday afternoon

    Optional Self-guided Tour

    Aviation history is on display at Pearson Air Museum. Exhibition areas offer a stunning collection of vintage airplanes, interpretive displays, an interactive children’s center, theater presentations, a restoration shop and gift shop. Located at the oldest continually operating airfield in the U.S., the main exhibition area hosts special events and dances. For more information, check out Pearson Air Museum.

  • Vancouver Farmers Market (Vancouver, WA)

    Cost: free

    Optional Self-guided Tour

    The Farmers’ Market is an eclectic mixture of food, high-end crafts, farm-direct produce and thriving nursery stock. From April through October, each year the street adjacent to Esther Short Park comes alive with 150+ vendors offering local produce, plants, arts and crafts. Food booths with local and international specialties keep the crowd well-fed while entertainers provide live music. Esther Short Park between 6th and 8th streets.For more information, check out Vancouver Farmers Market.

  • Waterfront Renaissance Trail (Vancouver, WA)

    Cost: free

    Optional Self-guided Tour

    This 14-foot-wide, shared-use concrete 4-mile trail is the crowning jewel of Vancouver’s Columbia River Waterfront Renaissance, connecting the downtown area to the city’s long-neglected shoreline. The trail follows the Columbia River, passing Vancouver Landing, the Captain Vancouver Monument and the plaza dedicated to Ilchee, a Native Indian chief’s daughter. For more information, check out Waterfront Renaissance Trail.

  • Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge (Ridgefield, WA)

    Cost: Free

    Optional Self-guided Tour

    The Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge offers over 5,000 acres of vital migration and wintering habitat for spring and fall migrating birds. The mild winter climate and wetlands along the Columbia River create ideal resting and feeding areas for 180 species of birds such as Canada Geese, Sandhill Cranes, Great Blue Herons, swans, shore and song birds, and a variety of waterfowl. Visitors can see these and other magnificent wildlife while driving the 4-mile auto tour or hiking along the two-mile Oaks to Wetlands Wildlife Trail year-round. For more information, check out Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge.