Make Your Next Trip Extraordinary

We went on a Pacific Northwest trip to Oregon and Northern California planned by Sheri Doyle. We had amazing experiences like exploring Crater Lake, seeing plays at the Oregon Shakespeare festival, whitewater rafting, amazing jet boat trip up Rogue River (the all-day trip Sheri recommended was really worth it) and more. All of the recommended hotels and activities were amazing, with great views and locations. We ended the trip with a long weekend family reunion at the Cavallo Point resort near San Francisco, which was amazing with great food and service and location—hard to have a big family multi-age celebration go so smoothly! Sheri’s very detailed itinerary still had enough choices of sightseeing and activities that we didn’t feel overly restricted and was so complete that when I sent it to a friend in Portland for suggestions she said she couldn’t improve it!

Unfortunately the trip also had some problems due to forest fires in Oregon during the first week of our trip. Sheri was helpful with suggestions and updates on cancellations but lots of activities were canceled, view points had 25 feet visibility, and worst of all the smoke inhalation was terrible for our health. In these climate change times I wouldn’t recommend going to the Pacific Northwest during forest fire season (August?). We also of course caught Covid (fortunately mild as we were vaccinated). Guess that’s travel in end times lol.

This was a spectacular trip if you like hiking, wildlife, truly amazing scenery. Vancouver is worth 2-3 days’ exploration and has fantastic food and many different neighborhoods, as well as Granville Island food market and artist shops, as well as Capilano Park which was great fun. The Rocky Mountaineer was a 5-star trip but it is two days of sitting on a train and we were eager to get outside into that beautiful scenery. Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper (which was our favorite) are small towns w/huge scenery, hikes for all abilities and lots of wildlife sightings. The Icefield Parkway, a 2-lane highway which connects Banff and Jasper, is described as the world’s most beautiful drive and it was. Our agent, Sheri Doyle, told us about an app which we used through out the trip—it tells you which stops are the not-to-be-missed sights (helpful when time is limited), explanations on exactly how to access each one, as well as history, geology and tales about each stop. So helpful! Fabulous trip in a cannot-be-accurately-put-into-words amazing part of the world.

The trip Sheri planned for us was spectacular! We are so impressed with her professionalism and attention to detail.

After our initial conversation with her and subsequent questionnaire with our preferred travel and personal preferences, every step of the way since then just fell into perfect place. Sheri so uniquely took our idea of an excellent trip into account and understood our level of accommodations, food preferences (including being sensitive to us being vegetarians), and interests in activities. Her detailed directions, food choices, and great tips about how to navigate just about everything made the trip easy. Throughout the process we were very appreciative of Sheri’s pleasant attitude, timely responses, and intimate knowledge of the area we were traveling in.

This all added up to extremely satisfied clients!

I worked with Sheri Doyle to explore Portland and the Willamette Valley from May 22 – May 29, 2023. Sheri set me up with the Axus Travel app, which was super-simple and very detailed. It included all my daily activities as well as additional options, stored my documents, and her cell phone. On Monday, May 22, I had a great time on my WOW Moment, where I had a personal guide of Portland’s historic district and food gems. I enjoyed one stop so much that I went back that evening for a full meal. The guide was incredibly personable and knowledgeable. She was a lot of fun to hang out with! She made me comfortable with my surroundings and ability to get around on my own in downtown Portland. On Tuesday, May 23 I enjoyed a bus tour of Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge. I saw beautiful waterfalls and people skiing (at the end of May!). Also, kite surfing is crazy, but fun to watch. I had the most fun on Wednesday, May 24, exploring the Pearl District and Alphabet District on my own. I went to Powell’s bookstore, again. (I just couldn’t get enough of this amazing store.) I went to Orange Theory for a May-hem workout, and found some great stores for unique clothing. On Thursday, May 24, I had an easy drive to the Willamette Valley. I was incredibly impressed with Black Tie Tours, who on Friday, May 25, shuttled me to five vineyards and snuck in a picnic lunch. My accommodations were perfect — the Nines had a hip vibe, while the Allison was laid back with exceptional service. I had a wonderful massage at their spa and the manager helped me ship home some wine. I highly recommend the Allison, which features beautiful artwork and luxurious rooms.

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