THE FRUIT LOOP’S TOP 10 DESTINATIONS

Stop, sample, sip and pick in the shadow of Oregon’s magnificent Mount Hood.

AS A CHILD, EVERY FALL I filled tin pails with heritage King apples from our farm’s orchard. They were then tucked inside pie crusts, filling the house with a transcendent cinnamon-apple scent. To this day I’m smitten by country roads with fruit stands and U-pick orchards. My favorite drive, the 35-mile Hood River Fruit Loop nestled in the heart of Oregon’s pear and apple country, starts in the town of Hood River—an hour east of Portland—and follows Oregon Route 35 to Parkdale, circling back on Oregon Route 281. The loop boasts orchards, farm stands, delicious treats and pretty wineries in abundance, plus magnificent scenic views of Mount Hood. Serpentine roads wind past nearly 30 spots that invite you to sample the area’s best. Come along for the ride to 10 of the valley’s top sites—and sights.

Get your cameras ready for a scenic round-trip excursion that starts at a historic depot in Hood River, then rolls along the Columbia River before switchbacking into the Hood River Valley. The view is sublime and the pace relaxing as the train chugs past orchards, farms and forests en route to Parkdale, at the foot of Mount Hood. mthoodrr.com