Visit Central Oregon has been awarded investment funds through Travel Oregon’s “Destination Ready” Destination Development program to partner with Oregon-based Luxury Motorcoach company, Northwest Navigator, for providing another transportation resource to and from Bend and Sunriver to Mt. Bachelor – starting Saturday, March 20th.  “Navigate Oregon” is exceptional in being a high-quality, sanitized, and socially-distanced alternative for visitors and locals alike.

 

Central Oregon boasts one of the country’s most diverse and rich landscapes offering the nearly 4 million annual visitors a myriad of travel and recreation opportunities. From Skiing to river rafting, hiking to biking, dining to shopping, the Central Oregon region stands alone in the west for its majesty, excitement, and wide-open spaces.

 

It is those wide-open spaces that sets the region apart, and that has inspired the creation of a new means of connecting them. Navigate Oregon, a collaborative effort by Visit Central Oregon, Travel Oregon, Riverhouse, Peppertree, and Oregon’s leading transportation provider, Northwest Navigator Luxury Coaches, is launching to make visiting the area a more connected experience.

“Central Oregon is extraordinary!” said Kristine McConnell, the VP of Industry Relations for Visit Central Oregon. “Our high desert paradise welcomes visitors to experience our destination year-round: from skiing 360-degrees on a dormant volcano at Mt. Bachelor to mountain biking single-track for miles, or playing on Oregon’s finest golf courses – and everything in between. Here, there’s plenty of opportunities to connect with nature, see unspoiled landscapes, and enjoy the solitude of our diverse destination.”

It was this large and diverse area that also drove the need for a new type of transportation solution. That was where Northwest Navigator Luxury Coaches has helped create a solution that brings the same safety and luxury they offer in their Portland-based operation to the region. Offering World Class transportation to the Central Oregon area is nothing new for Northwest Navigator, who has also had a location in Bend since 2012.

“We are very excited and proud to announce our partnership with Northwest Navigator for “Navigate Oregon”. In addition to knowing their attention to their passengers and offering their top-line, expertly driven, motor coaches, we are assured passengers will be safe from the precautions they’ve taken to keep their wheels moving on the ground. As visitors and our community are becoming hopeful for travel again, we knew having these upgrades and cleaning protocols in place are critical to start turning the dial of traveler sentiment.” McConnell added.

“We are beyond thrilled to be a part of this revolutionary collaboration. We have a long history in Bend and Portland, and this is a project that we know the region needs.” Roxanne Gillis, Founding Owner of Northwest Navigator, said. “Central Oregon has so much to offer, and connecting the lodging with the ski resorts, the recreation opportunities with the villas, and the shops and restaurants with the hiking and snowshoeing, and doing it all in a safe, sanitized, and luxurious way is something we are eager to be a part of!” She continued.

 

Northwest Navigator has set itself apart during the pandemic in providing transportation solutions that offer passengers peace of mind and a safe and sanitized experience. They have helped to pioneer new cleaning procedures and products internationally and have helped to set new industry standards that are keeping passengers safe onboard their motorcoaches. See www.nwmicrobefreesolutions.com to find out about the advanced chemistry solutions they are utilizing onboard.

 

 

The Navigate Oregon project is a pilot program that has been funded in part by Travel Oregon, Visit Central Oregon and Northwest Navigator to more fully connect the region and offer visitors a better, safer, more reliable transportation solution. The initial period will run from Saturday, March 20 through the 28th, and then weekends through May and possibly beyond. To see the locations they serve, find free shuttle parking, or to buy a ticket, visit their website at NavigateOregon.com.