Our first full day en route aboard National Geographic Sea Lion and one full of activities around the Columbia River Gorge. Near Hood River, most of us visited the Western Antique Airplane and Automobile Museum, then took in a little time to explore town. Others went to the Draper Girls Family Farm, sampling fresh fruit and their excellent fresh-pressed pear cider. For the afternoon the whole group of explorers went to spectacular Multnomah Falls, then stopped by the Bonneville Fish Hatchery, including adult white sturgeon and rainbow trout ponds, in a beautiful park-like setting. We returned to National Geographic Sea Lion just in time for cocktail hour and began our voyage down the Columbia towards Astoria, Oregon with sublime evening light on the cliffs of the lower gorge.
4/27/2024
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Astoria, Oregon
We reached the penultimate day of our journey in Astoria, Oregon, where the Columbia River collides with the open ocean. We were met with a typical Pacific Northwest day of gentle rains punctuated by moments of sunshine. The guests were divided to conquer this gem of a city, nestled under bridges; half headed across the river to Washington to visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at Cape Disappointment, while the other half visited the Columbia River Maritime Museum and Astoria Column. The museum and the interpretive center are both excellent examples of what the west coast can offer with regard to history and culture. Each has thoughtful exhibits that cover broad swaths of topics, and are staffed with informative and helpful faculty. After a hearty lunch on board, the groups swapped in order to have the best of both worlds. Finally, all met back aboard for the week’s final recap and guest slideshow.
