This amazing day started with a gorgeous sunrise at the mouth of the river and the Pacific Ocean at the Columbia Bar. After stretching, bird watching from the bow, and waking up with delicious coffee beverages and breakfast, we all disembarked from National Geographic Sea Bird in Astoria, OR and motor-coached over to nearby Fort Clatsop Nation Park. A wondrous place not only full of history pertaining to the Lewis & Clark expedition, but also a stunning natural site full of temperate rain forest plants and animals. After this excursion we all grouped together at the Astoria Maritime Museum to learn of the unique and hazardous history of the Columbia Bar.
Lunch was delightful back on board! The afternoon was full of more history and learning at the Lewis & Clark interpretive center across the bridge in the state of Washington near Cape Disappointment. Some guests stayed aboard and moved with National Geographic Sea Bird from the port of Astoria to an area outside of town where expedition landing craft tours set out to see the colorful deciduous tree changing and to spot a few bald eagles and waterfowl in the river.
The evening Recap was a lesson on geology with Grace outlining the interesting qualities of basalt and a little more history about the corp of engineers by Junius. Meanwhile a fantastic crab feast was being prepared in the dining room and the sunset outside on the river was a sight to behold.
