Our ship approached Astoria just before dawn today. And what a dawn it was: bright red and orange colors splashed across the sky, with the black silhouettes of Sitka spruce trees in the foreground. We anchored near the shore and rode expedition landing crafts to our next site. Two coaches whisked us all away to Fort Clatsop, south of Astoria. We got to see an impressive life-sized replica of the wooden fort that the Lewis and Clark Expedition hunkered down in during the long, wet winter of 1805-6. Some of us then strolled around the forest near the fort, while others enjoyed displays in the museum.
Next we stopped at the Astoria Column. The 125-foot tall column is covered in artwork that depicts the region’s amazing, vibrant history. It was a beautiful, clear day, so we got amazing views of the Columbia River, Astoria, and the Pacific Ocean.
Returning to the dock, we went into the Astoria Maritime Museum to learn about the dangerous Columbia River Bar and the fascinating history of Astoria’s ships and fishing industry.
We had an excellent lunch, then once again boarded the motor coaches. Our afternoon destination was Cape Disappointment, in Washington on the north side of the Columbia River. To get there, we crossed the 4-mile-long Astoria-Megler Bridge. We made a short stop at Station Camp, where the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent 10 days in November of 1805. Our historian Jim gave us some great information on the site. Cape Disappointment itself didn’t live up to its name, thankfully. It was a wonderful place to visit. The interpretive center there is fantastic and the old-growth forest surrounding it is awe-inspiring. And there was even a beautiful lighthouse to look at. We took a hike led by a naturalist from the museum down to Waikiki Beach (no, not that one) and encountered banana slugs and a beautiful garter snake along the path.
A number of us took advantage of the sunshine and pleasant weather: we took our shoes off and splashed in the cold waters of the Pacific at the beach. There was a young black-tailed deer walking on the beach when we arrived. After the beach, Jim walked us over to the Mia Linn’s impressive, moving art installation nearby.
We returned the National Geographic Sea Lion relaxed and happy. Cocktails were served in the Forward Lounge and we had a great evening. This was truly a great day.
