Today was spent exploring the region of the Columbia River Gorge, beginning with shuttles to Oregon’s Cascade Locks. Once everyone was ashore, we boarded buses to take us to our desired locations. Some went hiking at Wahchella Falls, others directly to the Bonneville Fish Hatchery, and then to Multnomah Falls. A delicious lunch awaited us at the Crag Rat Hut, then it was off on a tour of the Fruit Loop Trail, traveling through a variety of orchards, with a stop at The Draper Girls Farm. Due to an incoming storm, we headed back to the ship a little early, and shuttled back to the ship, which had to reposition due to strong winds.
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.
