The familiar sounds of National Geographic Sea Lion smoothly pulling up to dock woke us this morning as we approached our mooring in Clarkston, WA. Our final full day has brought us to the limits of navigability on the Snake River, where it pours out of Hells' Canyon to the south and meets the Clearwater River rushing down from the Rocky Mountains to the east. Near here the Corps of Discovery had found friendly Nez Perce people, and a welcome respite after their perilous crossing of the mountains in the autumn of 1805. We have a chance today to explore some of this history, as well as gain a glimpse into the modern culture and economies of the valley.
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.
