We enjoyed a grand final day on National Geographic Sea Bird’s Columbia River trip. We climbed aboard jet boats and headed up the Snake River into the Hells Canyon region for the day. Hells Canyon is the deepest canyon in North America, and it is steeped in dramatic scenery and wildlife. Both golden and bald eagles were observed on the river, as well as bighorn sheep. Black bears were not seen, but their scat was visible in the pear orchard where they have been enjoying the fall harvest. We had a wonderful lunch at Garden Creek, a Nature Conservancy area with a wonderful view of the river. Back aboard National Geographic Sea Bird, we began the process of winding down after our wonderful week on the Columbia River.
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.
