This morning we woke to another delightfully warm, sunny day on our adventure. The sky was filled with hues of pink and yellow as the sun rose above our ship. The expedition on National Geographic Quest today had several fascinating points of interest, including visits to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, the Maryhill Winery and the Maryhill Museum in the afternoon. A highlight of the journey included seeing and learning about over 20 plants that were collected and documented carefully during the Lewis and Clark Expedition, such as ponderosa pine, broad leaf lupine, grey rabbit brush, and arrowleaf balsamroot.
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.
