Last night, the National Geographic Sea Bird turned her bow east from Astoria and headed upstream towards our final destination of Lewiston. We woke to beautiful sunlight casting a beam of light on Beacon Rock, originally named Beaten Rock by Lewis and Clark due to its beaten down appearance. Using his thumb for a gauge, Lewis estimated the height within 40 feet on this 840-foot prominent volcanic core that has been used as a landmark for ages. Just upstream we encountered the first of eight locks that we will transit this week, the impressive Bonneville Dam named after Captain Benjamin Bonneville who envisioned the idea of harnessing the energy of the mighty Columbia River after visiting the locks in Egypt. The dam was completed in 1938 and forever changed the course and dynamics of this grand river. The Bonneville Power Company commissioned Woody Guthrie to write a song about the Columbia River titled “Roll on Columbia Roll On” which we appropriately sang as we were waiting for the approximately 15 million gallons of water to fill our 60 foot high lock. The lyrics “Your power is turning our darkness to dawn. So roll on, Columbia, roll on” reverberated off the lock walls.
After docking the ship in the historic town of Cascade Locks, we boarded motor coaches for the short drive back to the picturesque Multnomah Falls. The fall colored big-leaf maple trees framed this two-step 620-foot waterfall surrounded by a lush green forest. Some of the more adventurous guests climbed to the top of the falls for a panoramic view of the Columbia River Gorge.
Our next destination, Hood River, is known for its epic windsurfing which was obvious by the dozens of kite- and windsurfers we passed on the river. The first stop was a visit to the family run Rasmussen’s Fruit Farm that was decorated from the fall harvest of freshly picked pears, apples, pumpkins, and squashes. After sampling their specialty preserves, we journeyed down the road to the scenic Wy’ East Winery to taste their local vintages. The weather turned out quite nice today with a clear view of both snow-capped Mount Hood to our south and Mount Adams to our north. We finished our splendid day with a fine dinner of Columbia River salmon paired with Pacific Northwest beers and wines as we set sail eastward for another adventure on the river.
