Astoria, Oregon
Last night the National Geographic Sea Lion sailed down the lower reaches of the mighty Columbia River, “In the Wake of Lewis and Clark,” heading for the sea. Guests awoke this morning in beautiful Astoria, Oregon, on the Columbia River estuary. Astoria is an historic town, founded as a fur-trading post in 1811 by John Jacob Astor of New York. The post didn’t last long, but Astoria rebounded as a fishing, canning, and commercial center. Today it is going strong as a port and a tourist attraction.
Our first activity this morning, after the usual sumptuous breakfast, was a visit to the Colombia River Maritime Museum, located on the same dock where the National Geographic Sea Lion is moored. This is a world-class facility, specializing in the sailing ships and steamboats that plied the Columbia in the 19th century. Many of our passengers returned this afternoon for a more extensive visit.
The highlight of the day, and perhaps of the entire trip, was a morning visit to nearby Fort Clatsop, where the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent the winter of 1805-1806. The Fort itself has its history—it disappeared completely in the 19th century. When the Oregon Historical Society built a replica for the Expedition’s sesquicentennial in 1955, it wasn’t quite sure where to put it. The Fort burned in 2005, and was hastily rebuilt in time for its bicentennial.
Truth be told, the members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent a miserable winter at the Fort. The weather was terrible, the diet monotonous and non-nutritious, the sickbeds full, the bedding full of fleas, and the local Indians unhelpful. The principle activity was boredom. But, as William Clark asserted, the men lived as well as could be expected. Today, we visited a canoe landing spot on the Lewis and Clark River, and strolled through the excellent exhibits at the Visitors’ Center. The bookstore did a thriving business.
This afternoon most of us bussed to Cape Disappointment on the Washington side, where, at the edge of the Pacific, there is a picturesque lighthouse and an Expedition interpretive center. Many took soothing strolls through the wooded landscape, or simply admired the panoramic ocean views. The Cape, the Fort, and other nearby sites are all parts of America’s newest park, created during the Bicentennial—the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park.
As the sun began to set the National Geographic Sea Lion headed out to the Columbia River Bar, the most dangerous entrance to the continent anywhere in the hemisphere. We saw the jetties, which direct the flow of the river into the ocean and create a channel, and we caught just a glimpse of the coastal shorelines. But we were still a long way from Japan.
Our farewell cocktail hour and dinner, joyous as usual, were tinged with a touch of nostalgia, as we all regretted that our own expedition was coming to a close.
Last night the National Geographic Sea Lion sailed down the lower reaches of the mighty Columbia River, “In the Wake of Lewis and Clark,” heading for the sea. Guests awoke this morning in beautiful Astoria, Oregon, on the Columbia River estuary. Astoria is an historic town, founded as a fur-trading post in 1811 by John Jacob Astor of New York. The post didn’t last long, but Astoria rebounded as a fishing, canning, and commercial center. Today it is going strong as a port and a tourist attraction.
Our first activity this morning, after the usual sumptuous breakfast, was a visit to the Colombia River Maritime Museum, located on the same dock where the National Geographic Sea Lion is moored. This is a world-class facility, specializing in the sailing ships and steamboats that plied the Columbia in the 19th century. Many of our passengers returned this afternoon for a more extensive visit.
The highlight of the day, and perhaps of the entire trip, was a morning visit to nearby Fort Clatsop, where the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent the winter of 1805-1806. The Fort itself has its history—it disappeared completely in the 19th century. When the Oregon Historical Society built a replica for the Expedition’s sesquicentennial in 1955, it wasn’t quite sure where to put it. The Fort burned in 2005, and was hastily rebuilt in time for its bicentennial.
Truth be told, the members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition spent a miserable winter at the Fort. The weather was terrible, the diet monotonous and non-nutritious, the sickbeds full, the bedding full of fleas, and the local Indians unhelpful. The principle activity was boredom. But, as William Clark asserted, the men lived as well as could be expected. Today, we visited a canoe landing spot on the Lewis and Clark River, and strolled through the excellent exhibits at the Visitors’ Center. The bookstore did a thriving business.
This afternoon most of us bussed to Cape Disappointment on the Washington side, where, at the edge of the Pacific, there is a picturesque lighthouse and an Expedition interpretive center. Many took soothing strolls through the wooded landscape, or simply admired the panoramic ocean views. The Cape, the Fort, and other nearby sites are all parts of America’s newest park, created during the Bicentennial—the Lewis and Clark National Historic Park.
As the sun began to set the National Geographic Sea Lion headed out to the Columbia River Bar, the most dangerous entrance to the continent anywhere in the hemisphere. We saw the jetties, which direct the flow of the river into the ocean and create a channel, and we caught just a glimpse of the coastal shorelines. But we were still a long way from Japan.
Our farewell cocktail hour and dinner, joyous as usual, were tinged with a touch of nostalgia, as we all regretted that our own expedition was coming to a close.
