We had a beautiful start to our morning here in Clarkston, Washington. The morning started with early riser’s breakfast, and stretch class. After breakfast, guests boarded jet boats for an adventurous journey into Hells Canyon, a ten mile wide canyon that is North America’s deepest river gorge which was carved by the waters of the Snake River. Its earliest settlers were the Nez Perce, a Native American tribe living in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. As guests cruised up the canyon, we made quick stops to view pictographs on the rock walls, which show records of Native American settlements in the area. We also saw a family of river otters living around the rocks. There was a mid-morning stop to allowing guests a quick snack and beverage break at the Cache Creek Visitor Center located on the river. Here we had a chance to take in the scenery, shoot photos, or wander around the museum that has been provided by the National Forest Service. From that point, the jet boat continued up the canyon, until it came time to turn around and stop for lunch. There was a delicious lunch at an old ranch that is currently operated by the Nature Conservancy. There was the option after lunch to either rest under shade trees or explore the grounds. The property had a gift shop, an orchard, and a herd of deer and turkeys. After a while, we returned to the jet boats to and back to the National Geographic Sea Lion. We caught a glimpse of a fisherman fighting an estimated 9-foot sturgeon as well as a group of big horned sheep, and were able to take some great photos.
Later, guests had the opportunity to visit the Nez Perce National Historical Park where we were greeted by several park rangers. We were invited to view a twenty minute film about the culture of the Nez Perce, then visited the exhibits and perused the gift shop.
