With a chill in the air and a promise of 61 degrees, we set off to explore Idaho. Our pathway paralleled the Corps of Discovery travels – both on their 1805 downstream voyage and 1806 upstream return to retrieve their horses left with the Nez Perce people. Our pathway detoured however with excursions to two of the some 60 wineries that call Idaho home. We ended our day with a presentation and tasting from Coco Umiker of Clearwater Canyon Cellars. It was a beautiful day to explore countryside, vineyards and the history of this magnificent valley.
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.
