Stars were dimming in a clear sky as we sailed upstream on the Snake River on this chilly autumn morning. Dark cliffs of basalt loomed on either side of the river as the sky began to glow orange on the horizon. In full daylight, we could see the details in the layers of beautiful basaltic lava that formed the cliffs. Many of us stayed out on the bow to watch the gorgeous landscape sail by. Our historian, Harry Fritz, finished his series of presentations on the Lewis & Clark expedition. In late morning we transited the lock at Lower Monumental Dam and sailed out onto Herbert G. West Lake until we came to the confluence of the Palouse River. Here we dropped anchor and launched our afternoon expeditions directly following lunch.
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.
