This morning we woke to exceptionally clear weather and the sun rising on an unobstructed Mt. Hood while heading down the Columbia River towards The Dalles Lock and Dam. We shared the same experience that the Lewis and Clark Expedition did as they passed through the dangerous Celilo Falls on October 21, 1805:
”…from this rapid (Celilo Falls) the Conocil mountain is S.W. which the Indians inform me is not far to the left of the great falls, this I call the Timm or falls mountain (Mt Hood) it is high and the top is covered with Snow.”
The Celilo Falls are now forever gone, flooded under 30 to 60 feet of water as the result of the dam construction. This legendary place was a prized fishing spot for the natives to catch big Chinook and silver salmon. Contrary to the falls, Mt. Hood still appears as it did 208 years ago, conical and covered in snow.
While tying the ship to The Dalles Dock, we were greeted by The Fabulous Cherry Pit Queens dressed in their century-old attire and a good old fashion marching band. Today, the town was celebrating Reconnect To The River Festival with music, dancing, and artisans. We took a short journey by motor coach to the Columbia River Gorge Discovery Center and learned a great deal about the Lewis and Clark Expedition and local geology. Some of the guests stayed for a live raptor show while the others climbed on bikes to travel the six miles along a river trail back to the ship. And this was just the morning!
A noticeable change in the terrain from the stark “scab” lands the past few days to wonderful forests of ponderosa pines, big-leaf maples, and oak trees. This was also happily noted in Lewis and Clark’s Journals about The Dalles area. This afternoon, we journeyed up to Maryhill Museum; a three-story European-style mansion with a spectacular panoramic view of the Columbia River Gorge. This museum contains a great collection of Rodin sculpture and Native American artifacts. Afterward, about half of the guests traveled down the road to taste some of Washington’s finest wines at Maryhill Winery. The sun set behind Mount Hood on our way back to the ship for another stunning day on the Columbia River.
