Our second day in the beautiful autumnal forests of the Columbia River Gorge began in the small city of The Dalles, where we boarded our coaches for a morning’s scenic drive on the old two-lane highway that winds along the cliffs on Oregon’s side of the river. We stopped for a delightful hike through the colorful oaks and maples along the old route of the highway (now closed to motorized traffic) and then drove to the Rowena Crest overlook for a fantastic view of the eastern end of the gorge. Our afternoon was spent cruising through the gorge, admiring the scenery from every new angle and enjoying our final lock passage through the Bonneville Dam. Then the pirates appeared!
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.
