It seems we are following the sun. Yesterday we boarded the National Geographic Sea Bird on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. On this balmy afternoon we sailed north on the Willamette towards the Columbia. The bridges of Portland reflected the late afternoon sun. Today we wake up in Astoria, Oregon with continuing blue skies and sunshine. The dreary winter experienced by the Lewis and Clark Expedition is quite the opposite of our experiences. From the recreated Fort to the Columbia River Maritime Museum, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at Cape Disappointment to Waikiki Beach and the Astor Column, it was sunshine the whole way. A rainbow accented our departure from Astoria. An awesome start to our river journey.
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.
