Astoria, Oregon, 9/26/2022, National Geographic Sea Bird
Aboard the
National Geographic Sea Bird
Pacific Northwest
The morning dawns on the nebulous side, and the Astoria Megler Bridge is the first landmark visible for the early birds on the bow of National Geographic Sea Bird. Our day is split between the Maritime and the Lewis and Clark Museum with side visits to a temperate, old growth forest and to visit American pelicans. All in all…today was a great first day aboard National Geographic Sea Bird’s Columbia River excursion.
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Our day began with heavy rain, but luckily it cleared up in time for us to enjoy a wonderful morning at Palouse River. First, we journeyed to Palouse Falls to see the official waterfall of Washington state, and then we returned to Lyons Ferry State Park to hike along the shore or go for a Zodiac tour up Palouse River. After lunch we lifted our anchor to continue our journey down the Snake River toward the ColumMayerbia. We went through our first daytime lock at Lower Monumental Dam. As our afternoon aboard continued, we had presentations on geology and wine from our expedition staff before another delicious dinner onboard. Tomorrow, we look forward to spending the day in the town of Walla Walla!
The first full day of our trip was one with gorgeous weather and beautiful landscapes. In the morning, we took off on jetboats to explore Hells Canyon, where we saw an amazing variety of birds and many bighorn sheep. After lunch overlooking the river at Heller Bar, we headed back to National Geographic Sea Bird. Our afternoon was spent onboard with a presentation by James Spencer, a Nez Perce storyteller, and a wine tasting with Coco Umiker from Clearwater Canyon Cellars. We left the dock at Clarkston behind during cocktail hour and began our journey toward the Pacific Ocean.
Guests on the first voyage of the spring season for the Columbia and Snake River tours spent the last day of their 450-mile journey from the Pacific Ocean on jet boats exploring the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. A crisp, clear, and frosty morning served as the backdrop for a six-hour excursion into a 5,000-foot-deep section of the gorge along the Snake, Clearwater, Salmon, and Grand Ronde Rivers as well as time in three states — Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. Upon returning to National Geographic Sea Bird, there was storytelling by Nez Perce tribal elder, James Spencer, and a delicious seminar by award-winning winemaker Coco Umiker of Clearwater Canyon Cellars in Lewiston, Idaho. A final dinner together gave guests another opportunity to thank captain Eamon Kennedy, chef Garrett Guenther, and his culinary team. This was followed by the always-popular guest slide show, which brought laughter, cheers, hugs, and tears.
