Guests on National Geographic Quest awoke to the ship cruising toward Crow Butte along the Columbia River, with a wonderful sunrise and still waters along the way. We began our day with walks ashore; the long walkers summited the Butte’s crest at 671 feet. In the afternoon, guests enjoyed a wonderful presentation on local geology by naturalist Grace Weiner. Afterwards, the ship cruised through the John Day Dam; guests enjoyed cocktails served from both ship bars in the incredible 80-degree weather and sunny afternoon.
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.
