Astoria & Ft.Clatsop

In the time we have been traveling on the Columbia and Snake Rivers, in the Wake of Lewis and Clark, we have had remarkably fine weather. This morning though, we rose to greet low fog and clouds all around. Now this is certainly in the tradition of what the Corps of Discovery had come to expect. Most of the time when they over-wintered here they did not see the sun shine. Rain was a constant companion.

As we toured historic Fort Clatsop, sunlight began to filter through the tall spruce trees and by noon-time the sky was clear. This was a special gift to make our experience of walking in their footsteps a bit more comfortable.

As we contemplate the hardships of that expedition, and how they managed to keep such fine records and collections, it lets us know a bit of the degree of their commitment to the success of the venture. It also reminds us that the very best way to learn their history is not in a classroom but as we are today, following their path along the Columbia River

To conclude this final day of our journey we traveled aboard the Sea Lion to the mouth of the Columbia River and experienced a bit of the rolling motion that hinted of the great Pacific Ocean that lies beyond us to the west. Then we turned upstream and headed homeward once more.