Palouse River
What a day! It dawned cool and sunny, and became warm and sunnier. A perfect day for the outdoor, indoor, and top deck activities on day 4 of our Columbia and Snake River Cruise, “In the Wake of Lewis and Clark”.
Just before breakfast, the Sea Lion anchored at the mouth of the Palouse River, a tributary of the Snake. During the night, the ship had departed from Clarkston, Washington, and passed through two dams and locks, Lower Granite and Little Goose. An exciting day awaited. In the morning, half of the passengers boarded Zodiac vessels for the shore and a brief bus ride to Palouse Falls State Park. Palouse Falls, the highlight, is a mere tickle of water, falling about 200 feet. But the size of the falls rim and the plunge pool, remnants of the humongous Lake Missoula floods of 12,000-15,000 years ago, are astonishing and simply amazing. Ironically, the tiny trickle of water accentuates the size and splendor of the geological features created by the floods. We gazed goggle-eyed in awe.
The other passengers embarked on a nature cruise aboard the Zodiacs of the Palouse River estuary. It was a banner day for the naturalists. Among the creatures spotted were cliff swallows and their mud bank nests (see photo), mule deer, two coyotes, several hawks, various other birds, and the abundant river flora of the area. Later in the morning, the two teams switched assignments.
The chef and his crew prepared a sumptuous on-deck barbecue for lunch. Featured fare included chicken, steak fillets, salads, lemonade, beer and soft drinks. As always, the sundae bar proved to be one of the day's top attractions. This year, instead of cups, the crew provided bowls, thus doubling the amount available and cutting down on seconds.
Cruising down the Snake River in the afternoon was pleasant, enjoyable, and for newspaper readers, quite productive. We caught up on the previous night's debates and Ichiro's quest for 257. We passed through the Lower Monumental dam and locks. At 4 PM, we heard from Evan Haefeli, historian at Tufts College, on Lewis and Clark and Indian culture, an eye-opening presentation. Cocktails, recap, and the ship's usual first-rate dinner followed. Naturalist Sharon Grainger shared her experiences with Native peoples later in the lounge.
Now, your historian needs ten circumnavigations of the deck because he finished his cheesecake for dessert.
What a day! It dawned cool and sunny, and became warm and sunnier. A perfect day for the outdoor, indoor, and top deck activities on day 4 of our Columbia and Snake River Cruise, “In the Wake of Lewis and Clark”.
Just before breakfast, the Sea Lion anchored at the mouth of the Palouse River, a tributary of the Snake. During the night, the ship had departed from Clarkston, Washington, and passed through two dams and locks, Lower Granite and Little Goose. An exciting day awaited. In the morning, half of the passengers boarded Zodiac vessels for the shore and a brief bus ride to Palouse Falls State Park. Palouse Falls, the highlight, is a mere tickle of water, falling about 200 feet. But the size of the falls rim and the plunge pool, remnants of the humongous Lake Missoula floods of 12,000-15,000 years ago, are astonishing and simply amazing. Ironically, the tiny trickle of water accentuates the size and splendor of the geological features created by the floods. We gazed goggle-eyed in awe.
The other passengers embarked on a nature cruise aboard the Zodiacs of the Palouse River estuary. It was a banner day for the naturalists. Among the creatures spotted were cliff swallows and their mud bank nests (see photo), mule deer, two coyotes, several hawks, various other birds, and the abundant river flora of the area. Later in the morning, the two teams switched assignments.
The chef and his crew prepared a sumptuous on-deck barbecue for lunch. Featured fare included chicken, steak fillets, salads, lemonade, beer and soft drinks. As always, the sundae bar proved to be one of the day's top attractions. This year, instead of cups, the crew provided bowls, thus doubling the amount available and cutting down on seconds.
Cruising down the Snake River in the afternoon was pleasant, enjoyable, and for newspaper readers, quite productive. We caught up on the previous night's debates and Ichiro's quest for 257. We passed through the Lower Monumental dam and locks. At 4 PM, we heard from Evan Haefeli, historian at Tufts College, on Lewis and Clark and Indian culture, an eye-opening presentation. Cocktails, recap, and the ship's usual first-rate dinner followed. Naturalist Sharon Grainger shared her experiences with Native peoples later in the lounge.
Now, your historian needs ten circumnavigations of the deck because he finished his cheesecake for dessert.
