Today we find ourselves in the lovely hamlet of Hood River, in the Columbia River Gorge. Some of us travelled by coach to the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum while others stretched our limbs with a brisk walk along a restored portion of the Historic Columbia River Highway and through the Mosier Tunnels. After lunch, we journeyed to the Draper Girls Country Farm where we sampled the local produce and had a stunning view of snow-covered Mount Hood. Toward sunset, we made our final lock transit at Bonneville Dam.
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.
