There is a familiar snap in the air that we wait so patiently for all summer long.  It is officially Fall, and exploring the wine and fruit growing regions of the Hood River Valley is a delight to the senses.  From the brilliant splashes of color along the roadsides of the big leaf maples to the tasteful explosions of sweetness from biting into a fresh picked apple, we quickly approached sensory overload.

This morning we visited a local farm nestled in the Hood River Valley.  There are many orchards and vineyards throughout the valley with associated roadside stands.  This area is affectionately, or perhaps gastronomically, referred to as the “fruit loop.”  We wandered fields of pumpkins, navigated into and escaped from the corn maze, and stood in the shadow of seven foot tall sunflowers with faces as big as the pumpkins. 

Traveling further west in the Gorge we braved a gentle rain to visit Multnomah Falls.  The rain stopped and we climbed up to the picturesque foot bridge so often portrayed in postcards.  The cool mist of the falls coated us as well as the lush ferns, mosses and cedar trees lining the pathways. 

We had another treat waiting for us upon return to our ship.  To navigate our last lock and dam of our voyage, Bonneville, we received permission from the lock master to deploy our nimble expedition landing craft and gain an entirely new perspective of a lockage. 

We zipped just ahead of the National Geographic Sea Bird and then acquiesced the lead as she entered the lock and secured to the floating bollard.  While we dropped the seventy feet to river level there was a bantering of songs between the guests in the landing crafts and the guests remaining on the National Geographic Sea Bird.  We started with “Roll on Columbia” and eventually digressed to a variety of ancient popular tunes.

The day ended with a navigation downriver passing by the historic Beacon Rock and a dinner of Dungeness crab, barbeque pork ribs and a fruit crisp made with the sweet fruits of the Hood River Valley harvest.  A delicious ending for all of our senses.