At about seven o’clock this morning, we arrived at Hood River for our first round of adventures for the day. After breakfast the guests split into two groups, one going to the WAAAM Museum, and the other for a walking or biking adventure on a historic scenic highway, near the Mosier Tunnels. Both groups had the chance after that to sample some local beers, and get a tour of the brewery. Then it was off to Cascade Locks, lunch on board, and off again either to Bonneville Dam, or Multnomah Falls and Bonneville Fish Hatchery. Our final activity for the day was traversing through Bonneville Lock, our last lock of the journey down the Mighty Columbia!
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.
