This morning we navigated through the lock at Bonneville Dam, the first of eight locks on our voyage along the Columbia and Snake Rivers. We continued upstream past the historic Cascade Locks before docking at Hood River, OR. This was our jumping off place to enjoy the sights and flavors of the Hood River Valley. Our eyes feasted on the magnificence of Mount Hood gleaming in the afternoon sun as our palate enjoyed a fine selection of local micro brewed beer from Full Sail Brewery. A delicious and diverse day.
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.
