Happy National Public Lands Day from National Geographic Sea Lion! Today we experienced the sunrise at Ice Harbor and continued cruising east on the Snake River where we sailed through the Lower Monumental lock. Guests who chose the option of transmitting through the locks of the dam via expedition landing craft had the unique opportunity of observing the ship from the water as it moved through the lock; a special treat to be sure.
After a tasty breakfast featuring local smoked salmon, our ship anchored at the mouth of the Palouse River on the Washington side of the Snake River. From there our options were to visit the spectacular Palouse Falls, a 186-foot waterfall formed by the massive Bretz floods of the last Ice Age, or to explore the Snake River by expedition landing craft or kayak.
Before disembarking for those adventures we learned why the topography along the Columbia and Snake Rivers appears as it does today, and how much local land use is dictated by the results of the Bretz floods moving gigantic amounts of boulders and topsoil from the area of Eastern Washington.
In the evening we were treated to a preview of the voyage DVD filmed by the ship's video chronicler, Jim Napoli, and an animated and entertaining recap of the day's events.
Our day ended with a lively discussion of the leadership characteristics of Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. What a splendid way to celebrate our spectacular country and its most valuable resource: our Public Lands.
