We woke up to a gorgeous morning at the mouth of the Palouse River, a tributary of the Snake river. Some of us went to the spectacular Palouse Falls, which cascade 198 feet into the basalt canyon beneath. Others went on a Zodiac cruise up the Palouse River, where we saw the beautiful surrounding canyon and wildlife, including golden eagles, prairie falcons, and red-tailed hawks. Still others chose to spend the morning kayaking. In the afternoon, naturalist Grace Winer gave an immersive presentation on local birds in the area.
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.
