Today was an intimate experience in geology and an unusual experience within man-made wonders. Our morning began with overcast skies at the confluence of the Snake and Palouse rivers. We anchored and zipped to shore aboard expedition landing craft to find a yellow school bus waiting for us. We hopped onto the bus and rode twenty minutes up to Palouse Falls State Park. A short stroll led to a beautiful overlook of the falls, where photographers played with shutter speeds and walkers headed along the top of an old lava flow for spectacular views.
After returning to the beach we boarded landing craft and enjoyed a ride up the Palouse River. Kayakers received a quick lesson before jumping into their boats and paddling downstream, while landing craft visited some key points of interest. We passed the Marmes Rockshelter, arguably the most important archeological site of Eastern Washington, which was flooded and lost to science by the rising waters of the Lower Monumental Dam in 1969. Cliff swallow nests glued to the bases of basalt columns brought to light entertaining stories of nest parasitism and we managed to reach the free-flowing water above the inundation of the dam.
The afternoon was spent enjoying the scenery of the Snake River and spotting birds, including a nesting pair of bald eagles. Once we reached the Lower Monumental Dam, some guests boarded expedition landing craft to pass through the locks up close and personal. National Geographic Sea Lion followed and everyone slowly descended the 100-foot lock. Out on the bow, champagne was passed around and a good time was had by all.
In the evening, dinner followed beer tasting and a succulent dessert was paired with an entertaining presentation by historian Jim Rawls on the life and times of Sam Hill.
