This wonderful sunny, but windy, morning started with the National Geographic Sea Bird transiting through the locks of Lower Granite and Little Goose dams. The temperatures were cooler on deck but proved to be pleasant as we watched and stretched our bodies, waking and warming up. As we finished breakfast, the ship approached our landing site on the Palouse River. Our group split in two as one went up to the Palouse falls, a waterfall traveling through the basaltic rock cliff at a height of 198 feet. The other group departed for expedition landing craft tours on the Palouse River. The groups switched after about an hour and a half to make sure to capture all the sights. The second round provided the opportunity to kayak along the shoreline of the river where Grebes and other waterfowl were spotted. It was a chance to get up close to the basalt rock cliffs decorated with spider webs.
After a fantastic lunch, the global market was opened in order to purchase some gifts and treasures. Also, Don offered an exceptional lecture on Jefferson’s mandate for Merriweather Lewis. All while cruising on the river, heading west towards the great Pacific Ocean. Another lock of the day was the Lower Monumental Dam and later, in the early evening, the Ice Harbor Dam, where shortly after we came to the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers. The evening was complete a Recap of the day’s events. A fantastic day down the river on our National Geographic Sea Bird trip of discovery!
