Rain seems like a distant memory and after a full day of sun and blue sky further served to expunge any evidence that of yesterday’s sporadic sogginess. We took full advantage of the weather and after scouring the clear horizon spotted whales and dolphins. Our afternoon was spent hiking and kayaking amongst the evergreen trees with the occasional yellow deciduous punctuation mark. Back aboard National Geographic Quest and sailing south, it starts to feel like we’re finally settling in to our floating home away from home.
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.