We began the morning on the Columbia River, but soon made the turn onto the Snake River. From there we transited through both Ice Harbor and Lower Monumental Dams before the crew served us lunch on the upper deck. The afternoon allowed us views of the cliffs along the Palouse River from river level as we cruised by in our landing crafts and kayaks. We also traveled by coach to the overlook to view the 180-foot Palouse Falls, and some of us hiked along a path to see the falls from different angles.
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.
