At about 6 a.m. this morning the National Geographic Sea Bird dropped its lines, and headed from Hood River upstream toward our next adventures, which were based out of The Dalles. So right after breakfast we were tied up at the riverfront dock, boarded our luxury motor coaches, and headed off toward the Columbia River Gorge Interpretive Center.
Luckily, the transit to The Dalles had gone very smoothly, and we arrived slightly ahead of schedule, giving us plenty of time to go on a short side trip. So, we rolled on by the Interpretive Center, turned onto the historic highway, and climbed a serpentine route, which led us to a magnificent overlook of the Gorge at a place called Rowena Crest. It was a short but inspiring stop with a commanding view of the Mighty Columbia!
We soon continued back down the winding road, and proceeded to the Interpretive Center, where we had a short introduction, followed by a wonderful live raptor presentation. These were injured birds that could not be returned to the wild, but were used to educate the public about their importance, and their special adaptations for hunting their prey.
Afterward, there was time to enjoy the amazing exhibits, or stroll the grounds. Besides enjoying the Center, there were several other choices—walk six miles back to the ship, bike those same miles back, or spend more time exploring the Center, including a photo walk around the grounds with our National Geographic photographer. By noon the last bus was leaving for the ship, with hungry guests that were ready for some lunch, before the afternoon activities started.
Shortly after lunch finished, we headed back to the coaches, and started upriver to a fabulous venue for the afternoon, the Maryhill Museum. This is a large mansion that was built by the wealthy Sam Hill, back in the 1920s. His family never lived in it, and he decided to turn it into a museum, which remains to this day. There is an amazing, and eclectic, assortment of displays and collections, some world-class!
While we enjoyed the afternoon, the National Geographic Sea Bird was repositioning through The Dalles lock, and proceeding upriver to our rendezvous point at Maryhill State Park. The ship’s progress was slowed slightly, which gave us the opportunity to make one more stop at Stonehenge, a more modern replica of the famous original structure. This one was built by the same Sam Hill, to honor the fallen soldiers from the local county during WWI.
Finally, it was time to head to the park, board our expedition landing craft, and return to the ship for cocktail hour, and a transit through John Day Lock, the highest lift of any lock in the world! It was another amazing day on the Columbia.
