The Dalles, Oregon, 10/10/2017, National Geographic Sea Lion
Aboard the
National Geographic Sea Lion
Pacific Northwest
We filled our day with activities in The Dalles, a small community along the Columbia River with a rich history of native peoples, Oregon Trail pioneers, the Lewis and Clark Expedition, and fur trading. Early in the morning, The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center provided an in-depth introduction to these topics before we set out to explore the town and its surroundings ourselves.
A childhood surrounded by the woods and streams of Pennsylvania initially sparked Alex’s curiosity about nature. That curiosity eventually led him to pursue degrees in biology and environmental studies at Boston College. During his time there he cond...
We spent our last day on the warm rain-shadow side of the Cascade Mountains as we continued west. Spring is in full force, or as full as it can get with nine inches of rain a year. The green grass-covered hills are already turning pink and soon to yellow as temperatures climb and the spring flora succumbs to drought. We admired the tenacity of these plants as they bravely flowered with minimal resources. From the brilliant canary-yellow of the arrowleaf balsamroot flowers to the azure blue of the native larkspur, the colors of the rainbow were represented in the delicate structures of flower petals. Spring is in the air and on the hillsides as well.
We awoke today with National Geographic Sea Bird anchored at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers near Sacajawea State Park. A few intrepid explorers set out for a daily survey of birds by way of Zodiac, and we were able to identify 15 different species of birds. Highlights for some guests were seeing a pair of wood ducks and a few big male turkeys, or toms, strutting around the park like they owned the place. After breakfast, all 58 guests disembarked, boarded our trusty motor coaches, and headed into the Walla Walla Valley where we learned about some of the human history and regional wine production. A wildlife highlight of the day was getting an up close and personal view of a Northern harrier, a small slender raptor, near Mill Creek. We’re looking forward to our journey over the next few days, continuing west and down river towards the Pacific Ocean.
It was a windy but lovely day on the Palouse River. This morning, we got a chance to take Zodiac tours up the Palouse River, through the reeds, and past the stunning columnar basalt of this incredible ecosystem. Guests saw a porcupine relaxing in a tree, heard the hypnotic singing of red-winged blackbirds, and some even saw a muskrat! How cool! Then folks transferred for a bus ride overlooking the 200-foot-tall Palouse Falls Waterfall upriver. After some afternoon kayaking and a history presentation from our Historian Doug Kenck-Crispin, we pulled anchor and made way along the Snake River to tomorrow’s destination, Walla Walla, Washington!
