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...
Enter travel details to receive reports from a single expedition
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Send Daily Expedition Reports to friends and family
*By clicking the submit button, I authorize Lindblad Expeditions to email me; however, I am able to unsubscribe at any time. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.
Please note: All Daily Expedition Reports (DERs) are posted Monday-Friday,
during normal business hours. DERs are written onboard the ship only and do
not apply to land-based portions of expeditions.
Our morning aboard National Geographic Sea Bird began slowly, which was a welcomed chance to relax after yesterday’s adventures of wine and history in Walla Walla, Washington. Breakfast was followed by a presentation on the last 1,000 miles of the Oregon Trail, and guests also had the chance to indulge in a massage or facial from our fabulous Wellness Specialist Allison Dickey. In the afternoon, guests enjoyed a wonderful Zodiac cruise up the Palouse River, witnessing beaver dams, belted kingfishers, and the incredible columnar basalt formations along the riverfront. Guests also had the incredible experience of driving through a sagebrush steppe ecosystem towards a lookout of Palouse Falls. The evening was rounded out with a delicious dinner followed by a wine tasting and presentation by our onboard wine specialist, Kristine Bono.
This morning, we got to visit the city of Walla Walla near the confluence of the Columbia and Snake Rivers. The town lies in the heart of one of the most fertile agricultural areas in the nation. The countryside is a pleasant tapestry of rolling fields of many types of produce, including wheat, asparagus, and of course wine. Our day was filled with visits to the Whitman Mission, home of the first white settlers in the area that were not here to harvest furs, but rather harvest souls as the Whitmans were devout missionaries. We had lunch at the marvelous Three Rivers Winery, complete with a tour of the winemaking facilities and games on the lawn after lunch. Finally, we had time to explore the town of Walla Walla independently, but not without another self-tour and tasting of four different wine producers’ offerings.
Today, we visited some of the highlights of the Columbia River Gorge at Hood River. Our first stop was one of the most visited sites along the river, Multnomah Falls. With its angel-like veil of water, it is easy to see why so many visitors come to Multnomah to view the waterfall. Afterwards, we made a quick stop at the Columbia River Fish Hatchery to visit not only the hatchery but one of the famous residents who lives there, Herman the Sturgeon. Herman is almost 90 now and is kind of the official ambassador for the hatchery. He is easily seen lounging in the clear water as we step into the below water viewing area and see not only Herman, but other sturgeons and trout as well. Following, we had a chance to stretch our legs at the most visible landmark along the river, Beacon Rock. The rock is an ancient volcanic plug that stands alone after floods eroded the land around it. Some intrepid travelers ventured to the top of the rock while others took casual hikes around the park itself.
