As the sky turned rosy at dawn on this chilly morning, National Geographic Quest was anchoring on the Snake River at its confluence with the Palouse River. From here we began our Zodiac cruises up the Palouse and into the magnificent Palouse Canyon that was formed by the great Ice Age floods. We also enjoyed kayaking and taking a bus to beautiful Palouse Falls at the head of the canyon. In the afternoon we locked through Lower Monumental Dam and cruised downstream on the Snake River.
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.
