Today, the last day of our voyage, we stopped in the adorable town of Astoria. Some of our guests took on the challenge of climbing the spiral staircase of the Astoria Column while others went to the Columbia River Maritime Museum to learn about the history of the “Graveyard of the Pacific”.
The other half of our day consisted of visiting the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and Waikiki Beach at Cape Disappointment.
Kylee Walterman grew up in central California where she was in close proximity to the ocean, mountains, deserts, valleys, and national forests; this is where she found a passion for the natural world. She attained a Marine Science degree with a biolo...
This morning, National Geographic Sea Lion awoke to an amber glow and brisk winds sweeping through the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area. Following docking in Hood River, Oregon, our group divided into two for a diverse array of morning activities. After a scenic coach ride, one group stopped at Multnomah Falls, the tallest waterfall in the state of Oregon. Following a visit to this stunning cataract, we explored the Bonneville Fish Hatchery which hosts a diverse fish production program. Early spring gardens bordered many pools of fish at various ages eagerly awaiting their turn for release in the Columbia River. Meanwhile, on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge, a second group hiked up Beacon Rock, a stately basalt pillar protruding from the shores of the Columbia River. Once atop Beacon Rock, late morning light poured through fine mist to cast a glow over the landscape, giving way to several rainbows. After lunch, we sailed downriver to enter and navigate the final dam and lock system of our voyage, the Bonneville Lock and Dam. Photos by Ashley Karitis and Lisa Hornak
The morning began with a crisp sunrise to the east as National Geographic Sea Lion weighed anchor to travel westward down the Columbia River. After breakfast, guests were treated to presentations by the natural history staff about ornithology, sage ecology, and of course, wine. After a morning cruising the beautiful scenic watershed of eastern Washington and Oregon, the guests disembarked for a Zodiac cruise in the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge, a small chain of islands created after the building of the John Day Dam. This refuge is an excellent place to spot birds of all forms and fashion, including osprey, bald eagles, bufflehead ducks, and marsh wrens.
National Geographic Sea Lion anchored at the serene confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers. After a grounding and relaxing stretch class, guests departed on Zodiacs to Sacajawea State Park where they boarded buses to Walla Walla. One group visited 7-Hills Vinyard while the other went to Whitman Mission National Historic Site. Everyone came together for lunch at 7-Hills Winery in downtown Walla Walla, which included local wine and a tour of the wine making process. Guests spent the afternoon wine tasting and shopping downtown before returning to Sacajawea State Park where some guests visited the Sacajawea Interpretive Center and several story circles from one of Maya Lin’s installations of the Confluence Project commissioned in 2010. Guests returned onboard to enjoy cocktail hour, recap, and dinner followed by the film “Sagebrush Cowboys” shown in the lounge.
