We woke to another spectacular day on the Columbia waters. After transiting the McNary Lock and eating a hearty breakfast, we anchored off the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge where we boarded Zodiacs for our own discovery expedition. This wildlife refuge is extreme important to the spring migration of waterfowl. We saw bald eagles, great blue herons, great egrets, American white pelicans, and many, many other birds. After lunch we had a staff presentation, then entered the John Day Lock, followed by the Dalles Lock at cocktail hour. We enjoyed the changing landscape of the Columbia River as we transitioned toward temperate northwestern forest.
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.
