Sounds in the night accompanied gentle rocking of the Sea Bird as we proceeded on downriver toward that place where two hundred years ago Lewis and Clark ended their westward journey. Those of us who were awake realized that the sounds were the clanging of bell buoys and that we must be near the mouth of the Columbia River. Daylight found us at the Columbia bar, at slack tide, on incredibly smooth water. This was certainly not the way the Corps of Discovery experienced it, for they confronted a storm, and most were very seasick. Not so for us in the comfortable cruise ship where for the past six days we have been traveling the Columbia and Snake Rivers in the Wake of Lewis and Clark.
After a hearty breakfast we docked at Astoria and visited the Maritime Museum. Then via motor coach we went to the National Park Service visitor center where a replica of Fort Clatsop stands. In 1805-06 the Corps of Discovery overwintered there. For them it was a dreary time, for it rained almost every day.In contrast we experienced warm temperatures and a slowly clearing sky. How fitting that we pay a brief visit to the rolling surf and sandy beach of the Pacific shore afterward. This was the culmination of our time together seeking our own personal Northwest Passages. The years will continue on, and we will go our separate ways, but memories forged here shall continue with us.
