Palouse River
Many people believe that a trip up the Columbia River on the MV Sea Bird (and/or MV Sea Lion) with Lindblad Expeditions is a journey filled with Lewis and Clark history, the many species of wildlife found along the waterways in the river valleys, and many incredible and grandiose feats of lock-and-dam engineering. And they are correct. Harry Fritz, one of our expert historians as well as a professor at the University of Montana is so convincing in his delivery and so knowledgeable in his story telling that he has us believing that he, himself may well in fact have been on the expedition of 1803-1806 with Lewis and Clark. I can’t seem to find a question to stump him! Linda Burback, one of our long-time dedicated and enthusiastic naturalists is constantly out on the bow of the ship pointing out everything from osprey nests and fish ladders to bighorn sheep and pelicans. Jason Kelley, one of our seasoned Expedition Leaders and a veteran of over 10 years on the Columbia River knows every rock formation type and every bend in the river. Their knowledge seems bottomless and their sincere efforts to point out everything we pass by from sun up to sun down is a testament to Lindblad’s dedication to service.
What many people don’t realize, however, (and I was one of these people until I traveled up the Columbia River for the first time last fall) is that this river trip through Washington, Oregon and into Idaho is a whole heck of a lot of good fun! We have gone through massive locks; up and over dams. We have taken smaller boats up into Hells Canyon through class 3 rapids. We have seen elk, deer, bighorn sheep and countless birds along the river. We have marveled at the basalt columns, twisted and wild looking all along the rivers. We have had barbeque lunches out on the sunny decks. We have tasted local wines and cheeses (great fun!). We have laughed and learned and made new friends. But no one expected kayaking to be so darn fun today as we launched our trusty boats out onto the placid Palouse River, a small tributary off of the Snake River. I mean look at these people’s smiles. These are happy travelers! And they are still smiling tonight as I write this. You should have heard the stories in the dining room this evening at dinner. You really should have. See you out here on the river.
Many people believe that a trip up the Columbia River on the MV Sea Bird (and/or MV Sea Lion) with Lindblad Expeditions is a journey filled with Lewis and Clark history, the many species of wildlife found along the waterways in the river valleys, and many incredible and grandiose feats of lock-and-dam engineering. And they are correct. Harry Fritz, one of our expert historians as well as a professor at the University of Montana is so convincing in his delivery and so knowledgeable in his story telling that he has us believing that he, himself may well in fact have been on the expedition of 1803-1806 with Lewis and Clark. I can’t seem to find a question to stump him! Linda Burback, one of our long-time dedicated and enthusiastic naturalists is constantly out on the bow of the ship pointing out everything from osprey nests and fish ladders to bighorn sheep and pelicans. Jason Kelley, one of our seasoned Expedition Leaders and a veteran of over 10 years on the Columbia River knows every rock formation type and every bend in the river. Their knowledge seems bottomless and their sincere efforts to point out everything we pass by from sun up to sun down is a testament to Lindblad’s dedication to service.
What many people don’t realize, however, (and I was one of these people until I traveled up the Columbia River for the first time last fall) is that this river trip through Washington, Oregon and into Idaho is a whole heck of a lot of good fun! We have gone through massive locks; up and over dams. We have taken smaller boats up into Hells Canyon through class 3 rapids. We have seen elk, deer, bighorn sheep and countless birds along the river. We have marveled at the basalt columns, twisted and wild looking all along the rivers. We have had barbeque lunches out on the sunny decks. We have tasted local wines and cheeses (great fun!). We have laughed and learned and made new friends. But no one expected kayaking to be so darn fun today as we launched our trusty boats out onto the placid Palouse River, a small tributary off of the Snake River. I mean look at these people’s smiles. These are happy travelers! And they are still smiling tonight as I write this. You should have heard the stories in the dining room this evening at dinner. You really should have. See you out here on the river.
