The Columbia River Maritime Museum. Astoria, Oregon
Low gray clouds greeted the Sea Lion this morning as we navigated the lower reaches of the Columbia River. Ospreys and Bald Eagles fished the shallow waters of the estuary for their morning fare. We docked in Astoria and the Columbia River Maritime Museum opened its doors to welcome Sea Lion guests right after breakfast. This marvelous facility recently completed a major addition and only three days ago hosted the dedication of the new displays. Our visit seems too short to take in all that the museum has to offer but our itinerary includes a visit to the winter home of Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery at Fort Clatsop. The dark clouds of morning give way to blue skies and bright sunshine by lunch and many of us take advantage of the fine weather to venture out to the beaches of the Pacific. Here we can see the remains of the Peter Iredale, one of hundreds of ships lost in the heaving seas and shifting sands of the Columbia River bar. In the late afternoon the Sea Lion makes her way out to that stretch of water where the sea and river meet. The blustery north west breeze pushes the ocean swells against the ebb of The Great River of the West. While much has been changed here the forces of river and wind and tide remain as they were nearly two hundred years ago when Jefferson's captains navigated these same waters.
Low gray clouds greeted the Sea Lion this morning as we navigated the lower reaches of the Columbia River. Ospreys and Bald Eagles fished the shallow waters of the estuary for their morning fare. We docked in Astoria and the Columbia River Maritime Museum opened its doors to welcome Sea Lion guests right after breakfast. This marvelous facility recently completed a major addition and only three days ago hosted the dedication of the new displays. Our visit seems too short to take in all that the museum has to offer but our itinerary includes a visit to the winter home of Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery at Fort Clatsop. The dark clouds of morning give way to blue skies and bright sunshine by lunch and many of us take advantage of the fine weather to venture out to the beaches of the Pacific. Here we can see the remains of the Peter Iredale, one of hundreds of ships lost in the heaving seas and shifting sands of the Columbia River bar. In the late afternoon the Sea Lion makes her way out to that stretch of water where the sea and river meet. The blustery north west breeze pushes the ocean swells against the ebb of The Great River of the West. While much has been changed here the forces of river and wind and tide remain as they were nearly two hundred years ago when Jefferson's captains navigated these same waters.
