On an early morning approach to Astoria, clean, gentle rain greeted guests aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird. The great Pacific Ocean, Astoria’s western door, releases precipitation eastward. That wet greeting contributes to shades of green, lush ground cover, and surviving giant Sitka spruce trees. Ironically, guests experienced the recorded description of the Corps of Discovery from 1805-1806 (wet, wet, wet). The city, by the way, was named to honor John Jacob Astor who sent two expeditions westward in 1811, five years after Lewis & Clark returned home.
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.
