Columbia & Snake Rivers
We left rainy Portland, and traveled through the night; sailing east along the “Great River of the West.” When we awoke we were ready for our first lockage of the day, the guillotine gated lock at John Day Dam which provides the highest vertical lift in the world. Far behind us were the dark conifer forests of the Cascade Mountains with Mount Hood towering above the rest. We motored through the many lakes that are created by the dams, learning how the locks raised the ship at each dam, in some cases over 100 feet. In stair step stages we rose through four dam locks into lakes Bonneville, Celilo, Umatilla and Wallula.
On the rolling plateau beyond the river bluffs are wheat ranches up to 10,000 acres in size that provide one-third of the grain exported from the U.S. via the ports of Portland and Vancouver. We watched as barges carried products up and down the river, and trains passed carrying their cargo by land. Indeed the Columbia River has changed dramatically from the time of Lewis and Clark. Once a rapid, free flowing river, the Columbia is now tame, contained by the dams along the way. The Columbia River is used for power, navigation, irrigation and recreation.
Near Boardman the bluffs vanished to reveal a vast agricultural area of vineyards: sweet cherry, peach, apple, apricot and pear orchards; hops; Walla Walla sweet onions that can be eaten like an apple; melons, asparagus, sweet peas and safflower, and irrigated circles for field corn to finish cattle and high grade alfalfa shipped to Japan. Columbia Crest Winery at 4,000 acres is the largest vineyard in the Northwest.
Washington is second only to California in premium wine production in the United States. There are over 400 wineries in Washington, many located on the shores of the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Washington state produces over 18 million gallons of wine each year, of that over half (nearly 60%) is red. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah are most prominent. At last count, Oregon is home to just over 300 wineries. The Willamette Valley is home to the Pinot Noir grape, for which Oregon wineries in the region are known for. Our day concluded with the opportunity to sample many of these local winery’s delicious products and taste many jams, jellies, and chocolates from this very area. What a beginning to our voyage in the footprints of the Corp of Discovery.
We left rainy Portland, and traveled through the night; sailing east along the “Great River of the West.” When we awoke we were ready for our first lockage of the day, the guillotine gated lock at John Day Dam which provides the highest vertical lift in the world. Far behind us were the dark conifer forests of the Cascade Mountains with Mount Hood towering above the rest. We motored through the many lakes that are created by the dams, learning how the locks raised the ship at each dam, in some cases over 100 feet. In stair step stages we rose through four dam locks into lakes Bonneville, Celilo, Umatilla and Wallula.
On the rolling plateau beyond the river bluffs are wheat ranches up to 10,000 acres in size that provide one-third of the grain exported from the U.S. via the ports of Portland and Vancouver. We watched as barges carried products up and down the river, and trains passed carrying their cargo by land. Indeed the Columbia River has changed dramatically from the time of Lewis and Clark. Once a rapid, free flowing river, the Columbia is now tame, contained by the dams along the way. The Columbia River is used for power, navigation, irrigation and recreation.
Near Boardman the bluffs vanished to reveal a vast agricultural area of vineyards: sweet cherry, peach, apple, apricot and pear orchards; hops; Walla Walla sweet onions that can be eaten like an apple; melons, asparagus, sweet peas and safflower, and irrigated circles for field corn to finish cattle and high grade alfalfa shipped to Japan. Columbia Crest Winery at 4,000 acres is the largest vineyard in the Northwest.
Washington is second only to California in premium wine production in the United States. There are over 400 wineries in Washington, many located on the shores of the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Washington state produces over 18 million gallons of wine each year, of that over half (nearly 60%) is red. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah are most prominent. At last count, Oregon is home to just over 300 wineries. The Willamette Valley is home to the Pinot Noir grape, for which Oregon wineries in the region are known for. Our day concluded with the opportunity to sample many of these local winery’s delicious products and taste many jams, jellies, and chocolates from this very area. What a beginning to our voyage in the footprints of the Corp of Discovery.
