The morning started with a frost-covered dock here in Clarkston, Washington. The chill of the morning air warmed slowly as the sun rose and we bundled into jet boats for our navigation upstream into Hells Canyon. Highlights of the day included the aforementioned sunshine, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, and assorted birdlife, including bald eagles and one tundra swan on its migration. For the afternoon J.R. Spencer, a Nez Perce storyteller, came aboard and brought laughter and a connection with our inner child. The evening was topped off with a wine tasting featuring Coco Umiker and her wines from Clearwater Canyon Cellars.
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.
