The second day of our voyage started with the National Geographic Sea Lion anchoring in a wide part of the Columbia River, just west of Multnomah Falls. So right after breakfast, and a quick briefing on the proper way to enter and exit the Zodiac landing craft, we headed ashore for the morning activities. First it was a bus ride to the falls for a short walk, and a lot of picture-taking of this magnificent natural feature in the state of Oregon. Our next stop was just ten minutes away at the Bonneville Fish Hatchery, where we saw massive sturgeon, rainbow trout, and some of the returning salmon to this large facility. After lunch it was time to go through the first of eight locks along our travels up the Columbia and Snake Rivers! The rest of the day was spent cruising upriver through the beautiful Columbia River Gorge toward Hood River, and tomorrow’s adventures!
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.