At 0600 hours, with the light of dawn barely perceptible, the National Geographic Quest makes her way upstream on the Snake River, bound for its confluence with the Palouse River. A waning crescent moon stands high overhead and just below it is the constellation of Orion, the Mighty Hunter. Those of us up early and on the bow are lucky to hear coyotes howling on the portside shore. At least two coyotes seem to be having a conversation and it is easy to understand why Native Americans called them “song dogs.” Soon after dawn, we arrive at the mouth of the Palouse River and begin our day of adventures, visiting Palouse Falls and taking Zodiac cruises up the river. We also launched our fleet of kayaks, a popular option.
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.
